By Alan Burke
SALEM — Look out unions, look out business — Salem parents are coming and they want their share of the dwindling public pie.
With kids running all over the room, roughly 35 parents braved a downpour to gather at Salem's First Church yesterday afternoon and inaugurate their own pressure group, demanding more funding for the schools.
For starters, explained organizer the Rev. Jeffrey Barz-Snell, Parents for Salem Schools will attempt to convince the City Council to impose the .75 percent local option meals tax. "It's not exactly a lot of money," he conceded, estimating it will raise at most $900,000.
Parent William Hanger, who described himself as a city worker, criticized the council for failing in a first attempt to pass the meals tax, a choice provided by the Legislature. "They've given us this option as a lifeline," he said. "The council is saying we don't need the lifeline. We'll just sink."
Some conceded that higher taxes could hurt businesses and cost jobs, but they cited this tax as too small to matter. "No one's going to cancel their vacation over a dollar," someone called out.
Barz-Snell painted the meals tax and a lodging tax as targets of opportunity. The group's efforts should go far beyond that, he told the gathering, as the city faces a budget shortfall next year estimated as up to $2.5 million.
Another recent frustration, said Barz-Snell, was a failed effort to get unions to embrace a larger health insurance co-pay as a way to save up to $1 million. "The teachers union would have nothing to do with it," he said. "Wouldn't even let it come up for a vote."
Meanwhile, he noted ominously, the Salem Power Plant will never again produce the $4.75 million in taxes currently generated.
"We will be lucky to get $3.5 million at the most," he said.
Revenue cuts will have a serious impact on schools, said Sarah Morrill. "Chances are class sizes will go up throughout the district." She added darkly, "I've seen all sorts of options on the table."
"As far as the budget," urged former City Councilor Matt Veno, "we will need to be paying attention. ... I can't tell you how many budget meetings I've been to at the city council where nobody showed up."
"We need numbers," said Benjamin Waxman, urging that more parents get involved. "We shouldn't bring this up at the council until we have the numbers."
More than 200 people have indicated support online for the group, said Barz-Snell. "Our target is 2,500 names on our mailing list."
Barz-Snell suggested that the group will issue a pass/fail judgment on elected officials. "Some of the councilors we're targeting," he said, "include Jerry Ryan. ... Because his kids are in the school system."
Unions, restaurants, the Chamber of Commerce and others are organizing and coming to the bargaining table, battling over diminishing resources, said Barz-Snell. "It's time we get as many parents organized as possible ... so we can talk to the people at that table."
