[Local-Maine-Schools] Augusta realities -- read if you are going on Monday

[Dick Atlee]

Three things that may be of interest to those going to Augusta:

1. 42 COPIES

I've been told by several people that anyone wishing to take one of the 
3-minute speaking slots in the Augusta meeting tomorrow must come 
prepared with 42 printed copies of their remarks.  The written text can 
be longer than 3 minutes (i.e., you can read/speak only a subset of your 
remarks, if you wish), but the copies are a requirement -- 40 for the 
government, and 2 for the press.

2. ISLAND ACTION AT 10:30AM

I heard that the island folks (for this purpose, MDI *is* an island) are 
planning on meeting outside the Civic Center at 10:30 Monday morning to 
coordinate to make sure they have a significant voice.  Unfortunately, I 
don't have the details on this, and I hope someone who does will send 
them out.

3. WHO SAYS IT WON'T PASS?

A number of knowledgeable people have said that there's no way this plan 
is going to pass as written.

Just as a cautionary note, I was talking to a political operative who 
reported a conversation he had with a person working in the Education 
Department, who said that it is expected that the plan WILL pass, 
because if the legislature decides to dismantle it, they will have to 
come up with a source of $250 million to replace what the plan will 
allegedly (and most unlikely) save.  If the legislature just accepts the 
plan, and it fails, they can always blame the governor.

Apropos of this, I gather that House Speaker Glenn Cummings has said 
that this is the Governor's bill, not his, but that he will support it.

I confess to not being an expert on the arcanities of state legislative 
politics, but this does worry me.  Does anyone else have information 
that would help clarify this?

Dick Atlee
Southwest Harbor