At the July 14 Monmouth school budget town meeting, it became apparent that some of the school committee members are uncompromising, as well as uncaring about the hardships of some lifelong and long-time residents.

Committee members ask residents to accept the same budget request that has been voted down twice already. As selectman Tim MacDonald stated at the meeting, we, as a community, should be trying to work out the school budget, as opposed to a them-against-us attitude.

It is unfortunate that too many well-to-do residents of Monmouth do not seem to care about their neighbors. All that is being asked is to hold the budget to a no-tax-increase-level for only the coming year in the face of unpayable tax burdens, skyrocketing energy costs, plummeting property values, mortgage failures, 100 banks on the Fed’s probable failure list, declining labor market, increasing inflation, etc.

Saying that it is sad to see our long-time residents having to move out of Monmouth because they can no longer afford to remain is a gross understatement and an injustice to the people who have made Monmouth the outstanding community that it is.

The issue is not unique to Monmouth. Many other communities are struggling with it and some are making cuts to the budget.

Ray Simond, Monmouth