Letter: Bouchard's Expertise is Needed on the School Committee

Editor's Note: For a full collection of support letters for this candidate, click on her hyperlinked name at the bottom of this letter under "Related Topics."

I have watched as Wayland citizens have lined up in support of "their" candidates in the upcoming town elections. This is hardly unexpected. However, what is unexpected is the level of hyperbole and, in some cases ironic, criticism leveled against those they do not support.   

Let's take the race for School Committee as an example. Let me start by saying I have nothing negative to say about either candidate. In their own ways, they have both given countless hours to the citizens of Wayland. Regardless of who wins the election and serves for three years, it is more than most would do to help this town. That being said, I want to focus on Donna Bouchard and her particular service.

Donna has gone from the sidelines to the front lines over the past few years. In particular, she has combed the town's budget and uncovered waste, overspending, miscalculation and unauthorized transfers that no other "proclaimed expert" (including the Finance Committee) brought before the voters. In no instance has the savings incurred from cutting this budget "fat" and reducing our taxes eliminated services -- either at the school or town level.

In fact, I can only recall one meaningful cut in services at the school level during the last decade in Wayland. It was the ill-advised elementary school reconfiguration spearheaded by one such critic (Crier LTE 3/11/2013), Jeff Dieffenbach, and his then-colleagues on the School Committee. Said reconfiguration saved us little to nothing in the way of taxes and threw the elementary schools into a chaotic vortex from which they have still not fully recovered. Yet, it is he and others who openly supported this service level reduction that are the "Chicken Littles" of this election season. They "scream" via Letters to the Editor warning of "devastating consequences" should someone like Donna be elected. Not only are such cries uninformed and insulting, but they have zero credibility given their past history as the only actual service reduction supporters.

I continue to support Wayland being the best it can be -- and utilizing each dollar spent on that mission as wisely as possible. Therefore, I am voting for Donna because she has spent the time learning, understanding and dissecting municipal budgets. Donna has put in the hours attending School Committee meetings and becoming versed in their role in town government. I am voting for Donna because she is looking NOT to cut services, but rather to support/enhance our excellent schools through the most efficient use of the dollars we all work hard for and contribute in the form of taxes. I am voting for Donna because she eschews a spend first, ask questions later philosophy. My vote for Donna is because she alone brings a level of expertise to the job that is unparalleled and it is that kind of knowledge and dedication that I believe will best serve the taxpayers.  

Jeff Baron
Woodridge Rd.

Check out coverage of Wayland's 2013 Town Election, including all the Letters to the Editor, on our topic page, Wayland Town Election 2013.