If it hasn’t happened by the time this letter is printed, it probably won’t be long before members of Auburn’s city government will try to shift blame to the School Department for obscene tax increases, since the school system is the largest budget item.

We should remember that it wasn’t the school department that built the Court Street “Taj Mahal”; wanted to move from Chamberlain School to the “hall”; disregarded city ordinances and the 1995 10-year Comprehensive Plan to develop a legacy; gave TIFs to entice multiple businesses to downtown and Mount Auburn Avenue/Turner Street sites; made a parking garage sweetheart deal with another in the offing; wants Esplanade residents to use their fixed incomes to rent parking spaces; allowed a sidewalk that was constructed with federal funds to become an outdoor bar, and the opposite corner of the “Gateway to the City” to look like an old-fashioned brewery; and was arrogant enough to think that residents were so dumb that we would take any excuse for megataxes.

With true vision and consideration, Auburn officials would have realized – as did the Comprehensive Plan group – that the Twin Cities would be the next growth area, and that businesses would be arriving here anyway. A city needn’t be anti-resident to be pro-business. And our schools shouldn’t be used as whipping children yet again.

Maybe our vehicles need to sport this bumper sticker: “If you think education is expensive, try Auburn’s council, manager and mayor.”

Robert Hansen, Auburn

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