[Local-Maine-Schools] 3/13/2007: Gendron, Rier, and Silvernail at Appropriations (follow-up)

[Paul Murphy]

Well it surely does appear that we have our work cut out for us. My question
is where that work will be most fruitful. While I don't think we should
ignore the appropriations committee, it seems to me their mindset is clear
and unalterable. It's not like they haven't heard all sides of this debate.
The full legislature might be a sweeter target. Also in terms of chambers of
commerce, The Maine State Chamber of Commerce and its president, Dana
Connors, former Commissioner of the Maine Department of Transportation, have
been vocal in their support of mandatory consolidation, if not the
governor's specific plan.. So it's no surprise that the governor and
commissioner are playing their tune in that arena.


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Brian Hubbell" <sparkflashgap at gmail.com>
To: "Local Maine Schools List" <local-maine-schools at lists.svaha.com>
Cc: "Brian Hubbell" <sparkflashgap at gmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, March 14, 2007 7:50 PM
Subject: [Local-Maine-Schools] 3/13/2007: Gendron, Rier,and Silvernail at
Appropriations (follow-up)


> >From people who attended yesterday's meeting of the Appropriations
> Committee with the Department of Education we have received some
> supplementary information.  As it serves to complement what I reported
> yesterday, I'll paraphrase below.
>
> Apparently the Appropriations Committee has decided to take over from
> the Education Committee the work of developing the legislation for
> regionalization.
>
> As you can imagine, this does not sit well with many members of the
> Education Committee.
>
> Also in contrast with Education Committee, which went to some
> considerable effort to consult and work with representatives from the
> Maine School Management Association and MMA, the Appropriations
> Committee is now asking Commissioner Gendron, Jim Rier, and David
> Silvernail to build their draft.
>
> Almost certainly this draft will require mandatory consolidation of
> all school units under 2500 students on a much quicker time frame into
> districts that will likely be set at the state level and will not be
> subject to local ratification.
>
> >From the Appropriations Committee's point of view, any process that's
> not mandatory makes the outcome too uncertain. And, as they will
> depend on the savings immediately in this next biennium, they need the
> numbers to be both large and definite.
>
> I'm not sure about this, but yesterday apparently I may have
> misunderstood the savings that Silvernail now claims are possible
> through mandatory consolidation.  I thought he was claiming 120
> million over three years.  Apparently, it may be nearly 340 million in
> three years, or nearly 120 million in a single year.
>
> It appears that we have a couple of weeks to influence the process.
> So start thinking about what you would do to help develop a strategy
> that will have a positive outcome.  The coalition of MEA, MMA, the
> Chamber, and others are meeting this morning to discuss strategy.
>
> Clearly we need to make certain that legislators hear from us.  We
> also need to get our towns involved in the process as well as our
> community business leaders.  Characterizing any objection as conveying
> "fear and misinformation", the Governor's team is going around to
> Chambers of Commerce trying to influence them into believing that his
> bill will save all kinds of money and will reduce their property
> taxes.
>
> So, we have our work cut out for us and need to get even more active
> if we believe that this new direction is detrimental to education.
> Many of us feel strongly that we are risking damaging an excellent
> educational system for some reason that is as yet unexplained.
>
> If the savings they claim are so reasonably achievable, why can't they
> show us the details of how they expect the savings to be accomplished?
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