Why is the school superintendent Jerry Weast trying to feather bed the school system with elementary school vice principals, elementary school guidance counselors, parent community coordinators, and hundreds of "teachers" who do not oteacherss but rather each other? Why for 200 schools do we have 1097 administrators who are paid over $100,000 each for a school year that is 8 1/2 months long? Pay them for eleven months and they will come back refreshed and more energetic after their month off. Why are we giving county or school employees 30% raises over three years in a recession and forcing hundreds of homeowners, mostly minorities, into foreclosure?

Why aren't there two members of the county council to vote against exceeding the charter property tax limit by $118 million? This is the 4th year since 1990 that the charter limit has been exceeded and this year it was by more than the other three years (FY03-05) put together.

Three cheers for our November ballot question that makes it more difficult for the spineless county council to exceed the charter property tax limit.

If there is anybody using the calculator who is unable to cut this budget by $118 million so that we do not have to exceed the charter property tax limit, call me at #301-919-9068 and I will mail you $10. If there is any body who is unable to cut the budget $11 million more so that we do not have to raise taxes on fuel oil and natural gas while gasoline is $4 call me and I will mail you $15.

I'm glad this is described as a "game," but I was sorry to see it referenced in the print version of the Washington Post. This makes it look like it's easy to manipulate numbers, presumably by cutting programs and avoid a tax increase. It provides no information whatsoever about what is behind those numbers. Go ahead and cut a billion dollars out of the budget. Fine. Enjoy your game. Don't even think about what that would mean for police, fire, libraries, parks, education, etc. It's just a game.

Is the Washington Post really interested in providing people with detailed information about local government, or is it now in the computer game business. I'd rather play Windows Solitaire.

Fun boy didn't call me so I assume he could find the savings of $118 million plus $11 million. That would allow us to stick to the charter limit on property taxes as we are supposed to do when there is no emergency and to not make it more difficult to heat homes in the winter. GET READY FOR THE PROPOSED PROPERTY TAX INCREASE NEXT YEAR OF 20%.

Come on fun boy. Ficker's right. Nobody said anything about cutting $1,000,000,000 out of the budget.