Tell It To George is a collection of thoughts from here and away, from people who want to get their two cents worth in, without using their names.

Looks like Ray and The Friends of the Coast are trying to get rid of all their useless crap, calling it archives. Buy a gun and guard the gate yourself, save the taxpayers some money and CMP will not have the opportunity to pass on more fees to the ratepayers.

The Wiscasset community, educational leaders, and school officials are truly a piece of work.

What is occurring in this town should create such an outcry by so many different factions of people that life as we know it should nearly come to a halt.

How can the school board approve and GRANT a raise, which works out to be approximately five percent for the superintendent in the midst of stalled contract negotiations when the argument resounds loudly and clearly by the school board… no raises for teachers because there is no money…

How can teachers in this community be silent? Other than an occasional letter to the editor, teachers are absent from the forefront. Someone explain this to me. I would be wearing orange with pretty silver bracelets if I were a professional teacher employed by this school system.

Teachers, in case you truly have been absent for the past two years… the community in which you work has spoken… you folks are not worth what you are being paid, let alone pay you more. Your superintendent has not supported your interest or attempted to work as a liaison with you and the board. Your attempts to not rattle the cage or upset the community more reflect poorly upon all of you. What has blinded you so?

So… the court date that was supposed to be held two weeks ago between the school board and WTA never occurred… it was postponed. Anyone want to venture a guess how much that legal circus cost the town and taxpayers? Has this just been swept away under the carpet out of embarrassment to the superintendent and school board?

Where to now? Arbitration. Another political exercise in futility and stall tactics in light of fact-finding results which supported teachers and their proposed contract platform.

Teachers should be working only to 3 o'clock and not one second more. Work to rule is clearly appropriate here when every available outside faction is attempting to slap some legal mumbo jumbo "dos and don'ts" in an effort to require teachers to work as before despite three years of keeping teachers at locked in wages.

Teachers collecting stipends for extra curricular activities should resign from these, on principle alone, and those positions should NOT be filled by other teachers because they feel "someone has to do this." Yes, perhaps someone does have to do this… parents sound like a likely choice. Parents can chaperone dances at both the middle and high schools, concession stands at basketball games, the prom, project graduation, etc… None of these activities directly affect the delivery of education to the Wiscasset students.

How can there be anything BUT solidarity in this teaching community? Teachers, what other signs and writing on the wall do you need to see before ALL of you start taking action against this ludicrous and embarrassing negotiation process. If leadership is lacking by WTA representation, then time to step forward and take control of the situation yourselves… or demand leadership with backbone and purpose.

All parties involved need a HUGE wakeup call.

Teachers… Take your heads out of the sand, square your shoulders, agree to demonstrate solidarity amongst yourselves and take to the streets, standing firm in your request for and expectation of compensation and benefits which support the professional job which you perform.

School board members… YOUR job is to ACT as a board of education, championing the cause of education rather than serving as a second town budget committee. If you are unable to do this, then resign and give education a chance.

Parents and community members… Contact your school board members by phone or letter and stand up to support the educators of your children.

What a sad state of affairs in this community.

Send "Tell It To George" entries clearly marked (this way, we won't use your name) for the "Tell It To George" column, by mail at P.O. Box 429, Wiscasset, ME 04578.

Or hand carry them to our office on at 47 Gardiner Road (don't mail them to Gardiner Road, because they will be sent back to you by the post office); just put them in our mailbox right next to the front door.

Or, walk right in and give them to us.

Or, send them to us by E-mail, at wiscassetnewspaper@verizon.net.

Or, fax them to us at 882-4280;

Or, if you're not good at writing, leave us a voice mail on our answering machine after hours, at 207-882-6355 (speak slowly and distinctly). Please make sure your entries a r rive by noon on Tuesday for publ i cation in Thursday's issue.