Auburn taxpayers have taken the bull by the horns and brought the school officials back down to Earth. The proposed School Department budget was up on cloud nine.

I graduated from Edward Little High School in 1979, one of 476 seniors. Now there are 190 seniors, yet school officials claim there is no room. Perhaps that is because there are so many School Department employees. According to figures from past Sun Journal articles, I calculate the ratio at about seven students per employee. That is outrageous.

School officials press for a new high school, maybe so their cloud-nine heads can get through the doorways. Or maybe they think that if a new school is built, more students will come?

Where do I sign up to recall School Committee members?

Talk about spending money, people should take a look at the new school on Park Avenue, with its beautiful sidewalks and lights, but take notice of the “For Sale” signs on both ends of the street.

If Auburn’s tax rate doesn’t stay down, businesses and homeowners will flee. The 2010 Census reported that Auburn lost residents.

Also, there is no crime to speak of in Auburn. Let the Sheriff’s Department handle things. They do a great job in surrounding towns.

And the Fire Department needs to scale back. New buildings have sprinkler systems. How about using volunteers?

I say, cut, cut, cut. The whole town needs to be pulled back. No kids, no crime, no fires.

Lewiston-Auburn doesn’t need to combine. Auburn could cut its budget in half.

Jeffrey Keenan, Auburn