Robert King [12/26/2003]

To the editor:This is to alert all voters to a legislative bill known as Constitutional Amendment Concurrent Resolution 2 (CACR-2). Put forward by the Republican House leadership with the governor's support, this bill proposes a constitutional amendment that would exempt education funding laws from judicial review. It is expected that the House will vote on this bill by mid-January. CACR-2 is an outrageous assault on the separation of powers and checks and balances, doctrines which. together. comprise the fundamental constitutional bulwark against tyranny. The Constitution of no other state in the union has a provision resembling this bill. In proposing this amendment, those currently in power in the governor's office and in the Legislature wish to secure for themselves absolute, unchecked power over school funding decisions. Regardless of one's position on current school funding issues and regardless of one's party loyalty, it is utterly irresponsible to advocate such a constitution-trashing, judiciary-bashing amendment in order to "have your way" on an issue of the moment. Citizens in Conway, Albany, Tamworth, Eaton, Madison and Ossipee will be hit hard in the pocket book if they respond to this threat with apathy. Why? Because the aim of the amendment is the same as the openly avowed aim of the governor and the Republican leadership in the Legislature namely, to allow state government to shuck off its obligation to fund its costly educational mandates. If this aim succeeds, towns with rich tax bases and small student populations may benefit from the scheme, but towns like the ones listed above will find themselves bearing crushing school tax rates without relief. Such an outcome violates the most basic tenets of sound government, fiscal responsibility and justice. Again, the concept embodied in the amendment is so anti-constitutional and so unsound that you will find it nowhere else in America. On school funding issues in the recent past, Conway voters have remained apathetic while their state senator and every one of their four state representatives followed the dictates of their legislative leaders rather than heeding the interests of their voters. As a result, Conway's education grant from the state is now being phased out. If CACR-2 succeeds, the injustice of this will be immune to challenge. Taxes will rise to ever more onerous levels, affecting the quality of Conway's decisions and hence lowering the quality of education and the quality of life throughout the valley. To the citizens of Conway and the neighboring towns of Albany, Eaton, Madison, Tamworth and Ossipee, if surging tax rates and quality of life are a big concern to you, there is no better way to address that problem than to contact your legislators and speak out against CACR-2. For all others, how about standing up for the preservation of our most fundamental constitutional principles?