I’m just back from my Sunday morning breakfast at ML Shaw’s with my Mother, one of my daughters and three grandchildren, and later will spend the afternoon with three other grand children and out of the 6, 5 of them are or will be attending Dracut Public Schools.
I guess its also important to note that my sisters and I all went to Dracut schools and my father before us.
I just mention this before I get into this because I obviously care about the Dracut Public Schools and want them to be of quality and not what Robert has said… and while I’m at it Robert Palmer, if you are strong enough why don’t you come in and debate me on the subject.
As you know I give your pal Cowan all the free air time he wants and have invited anyone interested to come in and tell their story.
The difference with me is that I have a great understanding of these issues and their consequences and I’m not a guy that’s going to agree just because everyone else in the crowd does
So, I’m pleased to tell you that over the years I have supported the schools in many ways. I did the site designation work on the current Junior High and was part of a group of school committee/selectmen collaboration that got that school built without any tax increases.
Imagine that… a school board and BOS that worked together to make things happen
Also got the money for the ball field at the end of the Brookside (Rowe field) and developed it with donations and private work, including sending my own equipment down at Shaw Farm’s expense.
In terms of budget and operations, I supported the schools every year and took the school board to task when they got rid of a perfectly good leader- Mrs Espindle
So when I hear people like Cowan and Palmer questioning my commitment to our schools get annoyed.
You might think these people discovered the lean revenues we deal with.
The reality is we have been dealing with this problem for decades, and despite our efforts, the tax base hasn’t changed and won’t unless you want to take a chance on Cowan’s brilliant idea of building a bridge over the Merrimac to Andover and hope that changes our luck.
Getting back to the override, you should be open minded to understand that there are different ways to look at a solution. Just because the school board decided to take a certain path does not mean anyone that disagrees with that path is anti-education or anti-children.
I understand and respect their commitment to their cause but it is my belief that the problem could have been solved in other ways that would not hurt the people on limited income and the people that attempt to make a living in town.
While I’m at it, for those of you that there is a lot of money in Dracut, try to make a living here, or better still talk to a local banker and ask what they see
Local business deals with the same exact reality that our schools do, trying to survive on limited income because of where we are.
But we don’t have the power to tax.
My job at the radio station is about opinion, and I have plenty of them and I’m not going to be bullied into submission by anyone
I will never intended to get involved in this thing other than on SML but this latest outburst of ignorance has me rethinking.





