HOW DID THEY DO?

Great actually. Governor Douglas was superb. First he showed up for work unlike his predecessor. He not only was engaged, he never stopped working. No vacation, no breaks, no trips to Iowa. Lieutenant Governor Dubie shone, traveling to Canada to create a new atmosphere, presiding over the senate, and learning, the ever-present energizer bunny.

The House worked well, full of compromise and determination, less grandstanding, and producing product. The Senate which could have been totally obstructionist wasn't. They too compromised and worked. But they are still ruled by the hearts of the left wing and the power of the advocacy groups, prohibiting them from serious permit reform or education cost control.

Papers east and west, north and south praised their work. Look at the Legislative Highlights from the Burlington Free Press for 2002: Acupuncture, animal sales, body piercing, breast feeding, Champlain Flyer, Civil Unions, cremations, flag protection, open alcoholic beverages, parental notification, picture driver license, pledge of allegiance, telemarketing and tobacco tax.

Look at 2003: minimum wage, farm relief, Act 60 reform, economic stimulus, DETER drug program, balanced budget, green energy, dam study, prison opening, new cops, secretary of agriculture, and information technology.

Quite a difference. Not that 2002 was uninteresting. With no leader looking out for all our best interests, the legislature worked for special interests. 

FIRST, THE GOOD NEWS

There was even some good news this week. Wright Dolls of Cambridge, NY is moving to Bennington. Susan Wright of Wright Dolls told the Rutland Herald, "It tells us that Vermont is more welcoming to industry than their reputation says." They are being given $284,614 in tax credits. They may not hire any locals immediately as the drive from Cambridge to Bennington is less than a half-hour. But they hope to add thirteen new jobs in the future.

Shoreham Telephone Company was sold to Mid-Maine Communications. President Gary Sugarman of Mid-Maine told DPR that the company will not reduce the work force in Shoreham, in fact they hope to grow it. "When we started nine years ago in Maine we had four employees and 4,700 customers. Today we have over one hundred employees. Shoreham has five employees and 3,700 customers. We hope to soon offer local dial tone service, high speed Internet, and other services in Rutland, Burlington and other Vermont towns. We plan to increase employment at Shoreham Telephone."

Northern Power of Waitsfield sold its business to Proton of Wallingford, CT. Proton told AP that they intend to keep Northern Power in Vermont for "at least three years." In 2002 Proton reported revenues of $4,700,000 and losses of $13,500,000. How do you do that? 

THEN THE REST OF THE NEWS

Chesapeake Hardwood of Hancock will close July 6 after operating under various owners for over 75 years in that town. Chesapeake is the largest employer in Rochester, Hancock, and Granville. Jim Haynie, President, told AP that "Vermont’s regulatory and tax policies" contributed to their decision to close the plant. Management went to town meeting to ask that the town remove the $25,000 inventory tax assessment on Chesapeake. Their request was ruled out of order as it had not been properly warned. Hancock has a low tax base as the National Forest Service percent owns eighty percent on the land. After July 7 it will be lower still.

In Saint Johnsbury last year, according to the Caledonian-Record, Quality Controlled Stitching employed eighty hearty Vermonters. On Monday they employed forty. On Tuesday they employed zero. Without warning, the company did not open its doors, putting another forty souls on the streets.

Davidson Industries, a sawmill in Woodsville, NH, announced that it is closing next month and putting 75 employees, many Vermont residents, out of work. Management said that there has been a consistent oversupply of lumber driving the price down according to a report in the Valley News. 

STRONG, MAINE

Strong is not so strong today. Strong has been a Forster Company town for the last 116 years making wooden toothpicks. Back when, Forster made 15,600,000 toothpicks a day. No more. Forster has closed leaving the town of 1,200 concerned. According to the AP, employee Chiquita Swiney said, "We just do not know what we are going to do." 

BERNIE BALL

Many think the rhetoric is funny, odd, interesting, or idealistic. He may be way out there, but it is okay to have a bomb thrower to loosen things up. He is just one of four hundred and thirty-five. What harm can he do?

Lots according to David Hale, a native of Saint Johnsbury and Global Chief Economist for the Zurich Financial Services Group

"There was a time when Representative Sanders provided a form of comic relief in the dreary world of Washington politics. He was an aging Peter Pan from Brooklyn who came of age during the Vermont counter culture revolution of the 1960’s. He was a gadfly whose presence in the Congress allowed many people to think that they were giving the finger to a political system, which they both detested and distrusted.

