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When I am called to duty, God,
wherever flames may rage, give me strength to save a life, whatever be its age. Help me embrace a little child before it is too late, or save an older person from the horror of that fate. Enable me to be alert, and hear the weakest shout, quickly and efficiently to put the fire out. I want to fill my calling, to give the best in me, to guard my friend and neighbor, and protect his property. And if according to Your will I must answer death's call, bless with your protecting hand, my family one and all.
The Fireman's Prayer
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Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Saturday, March 08, 2014
Budget Numbers Don't Add Up (By Bob Guerin)
The standard School Committee and Selectman discussion of Dr. Canfield’s budget continues to suggest $1 million of savings will soon be realized by the schools.
It is just about impossible, though, to find any evidence and documentation supporting these numbers in any published budget materials. How much money is Dr. Canfield spending this year? How does that compare to what the schools spent last year, or expects to spend next year?
Perhaps the reason for this oversight and research failure by our elected officials is because the real numbers don't match up with the storyline. For example, in the current year, the schools are expected to spend 30,819,859. With all the savings being talked about, plus the past decade of declining enrollments, a reasonable person might assume that spending next year will be down a bit. But it's not. In fact, the Superintendents’ budget calls for spending $32,006,580 in 2015. That's $1,186,721 more than this year. It's not a one-year aberration either. Spending increases are projected for the following year (2016) by Dr. Canfield albeit he suggests a significantly smaller increase than this year’s requested increase.
It's hard to rationalize that the school's budget is about to realize significant savings while also reading reports published by the schools showing spending going in the opposite direction. . . .
The basic problem is simple Dr. Canfield and our elected officials have tortured the English language by suggesting that if spending grows less than expected, it should be called a spending cut or savings. Outside of city hall, nobody talks like that. This is more than just a theoretical discussion about transparency and budgeting. The failure of our school administration, school committee and selectmen to provide real numbers presents a false image to taxpayers about the state of our municipal budgets. Spending is not being cut but going up.
It is just about impossible, though, to find any evidence and documentation supporting these numbers in any published budget materials. How much money is Dr. Canfield spending this year? How does that compare to what the schools spent last year, or expects to spend next year?
Perhaps the reason for this oversight and research failure by our elected officials is because the real numbers don't match up with the storyline. For example, in the current year, the schools are expected to spend 30,819,859. With all the savings being talked about, plus the past decade of declining enrollments, a reasonable person might assume that spending next year will be down a bit. But it's not. In fact, the Superintendents’ budget calls for spending $32,006,580 in 2015. That's $1,186,721 more than this year. It's not a one-year aberration either. Spending increases are projected for the following year (2016) by Dr. Canfield albeit he suggests a significantly smaller increase than this year’s requested increase.
It's hard to rationalize that the school's budget is about to realize significant savings while also reading reports published by the schools showing spending going in the opposite direction. . . .
The basic problem is simple Dr. Canfield and our elected officials have tortured the English language by suggesting that if spending grows less than expected, it should be called a spending cut or savings. Outside of city hall, nobody talks like that. This is more than just a theoretical discussion about transparency and budgeting. The failure of our school administration, school committee and selectmen to provide real numbers presents a false image to taxpayers about the state of our municipal budgets. Spending is not being cut but going up.
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