Trash Talk in North Andover

VALLEY PATRIOT EDITORIAL

 

July, 2006

Fool us once, shame on you! Fool us twice, shame on us!

 Try to fool us every year – what do you think we are, stupid? Every year the school-spending crowd predicts disaster if taxes or fees are not increased. Cancel AP classes, no art or music, 30 teachers fired, 36 kids in a class, and loss of accreditation … just a sample of the predicted disasters if North Andover’s Special Town Meeting on July 10th doesn’t approve a new trash tax.

 But hold on. Didn’t this same crowd predict similar disasters in past years that never materialized?

 Didn’t they say there would be 23 teacher layoffs this year due to the first $1.4 million reduction in their requested budget? What teacher cuts actually occurred? Only 1.5 teachers were cut and those could have been avoided. Now they are threatening another 28 teacher cuts if the trash tax isn’t passed at this town meeting.

 But School Committeeman Chuck Ormsby has outlined a plan that avoids any teacher cuts, adds six halftime dedicated reading instructors for kindergarten and first grade, and ends up with a reserve of $100K to protect against Special Education and utility overruns. No loss of classes, no huge class sizes, no risk of losing accreditation, and no trash taxes or the cost or hassle of buying trash bags.

 Don’t let them fool you! Attend the July 10th Special Town Meeting at 6:30 p.m. at the High School and VOTE NO!

 Arrive early. Vote it down early. Go home early. And enjoy the trash service you are already paying for!