"Sanders’s presence in the Congress is a threat to America’s recovery because he has devoted his entire political career to opposing trade liberalization. Sanders's being against free trade is being against our war on terrorism. War on terrorism means that we must be more international, not less, in order to help economies escape from poverty and isolation

"Sanders is bad for Vermont. We have the highest ratio in the country of exports to GDP, twenty five percent. Vermont leads the nation. It is a moral anomaly that we have someone like Sanders representing us in Vermont."

NOW THE SPECIFICS

Who knows if Bernie’s love of unions kindles their activity in Vermont? But kindled it is. We reported the union drives at the cooperative markets, successful in Montpelier and Burlington, now under way in Brattleboro. That folks expect up to a 58 percent increase in wages is astounding in this almost deflationary economy.

Word from the Fletcher Allen nurse corps is that many in the rank and file do not agree with the tactics of the union, the rough play, and their power plays. The issues that drove many nurses to support the union drive were about patient care and scheduling, not about publicity, power, and money. "Morale stinks. We have a lousy plan to fix our problems. Our billing is behind. The union just wants to be macho." Bernie the bomb thrower is the lead shouter. Seems contagious.

THE CONCLUSION

We are losing; others might say we are winning. In 2001 Vermont was 46th on the Bloomberg Wealth Manger assessment of wealth friendly states. In 2002 we rose to 48th. Interestingly, Vermont runs counter to Bloomberg’s reasoning; "States are struggling to control the most serious financial hemorrhaging since the Great Depression. That can only mean bad news for the wealthy." Regardless that Vermont is not hemorrhaging, it is just falling. 

WHOSE NAME WAS NEVER CALLED?

Flash on Yahoo News, a Texan won the Spelling Bee. Who represented Vermont? How did we do?

Logging on to http://www.spellingbee.com we found that Vermont did not even enter. There were 124 contestants from 48 states, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, American Samoa, etc. but nothing from Vermont. We contacted Spelling Bee, "There have been newspapers from Vermont that have sponsored our program in the past but there are currently none."

We emailed the Times Argus/Rutland Herald. "We have sponsored the Vermont Spelling Bees for many years. We continue to do so. The Principal’s Association organizes it. They would know why no one went onto the nationals."

Burns Page at the Principal's Association said, "I do not know if we ever had anyone go to the National Spelling Bee. We do not have individual winners. We have team competitions. I do not know how we would determine a winner. It is lots of work for the Spelling Bee Committee. Sports are easy because the rules are all sort of agreed on by the sport. But with spelling we have to build our own rules."

It seems that this is always a bit of an embarrassment for Professor Jacques Bailly of the University of Vermont. Bailly, a past Spelling Bee Champion is their resident etymologist and associate pronouncer for the National Spelling Bee. 

THE ANSWER MIGHT BE

So why would we not have a champion? Maybe, if we did, we would have lots of losers. The Bee might traumatize or stigmatize the losers. It might hurt their self-esteem. Maybe the sports committee should work harder and eliminate scoring from sports. Everyone would have so much more fun. Then the legislature could eliminate federal money and make an allotment so each citizen would receive the same amount of money. They could fix all the prices for food, rents, entertainment, and transportation so our allotment is enough so that we are all taken care of. Now someone asks, "Who is going to make the investors invest, who is going to make the producers produce?" John Galt where are you? 

TRY THIS IN VERMONT

An online poll in Maine asked the following question; "Thousands of Maine families will not qualify for a $400 child tax credit because their income falls between $10,000 and $26,000. Should these families receive a check, even if many may not have paid taxes in the first place?" No: 76.13%; Yes: 23.87% 

THEY GIVETH

Governor Douglas announced that he was insuring that the Bush Tax Cut was passed on to Vermont’s small business people. The plan is to allow Subchapter S corporations to "access increased bonus depreciation plus there is an increase in the amount of capital investment that these businesses can expense." 

THEY TAKETH AWAY, TWICE

According to the Wall Street Journal, Vermont is one of a few states which have decoupled from the soon to disappear federal estate tax to keep our own estate tax. When you die in Vermont you will be deemed to have died on or before December 31,2001. This was just before the estate tax sunset began. At least you can now have your expiration date chiseled into your tombstone to save your heirs the bother later.

