Notes from the Old Noank Jail

Common Sense Economics

by Ed Johnson

We live in a troubled global world, subjected to forces beyond the control of most individual citizens. Some of these forces are created by human greed and mismanagement, such as the global financial crisis which only recently began to settle down. And, the citizens of Japan will suffer, probably for decades, as a result of a simple, devastating act of nature which claimed so many lives and physically destroyed a major portion of their well ordered country. We will share in Japan’s economic grief as well, as the ripple effect of their disrupted economy affects the rest of the world and undoubtedly causes financial disturbance in many areas. Again, we will have to “ride out” the resulting turmoil.

Therefore, it is time for local citizens to focus on projects that we are actually able to control and projects that result in long-term financial benefits. We need to reduce energy consumption and think “outside the box” when we consider our own lifestyles. We need to save money by cutting back expenses. We cannot solve all the world problems, but we can at least work where we can actually make a difference.

By my observation, as a 70 year old man, I see two local projects in Groton which need to be addressed using simple common sense. One involves the Thames Street road reconstruction in Groton City, which was defeated in a previous Referendum primarily due to excessive cost. Thus far, the Thames Street Review Committee has reduced the initial estimates from $10.7 million to approximately $6.4 million…a substantial improvement, with no frills attached…and will bond the project at a low figure. This makes sense to me and I recommend when this project goes to public Referendum on May 2nd, the citizens of Groton approve it.

Unfortunately, when citizens are voting on the Thames Street project in the May Referendum, they will also vote on the $133 million Phase II school expansion project, which is a major mistake. We don’t even utilize our existing school buildings properly from an ecological perspective, the educational trend nationally is for smaller schools, the education of Pre-Kindergarten children will not be funded by the state and would instead inflate an already oversized education department at our own taxpayer expense.

The choice of using the Claude Chester property for the proposed large school is another major mistake. There are insufficient playing fields (without invading Poquonnock Plains), frequent flooding on Route 117 and the nearby fields, heavy traffic when the existing school is dismissed, and worse traffic when Route 95 is closed due to accidents.

Consolidation into one school increases more bus vehicles, routes and expense. It makes more sense to utilize the recently renovated West Side School and expand the Cutler Middle School (which has sufficient space) to accommodate 6th through 8th grades. These changes would only be a few million dollars…they would not be $133 million!

I estimate the “Phase II” project would add approximately $400 annually to my taxes, already too high, over the bonding period. This is not a good investment…this does not give me a good “bang for the buck” in terms of value…and I don’t see any energy savings for the project. All I see are more school buildings not being properly maintained and “dumped” back on the Town. Harvard and Yale have 100 year or older buildings…proudly and properly maintained. Why can’t Groton?

In summary, lets use common sense, vote “No” on Phase II at the referendum, and send the school board back to come up with better solutions. Let’s try to help ourselves, for once, by not raising our own tax bills, and not obligating future generations with debt that we create.