How we have learned from our new president. Scream the sky is falling and a new tax can be created, voluntary or not. Considering that what won’t be correct by a normal attrition, a slight increase in class size or even belt tightening in other areas will be completely rectified by the Obamabucks coming to our state schools via the stimulus package.

Yes, $600 million now, and we can apply for another $300 million by the end of summer. All our island needs is a mere half a million (we started with the number at $2.2 million) to “Save Our Teachers.”

Then all of the money nobly raised by the good people of our community might be used to save the whales or wallpaper the teacher’s lounge.

Sometimes opening a checkbook is not the best way to deal with a crisis. Consider our seven-then-five-million-dollar tech levy that if not passed, our schools would have surely crumbled into dust. I hope we find this same kind of enthusiasm when it is again time to vote on funding something that might truly matter like the replacement of the 50-year-old Wilkes Elementary School.

Lou Loleas

John Street