Fisherman's and a Quarry

We shut down our best performing elementary school this year, along with laying off around 35 people in the Swampscott school system. So everything's going to be fine for next year, right? Things couldn't possibly get worse? Wrong. I just received next years projections and if Swampscott's taxes go up 2.5%, the maximum amount without an override, we'll be at least $880,000 in the whole. I don't see how Swampscott makes up that money without at least any additional support from the state. If the state increased Chapter 70 funding to previous levels - and the base level most towns in the state receive (around 17%, compared to Swampscott's ~14%) - it would mean more than $500,000 dollars for the town. If the state doesn't increase it, I don't know how many more cuts the system can take without making a mockery of the education I received as a member of the Class of 2002.

Labels: chapter 70, schools

I just blogged about the situation in Saugus, where their library has been stripped of state certification and can't receive any state funding. They're no longer eligible to be in the North Shore book swap program, among other things. Their library is in danger of being shut down permanently, because they're running out of funds. Only one city, Lynn, has offered to help Saugus, by allowing their residents access to borrowing books. Why not Swampscott?

Would it really be all that burdensome to allow a few Saugus residents access to our library? It could have very well been our town that slashed funds to the library to the extent that it couldn't stay open. It may be our town in the future. We ought to set the precedent that each community in the North Shore will help one another, if it's needed. Instead, we're practicing Social Darwinism at the municipal level. Not only do we put our future at risk by being so selfish, but there are going to be a lot of children in Saugus who can't even go to a library. That's not right.

Labels: Libraries, North Shore, Swampscott

I called both Senator McGee and Representative Peterson today to see where they were on the whole casino issue (and to urge them against casinos), and McGee had an interesting response. He hasn't made a position yet and is open minded on the subject - and he wants phone calls. If anyone wants to call him, here's his Beacon Hill number: (617) 722-1350.

He will be an important voice in this matter as his district is right next to Wonderland Park, where a casino has been proposed, and there's already a casino running out of Lynn (Horizon's Edge).

Read this for more on why casinos are bad for Massachusetts. And remember that one of them will be built very close to Swampscott, probably in Revere. We will absolutely feel its effects.

PS: I've been meaning to write about the new school for weeks. It's absolutely beautiful, as I expected it to be. If I had one complaint, it's that the library is very small, but the fact that there are multiple computer labs (including a language lab) makes up for that. It's important that when you spend a lot of money on a project, you build it right... and it seems like Swampscott has done that.

Labels: casinos, Senator McGee