The phrases that Ollie Emery used (letter, May 1) about the teachers of RSU16 being “arrogant” and how, in these drastic times, the taxpayers should use drastic measures and fire everyone and start over, was insulting and disrespectful.

As a retiring teacher with 38 years in this district, the decision has no bearing on my future. However, Emery should realize that those “arrogant” teachers he is talking about just gave up 9.2 percent of their salaries from this year’s contract to avoid layoffs this year. How much more does he expect from them?

I understand that times are tight and everyone is trying to survive the best they can, including teachers. I don’t believe denying a group of people a raise that they have planned on means that these people are arrogant.

Why would anyone want to eliminate the experience there is in this district by starting over? The process for hiring a staff is long, tedious and requires a serious time commitment, in addition to being costly. Other people, who are part of a union, have not opened their existing contracts and lost their raises.

Since the administrators and staff of RSU16 have been working diligently to come up with a budget that is truly what is best for the communities financially, why would Emery try to sabotage the process?

I hope the taxpayers of the three towns think long and hard before they destroy what has taken decades to create and improve upon.

Doris Herrick, Poland

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