Woodstock CT Café

by JK

Other towns don’t have Prop. 46. If, for some reason, the schools need and can substantiate requests for more funding than Prop. 46 would allow, they can do so.

Proponents of Prop. 46 will claim that this is a good thing. They will assert that it makes government deal with a finite amount of funding, and schools always seem to stay open.

What some people refuse to consider is that there are some years when extra expenditures may be necessary, say to buy some new buses, so some major renovations, replace textbooks, equipments, or any other fairly expensive item you can think of. It may be, that we will spend more in the long run by putting off certain expenses. Just as a hypothetical example: suppose there is a leaky roof that could be fixed for $10,000 today. It may be put off because there isn’t money to pay for the repairs. Once the leak is allowed to continue, there may be substantially more damage and costs in the future, as things under the roof get damaged. Save $10,000 this year, and pay $50,000 next year instead. Again, I’m not saying that this is happening, but that is the sort of situation that Prop. 46 encourages.

I agree that sometimes tough decisions need to be made to keep budgets from getting out-of-control. Prop. 46 means that WA can send a bill for tuition, and WPS has to make cuts in order to comply with the limits that are set. Other towns can decide on a yearly basis what they are willing to pay once they receive a bill from WA.

If someone had the financial backing and the time to pursue it, a lawsuit may find that Prop. 46 is not legal. It was challenged when it was first voted on, but the Town chose not to appeal the Superior Court ruling.

On the Strength to Prevail

(Washington) “Let it be told to the future world…that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive… that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it].” (quoted by Obama)

(Obama) “As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals.”

On Freedom

(Lincoln) “As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master. This expresses my idea of democracy. Whatever differs from this, to the extent of the difference, is no democracy.”

On Global Leadership

(Obama) “We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense.  And for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken — you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.”

(Lincoln) “Let us have faith that right makes might, and in that faith, let us, to the end, dare to do our duty as we understand it.”

(Obama) “And we are ready to lead once more. Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with the sturdy alliances and enduring convictions.”

(Lincoln) “Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves and, under a just God, cannot long retain it.”

(Obama) “We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan.” 

(Obama) “With old friends and former foes, we’ll work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet.”

(Obama) “To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society’s ills on the West, know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history, but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.”

On National Leadership

(Lincoln) “A house divided against itself cannot stand.”

(Obama) “On this day (the first day of Obama’s presidency), we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas that for far too long have strangled our politics.”

(Lincoln) “The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present.” Read the rest of this entry »