Lowellsun.com - Latest Comments

Re: Quality education is best reason to consider voting for override

Mhmjjj2012 — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 01:07:17 -0000

After reading all the comments on the proposed Dracut override, I was left wondering what’s going on with the schools in that town so I checked out the DOE’s website and it looks like the Chapter 70 formula needs to be re-evaluated. Communities like Cambridge, Lincoln, Newton, and Weston are receiving Chapter 70 funds and those communities also receive Unrestricted General Government Aid. Cambridge has the highest paid city manager in Massachusetts and Newton recently built the most expensive high school in the state. Are state funds subsidizing excessive spending in those communities rather than providing the assistance to those in real need?

Re: Dracut selectmen set meeting to consider reducing override

AngryMom_123 — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 00:58:45 -0000

So we should "wait" to pay for decent schools? What happens to the kids who are in the schools now? Do we just put them "on hold"? Maybe we could tell them to come back in 2, 5, or 10 years - however long it takes to get around to funding the schools appropriately?
The children of Dracut can't "wait" for an education. Every year, new kids come in and other kids graduate. Each and every one of those kids deserves a decent education. That takes funding - this year, next year, and EVERY year.

Re: Dracut selectmen set meeting to consider reducing override

chevyguy07 — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 00:06:15 -0000

If you don't vote for an override, I'm taken my ball and going home. Live within your means, make your town officials set their priorities straight. If they don't, then vote them out. If things are as bad as some say I truly believe the state and federal govt would step in. Enough of the scare tactics. What downward spiral are you talking about. Maybe the schools aren't up to No Andover standards,or other influential towns but if that's what you want than move there. I for one don't want a bunch of people flocking here due to the super duper school system, if they do than you'll be building more schools to put them in and more teachers to pay,more police, more firefighters, a bigger town hall, new roads, and that means higher taxes. If you like what these other towns have than move there and you can get higher assessments on your homes and pay more taxes, which is what you want to do anyway raise your taxes. So move to Tyngsboro, Chelmsford, Concord, and you'll all be happy paying more taxes,and all your kids will be running around like little rocket scientist

Re: Quality education is best reason to consider voting for override

AngryMom_123 — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 22:39:04 -0000

Interesting that you ask…
Google Mass DOE Chapter 70 Program. There’s lots of interesting information - including the fact that the State of Massachusetts gave Dracut $18,109,090 for FY13, just over 50% of Dracut’s Foundation Budget of $36,135,215. According to the State’s numbers, and contrary to what taxpayers were told at last year’s Town Meeting, the Foundation Budget for education (the absolute minimum the town is allowed to spend by law) EQUALED the Net School Spending. This means that the town did not spend even a penny more than they were required to spend on education for FY13.
I think money received from the state and feds is required to be listed on the school budgets, but I couldn’t find a copy of any school budgets, past or current, on the school district’s website. The budget on the Town's website does not break down in enough detail to determine what or if any money comes from the feds. Feel free to start asking the school district and town for more information and copies of their budgets if you actually want to know. By law they are required to give you that information if you ask.

In the past, the Feds have given Dracut stimulus money, but that well has dried up. Unfortunately, with the state of the Sequestration and the federal budgets in general, I wouldn’t hold my breath for any additional Federal money soon. They may still be giving money, but I wasn’t able to find that info as easily as the state contributions.

In reality, Dracut gets a lot of help with their budget from the State – considerably more than most of the surrounding towns. It seems that they have no problem taking the money, but they sure do cry “no fair” pretty loudly when the State asks how they spent it. Not for nothing, but if I were giving that much money to schools, I would probably want to know where and how my annual $18+ million contribution was spent too!

Re: Dracut selectmen set meeting to consider reducing override

Tom Donovan — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 22:35:09 -0000

I simply can not afford another tax hike. Some of the previous ones haven't even kicked in yet, how about we wait until they do so the voters/home owners/business owners will get a better idea just how high our taxes are going to go.

