Editor:
    The Portland Press Herald characterizes the people speaking out against school consolidation as primarily being employees at risk, like superintendents and teachers. It is foolhardy to assume the critics of Governor Baldacci’s school consolidation scheme are limited to educators. No, the citizens speaking out against school consolidation represent all facets of the community, most importantly parents, tax payers and property owners. They are a very large voting block. It’s not just the educators who are up in arms about these misguided schemes to “provide tax relief.”
    Parents fear losing influence over the curriculum their kids are exposed to five days a week. Tax payers fear losing control over how their hard earned dollars are spent (or wasted) by the educational establishment. Property owners can imagine a scenario where consolidation leads to poorer school results, higher taxes, less desire for folks from away to move to their town, thereby depressing property values.
    The paper also condemns the tone of the comments spewing forth from the masses.
    We as Americans should embrace and encourage such passion in our civic affairs! The Democrats’ attempt to impose this plan and intrude on our rights to manage our local schools only adds fuel to the fire and passion to our words.
    If school consolidation is forced down the throats of the people of Maine, don’t be surprised when the people rise up to spit out this bitter pill along with the Democrats in 2008. That may be the very medicine Maine needs.
David Sawicki
Cape Elizabeth