This week’s edition!
Letters
LETTER: iPads are symptom of bigger problem
To the Editor:
Anyone who has been monitoring the debate regarding the Auburn school budget and iPad initiative over the past several months easily can conclude that there has been frustration on many levels. This frustration not only lies with the budget, but also with the school committee and the city council members.
The iPad initiative, which I believe to be misguided at best, is a symptom of a much larger problem. The program was put in place with no meaningful discussion that included parents or city council members. More egregiously, the program had no sound funding foundation—I find that quite peculiar since it is supposedly the keystone to improving our children’s literacy and mathematical performance by 30 percentage points over the next several years.
The vast majority of available medical literature also clearly shows that increasing screen time beginning at a young age has been directly linked to eye strain, childhood obesity, children’s lack of attentiveness, poor school performance and aggressive behavior. The list could continue much further.
LETTER: Eliminate the Maine Turnpike, increase gas tax
To the Editor:
Government is not efficient and doesn’t have to be—not as long as cost can be ignored.
Maine citizens are so highly taxed in comparison to other states that we are a frequent contender for the title of most highly taxed. Our state government, our municipal and our county governments, like jackals feeding on a carcass, extract, on average, somewhere around 13 or 14 percent of our income. These taxes could be reduced and government could be made efficient, but it would require a citizen’s initiative to throttle funding.
When I consider taxes, three thoughts come immediately to mind: the first is that some of that tax money is spent foolishly and, of course, this is also the second and the third thought. If our lawmakers were limited in their tax collection to 10 percent of our income, including any cost for collection, then foolish spending would, if not eliminated, be at least reduced.
LETTER: Public education isn’t working in L-A
To the Editor:
Perception can easily be more influential than reality. This is why the front-page stories praising the success of Somali and Bantu high school students in the Lewiston Sun Journal on June 12 were disturbing.
First, I find nothing untrue in the stories. I believe that the Bantu student, Shobow Saban, overcame great difficulties in achieving his high school diploma, and I believe that Somali student Asha Mohamud graduated 11th in her class. I believe that Asha is exceptional, that she is multi-lingual and, more importantly, I believe she started school without the non-English-language-speaking handicap of most Somali students.
I agree with Principal LeBlanc that any progress in educating non-English speaking students is a success story. I am convinced that Lewiston High School teachers work hard in teaching their Somali and Bantu students—they have to.
LETTER: School committee didn’t include community, teachers in iPad debate
To the Editor:
Over the last couple of months we have seen many new ideas proposed by the Auburn School Department. These ideas are aimed at improving student achievement and alleviating the dropout crisis.
However, a common theme has emerged during the school committee meetings and subsequent discussions: a complete lack of collaboration and openness with the community and teachers of Auburn.
According to the school committee’s policies (located on their website), their mission is to “facilitate the development of policies in collaboration with faculty and community.” This includes educators, parents, citizens and children of Auburn.
The committee hastily decided to buy and implement iPads for kindergarten classrooms without seeking collaboration from faculty or community members. Requests from local medical experts, parents and educators to be part of this process have been overlooked by the committee.
LETTER: Privileged class consists of “layabouts and refugees”
To the Editor:
It appears that when it comes to American History, Lewiston has its own Sarah Palin: Mayor Larry Gilbert.
In his TCT column on June 9, 2011, “Gov. Lepage puts (Rich) ‘People before Politics’,” Gilbert attempts to make his case through testimony given before Maine’s Joint Standing Committee on Taxation by Dan Coyne from the Maine Center for Economic Policy. The problem is that this organization adheres to policies of restrictive European Socialism.
Was it not the economic climate in 1600-1700 Europe that was responsible for the mass migration to North America? Here in America, hard work offered financial gain and upward mobility. I believe these are the same philosophies set forth by the Maine Heritage Policy Center.
