CLCS vote!

It was no surprise the Chautauqua Lake Central School district residents passed the 2010-11 budget by a 225 to 178 margin. It did have a 0.03 percent decrease in the tax warrant. The Board of Education did cut some positions in different areas. BUT, it did have an approximate of about $800,000 increase in spending. What upsets me about the passing of this budget is that the residents gave an endorsement to the Board of Education on the contract they agreed to with the teachers union — and brought the two people who where up for re-election on the board back.

I realized when I saw the vote total, I obviously am in the minority in the district who disagrees with this board and superintendent. I know that the vote May 18 wasn’t all about the teacher contract, but we could have made a statement.

I am baffled months after this contract was agreed to on how and why the teachers think they deserve such a giant raise. People in this district, county, state and all over this country are losing jobs, taking pay cuts to keep their job or not receiving pay raises. Our student population has decreased, the population in the town of Chautauqua has decreased and there are a lot of houses for sale all over, including homes in the Chautauqua Institution. Also our graduation rate at the school is at 80 percent, which is in the lower half of the school’s in the county.

I am not saying that all the teachers are not dedicated, hard working and good people. What I am saying is that the teacher unions should have understood the circumstances and not been a typical union saying gimmee … gimmee … I want … I want… They just should have been happy to have a job in a declining area.

Then again, it was our board who caved in and said, OK, here you go. But, as the vote shows, I am in the minority.