<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" http-equiv=Content-Type>
<META name=GENERATOR content="MSHTML 8.00.6001.18828">
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Good morning everyone,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Senator David Trahan of Lincoln County has authored
an excellent letter to the editor, which he is circulating this morning to all
weekly newspapers.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>david's e-mail address is <A
href="mailto:dptrahan@midcoast.com">dptrahan@midcoast.com</A>. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Please give this e-mail your widest
circulation.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Thanks,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Skip</FONT></DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>
<P>Repeal consolidation and treat all Mainers fairly</P>
<P>By Sen. David Trahan</P>
<P></P>
<P>Question 3 on the November ballot asks Maine voters to reject the recently
enacted law to consolidate Maine schools. This law was over-sold and corrupted
by political horse trading, and in time will destroy what remains of Maine’s
rural education system. </P>
<P>I ask you to vote Yes on Question 3 to repeal this failed mandate because it
isn’t fair and hasn’t worked.</P>
<P>Researchers at the University of Maine have studied the last consolidation
effort in this state, the Sinclair Act, and its effect on administration in the
1950s and ‘60s. They found that from 1950 to 1980 administrative costs escalated
406 percent. </P>
<P>From 1960 to 2003, 45 major studies of 792 school consolidations nationwide
reported savings for just four systems. </P>
<P>So why consolidate? Power. Consolidation centralizes control in Augusta.
Fewer school boards, superintendents and local education advocates mean more
state control of education policy and funding.</P>
<P>When Governor Baldacci cooked up this latest consolidation plan, he tried to
tell voters it was in their best interest. When that failed, he put a gun to
their heads, threatening penalties if consolidation plans were rejected at the
local ballot box.</P>
<P>Citizens in more than 100 districts have rejected consolidation and now face
penalties of $5 million next year. This is the equivalent to trying to buy a
vote, which is supposed to be illegal in our democracy.</P>
<P>If that bully tactic is not enough to reject consolidation, consider the fact
that 66 school units, many in the highly populated Southern Maine counties of
Cumberland and York, are exempt from the law. So while most of rural Maine
wrestles with the consolidation mandate, most of the highly populated urban
districts take a free ride. </P>
<P>To view a map of Maine with exempt districts, (MDIschools.net) and those
fighting consolidation, one would think they were viewing a map of a military
battle with the front lines running from Rumford through Bangor, down east to
Mount Desert Island and north to Fort Kent. </P>
<P>It is outrageous for state government to employ such a discriminatory policy
where the governor and his administration can pick and choose who will
consolidate and who will not. And those choices are hurting the rural parts of
Maine that can least afford it.</P>
<P>Then there are the false promises.</P>
<P>The law was supposed to reduce Maine’s 290 districts to 80 by July 1 of this
year, but 218 remain. Sixty-six districts, representing 55% of the state’s
enrollment, mostly in Southern Maine, received exemptions from consolidation.
Another 126 voted down consolidation plans. Twenty-six new districts were
formed.</P>
<P>There was also a promise that $36.5 million would be saved. So far, there are
projected savings of less than $2 million and many towns in consolidated
districts are seeing their tax rates go up. Pownal, for example, saw a 25
percent tax increase Durham 19 percent and Alna 33 percent. </P>
<P>While towns are losing money, Gov. Baldacci is soliciting contributions from
his big corporate friends to fight repeal.</P>
<P>Nestle Corporation, bottlers of Poland Spring water, LL Bean, Hollywood
Slots, Coca Cola, and the New Hampshire paving company, Pike Industries, that
paved Interstate 295 between Topsham and Gardiner, are just a few of the
corporate contributors.</P>
<P>Someone needs to ask what do they expect from the Governor for their support?
</P>
<P>In a recent televised debate on Channel 6 between Dana Connor’s, head of the
Maine Chamber of Commerce and spokesman for the No on 3. Campaign, and myself, I
asked this question:</P>
<P>Would the Chamber’s position in support of consolidation change if the
Legislature passed a bill that mandated all retail stores with less than 20
employees had to consolidate with a big box store, or face severe penalties.</P>
<P>Obviously, the Chamber would react with outrage and most likely file a
lawsuit claiming discrimination. So why has the Maine Legislature and Governor
Baldacci gotten away with subjecting our community schools to such a heavy
handed, one-size-fits all discriminatory policy?</P>
<P>We need to right this wrong and repeal consolidation by voting Yes on
Question 3 on Nov. 3.</P></DIV></BODY></HTML>