Second, we projected last year that the way the state decoupled from the federal tax last year would in effect create a tax increase for Vermonters and not be revenue neutral. It appears that the folks who did the projections used the data from the last year of the booming stock market and used that income as "average." In fact it was not "average."

Our tax guru told us that his low-income clients were not affected. For the others, the average dollar increase in 2002 in the Vermont tax as compared to the 2001 rates was $315.00. For all the clients including those who paid no tax, the average percent increase of the "revenue neutral" program was 2.4 percent. 

PLOP, THE SOUND OF THE TOWEL

They threw in the towel in many towns. "I thought over everything and felt it had to be ended someplace," said John Daignault of Windsor on the passing of the school budget on its third try according to the Valley News. Budgets passed in Montpelier by 28 votes. Mount Mansfield Union passed on its third try.

For others, the struggle continues. Twinfield, Rivendell, Thetford, Barre, Northfield, Roxbury, Winooski and others' school budgets are unresolved. School boards continue to try to trim around the edges. Twinfield for example proposed to cut 0.008 from their budget. Another school board said, "We have 351 ‘no’s’ but I do not know why." Another said, "At meetings we hear from people who are happy with the budget or want something else supported. Citizens do not come forward with specific plans to cut the budget." 

CALL ME STUPID

If the townsfolk defeat your budget when you, the board, have all your votes, all your families votes, all the teachers votes, all the teachers families votes, all the administration votes, etc., you might guess that the budget is really, really, really too high.

Then you the board talk about cutting cheerleaders, or baseball, or buses which of course is an insult. Then you the board come back with the same budget for a re-vote or maybe one cut less than one percent. Then you complain you are not getting the message.

Bill Mathis, superintendent of the Rutland Northeast Supervisory Union blamed the state in an op-ed entitled, Local School Boards Can’t Contain Costs Without Help. It’s about mandates and the 1,100 pages of No Child Left Behind. It really is only about living within our means. We aren't.

CUT THE BUDGET. Especially for our neighbors on fixed incomes, it is unconscionable to increase budgets as you have. The big expense is teacher’s salaries. You can't cut their contracted rate but you can reduce the workforce. 

VOX CALMITAS IN DESERTO

Here is a voice on Rivendell, Mr. Karol. "Rivendell promised that per pupil costs would decrease, that there would be an almost 20 percent decrease in cost, and that the average tax bill would be 15 to 30 percent lower. In five years, costs are up 100 percent... The first step is to establish a realistic per-pupil spending figure based on the income demographics of Rivendell. Then create the best program we can with that amount." Not much you can add to that. 

PROTECTION, NOT POLITICS

"Overwhelmingly, teacher support for their unions begins and ends with job security according to 'Stand by Me,' a new report from Public Agenda. The study showed that most teachers feel threatened by the possibility of students making unsubstantiated charges against them that could lead to their dismissal and by administrators who might abuse their power at the teachers' expense. Depending on the specific threat, 77 to 81 percent of teachers see their union as their best defense against such dangers -- but that is where the support ends." --The CER Newswire 6/3/03, published by the Center for Education Reform

Full Report Here (pdf): http://www.publicagenda.org/aboutpa/pdf/stand_by_me.pdf 

STOP SPENDING OUR MONEY!

»» Rob Towle, Rutland City: I thought we won at the ballot box. We should be going back towards sanity and working for the taxpayers and producers in this state instead of incrementally going further towards the extreme left. I think it is time to clone Ginny Duffy and Carl Haas a few hundred times (making sure we have enough for the House and Senate) and then work on Permit Reform and Act 60 repeal. I have not seen lobbying by the NEA so it is amazing that most law-makers lost the game of chicken with no one even showing up to stare them down. Two words for any future endeavors in both chambers PLEASE!! COST CONTAINMENT. Please put this on your name tags if you are serious about being in Montpelier and then act on it. ...COST CONTAINMENT... Nothing else needs to be said. 

SINCLAIR'S XANADU

»» Priscilla Robinson, Warren: Thank you for the comments regarding the Mad River Valley. With ever escalating property values and taxes, coupled with the income disparity, few working Vermonters can afford to live in this beautiful valley. Even fewer will be able to purchase land as the acres get bought up so there is less and less available even at the high asking prices. I believe strongly in conservation and have devoted many hours over the years to this purpose but I also believe in people. Someone needs to be looking out for them.

