Governor John Baldacci delivered his final state of the state speech on January 20, 2010. In this speech Baldacci declared a $100 million budget cut towards municipality funding. The Governor was motivated to make this decision due to a $438 million budget shortfall. He claims the state needs to have national education and teacher evaluation standards. Many teaching positions for this next year within Maine will be terminated resulting from the words of this governor in his final year.
Aside from federal sources, state and local funding, the tax-payers support their local school administrative unit’s cost by paying a mill rate. A mill rate is “the number of property tax dollars raised for each $1,000 of taxable property” (Maine Department of Education). In my hometown of Boothbay Harbor the mill rate for the year 2008-2009 was 11.8 with 37.2 % funding education, 13.3% supporting Lincoln County and 49.5 going to municipalities. In 2002-2003 the mill rate was 8.20 in Boothbay Harbor this was among Maine’s average mill rate of 11.62(Financial Data Profile Boothbay Harbor CSD). A person can conclude through viewing these ratios that Boothbay Harbor does not have a high mill rate but it has increased twenty percent in a five year margin. To escape this realm of mathematics, I raise the question: what does a citizen do about this?
For any U.S.A. citizen who works or owns land there is no escape from paying taxes. Many people have attempted to do so, resulting in charges of tax evasion (I.E: Al Capone, Wesley Snipes etc.). To avoid this anarchic method citizens can simply vote, contact: local officials, Attorney Generals, State Senators and perhaps the Governor. Every aspect in each individual’s mind counts and helps reshape society as we know it!
REFERENCES
Maine Department of Education. “Boothbay-Boothbay Hbr CSD”. Maine Department of Education WWW School Profiles. 1 Oct. 2009.
Retrieved on 2/26/10 from: http://portalx.bisoex.state.me.us/pls/doe/eddev.msau_profile.financial_data?v_msau_code=903
Chicago History. “Al Capone.” History Files. 1999: p. 1-2.
Retrieved on 2/26/10 from: http://www.chicagohs.org/history/capone/cpn3a.html
Phillips, Rich. "Snipes gets the max -- 3 years -- in tax case." CNN.com 24 Apr. 2008: p.1-3.
Retrieved on 2/26/10 from: http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/04/24/snipes.sentencing/
Friday, February 26, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
A New Food Program
University of Maine, Orono- Educators of the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, John Jemison and Kate Yerxa are creating a new Food System Extension program. “Think Globally, Eat Locally” will begin on March 1 at 5:30 in the Coe Room at the University of Maine Memorial Union. This outreach program will be covering environmental issues and potential threats surfacing around the processes of food development within the state and nation. People who decide to participate in “Think Globally, Eat Locally” will be active in, hands-on learning, video exploration, and group discussions. Participants of this four week program are also asked to donate twenty-five hours of their time towards an active food system. Examples of these food systems include community gardens, farmers’ markets, soup kitchens and food pantries. At the end of this program participants will attain knowledge of: green technology, the pros/cons of genetically engineered food, how to produce clean food (self-sufficiency); and how an inert object (food) can influence the mind and body. The creators of this program hope to start a formation of new farmers and concepts that will revolutionize the food industry. People who are interested in “Think Globally, Eat Locally” are asked to contact John Jemison at (207)-581-3241.
http://www.umaine.edu/news/blog/2010/02/18/university-of-maine-cooperative-extension-launches-%E2%80%9Cthink-globally-eat-locally%E2%80%9D-initiative/
http://www.umaine.edu/news/blog/2010/02/18/university-of-maine-cooperative-extension-launches-%E2%80%9Cthink-globally-eat-locally%E2%80%9D-initiative/
Friday, February 12, 2010
Not Your Stereotypical Student
Her fingers tap nervously as she responds to the interview questions. Fellow University of Maine student, Cassandra Riegler Fread claims she “doesn’t understand the importance of this interview, or the significance.” Fread continues to say, “what have I done to be the focus of this profile story?” These remarks illustrate her strong independent persona that she claims to have possessed “forever.”
Cassandra is the oldest among her six siblings at age twenty-two. Her parents work as contractors off of Accomac Island, Virginia. She was eleven when her second to youngest sibling, Robert was born. While describing her brother she refers to him as her “baby boy.” Justifiably, Cassandra spent the first two years of her brother’s life providing basic necessities for him to live nourished; while her mother and father were building houses along the Eastern shore of Virginia. At fourteen years old, Cassandra started to work at a restaurant on the side of attending high school.
“At a very young age, I learned that if I wanted something… I had to work and pay for it,” Fread says proudly. This attitude she possesses mirrors those of past generations who experienced the “great depression.”
“Mama’ and Daddy worked really hard to assist me financially.” She pauses. “However, in a family of seven children it is very hard for a parent to focus on a sole child.” Cassandra says this with a gracious smile.
Currently, Fread is a senior at University of Maine majoring in Elementary Education with a concentration in Spanish. She is paying for school out of pocket with the help of “a few scholarships, grants and loans.” Cassandra is also paying her health and auto insurance, among rent and general necessities. This humble woman helps create a positive stereotype for non-college attendees to possess.
SPECIAL THANKS TO CASSANDRA RIEGLER FREAD
& GOOD LUCK!
Cassandra is the oldest among her six siblings at age twenty-two. Her parents work as contractors off of Accomac Island, Virginia. She was eleven when her second to youngest sibling, Robert was born. While describing her brother she refers to him as her “baby boy.” Justifiably, Cassandra spent the first two years of her brother’s life providing basic necessities for him to live nourished; while her mother and father were building houses along the Eastern shore of Virginia. At fourteen years old, Cassandra started to work at a restaurant on the side of attending high school.
