I’m not sure which group would get the gold medal for misleading the public: the proponents of the $55 million in school projects or the opponents of the Taxpayer Bill of Rights.

According to the brochures provided by the school district, it will only cost a maximum of $70 a year to the average homeowner to borrow $55 million. Amazing! The facts are that these school projects will cost $8,200 over the life of the bond to the average homeowner, with a peak year of $495 (2012).

The brochures further mislead the public by artificially lowering the square feet per student data. The brochures use a figure of 1,100 students at the middle school and 1,058 students at the intermediate school. According to the figures in the 2006 Comprehensive Plan (provided by the school department no less), the peak enrollment at the middle school will be 850 students in 2011, while the peak enrollment in the intermediate school will be 794 in 2008. Come on guys, be straight with the public!

Not to be outdone, the Taxpayer Bill of Rights opponents continue to spread the fear that Maine schools will suffer hardships and standards will be lowered if the citizens approve the referendum question. Was this the outcome from TABOR in Colorado? Fact: Maine and Colorado each graduate about 88 percent of high school seniors. Fact: Colorado has 35 percent of its students graduate from college, while Maine is at 26 percent in this catagory. Could that be because the class of 2006 in Colorado scored 1670 on the SAT, while Maine, the No. 1 taxed state, had students lagging far behind with a score of 1493? Obviously, higher taxes are not the answer. One last point, Colorado teachers get paid more than Maine teachers.

Never underestimate the intelligence of the voter. These statements misleading the public or spreading the fear of gloom and doom only further underscore my support for the Taxpayer Bill of Rights and my lack of support for the $55 million in school bonds.

Marcus Moschetto

Scarborough