National politics have local impact

Next Tuesday, we will elect someone new to represent our interests in the US Congress. Before you vote, we hope you will take time to consider how our representative's position on national issues will affect us on a local level and consider where each of the candidates stands on those issues. (Links to each candidate's website can be found at the end of this article.)

Our schools are struggling because we are being asked to fund a larger percentage of the school budget with local tax dollars.

Locally, one of our biggest issues is the burden that our public schools have put on our property taxes. One thing that has driven up the cost of running the schools is the federal No Child Left Behind Act, which was signed into law in January, 2002. NCLB imposes imposes a number of federal mandates on our schools, not only for student achievement (MCAS scores), but also for the professional development and qualification of our teachers. Unfortunately, since very little federal funding has been allocated to support NCLB, and given that Massachusetts made significant cutbacks in the level of state funding allocated to schools in 2002, the cost of meeting NCLB standards has fallen on our local tax base. Schools that fail to meet NCLB standards are faced with even more costs.

Which candidate best represents your views on public education and how it should be funded?

Many of us who are looking forward to retirement have been planning to get at least some of our retirement income from Social Security. Can we count on that income?

The Social Security Administration has made it clear that, unless something changes soon, they will be looking at a negative cash flow within 10 years and the combined trust funds could be drained by 2040. The Trustees of Social Security, the Comptroller General of the United States and the Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board have pointed out that the sooner we address the problem, the smaller and less abrupt the changes will be. The Social Security Advisory Board has said: "As time goes by, the size of the Social Security problem grows, and the choices available to fix it become more limited." The alternatives for addressing the problem generally involve some combination of raising taxes, cutting benefits, or boosting the trust fund with a large deposit of money. Others have suggested that future retirees should rely more on private retirement funds.

Which candidate best represents your views on how the Social Security problem should be addressed?

We have limited local funds available for public safety.

In this past budget cycle, we came very close to having insufficient funds to maintain 24 x 7 coverage by our Police Department and having no funds to buy fire equipment and pay a part-time fire chief. We are anticipating a similar funding shortfall in the next budget cycle. Our Selectmen and FinCom are encouraging town departments to apply for grants whenever possible to help defray the cost of providing municipal services. That strategy assumes that grant funding is there. Many of the grants we have pursued in the past have been offered by federal agencies. When the federal government cuts back on grant programs for community policing and fire fighters, it reduces our chances of getting grants to lighten the burden on local taxes.

Which candidate will best represent our interests in funding public safety?

The cost of health insurance is increasing faster than our income.

It seems that, every year, we are being asked to absorb significant increases in health insurance rates, in our family budgets, and for some of us, as business owners. Increases in health insurance rates can also impact our property taxes, because health insurance can represent a significant expense in municipal budgets.

The need to address the rising cost of healthcare has been on the table for many years now, but so far, a solution that works for everyone has not been passed at a federal level. Massachusetts has been pioneering a way to get more people insured, which will theoretically bring the cost of health insurance down. That solution is now being considered by other states. Will it work? Could it work on a national level?

Which candidate best represents your views on health care?

Of course, there are some very important issues that affect us on a national level and those issues must be factored into your choice on Tuesday. But when it comes to our daily lives, it's worth taking time to consider how the decisions made in Washington affect us on a local level.

Please take time to consider where these candidates stand on the issues that are most important to you, and then be sure to exercise your right to vote for the candidate that best represents your interests in Tuesday's election. For Dunstable voters, polls are open on Tuesday, October 16 at the Dunstable Library from 7am to 8pm.

Candidates Campaign Websites

• Niki Tsongas (Democrat)
• Jim Ogonowski (Republican)
• Patrick Murphy (Independent)
• Kevin Thompson (Independent)
• Kurt Hayes (Constitution Party)