“At a very young age, I learned that if I wanted something… I had to work and pay for it,” Fread says proudly. This attitude she possesses mirrors those of past generations who experienced the “great depression.”
“Mama’ and Daddy worked really hard to assist me financially.” She pauses. “However, in a family of seven children it is very hard for a parent to focus on a sole child.” Cassandra says this with a gracious smile.
Currently, Fread is a senior at University of Maine majoring in Elementary Education with a concentration in Spanish. She is paying for school out of pocket with the help of “a few scholarships, grants and loans.” Cassandra is also paying her health and auto insurance, among rent and general necessities. This humble woman helps create a positive stereotype for non-college attendees to possess.
SPECIAL THANKS TO CASSANDRA RIEGLER FREAD
& GOOD LUCK!
Friday, February 5, 2010
Newscast Comparison
“After 40 years, what I came to care about most was not style, but the breath of life.” – William Maxwell
Reporting the news in the form of a televised live broadcast requires a more complex structure than that of a viewer’s naked eye. Coinciding, the reporter presenting the news stories takes the material they are exposing and puts the information in a form beyond context that entices the audience to be attentive while viewing the news. The characteristics of the reported information can be compared to those of a lead before an article. To show an example of this contrast the following is a dissection from Bangor’s WABI TV 5 “One Minute News.”
“Thanks for logging on to WABI.TV, I’m Meghan Hayward. Police have identified the vehicle involved in the hit and run accident in Orono that killed a twenty year old woman. They are now asking for the public’s help in finding that vehicle and the driver. Jordan Bakley was found dead on Middle Street in Orono, early Saturday morning. Bakley was from Camden and was a student at the University of Maine at Orono. Police say she was likely struck by a full-size pickup or SUV. They believe it was either a Chevrolet Silverado or an Avalanche, model years 2003 to 2007. It would have front-end damage, and anyone with information is asked to call Orono police at 866-4451….”
This excerpt shows a difference between written news and spoken news. If this dialogue was an article in a newspaper, readers might scream “SLOW DOWN,” or “WHAT? IS THIS A BLOG?” News anchors have a time limit in for each segment and it can be concluded that the choice of wording is different because of this limitation. However, these 119 words can be condensed as follows:
“Thanks for logging on to WABI.TV, I’m Meghan Hayward. The vehicle that was involved in the hit and run accident on Middle Street in Orono, which killed twenty year old, University of Maine student Jordan Bakley of Camden has been identified. Police would like the public’s help in finding the full-size pickup or SUV. They claim it would either be a Chevrolet Silverado or Avalanche, model years 2003-2007 with front-end damage. People containing information of this fatality are urged to call Orono police at 866-4451.”
This newly renovated form of the material is only eighty-five words and covers the exact same points. It appears similarly to a lead by producing the components, who, what, where, why, and how. The element of time also known as “when” was left out from the original broadcast. The use of language is very different from written journalism but is similar in how there isn’t an overly described scene of imagery with the excessive use of action verbs.
REFERENCES
Hayward, M. (2010, February 5). One Minute News.
Retrieved February 5, 2010, from WABI TV5 website:
http://www.wabi.tv/
Mencher, M. (2008). Writing the Story. News Reporting and Writing. 11. 149.
Reporting the news in the form of a televised live broadcast requires a more complex structure than that of a viewer’s naked eye. Coinciding, the reporter presenting the news stories takes the material they are exposing and puts the information in a form beyond context that entices the audience to be attentive while viewing the news. The characteristics of the reported information can be compared to those of a lead before an article. To show an example of this contrast the following is a dissection from Bangor’s WABI TV 5 “One Minute News.”
“Thanks for logging on to WABI.TV, I’m Meghan Hayward. Police have identified the vehicle involved in the hit and run accident in Orono that killed a twenty year old woman. They are now asking for the public’s help in finding that vehicle and the driver. Jordan Bakley was found dead on Middle Street in Orono, early Saturday morning. Bakley was from Camden and was a student at the University of Maine at Orono. Police say she was likely struck by a full-size pickup or SUV. They believe it was either a Chevrolet Silverado or an Avalanche, model years 2003 to 2007. It would have front-end damage, and anyone with information is asked to call Orono police at 866-4451….”
This excerpt shows a difference between written news and spoken news. If this dialogue was an article in a newspaper, readers might scream “SLOW DOWN,” or “WHAT? IS THIS A BLOG?” News anchors have a time limit in for each segment and it can be concluded that the choice of wording is different because of this limitation. However, these 119 words can be condensed as follows:
“Thanks for logging on to WABI.TV, I’m Meghan Hayward. The vehicle that was involved in the hit and run accident on Middle Street in Orono, which killed twenty year old, University of Maine student Jordan Bakley of Camden has been identified. Police would like the public’s help in finding the full-size pickup or SUV. They claim it would either be a Chevrolet Silverado or Avalanche, model years 2003-2007 with front-end damage. People containing information of this fatality are urged to call Orono police at 866-4451.”
This newly renovated form of the material is only eighty-five words and covers the exact same points. It appears similarly to a lead by producing the components, who, what, where, why, and how. The element of time also known as “when” was left out from the original broadcast. The use of language is very different from written journalism but is similar in how there isn’t an overly described scene of imagery with the excessive use of action verbs.
REFERENCES
Hayward, M. (2010, February 5). One Minute News.
Retrieved February 5, 2010, from WABI TV5 website:
http://www.wabi.tv/
Mencher, M. (2008). Writing the Story. News Reporting and Writing. 11. 149.
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