We need to repace the arrogant group on Gilford School Board

To the editor,

For the first 67 years of my life I was always under the impression that we lived in a democracy. You all know what that is. If you voted, and your vote was in the majority, the end result would also reflect your wishes.

Apparently that is not how things work in the Township of Gilford. The March 10 headline in The Laconia Daily Sun spelled that all out to us in spades: "SCHOOL BOARD CHAIR DEFIANT IN THE FACE OF GILFORD VOTE". The article goes on to quote school board chair Kurt Webber: "The law is very clear, the school board makes the decision on how the schools will run. We are not going to change our position." Really, doesn't that give you a warm, fuzzy feeling?

The arrogance displayed by "Chairman Kurt" and backed by the rest of the Gilford School Board, in my eyes, is totally unacceptable. We're paying the bills folks and don't you forget that. Another item that is unacceptable is our $19,700 per student education cost, which is 37.5-percent higher than the state average of $13,600 per student.

We are fortunate in Gilford to have the bulk of our tax burden supported by second home taxpayers. That doesn't mean you should be taking advantage of this situation. Without our second home taxpayers we would be facing a $40 dollar per thousand mill rate the way the Gilford School Board spends our tax money. It's high time that the voting residents of Gilford replace this arrogant group of people with people who have some clue as to how the real world should operate and keep the wishes of the taxpayers in mind as well.

I urge every Gilford taxpayer to take 10 minutes out of their life and pick up a copy of our annual town report at the town clerk's office. The publication is relatively comprehensive except for one major flaw: the employees names have been left out. My guess is, that is done so the taxpayers can't track who gets what in regard to raises and benefits annually. Take a good look at it, particularly at salaries and benefits. Remember, THESE ARE YOUR TAX DOLLARS THAT ARE BEING SPENT.

Folks, it isn't our assessments that are the big problem, it's our mill rate. The total value of taxable property in Gilford, thanks to being on the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee, dictates a mill rate of 12 to 14 dollars per thousand if our money is wisely spent — not 18 dollars, plus. The bottom line is we've got too many people "drinking at the public trough". They're getting big salaries and benefits that we in the private sector can no longer afford. It's not just our school, the town portion of our budget could use some serious tightening-up also. This problem is not unique to Gilford, it's everywhere.

Guess what everyone, government, whether it be local, state or federal, THE HONEYMOON'S OVER. The taxpayers can't afford to pay for your inefficiency anymore. Things have got to change, NOW.

John Goodhue

Gilford