If you want to answer as to why Topsham is more vibrant than Brunswick or Brunswick Landing you need look no farther than the property tax rate and its growth since the announcement of the closing of the Brunswick Naval Air Station. You need look no further than the unconscionable increases in teacher and education department salaries, wages and benefits to see the reason for the tax increases. When the average teacher earns nearly twice as much as a new hire replacement and those nearing retirement nearly three times there is something drastically distorted with the fiduciary responsibility of both the school board and the town council.

We have thrown money at education for years and the only correlation between paying educators more and student performance is negative and that goes for colleges and universities as well. Were you aware that there are some teachers in the Brunswick School department that when you take in their taxpayer paid health insurance and retirement pay there are some teachers now making over $100,000 per year to teach elementary school? When will we ever learn?

Fred Blanchard, Brunswick