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.

Why was John Allen allowed to order a police cruiser before it was approved by the voters? Since the Town Manager is in charge of all purchasing, according to state law, where was he when it was ordered?

Sandra Crehore wonders why Wiscasset voters are voting "NO" on the school budgets.

Let's see now.

Wiscasset's tax rate is 13 and projected to go as high as 15. Westport's tax rate is less than half of Wiscasset's at just above 5.

Here's a deal, Sandra. I'll vote "YES" for the school budget if I can have your tax rate.

• Cost of Wiscasset School Board's proposed renovations: $15-$17 million

• Cost of new K-8 school in Woolwich: $8.5 million

• Cost of new Edgecomb Eddy School (2004), with gym: $4.6 million

• Cost of a Wiscasset School Board with brains that listens to the taxpayers: PRICELESS

The governor is considering calling the Legislature into special session to deal with the energy crisis. How many thousands of gallons of gas would be burned in such a session from hundreds of legislators and staff driving back and forth to Augusta to debate what to do? The last time the legislature made a major move on energy, they deregulated electricity, Maine Yankee closed and electrical rates doubled.

Conserve energy - keep your legislators home!

I would like to ask the Wiscasset mothers to stop emailing everyone they know and threatening them with dire consequences if they don't support the school budget. The latest one is the potential closing of the newly renovated middle school wing. So what. We are all suffering, all cutting things. My well pump is messed up, and I have been going on very little water and will continue to do so because I don't have the money to replace it. We are learning to live with it.

My kids will be directly affected by a "closing" of that wing or the firing of primary school teachers, and I am fine with it. We all need to get used to adversity. If the cost of life is going to skyrocket, so must we all. The town voted this budget down twice. Get the picture and shrink the budget. Raise classroom size. Cut the school day if you have to. Maybe the parents will realize it's their job to raise their kids and actually get involved and teach them something. Vote on the 14th and Don't Give In.

Thanks to Sarah Whitfield for speaking out on the school budget in last week's paper.

When people say the school's budget "flunked," they are not calling people stupid. Rather, they are saying that some actions of the Board are stupid. Washington is full of brilliant and well-educated people, but the country is going broke.

Because the town of Wiscasset doesn't provide road signs for private roads, a good person from Jones Road bought a sign for the road. The sign was to honor Clint Jones, who passed away at age 97.

A few months ago the sign disappeared. We thought it was a joke and thought the sign would return. It has not been returned. Please return the Jones Road sign.

Somebody PLEASE tell me exactly what it is we are getting for our $80K with this town manager. Yeah, he might be friendly enough…but the guy never opens his mouth when it counts! What leadership does he offer at meetings and public hearings? What direction is he leading the town in? After 18 month he is still claiming to be new? What is he really doing for Wiscasset? What accomplishments does he have to his credit? Madawaska bought him out of his contract. How much longer will we keep someone who can't make a decision on his own or our payroll. If we are going to be cutting budgets, it's time to cut the dead weight.

I hope the "cry" for more emergency parking in the front of the municipal building, at the expense of cutting down trees and landscaping has been muffled. This was a bad idea without any legitimate foundation except to make it uglier. Just how many "real" emergencies do we have in town where, when responding to emergencies, personnel can't find parking in the rear of the town hall?

What about the parking area in the rear to the north of the building, bordering Route 27? In any given day there are about 15 cars parked there with about 90 percent being non-residents, but Mainers. Are we providing free parking to commuters from out of town? The municipal parking lot should be primarily for business associated with the municipal building, not as a general parking lot for out of towners. Why not reserve five or six spots for emergency responders. This is much cheaper and nicer than cutting down trees and paving. Think ahead of the curve for once.

Did our selectmen/woman really read the "Trial Agreement" they directed the Town Manager to sign? If they did, they didn't understand it! They send all sorts of minor ordinances and other issues to the town attorney to review, but not a two-year legal contract.

The facts they ignored:

• There is NO "escape clause" for the town, neither is there any "notification period" or "recession time," as in, the town has the right after 30 or 60 days notification to rescind or retract this contract. It is two years of "trial."

• The beauty queen of Pine Tree/Casella Waste sent to seduce (advise) our town officials is ONLY a sales person and not a company official; she DID not sign the "contract" and can't be held as an authorized person. It is what is written on the paper that counts!

• Pine Tree could refuse the "recyclables" if they aren't to their specifications, as in dirty bottles or containers. Will they bring it back and dump it in our landfill or take it to another landfill and dump it? So much for "recycling."

• Pine Tree/Casella has cleverly inserted an "anticipated" amount of recyclable waste they "expect" the town to provide. From this "anticipated" amount between 12-13 tons of "recyclables," Pine Tree/Casella can quickly determine an "expected" amount of expenses and the profit they should receive in the end. If the town fails to meet these expectations or tries to rescind the contract, Pine Tree has legal grounds to sue to recover "all anticipated profits" for the balance of the "Trial Agreement" contract period. They could also collect related costs for startup and termination.

• After two years of this "Trial" period, Pine Tree will begin charging an "undisclosed" pick up fee per ton. Once the town becomes dependent on Pine Tree/Casella Waste we will have little choice but to pay whatever amount they dictate. They'll be calling the shots, not us.

I hope someone else understands the long-term liability our selectmen has put the town in, and begins to confront their arrogance and lack of responsibility on behalf of the citizens of Wiscasset. They have failed to really research this company, or seek legal opinion. This is not leadership - it is gullible, dreaming at the probable expenses of the townspeople.

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.