Resident sees irony in the teachers' protest

To the Editor:

Reading the teachers' and union description of our school committee members, folks in the two towns are surprised to learn that our fellow citizens who volunteered to serve their communities are actually evil, deceptive manipulators who just hate teachers.

The unremarked irony of the teachers' protest is that they're picketing the wrong people.

Towns in Massachusetts are suffering financial hardship because of the failure of the state government to meet its obligations. In fact the state doesn't even fund the mandates it forces on the towns and school districts. This forces all those costs onto the local property taxes, increases that must be paid by people who are, in many cases, barely getting along on small fixed incomes.

Power entails responsibility and, in this state, one party controls the governor, the legislature and virtually every position of power. For year after year the teachers' union has supported this ruling party exclusively and, now they return the favor by cutting off the money our towns could use to fund the teachers' union demands.

Don't blame the school committees, gang. Look at your union, your legislators, and - while you are at it - look in a mirror. You made the bed you're sleeping in.

Al Rickheit Ashburnham