Train Wreck
Is On Its Way

Now every taxpayer in Rochester can honestly say they have received a "pink slip" at least once in their lives. I’m referring of course to the "pink slip" that the Rochester School Board enclosed in the recent Rochester tax notices.

For lack of a better word, the Rochester board stated that budget numbers voted on less than one month ago are now "unfortunate but honest mistakes." Budget numbers which were sold to the public by a "new and open" board are suddenly worthless. Budget numbers for the "Get Smart Campaign" now are going to cost Rochester taxpayers $50,000 in Act 68 threshold penalties. This makes the total Act 68 penalties for Rochester in the past four years over one million dollars. Yes, that is with six zeros (combined penalties and over-budget total).

But if recent Rochester board history stays the same, you can rest assured that first "everything is under control" and secondly "it’s the fault of the Windsor Northwest Supervisory Union." There will be no accountability and no responsibility taken by this board.

If Paul Revere had the Rochester School Board attitude he would have said, "The British are coming but don’t worry about it." And Captain Smith of the Titanic would have told his passengers "We have hit an iceberg but don’t worry, everything is under control."

The train wreck is coming to Rochester, my friends. A pattern of poor judgment by the Rochester board and its refusal to look at bleak projected numbers doesn’t bode well for our upper White River Valley. Until honesty and integrity replace misrepresentation and self-importance, we should just all prepare to find our places in the life boats. Remember: "Women and children first."

Dicken Lary

Hancock

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