Re: Dracut selectmen set meeting to consider reducing override

19townie59 — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 21:47:04 -0000

The best thing that could ever happen to the Town of Dracut would be for the State to come in and take over the Management of our School System and our Town. It's been historically proven by those currently in charge that they aren't able to do just that.

Then our town would be forced to operate with a balanced budget not one that continually operates in the RED!

Re: This honor was worth the wait

superspin — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 21:42:27 -0000

Yes! Thank you for your service. Unlike some people who strut up and down the streets of Downtown Lowell showing off their uniform for effect, YOU Mr. Keefe, are an example of unselfishness sir. Thank you always!

Re: Hunt for Jimmy Hoffa's body brings investigators to Michigan field

UpStream — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 20:24:17 -0000

Can't they give it up already? Its like looking for Waldo! The man is definitely dead so why waste the resources on him now after all these years? It's become a big joke. He is gone may God rest his soul let him rest already.

Re: Quality education is best reason to consider voting for override

Cur_Mudgeon — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 20:06:37 -0000

Yo
Justin....like the way your starting to think, but alas if we are going to go
that route, I'm thinking the tax money from the coffers of the Feds should go to
improving the lowly graduation rate (of only 70%) in one of the "poorest" states
in the US, i.e. New Mexico where

Per
Capita Personal Income (PCPI) is $35,000
compared to that of you Fat (no personal offense to anyone!!!) Cats in MA making $54,700!!!

On the other hand, I'd also like to promote
your wonderment, by asking you to consider reading (i.e. not viewing the woeful
attempts at a movie)

Atlas Shrugged by Ayn
Rand.

Re: Quality education is best reason to consider voting for override

Cur_Mudgeon — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 19:14:52 -0000

Whoa!
Sure is nice reading someone putting pencil-to-paper! At .82+ cents a day,
that's just about one less of those prepacked cups of coffee for those kuerig
like coffee makers, a day! Sure would be great Freckles if you could set up and
invite taxpayers to an 'up-front-&-personal' tour of the school so Folks
could see/judge/critique the failings or the absences thereof of the "uppity"
amenities Panienka Duda is lamenting about. Lacking that, maybe ya know a kid
who could do a video that could be put up on Youtube? (Sorry, I have to cop-out
per being out of state currently from my birthtown of LowellLand).

Of
course, someone is probably writing a response right now accusing me that Duda
will probably next want school buses, as reported to exist in Japan, where
each student's seat is equipped with a computer to do their homework to/fro
school!!!

Say,
how does this tax relate to apartment complex owners? Is it just $300 for the
whole complex or is it $300/each rental unit where, let's say the total is at
least X number of kids going to school? If so, will the owner pass $300/yr on to
each tenant?

(PS:
Say, being "Freckles", are you a Lady and of the '50s? If so, might you be my
Mimi from a past life? LOL)

Re: A fawn hurt. They couldn't turn away

annio — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 18:15:00 -0000

OMG, you're a junior high KID! LOL! Could you get any more juvenile?

Re: Moving people off welfare part of overhaul

sy105 — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 18:12:13 -0000

Clinton didn't sign welfare reform willingly. He vetoed virtually identical bills twice, but realized that he wouldn't get much of anything else he wanted through the republican controlled congress without signing it. When he signed it he apologized to his liberal friends, and vowed to do everything he could to "fix it".

Re: State health ins. recipients face choices

Muleman15 — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:42:49 -0000

In other words, we are screwed and good luck to all. This boondoggle will not work.

Re: Quality education is best reason to consider voting for override

Justin — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:36:43 -0000

I thought public schools were part of the infrastructure? Can't the State chip in, or even the Feds? All they'd have to do is cut out all the costs for snooping on us, and we could probably get 5 or 6 new schools in town. ;)

Re: Moving people off welfare part of overhaul

Nab71 — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:27:53 -0000

Clinton did , in fact sign that bill, which was almost identical to reforms proposed by Nixon and rejected by a Democratic Congress a generation earlier. Clinton had the good sense to cooperate with the Republican controlled Congress.