WORKERS' HOSTELS

»» Laura Brueckner, Waterbury Center: Warren/Waitsfield - isn't that the area with the latest push to fast track low income housing? Translation in my book is transient, seasonal, immigrant labor earning even lower than minimum wages with taxpayer subsidized insurance, food, housing and education through college. The movers and shakers need not worry about the indigenous population patronizing the local pubs because they can't afford it and Vermont's Legislators just increased the tax on beer rather than alcoholic beverages. 

WHERE THE RUBBER MEETS THE ROAD

»» Ian Robertson, Wolcott: The teachers union has an excellent racket going. Teachers in town A negotiate a new contract, teachers in town B follow it by negotiation to avoid being the "lowest paid in X county, (SOMEBODY has to be the lowest paid in X county), the pressure of strikes is constantly applied, and then voilà, when the budget comes up for a vote, increases well beyond inflation are needed to pay for the new contract. People think that the rubber hits the road at budget time but this is only half right. The real event that drives costs is the contract negotiations under strike pressure.

Statistics that show that Vermonters are at the very top of the per capita taxation for education while being in the lower middle of average family income. Nothing is going to change about this situation, much as average Vermonters detest it, until the Democrats, thick as thieves with the VEA teachers' union, are reduced in the Vermont senate and lose their power to obstruct reforms in areas from school choice, educational cost containment and permit reform.

What the Republican Party needs to do to become more effective is to recognize that average Vermonters do really care about the issues that are being blocked by the Chittenden Mafia in the senate. The Vermont Republican Party needs to start a determined on-message public campaign to tie the economic ills that afflict Vermonters, high property taxes especially, to the Democrats and their most powerful special interest group, the VEA. Statements from the education establishment that cost containment is not needed, or if it is just ever so slightly needed should not take the form of anything that might actually work, are absolute nonsense. School costs have risen at 5% beyond inflation for the entire term of Act 60. Take 10 years of this and that will be more than a 50% increase in a budget that was over $800 million at the beginning of Act 60. That is $400 million extra dollars. That money has to come from somewhere, either the budgets of other state departments/services or the taxpayers.

The Democrats have done nothing but provide cover for the VEA on this issue. I believe that Vermont voters should send a message to the Democrat/VEA establishment. This is by far the largest economic issue in Vermont and nothing constructive will be done about it while Condos, Welch, Bartlett et al obstruct reality in the senate. 

ANOTHER BUDGET DEFEAT

»» Mary Daly, Fairlee: The Rivendell School district is one of the additional districts to not pass their budget - TWICE. We vote again on June 21st and I will be surprised if it is passed. The original request (budget) was for $7,848,689 for 600 children pre-school through 12th grade. After hours and hours of, often hot, discussion the Board is proposing to reduce this amount by $377,000. Interesting to note that the first reduction was for $200,000 which got voted back in at the second meeting and then the revised budget got voted down again. If you didn't follow that, join the group.

It is becoming apparent to me that this school board is not capable of standing up to the school administration when it comes to finances. I am worried they won't be able to negotiate a contract for next year that the tax payers can live with. The voters need to be able to approve any contract before it is signed. What are the chances of that happening!!

Glad you are back in the "saddle" again?? 

TEACHERS DESERVE RESPECT AND SUPPORT

»» Claudine Martin, Essex: This is in reference to Mr. Allan Wylie's comments in your May 29th edition, "The Education Professional's New Clothes." I'm curious as to if Mr. Wylie, as he pondered his assertions regarding teachers' professionalism, ever considered if he has what it takes to be in the classroom day in and day out with 125 seventh and eighth graders. If so, why not enter the "profession" and be a part of the so-called "solution"? All of the teachers I know work at least 8 hours a day, not including time spent after school assisting students who need additional instruction, in the evenings doing prep work, correcting students' projects and assignments and networking with parents via the telephone. Then there are the hours of professional and educational development, though for Mr. Wylie's sake I should perhaps include this phrase in quotations, since teachers really aren't professionals, after all. Teachers are some of the hardest working people I know, and most possess traits scarce even in the private sector: dedication, enthusiasm and passion for their daily charges. Anybody who wakes up each and every day looking forward to teaching *our* children and preparing them for whatever their futures may hold deserves an abundance of our respect and support. 

