Weeklies

Allow me to step into a’nother sphere in my ven diagram of work. Right now I am attempting to get my head around a massive legislative push in the State of Maine to consolidate school districts.

I was called out in an article I wrote last week on a number of details that I just didn’t get right. So now I’ve spent the last hour and a half reading consolidation literature and trying to get at something, anything that can make education, America and the government make sense.

One thing I’ve noticed, and this is just an observation of myself–nothing of import here, of all the hot air and vective that gets bandied about the clearest ideas I find are the positive ones. Almost as though Milton weren’t just “on to something,” he truly understood that evil, hate and anger are easier to muster than constructive thought because it reverberates faster.

Negativity builds the walls that keep us from listening and thinking outside ourselves.

With that said, Maine is in dire straits. But I would argue they are no more trouble than most other States in our Union. When population growth slows down we don’t know what to do. Student numbers begin to diminish and the forumla we used to educate our kids doesn’t fit anymore. So pull out all the support that seems “redudant” and things will surely improve.

What if the government were capable of auditing itself? Municipal, state, federal, any of them. Would we see people with lots of experience expecting large salaries refusing to take pay cuts even as the state budget and the social services programs eat away the confidence of the people who, let’s be honest a moment, are supposed to be liable for what their representative government does?

I can’t blame people for wanting more. I feel I am living inadequately because my spouse and I are having trouble getting by some days, especially in winter. But should we then move to Georgia where we don’t have to heat our house? Should I go get a job in the government because they’ll offer me a good health care package and pension program? Maybe I should be a teacher? In Maine they have better starting salaries and benefits by a long shot. Oh wait, but what to do about consolidation.

See, negativity is so much easier.