In a recent article, supporters of the proposed Lewiston School budget of $44.5 million noted that this represents a very small increase in local tax dollars. They neglected to mention that the proposed budget would increase Lewiston school spending by $3.4 million dollars (8 percent) over the current year’s budget.

In fiscal year 2003, the Lewiston School Department spent $34.5 million of federal, state and our local tax dollars. In the current year, they will spend $41.1 million of state and local tax dollars, plus an as yet undetermined amount of federal dollars. The proposed budget of $44.5 million represents a 29 percent increase in spending in 5 years.

During the last 5 years the Consumer Price Index has increased by only 14 percent (an average of less than 3 percent per year).

The Lewiston taxpayers who must pay the local and state taxes to cover these expenditures have not experienced comparable increases in their salaries or pensions.

Michael Poulin, Lewiston