Rep. Michael Brennan of Portland has proposed that the responsibility for paying annual teacher retirement contributions revert back to the state, in order to ease the burden on local school districts.

This is perhaps the best example of smoke and mirrors to be put forth in the current session of the Legislature. This has absolutely nothing to do with easing the burden and everything to do with enabling the raiding of the retirement system.

The solvency of the system depends on the contributions being made and not deferred. His idea is typical of the socialistic mindset developed in Portland.

Currently the contributions are line item budgeted. You just know that the school department budgets are not going to roll back to reflect the savings. In fact, the monies saved will most certainly become windfall salaries that, because of the percentage-based contribution system, will take more to properly fund.

There is nothing magical about this proposal. It will only enable the spenders another avenue of not-so-free cash to spend on pet projects.

If teachers in one district currently aren’t paid on the scale of a larger district, residents of the district save on retirement contributions. With this plan, residents of that smaller district will lose their savings and indirectly underwrite the savings of that larger district.

So, pay no attention to that man behind the curtain. A wizard, he’s not …

Richard Foley

Gorham


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