No Cuts for Burlington Schools

Burlington Free Press Editor:

The Burlington School Board should not follow the recommendations for budget cutting proposed by the Vermont Legislature’s Challenges for Change initiative–which, as reported by the Burlington Free Press(11/29/10), requires over $1 million in cuts next year for Burlington schools.

There is no real shortage of resources. The budget shortfalls are artificial and there is an agenda being played out to shrink the public sector and undermine public education. Vermont’s tax rate for the very wealthy has declined by 60{33979494efa9b9c28f844b5c37a1ddedf4bb90a2eb3dac7a83ede58b7eac2e67} in the past 30 years. On the federal level there are untold trillions for wars and occupations and financial bailouts, with austerity for public assistance, workers, and students.

The Legislature should oppose these priorities, not endorse them. It should enact progressive taxes on the wealthy to begin to recover years of lost revenue. It should oppose basing the F-35 bomber at Burlington’s airport. The F-35 program will cost at least $500 billion, with each of the bombers costing some $150 million. That’s a lot of teacher salaries.

Last year the School Board made a terrible decision to cut the successful Kaleidescope non-tradition classroom program at Hunt Middle School. This is the kind of cuts that the political establishment wants school boards to make. Cut off those who need programs the most, while those with more means will be little effected. There is no shared sacrifice going on here. Send requirements to cut budgets back to Montpelier and Washington. Tax the rich and cut the Pentagon.

Paul Fleckenstein
Burlington