FAIR REQUIRES FRUGALITY

»» Martin Harris, Addison: After examining Pacoe's FAIR proposal I conclude it worries a lot about how to raise money and from whom in what proportions, but not about the validity of current spending levels. I would suggest that those who always want to spend more should put their own money where their collective mouth is, by instituting user fees (in small percentages at first, but gradually increasing over time) so that those enamored of, say small classes even though they produce no visible student achievement gains, may have the privilege of paying for such whimsical conceits themselves. I would suspect that if those who advocate for ever larger per-pupil spending (always by others) had to ante up a few percentage points of the bill themselves, they might possibly experience a re-introduction to frugality. 

PEOPLE ARE OVER-TAXED IN GOLD TOWNS TOO 

»» Fran DeGasta, Norwich: Gerard Cormier wrote, "The Senate Act 60 Reform Plan does nothing but relieve the "gold towns" by robbing the remaining 90% poor and middle class of Vermont! There is zero tax relief for citizens of all the other towns."

Hey, it works for me. I was just looking at a tax increase from my already inflated $9,600 to around $16- or $17,000 property tax bill as we are getting ready to build a new middle school and renovate the high school for a small sum of $44 million. I may have to move anyway since I probably can't afford to keep paying higher taxes under Act 60. Not all people who live in gold towns have a lot of gold, just a lot of trust funds babies who move to Vermont who elevate their town's status to a gold town. 

ACT 60 REFORMS HOSTILE TO BUSINESS 

»» Tom Morse, Underhill: It is not difficult to understand why Socialist Gaye Symington supported Act 60. Symington represents Underhill, Jericho, and Bolton. Underhill has zoned out all industry and commercial development, with the exception of the Guard, Jericho is against business, Bolton has fewer than than 300 voters and only a ski area for development. Underhill has nothing. Underhill and Jericho switch back and forth for the richest town in Vermont. At the present time, Underhill is the richest and has the highest income per family yet we all received rebates under Act 60.

Because Vermont is anti-business and placing state education cost on commercial, it is best for any town to prohibit any kind of commercial or industrial development. The incentive driving commercial and industrial development was jobs and the offset of the burden of property taxes on residences. Now, the state is using industrial and commercial development, second homes, apartments, cottages, warehouse, etc., senior and low income housing, and other buildings classified by the state as commercial to finance education. Those who do not have children to educate should not be financing education to the tune of $6,800 per student. There are major exemptions to property tax relief for household incomes under $47,000 maximum 4.5%, but none whatsoever for businesses. Small business not only have a statewide tax but at 43% higher tax rate than residence whose tax is then significantly limited by family income. 

WORKERS COMP EXPENSE 

»» Claude G. Dern, Pres., Paul Bunyan Logging Inc., Dorset: It has been several years since I have expressed my concerns about how worker's compensation is enforced in Vermont. At that time I had a meeting with several "STATE" people who are probably no longer in their same position.

The cost of worker comp insurance is threatening to put me out of business. The main cause of this is that the LAW is not being enforced! The majority of loggers (and many other businesses) do not carry workers comp insurance because of the cost. There are all types of "games" being played with subcontractors. There ARE specific rules defining a subcontractor. If everyone who is required to pay premiums, in fact did, the rates would drastically drop.

Several years ago I was told this would change as a new person was assigned to enforcement. Nothing happened. I furnished about 20 names of people doing business as loggers. I got a response that they didn't exist as a business. Exactly what I already knew. These people "pay under the table" and no employment records are kept. Therefore no withholdings of any type are done AS REQUIRED BY LAW. This inequity is paid for by ALL VERMONT RESIDENTS. The tax department should have an interest in this problem. Also the employees are not covered for accidents, cannot collect unemployment?; do not contribute to social security, etc.

I have to bid competitively against these people who operate ILLEGALLY. My WC rate is now 40.92%. How can I compete? In the past even the STATE did not require insurance for bidders on state timber sales. Finally they added language something like "the successful bidder will carry workers comp if required". As far as I know the STATE never required a certificate of insurance to be submitted. Some construction contractors are doing work in NY because there is an enforced requirement that workers comp be carried in the job permit thus creating a level playing field. Another problem is that many certificate holders do not request the category of the type of work that is being covered. Therefore a type of work with a lower rate is used. Also the names of the EMPLOYEES can be stated on the certificate to assure all are covered.

With today's computers this ILLEGAL practice can certainly be more easily detected. For example if a "person" is receiving $100,000 or more on a Form 1099 but is not an "employer", there is a chance that other people are involved to earn this amount. But I have been told that privacy issues don't allow government agencies to share information with each other.