Re: Markey raising more than Gomez in US Senate race

Muleman15 — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 16:49:30 -0000

The state of Maryland will soon have 3 Senators representing them, another American first.

Re: RMV won't act on N.H. plate complaint

Muleman15 — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 16:45:52 -0000

Grab a screwdriver take the plates off the car and drop em off at Nashua Police station. Say, look em up they been in Pepperell for 3 years. If that does not work, put em on your car.

Re: Moving people off welfare part of overhaul

fatboy4668 — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 16:42:12 -0000

It may have been a Democratic president, but not this one, and not one lately.The original plan was meant to provide "temporary assistance", not create another way of life.
The new liberal MO is to get as many people on the dole. That way they can maintain their voter base. This Food Stamp President is affirming that.

Re: Moving people off welfare part of overhaul

chevyguy07 — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 16:22:22 -0000

Don't worry our Govenor when told of checks going to dead people and people living out of state, says he doesn't care its just a small percentage. Beside they all vote the right party. Welfare's big business in taxachusetts. Think of how many overrides we could avoid if this was brought under control.

Re: Markey raising more than Gomez in US Senate race

chevyguy07 — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 16:14:03 -0000

Yes Ms Lowell, I sure do, goes something like, if a person gives you a ton of money for your election and wants you to vote a certain way on an unpopular issue your going to vote that way regardless of wether it's gd for the people you represent or not, after all I didn't give you a ton of money to vote the wrong way. or maybe I donated to your election because you've got a kind face.

Re: Dracut ready for a star-spangled July Fourth

Unbelievable133 — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 16:01:31 -0000

WOW!!! 11 whole minutes of fireworks.

Re: Markey raising more than Gomez in US Senate race

lowellhighmom — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 15:58:55 -0000

Do you not understand how elections work?

Re: Blaze re-enforces town's message: Railroad must fix hydrants

Mhmjjj2012 — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 15:33:04 -0000

Thanks for the info. That means if there is a lease clause requiring Pan Am Railways to maintain the hydrants and buildings, then the company hasn’t been complying with the lease terms. I wonder what the penalties are for noncompliance? If the MBTA wasn’t smart enough to include such a clause in the lease then we’ll be picking up the tab. I’ll bet it’s the latter given the MBTA’s willingness to negotiate away public resources for a pittance. About a year ago the MBTA awarded Delaware North a negotiated 75-year lease for the underground North Station parking garage for just $75 million. That public owned parking garage is now a cash cow for Delaware North…1,275 parking spaces at a prime location. It’s no wonder the MBTA is in financial difficulties.

Re: Quality education is best reason to consider voting for override

freckles_forever — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 15:26:11 -0000

Anyone who thinks the schools are fine the way they are or that we need to "make do" has never spent a day in one of them. They are run down and need repairs. In many schools, the windows don't open, if the open they don't close. The window blinds are broken so the sun streams in the students faces all day. The heating system works some of the time. The computers are so slow and so out of date it is utterly ridiculous. There are not enough of them and when they do start to work, they shut down and kick you out because the system is so out of date. There are around 26-30 kids in a class and it is only going up. Kids have gym, art, and music only twice a month. There is not enough supplies for each student. It goes on and on. Staff is severely overworked and underpaid. Schools with 600-700 students have one secretary and one administrator. Look, I get it. No one wants to spend more money. We are a check to check family and even that doesn't always cut it. But these are our children, our town and our future. No one will want to live in Dracut. No one will buy homes in Dracut. The value of our homes and land will decrease. Our students will not get the quality public education the deserve and will not get into the colleges they should if they were given the chance they should be given. Students will transfer to charter school, thus driving up the money the town spends to place kids out into other schools. We can't afford to but we can't afford not to. $300 a year is $25 a month. I think our kids and the future of our town is worth it.

Re: Markey raising more than Gomez in US Senate race

VeryOldSoldier — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 14:51:32 -0000

Lots of folks paying BIG BUCK$ to keep Chevy Chase Eddie on the job.

Why, he's the very best do-nothing-but-raise-our-debt career politician money can buy!