Editorials

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.

The current $79,494 override request has been referred to as a "band-aid." It apparently does not have the support of our FinCom, among others, because it is only a temporary fix to a much larger problem.

When faced with the question of a $396,388 override, 456 voters said No. What does that really tell us about "the will of the people"? Dunstable is about to make some pretty significant cuts in town services. Is that really what these voters were expecting when they voted No?

The Groton Finance Committee published a statement this week that explains their reasons for not endorsing the school override. They echo sentiments regarding the school budget that are being voiced in many corners these days.

Sometimes, in the midst of all the political turmoil and stress over budgets that we get into around this time of year, I find myself with an opportunity to step back and get a little insight into the caliber of kids who are about to graduate from high school. Each time, I am struck by what amazing kids they are, and how much they have already accomplished, even at this early stage in their lives.

This year, we're all caught between a rock and a hard place. If our property taxes increase much more, the tax will exceed what many families (not just seniors) can afford. That's the rock. The hard place is knowing that the consequence of not approving an increase will result in some rather drastic cuts in services that we depend on for the well-being of the community. How did this happen?