Imagine for a moment that the state or federal aid upon which the staffing and operations of our town’s public safety departments had come to depend was cut dramatically – and in response, our town’s police and fire officials requested modest local tax increases in order to offset those funding losses and thereby maintain critical levels of service.

Would “concerned taxpayers” accuse our public safety officials of “not getting the message” about spending?

Would they put up signs portraying our first responders as greedy pigs, gobbling up the public’s hard-earned cash?

Would they publicly dismiss as “a bunch of baloney” the departments’ detailed budgetary analyses, accusing them of willfully misleading the public with “scare tactics” about the impacts of budget cuts?

Would they host snarky websites mocking the motives and efforts of these respected public servants?

Of course not, and for obvious reasons. But this is precisely how Scarborough’s self-proclaimed “taxpayer” groups have treated our Board of Education. At meetings, in newspapers and online, these duly elected representatives are subjected to hostile scrutiny.

Their motives, methods and math are questioned, and their hard work and earnest problem-solving efforts are dismissed or ignored.

As the only local entity subject to budgetary second-guessing by the general public, and with a constituency largely comprising young citizens who cannot speak for themselves, the school system is a convenient punching bag.

It is time for those of us who support our schools to stop playing defense and fight aggressively for these kids and the future of our community. We cannot accept the $500,000 in proposed budget cuts. That is why we will vote “No – Too Low” on July 7.

It is often said that a public budget is a reflection of a community’s values. What type of community does Scarborough want to be?

Cory and Katie Fellows

Scarborough