I fully support our teachers and appreciate all they do and yes, they should get paid more. I was taught by wonderful Newton teachers.
Reading the news, though, you would think that Mayor Ruthanne Fuller is on par with the worst fascists of the century. Protest signs have her likeness in effigy and some comments from union leadership seem near Trumpian in their vitriol.
Can we take a step back and think about her position? I don’t know the Mayor at all…but she seems kind. Her bio online focuses on education, neighborhood values and green initiatives. She seems like a genuine person and she was re-elected, so most people things she does her job well. To read the news one might instead envision Jeff Bezos on his yacht, quashing unions.
From what I can tell, she has a fixed budget (which is publicly available), and some cash in reserve. Kudos for being fiscally responsible. She seems willing to use this reserve for teachers but can’t grant that money in perpetuity because she can’t predict future shortfalls. A politician that wants to avoid debt-spending? Shouldn’t this be applauded?
As for her motivations, they can’t be political. This isn’t a hot bed of right wing, anti-union populace. This is Newton, Massachusetts people. Its Bluer than Blue. She knows this is costing her dearly, and a lesser person might cave and spend money that is not there – just to win votes. But her job is to manage the City of Newton and not favor one group over another.
So, let’s stop vilifying Mayor Fuller. She has a job to do. A lot more can get done with honest, mutually respectful dialogue and less yelling and name-calling. Let’s get our kids back to school and figure out a solution … preferably in that order.
Teviah Sachs
Newtonville