Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-07-02
MONTGOMERY BUDGET

Inc TeC6IlI edTlIlRS vi GIlc
Montgomery County budget
and the apparent unconcern
of the county manager and
county council should be a
grave warning to the people Of
Montgomery County.
The people are not to blame.
They made their wishes known.
In a public hearing June IA,
approximately 70 people spoke
in favor Of the Board of Edu-
cations request for additional
teacher salaries and new
schools. No one rose to defend
Mr.. Reese and his budget cuts.
Despite this the manager and
council have failed to adhere
to the peoples request al
though they indicated they are
willing to pay the cost what
ever they may be-" At least
$4,000 voters were represented
in this demand. However,
majority Of the council (Which
supposedly represents the
people, has chosen to ignore
their wishes and has gone
along with Mr.. Reese and his
economy budget.
There is no point in going
into detail of what transpired
at the various hearings since
it is public information. How
ever, 1t does seem necessary
for the council to give some ex-
PLANTATION for their action.
Is it possible that:
The council may have dis
covered some misuse of funds
appropriated to the Board of
Education? This seems unlikely
since the council would have
used it as ammunition against
the board and as an excuse for
their action.
The council is completely
unconcerned about educating
the youth and is sacrificing
them in favor of more material
Improvements such as hospi-
tails, civic auditoriums, airports
and roads? This would meet
with favor among certain BUSH
ness groups.
The council might have been
overly influenced by the big
farmers in the upper part of
the county to prevent a tax
raise?
These are only possibilities
that have come to mind. There
must be a reason for the coun-
ellis action. If it is contrary
to what the people ask for,
then it must be personal rea-
sons on the part Of the council.
The people have a right to an
answer and should demand it.
Unfortunately, it will be the
children of the county that
will suffer. Mr.. Reese and
members of the council have
placed the county in the posi-
ton OF having to take teachers
the surrounding counties find
undesirable for one reason
or another. The educational
standards are in jeopardy Of
being lowered after having en-
joyed the name of being tops"
for a number of years.
The people can do nothing
until the next election. If they
don't demand a new county
manager and GUST the mem
bers Of the council that are
opposed to education, the re-
sponsibility will be theirs and
theirs alone.
Edward V. Kennedy, jr.
Montgomery County Teacher.
4
AS a Montgomery County
teacher, ! have been trying to
fathom the County Councils
refusal to give the Board of
Education enough money to
adequately run the schools. I
have given up trying to dis
cover why this governing body,
led by the county manager,
took this astonishing action.
What they did is easier to see
and somewhat frightening.
AS I see it, when these men
swung at the schools to save
money, their blows fell on
three general groups of VIC
Tins, the teachers and admin
istrators, the children and the
Nation.
Strangely, the least of the
blows fell on the teachers. The
council did not lower the pres
tige of this group. Rather, 1t
seems to have raised it by in
citing many citizens TO action
supporting the teachers. 1t
didn't even take money from
them. The council simply
served notice on the teachers
that if they want bigger SAL
aries they will have to teach
somewhere other than in
Montgomery County. In fact,
wouldn't be surprised to find
that the councils action has
helped many teachers to &C
cept highly remunerative posi-
tons in industry. As one in
dustrialist explained the plight