To the Editor:

Save your May 7 headline “Council desires less spending” (Page A1), as you can use it again next year as you could have in years past.

The Town Council has the power of the purse and they know it. They also know that the reason for increased spending is consistently paying public employees — particularly education staff — more money each year in salaries and benefits for producing the same results.

If you check the School Department’s own records, you will find that about the same number of students make the honor roll as have in years past, yet salaries and benefits have increased 3 percent to 5 percent each year for many years. In addition, there are about the same or more staff for about 2,400 students as when there were 3,400 students and the Brunswick Naval Air Station was at its peak of staffing.

Why does the Council countenance this? Votes, votes, votes. The School Department and their supporters are the largest single voting bloc in Brunswick. We have all witnessed this power when the approval for the Harriet Beecher Stowe school was initially threatened by disgruntled taxpayers.

Couple this inanity with the fact that Brunswick is now providing services to Brunswick Landing it is not obligated to provide, including education, while it has no authority to tax to pay for it, and you will fully understand why you are going to see your property taxes increase into the foreseeable future.

Fred Blanchard
Brunswick