Tell your Reps and Senators to prevent your community from taking steps like Stoneham, vote for MPA

[Ian David]

Tell your Reps and Senators to prevent your community from taking steps like Stoneham, vote for MPA
by: Susan H
Sat Jun 23, 2007 at 09:23:56 AM EDT

A $3 million dollar override failed to pass in Stoneham and the resulting cuts are devastating to that community: every single high school sport is gone. There will be no high school sport for a high school student to participate in, in Stoneham. Think it's just athletes the cuts will affect? Think again. Every art class - gone. Every music class - gone.

Consider this: how much do you think your community's identity and property value is tied up with it's school system? Ask a local realtor some time.

If you do not want to see cuts like that reach your community CALL YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE AND STATE SENATOR AND DEMAND THAT THEY SUPPORT THE GOVERNOR'S PROPOSED MUNICIPAL PARTNERSHIP ACT - IN FULL. WITH ALL THE TOOLS THE ACT WAS DESIGNED TO GIVE COMMUNITIES.

Power plays and discussions about who gets to hold onto the power to tax are a luxury debate that too many towns cannot afford to listen to - hear that Mr Speaker? The people in Stoneham probably have very little sympathy right now about your "concerns". They know what is needed in Stoneham - $3 million dollars. And some of that revenue raising ability, while too late now to affect the outcome - like collecting the fair share of property owed by the phone companies with no more exemptions might not have covered the $3 million dollar shortfall - it would have helped some. As would all the other proposals contained in the Act. Like the cost saving proposals which are also included in the proposed MPA.

Want the specifics from the governor's perspective? Read his remarks that I transcribed in this diary
Susan H :: Tell your Reps and Senators to prevent your community from taking steps like Stoneham, vote for MPA

More:
http://www.soapblox.net/belowboston/showDiary.do?diaryId=917