The April 6 Kennebec Journal article, “Proposed RSU 18 budget would mean $1.1M increase,” includes this quote from District Superintendent Gary Smith: “We all need to pull together to make this work.”

When reading the article, some may get the impression Smith’s “we” is straight out of “Animal Farm” by George Orwell.

The budget has no proposed layoffs, no reduction to the teacher/student ratio even as enrollment declines, no program cuts and no offers from administration employees to return a small percentage of their generous compensation during these “unprecedented financial times.”

Smith does his Orwellian best to make the case that some animals, the school employees, are more equal than others, but it’s not good enough.

The latest available district salary data offers 19 non-teaching positions with an average compensation package of $76,700. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the median Sidney household income (one or more wage earners) is $56,250. One would think individual RSU 18 employees earning this much would help pull more of the load.

To expect taxpayers to make up for the sputtering economy and state cuts, while RSU increases its spending by $1.1 million, is absurd.

“It (the budget) may not be where people think it needs to be but it was hard getting to this point,” (Smith) said. They need to try harder.

Median value properties in Belgrade, China and Oakland would see tax bills go up by $112, $87 and $113, respectively. Sidney residents are looking at $80 on top of the $55 increase from the March Town Meeting.

It would seem the animals that are less equal, the taxpayers, will do the pulling by themselves unless the proposed RSU 18 spending plan is voted down on June 12.

Ron Masure

Sidney