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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>I know that Ted has wrestled with the role that education will
play in addressing the unsustainable condition of the State’s finances
and I think it is safe to say that he feels there is a role for education to
play. He may even feel that consolidation in many areas is wise (by the way I
wouldn’t argue with that position). There are a number of reasons that
very few legislators don’t support repeal (I do). As one who has spent
considerable time at the legislature over the last year working both against
the consolidation law and to make changes to the law that would make it more
palatable, my perception is that most feel: 1.) that something must be done and
soon (I’m not arguing in favor of that perception, just that it permeates
the legislature, even among those who do not love this law); and 2.) that there
is no hope whatsoever of repeal. (I would argue in favor of this position). The
repeal effort is and has been a noble endeavor but for any who have spent any
time talking to legislators about this, it is abundantly clear that repeal will
not come from them. It is a futile battle.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>To Ted’s credit, while he may not have been as vocal a
champion of the changes in LD 1932 that are so vital to the prospects of MDI’s,
Trenton’s and Lamoine’s (as well as many other areas around the
state) educational survival, as Hannah and Dennis, he has worked behind the
scenes to try to build consensus among legislators , particularly those on the
other side of the aisle from him and he has voted in every circumstance for the
changes that are so vital to his constituency. In the many conversations
I’ve had with Ted about the consolidation matter I have found him entirely
sympathetic to the matters of local control and the survival of the union form
of governance, especially here on MDI, since there is such a high degree of cooperation
within the Union.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>It may be that his position has evolved since your conversation
with him but, again, I see that as to his credit rather than his detriment. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> local-maine-schools-bounces@mainetalk.org
[mailto:local-maine-schools-bounces@mainetalk.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Susan
Whitby<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Sunday, March 30, 2008 10:08 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> atlee@umd.edu; Local Maine Schools List<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [Local-Maine-Schools] (Skip Greenlaw) YEAS/NAYS/UNDECIDED
on repeal<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>I called Ted back in early November to ask him why he didn't
support the repeal of the school consolidation law. He felt that it
was an unpleasant, but necessary step so the State could reduce the amount it
spends on schools, since this is an ever-increasing percentage of the yearly
budget, despite dwindling enrollments. He talked about huge school
organizational changes that have happened historically Maine, and how they are
always painful and unpopular. <br>
<br>
I tried to present him with some of the extremely negative impacts that the law
was going to have on some schools. He seemed not to have a great deal of
sympathy for MDI's plight, and felt that local school decision-making powers
were not in the best interest of the communities as a whole, but was
concerned about schools like Trenton and Lamoine, due to the fact that raising
teacher salaries there were going to have a devastating effect on the school
budgets there. He did suggest that perhaps school mergers were an
unpleasant, but cost-effective solution to some of these situations down the
road.<br>
<br>
<b><i>Dick Atlee <atlee@umd.edu></i></b> wrote:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'>This is Skip Greenlaw's census
of House sentiment on repeal (I've <br>
reformatted it into a single column for email). I'm personally curious <br>
as to why people like Ted Koffman are against it. Does anyone have any <br>
