Letter: He urges board to contact struggling constituents

TO THE EDITOR: Re: An open letter to the Ellsworth Community School Board.

I urge you to personally make contact with your constituents who are struggling with hardships in these difficult economic times. Many are too proud or too intimidated to go before you in public to share the burden that the property tax override has placed on them.

As was clearly evident at the last board meeting, the strata you work, recreate, socialize and essentially live in are quite different than theirs. It explains the disconnect.

Meeting them: Visit the senior centers, the food shelves; talk to the clergy, law enforcement, human services personnel; read of foreclosures and bankruptcies; talk to the unemployed or under employed; parents of children, who qualify for subsidized school lunches. It may be uncomfortable for you at first, but once you have listened to and heard of the situation and discomfort they have been in and for how long, yours will seem small.

I urge you to invite your administrative staff, student board representatives, Civics, Social Science, aspirants of human service professionals to accompany you for a “reality” experience that cannot be duplicated in the classroom—an opportunity to demonstrate role modeling of listening and empathy. (An essential skill set for understanding.)

I urge you to re-assess your decision on the track upgrade matter after you have weighed the relative concerns of all the district’s people. A representative face of all is essential to making a just and wise decision.

As for me, if there were a way that the above people could be spared from the increased economic burden, I would consider supporting the decision to the upgrade of the athletic facility. However, my relative value system does not provide for considering that under the existing conditions.

Tags: opinion, letters, ellsworth, education