Gilbert’s dislike for Governor Lepage parallels the hatred of Jamestown’s John Smith by the privileged and dandies of that colony for making them work along with the laborers and indentured servants. Today working people of this state are forced to support the new privileged class consisting of the under-educated welfare layabouts and refugees. Like the dandies of Jamestown, Gilbert objects to our John Smith, Governor Lepage, who expects these people to step up and show responsibility by supporting themselves.
LETTER: Auburn Exchange Club thanks community for support of Field of Honor
To the Editor:
As the last notes of “Taps” faded over the 400 flags flapping in the breeze on a beautiful sunny Memorial Day in Simard-Payne Memorial Park, we, the members of the Auburn Exchange Club, finally realized that the Field of Honor event that the club had worked so hard to present was finally over.
It was a bittersweet moment; on one hand, we were glad that the long weekend was over, as several members had spent almost their entire holiday weekend at the field, from sunup to sundown. On the other hand, we wished that the field could have lasted much, much longer.
The Auburn Exchange Club would like to express our deepest appreciation and thanks to the community for supporting our inaugural Field of Honor. All through the weekend, ordinary people would stop and ask what the flags were for, and we would explain to them what the project stood for and what it planned to accomplish. They would reflect for a minute and then tell us, “You’re doing a good thing.”
OP/ED: Will iPads boost student achievement?
By Tracey Levesque
and Stella Gammaitoni
Auburn Citizens for Responsible Education
Is Auburn in the middle of an educational crisis? According to one Auburn School Committee member: “We are failing already.” (Thomas Kendall, school committee member, April 27, 2011).
Mr. Kendall believes the “educational system is flawed” and Auburn is using the “failure model.” In fact, he agrees that our educational system was not successful 30 years ago—possibly even further back than that.
While we respect him for admitting that our system is not producing solid results, we wonder why major changes have not been made earlier? Will iPads, the newest fad hoping to boost academic results, actually produce any noticeable improvements?
LETTER: Broadside blasts the Maine Education Association
To the Editor:
A well-known Maine politician let loose with one of his famous broadsides the other day. Blasting the Maine Democratic Party as the tool of special interests, singling out the Maine Education Association (MEA) as one of the principal villains. He said that all the MEA wants to talk about is raising taxes, protecting the union’s first-class health plan, easing working conditions, paying higher teacher salaries (regardless of competence and performance) and creating a tax exemption for retired teachers. He claims they show no interest in students.
He pointed out that Maine is one of the few states that don’t allow charter schools, and he blamed the MEA and the Democrats for preventing Maine from competing for a share of the hundreds of millions of dollars in the federal “Race to the Top” education reform program.
LETTER: Governor, treasurer deserve credit for tackling debt
To the Editor:
State Treasurer Bruce Poliquin told members during a recent meeting of the Androscoggin County Conservative Coalition that too much debt severely limits Maine’s options for providing services to its citizens. Poliquin has been on a one-man crusade to educate Maine residents about the staggering amount of debt the State of Maine owes, and he has been working with Governor Paul LePage to address how that debt can be paid.
The actions—or the inaction—of Maine’s political leaders over the past 20-plus years is inexcusable; in fact, if a private sector company dealt with its employees as Maine has, the owner and board of directors would be facing serious legal charges. The unfunded liability owed to Maine teachers and state employees has been calculated at $4.3 billion, representing over two decades of neglect by past Maine political leaders.
LETTER: Mayor thrusts negativity on MAINEiacs, city
To the Editor:
It is growing increasingly difficult to sit on the sidelines and watch the figurehead of the City of Lewiston publicly bash one of this region’s best assets. In the past two editions of Twin City TIMES, Lewiston Mayor Larry Gilbert has thrust a negative spotlight on himself, the city and the MAINEiacs.
There is no questioning Gilbert’s love of hockey and of these players. There can be no questioning his passion and pride for the City of Lewiston. However, this latest temper tantrum has gone too far.
His sentiments certainly do not represent my views as a MAINEiacs fan, and I know that he definitely does not speak for others. As a former contracted employee for the MAINEiacs this past summer, I can shed a few insights that many people, including Gilbert, may not be aware of.
