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We Are in Charge

How much would taxes have to go up for the PTA to say, “Ouch”? Those who make their very comfortable livings in public education so easily manipulate doting parents. The threats to retaliate against the kids if the education budget fails are bureaucratic terrorism.

In the private sector, market realities frequently prompt lay-offs and reductions in force, but the customers and other stakeholders almost never feel any consequences from the cuts and often benefit from them. In the public sector, however, when market conditions lead to budget failures, voters must be punished, especially parents of public school students.

As the enrollment continues to decline, there are not only fewer students in the classroom, there are also fewer voters with school-age kids in households. The public schools would be better-served if they formed strategies to reduce year-over-year budgets without punishing students for the deteriorating market conditions. Consolidating the Town and education financial and maintenance functions would demonstrate a real desire to cut costs that don’t impact education even indirectly.

As taxpayers, we are the customers and the owners of the municipal government and should expect to be treated as such. The town employees and elected officials work for us, not the other way around. It is time they started acting like it.

As owners and customers, we are entitled to demand more, while paying less. To do so, we must say “No” to an 11 percent tax increase on May 10 and to $7.1 million in an all-in-one bonding package. We are in charge here, but only if we exercise our discretion to say “No” on May 10.

Cameron Vickers

Clinton