Gov. John Baldacci’s plan to consolidate 290 school districts into 26 new regional districts – a plan buried in the middle of his 2008-2009 state budget – has sparked a wildfire of anger, confusion and anxiety that has spread rapidly across Maine as the details sink in.

I have received a lot of phone calls and e-mails asking about this plan, and asking where I stand on the subject of school consolidation. As you might know by now, schools in our district would be split into two regions. Bridgton would anchor Region 22, which also includes Naples and Casco. But Poland would jump to Region 18, to be combined with Lewiston, Auburn, Turner, Litchfield, Mechanic Falls, Durham, and a few other towns.

First, I want to commend the governor for attempting a move towards regional cooperation to save money. According to him, the plan would save $250 million over three years. Obviously, saving that kind of money would be a good thing. It would not, however, reduce property taxes. In fact, the governor has already “booked” these potential savings and has already spent them. In other words, these unrealized savings have been counted as real savings, and they will be used to fund state programs. They are already in the budget. This whole massive change will not lower property taxes, and that was never the goal. The goal is to “free up” money for other things, such as our huge welfare and Medicaid programs.

Beyond that, I have some other serious problems with this new arrangement, scheduled to take effect in 18 months. The governor’s plan is a one-size-fits-all, state-mandated solution that strips us of local control while moving us toward creating another level of bureaucracy.

The plan does not take into account school operations that local districts have managed to make efficient. Nor does it provide a mechanism to preserve current efficiencies. What it does do, with a heavy hand, is lump current school districts together and cut their state funding, then hope that things work out. Bigger districts aren’t necessarily better or, for that matter, less expensive. They are just bigger.

Looking back at recent history and observing Maine state government in action, I am a firm believer that there is a real need to consolidate services at a regional level. How we go about that consolidation is the real issue.

Speaking to a local group recently, I outlined a plan for Regional cooperative organizations, which would provide a structure for local government to cooperate with neighboring local governments when and where it makes sense and could be fiscally beneficial.

All towns need to perform certain functions, such as public safety, waste management, purchasing, human resources, recreation and education. The plan would provide a framework where local governments could enter into these districts, pay for services as needed and eliminate a great amount of redundancy. Regional cooperative organizations would provide real relief for taxpayers while continuing or enhancing services.

We don’t need half -baked schemes from the governor to take the place of our taking a logical course of action in consolidation at the local level. What is called for is a flexible framework that provides for reasonable measures. The objective here, for us, is to reduce property taxes while maintaining top-notch schools. We can do both. Local officials and school boards need to sit down with each other and figure out which services and operations can be streamlined and combined to save us all some money. Classroom instruction would not be affected.

I also have heard from people who say, “At least the governor is doing something.” I disagree with that philosophy of government. Poorly devised action is not good government. Rushing sweeping changes through in a budget instead of through the legislative process denies the taxpayer the proper airing of opinions and gives us poor laws. Look at LD 1 as an example of this, and you will see what happens when big changes in government are rushed through a one-party government system. Invariably, we end up worse off.

One organization has done a great job in offering an alternative to the governor’s plan – the Maine Heritage Policy Center. Their approach would establish education service districts, and would achieve savings in administration while protecting local control and parental involvement. I would recommend anyone who is interested in consolidation to take a look at that plan. It is available at www.mainepolicy.org.

I have already distributed a copy of that plan to the entire Legislature and will be lobbying hard for its consideration.

Logical, well thought out consolidation can work for the good of us all, not just in education, but at all levels of government. Our Naples-Casco bulky waste facility is a good example. Compared to the alternatives, it has been a great cost-saver for our region.

This is the sort of model we need to follow to get costs under control so people are not tax-valued out of their homes. We don’t need the state to tell us what to do. Meanwhile, we need to guard against surrendering our local control to state bureaucracies. Let me close with a warning from author Russell Kirk: “The readiness of democratic states to concentrate in the central government all real power soon poisons at the root true democracy, which is a product of local institutions and self-reliance. Consolidation is the instrument of despotism.”

Rep. Richard Cebra is the state representative for House District 101, representing Naples, Casco and Poland