thoughts on this they could share with the list?<br>
<br>
Admittedly, a huge amount of work has gone into this on the part of <br>
RPC's, but even if the law were repealed, if an RPC felt the results of <br>
their work was better than what they had before, they could continue on <br>
track -- as I recall, whatever help the DoE was going to provide for <br>
this process has been pretty well expended by now, anyway. For existing <br>
SAD's, repeal wouldn't seem to make any difference one way or the other. <br>
But it makes a huge difference for the communities who are suffering <br>
under the potential effects of the law, in many cases even with the new <br>
mods that will probably survive a veto.<br>
<br>
So what I'm wondering is whether anyone can provide a non-DoE rationale <br>
for why the law shouldn't simply be repealed. Is there any reason that <br>
we all shouldn't be lobbying our reps to make a repeal bill veto-proof?<br>
<br>
Dick<br>
<br>
-------- Original Message --------<br>
Subject: YEAS/NAYS/UNDECIDED<br>
Date: Thu, 27 Mar 2008 10:37:12 -0400<br>
From: skipgreenlaw <br>
To: skipgreenlaw <br>
<br>
Good morning everyone,<br>
<br>
Here is a list of the legislators who have indicated how they will vote<br>
on repeal of the school consolidation law. YEA means they will vote to<br>
repeal; NAY means that they will _not_ vote to repeal; UNDECIDED means<br>
just that or in some cases may mean they don't want to tell us. This<br>
list is comprised of members of the House of Representatives.<br>
After their name R= Republican, D=Democrat, U= unenrolled<br>
<br>
<br>
YEAS (26)<br>
<br>
Peter Edgecomb, R-Caribou<br>
Jacqueline Lundeen, D-Mars Hill<br>
Richard Cleary, D-Houlton<br>
Henry Joy, R-Crystal<br>
Hebert Clark, D-Millinocket<br>
Jeffrey Gifford, R-Lincoln<br>
Benjamin Pratt, D-Eddington<br>
Christian Greeley, R-Levant<br>
Peter Johnson, R-Greenville<br>
Howard McFadden, R-Dennysville<br>
Robert Eaton, D-Sullivan<br>
James Schatz, D-Blue Hill<br>
Robert Crosthwaite, R-Ellsworth<br>
Lance Weddell, D-Frankfort<br>
Michael Thibodeau, R-Winterport<br>
Wendy Pieh, D-Bremen<br>
Kenneth Fletcher, R-Winslow<br>
W. Bruce MacDonald, D-Boothbay<br>
Philip Curtis, R-Madison<br>
Tom Savielo, U-Wilton<br>
John Patrick, D-Rumford<br>
Roberta Muse, R-Fryeburg<br>
Gary Moore, R-Standish<br>
Susan Austin, R-Gray<br>
Sarah Lewin, R-Eliot<br>
Windol Weaver, R-York<br>
<br>
NAYS (18)<br>
<br>
Troy Dale Jackson, D-Allagash<br>
Jeremy Fischer, D- Presque Isle<br>
Sean Faircloth, D-Bangor<br>
Emily Cain, D-Orono<br>
Joshua Tardy, R-Newport<br>
Thedore Koffman, D-Bar Harbor<br>
Jayne Crosby Giles, R-Belfast<br>
Christopher Rector, R-Thomaston<br>
Elizabeth Miller, D-Somerville<br>
Charles Priest, D-Brunswick<br>
Elaine Maksa, D-Lewiston<br>
Janet Mills, D-Farmington<br>
Sawin Millett, R-Waterford<br>
David Webster, D-Freeport<br>
Mark Bryant, D-Windam<br>
John Brautigam, D-Falmouth<br>
Boyd Marley, D-Portland<br>
Anne Haskell, D-Portland<br>
<br>
UNDECIDED (13)<br>
<br>
Charles Fisher, D-Brewer<br>
Hannah Pingree, D-North Haven<br>
Kimberly Silsby, D-Augusta<br>
Stan Gerzofsky, D-Brunswick<br>
Marilyn Canavan, D-Waterville<br>
Gary Knight, R-Livermore Falls<br>
Raymond Pineau, D-Jay<br>
James Hamper, R-Oxford<br>
Cynthia Dill, D-Cape Elizabeth<br>
David Farrington, D-Gorham<br>
John Tuttle, D-Sanford<br>
Dawn Hill, D-York<br>
Alan Casavant, D-Biddeford<br>
<br>
I'll add another list for senators another time.<br>
<br>
We all need to continue to call our legislators to ask them to vote to<br>
repeal the school consolidation. Please share those conservations with<br>
me so I can keep a tally. Let me know if you think it would be<br>
helpful for any of us to talk with your legislator. Also, with regard<br>
to the names listed above, it would be a kind gesture on your part to<br>
call and thank any of the legislators who are voting YEA. Call the<br>
legislators who are voting NAY and see if you can get them to change<br>
their minds. In the case of the undecideds, perhaps you can provide<br>
them some information which will help them decide to vote.<br>
<br>
More later.<br>
<br>
Thanks, Skip<br>
<br>
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