We would like to acknowledge the groups of the volunteers who helped to support the educational future of Weare's children: Weare Advocates, communication coordinators, Weare PTO, Weare Middle School and Center Woods Elementary School administrators and staff, Weare Middle School students, the SAU staff and superintendent, the Weare Board of Selectmen and Planning Board, Web site designers, telephone callers, coffee house hosts, financial contributors, babysitters, letter writers and those who arranged public displays of support, people who displayed yard signs and bumper stickers and wore buttons, people attending informational meetings and the deliberative session to show support and ask probing questions, citizens who aided in the search for land, local businesses who offered financial support and display space, and election day volunteers who baked and held signs.

We are so proud of the spirit and support shown here in Weare. On behalf of the children of Weare, the school board would like to thank all 2,038 voters who braved the snow storm to come out and vote Tuesday.
The Weare School Board
Matt Thomas
Michele Josefiak
Marge Burke
Helen Dutton
Judy Lamont

I believe it would be a mistake to privatize Social Security in the way suggested by the president.

The vast majority of people do not know enough about stock and/or bond market investing to get ahead at it. Those with enough money at their disposal not to need Social Security could easily hire trained people to invest for them; they very likely already have such people on the payroll.

As Brad suggests, a little tweaking here and there could help extend the life of the fund.

However, Social Security is a pyramid scheme, the likes of which would not be permitted to individuals or small groups.

And, as will all such schemes, it would eventually hit a dead end; a place where demand on the system exceeds the sustaining income.

This is obvious from the facts of numbers of workers paying for retirees through the years of Social Security's existence. The whole system should be scrapped and we should start over.

The state of New Hampshire, and other states, has an excellent retirement system for state workers, teacher, policemen and firemen. It has a sound, continuing basis and will not go broke.

Of course, it has not been drawn, as has Social Security, to help cover other governmental spending.

Leaving Social Security alone would have extended it considerable, but it would still run into eventual trouble, due to its nature.

Included in Brad's suggested tweaking would be the reduction in benefits. That seems to be a part of the president's plan, as well. Our state system does not face such cuts and a system patterned after it would remain aboveboard and increasing with the cost-of-living.

Of course, scrapping Social Security and start ing a new system would cost considerably at the outset, and would greatly frustrate politicians who have relied on the excess funds of Social Security for so long.

With the latter in mind, what do you suppose are the chances of any realistic and thoroughly reliable system coming out of all this? If you hold your breath until that happens, you won't need Social Security.
Charles Carr, Goffstown

Curves of Goffstown and Weare would like to thank their very generous members who helped to raise money for the second time this winter. Members from both Curves locations have raised more than $600 for fuel assistance. According to New Hampshire Services, every little bit helps.

The money raised goes to families who don't quite qualify for state aid because they may make just $1 too much to qualify, yet they are still unable to afford fuel to heat their homes. So thank you again for helping to warm the homes and hearts of those in need.
Lori and Robert Goddard
Curves Goffstown and Weare

First, the Weare Conservation Commission (WCC) is a group of volunteers who are appointed by the board of selectmen. We serve in an advisory capacity dealing with issues regarding the town's natural resources.

We have taken no position regarding Weare Article 55 and have not sought involvement in the issue around which the article revolves. I have served on the WCC since May 2002. In the three years of my involvement, we have had two chairmen.

Though we may change chairman by election each year, we have actually had remarkably little turnover at the position, in light of the demands on all of our members and most especially the chairman.

Many of Mr. McDonald's reasons for opposition to Article 55 may be valid, but his characterization of the position of WCC chairman was not.

I personally appreciate the support that Brian gave the town volunteers during his time of service on the board of selectmen and I hope he appreciates the spirit of this friendly correction. I invite anyone with questions about the role of the WCC and its service to the community to contact me so that we do not needlessly make false assumptions.
Andy Fulton, Vice chairman
Weare Conservation Commission

After four years of shoveling over $200 billion in tax breaks and subsidies to corporate America, and after shoveling to the richest 20 percent another one-and-a-half trillion in income tax cuts, dividend tax cuts, capital gains tax cuts and that all time sweetheart deal, wiping out any taxes on multimillion dollar inheritances, Mr. Bush has decided someone has to sacrifice.

Who is that someone? From his budget choices, it is the poor, the elderly, the disabled, veterans, our environment and middleclass- working families.

Slashes in needed healthcare, childcare, education, food stamps, as well as slashes in funding to maintain our clean air and water from criminal industrial onslaught, are the order of the day.

As new tax cuts are planned for the likes of ExxonMobil and Halliburton (who misplaced eight-billion in taxpayer dollars) and daddy's defense companies, the people who work the jobs that keep America going and actually pay taxes will suffer.

Worse, dishonest shell games also abound. Community health center fund increases are proclaimed.

Cynically, cuts in Medicaid to pay the daily costs of these health centers and cuts in funding staff will, in reality, leave sick people with basically an empty building with sound good title.

King Louis 15 said, "After me, let everything fall apart!" If you look at the years beyond the Bush reign, there are giant leaps in deferred bills coming due – to our children.

A colossal debt that eats $300 billion a year of our treasury; a time bomb dropping wages, good jobs shipped overseas, rollbacks in protection of our environment, working people sliding into hopeless poverty and wealth of America rising steadily up to the richest, creating the most unequal distribution of national wealth on any industrialized nation, trouble looms in our future.

Mr. Bush doesn't care. "Let them eat cake!"
Jeanne Stapleton, New Boston

It's a fact that in 2003-04 New Hampshire ranked third highest in the nation in the cost of tuition and fees at comprehensive state colleges and universities. On the flip side, New Hampshire ranks 49th in state funded scholarship aid and Pell grants.

Without question, the issue of education funding on the K-12 scale is getting much deserved attention in the budget process at the state level this year, however, higher education is equally as important. At this very time, economists are proclaiming that the best jobs and the highest incomes in the future will belong to those who are highly skilled and who have the most education and training but more and more New Hampshire students are struggling with the question of affordability.

The students in the university system provide this investment and encourage an economic stimulant through the creation of small businesses and an increase in the availability of skilled workers to the state.

If something is not done to make college more affordable in New Hampshire, it will become an issue of great concern.

According to the Post secondary Education Opportunity, which analyzes influences that affect postsecondary education opportunity for all Americans, 50 percent of New Hampshire students leave the state to pursue higher education compared to a national average of 18 percent and the New England average of 39 percent. The only way to let state legislators know how important higher education is to the residents of New Hampshire is to talk to them.

Urge them to support the small budget increase the university system has requested. Let them know that bills like Senate Bill 181 are important to higher education because they increase the amount of money appropriated to the New Hampshire Incentive Program (State Funded Scholarship Grant). There are so many places that support is needed and a phone call or hand-written letter to your state senator or representative can make the difference.
Rory Sheehan, Durham