Laptop alternative

This letter is in response to the front page article, “Maine’s latest laptop plan” (BDN, Dec. 19).

Someone should inform Gov. Angus King that the $50 million state surplus belongs to the taxpayers of Maine. The funds in the state coffers are not his personal or business funds. Instead of giving laptop computers to students, he should return the money to the Maine people. Conversely, if he wishes to set up an endowment, he should call it the “Maine tax cutting endowment.” Consequently, the interest earned on the endowment’s investments could be used to reduce future budgets and, in turn, provide income tax cuts to all state of Maine taxpayers.

The article made reference to “addressing equity.” The tax cut scenario would “address equity.” Gov. King’s proposal does not. The laptop idea is not sensible because in the final analysis the proposed program would probably end up costing more than originally estimated; especially due to student recipients destroying the machines when allowed to take them home, setting up additional unforeseen servers to the Maine Schools and Libraries Network and other possible unforeseen costs. The endowment’s earnings probably would not cover these additional costs.

David O. Smiley IV

Carmel