Why can't (or won't) Vermont try to address this problem? Is it that not enough people complain? If a law is not going to be enforced let's take it off the books. 

THEY LIKE US 

»» Kevin McMarthy, Shelburne: Keep up the good work. I so look forward to your email.

»» Thomas McGivney, Burlington: Sorry to hear on the Laurie Morrow Show about your tumble. We wish you a speedy recovery.

»» Mary Schroyer, Waterbury Center: Try not living on the edge so much! We all appreciate you being 100% functional. Here's to a speedy recovery and more uneventful rides. 

HOW TO FIND OUR WAY
by Ralph Colin 

(Part one this week, the concluding piece next week.)

Reviewing the accomplishments of the recently adjourned 2003 legislative session of the biennium focuses the mind on the need for lining up more Republican candidates who can win in Vermont. This is not a simple task. With the absence of George McNeill, it will be more difficult to recruit strong candidates and raise campaign funds for the House. We could use a much bigger cushion there than currently exists. The major problem is identifying candidates who can WIN!

I have no doubt that Governor Jim Douglas will be very strong as will Lieutenant Governor Brian Dubie, both of whom have made momentous and vital changes in the administration of and beneficial to our state government in the short period in which they have been in office. Who would be likely challengers for the governor? Shumlin cannot win for a number of reasons. Mayor Clavelle of Burlington is not that well known outside off Chittenden County and has a history of flopping on issues, Act 60, for instance. The biggest potential threat would be Bernie Sanders, but he'd be crazy to give up his franchise in Washington.

In the General Assembly there are major challenges. That is where our party must develop and push a strong and viable agenda.

Act 60 reform needs to go further. Folks will be really unhappy when they suddenly find that even without the shark pool, they will still be paying just about the same in property taxes as they have been up to now, if not more. The way Act 60 is structured property tax payments will increase down the line if other reforms are not adopted.

The Common Level Appraisal has GOT TO GO!! Some type of education spending lid has to be developed or at least started. That's essential. The governor may have miscalculated when he made the House withdraw the 1.25% income tax surcharge. Most people would much rather pay that surcharge than the property tax. Since only about 15% of Vermonters pay any significant state income tax, it would affect a relatively small number of people who would be happy to pay the surcharge if it meant ridding everyone of the loathsome property tax. Business is even more put off by Act 60 than it would be by a surcharge of that limited dimension. One of the first questions they always seem to ask is, "Tell me about this Act 60?"

School choice is essential and can be made to work. The NEA cannot be allowed to dictate education policy, thus being the wart on the ass of progress and forcing every Vermont parent to suck hind teat. Families have the right to demand excellence in the teaching of their children. If a local school is unable or unwilling to provide a superior (not just minimally adequate) education for the children within its jurisdiction, then parents are entitled to seek that education elsewhere. The Democrats have a hard time with this one because they are dependent on the NEA, always cow-towing to it for it's political and funding support. They are on the WRONG side of this question and they must be made to suffer the consequences.

Let's stop focusing on issues like reproductive choice which will only divide. It's a federal law and most Vermonters want it. It won't be changed here. There are more productive issues on which a majority can/should agree.

(To be continued) 

* * *

Mr. Colin is a board member of Northshire Civic Center, Vermont Symphony Orchestra, the Nature Conservancy, Vermont Chapter, and the Bennington Museum. Before becoming a member of the District 8 Environmental Commission, he was a member of the Bennington County Regional Commission. Mr. Colin is a Republican. 

FROM OUR "FISCAL CONSERVATIVE" 

"We can't have more tax cuts. We've got to get rid of the ones we have." --Howard Dean, Associated Press, 5/28/03 

LET'S BUMP THE SALES TAX TWENTY PERCENT 

"They are just constantly taking more money out of businesss' pockets. You wonder why you can't get anybody to come into business down here. It's gong to be snowball effect eventually." --Mr. Shadwell, Wilder store owner, Valley News. 

VOTE YES FOR THE...NEA 

"...Teachers unions, like all unions, want to make money and amass power. Those are the motives behind everything they say and do. They're not in business 'for the children.' They're in business for themselves." -- Columnist Jeff Jacoby, Boston Globe

Full commentary: http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/142/oped/The_bottom_line_for_teachers_unions+.shtml

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