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Support schools at tax time

To the editor:
Have you ever been the last one to the table? Everyone is very hungry, and by the time the plate gets to the end of the table, there is not much, if anything, left. Itís not much different when our tax dollars are being served up.
Last year was a real feeding frenzy. The state was the first to the table and was really hungry. It took knife in hand, cut funds to everyone, pushed back its chair and pronounced its budget balanced. City and county governments were next to the table. They are still growing and voted themselves what they needed and some to grow on. They knew the schools and other social services were just as needy. They knew that they could not just vote in what they needed. They also knew that taxes would go up. Schools and other social services were at the end of the table and they are hurting and have been for a long time.
It should have come as no surprise to anyone that our taxes went up. What is a surprise is that people blame the tax hike on the last ones to the table. THe schools are not allowed to just vote in their own funding. They had to wait until the city and county voted all its own tax increases and then they had to come to us directly and ask for every penny they have.
We are frustrated with everyone emptying our plate. We work hard to fill that plate. The state, city and county got enough last year. Isnít it time for the last to be first. Social services and schools did not take all your money. They did not push for growth that they were not prepared for. They, in fact, take care of the results of that growth. They have done a great job of it on a very lean diet. The schools in North Branch have been among the lowest funded in the state for years.
My mom used to watch over the table. She made sure that everyone got what they needed and no one got left out. We all showed some restraint when it didnít look like there would be enough. Well folks, the big guys got their fill last year and the schools and social services are in desperate need of our funding. These are people who are teaching our children, caring for our elderly and the most needy in our society.
We voted in the folks in state, city and county government and have responsibility to tell them how we want our money spend and hold them accountable. When the schools come back up to the table, as they have to, donít turn them away. Our parents looked after us when we were children and we must look after this generation. I remember when we were challenged to make the schools in the United States the best in the world. Now we are telling them that they are last in line, should be happy we open the doors at all and they should hire the lowest paid employees they can find. This cannot be healthy for our schools, our children or our society.
Lynne Pepin
Stacy

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