A while back, the NEA’s Patrick Crowley released a highly spun spreadsheet related to union and school committee healthcare proposals in Tiverton. It left me with more questions and concerns than I initially had. Recently, I asked the school committee whether they’d publish an itemized budget, as the town council does, and although it might not be a direct response to that request or not, a spreadsheet is now available, illustrating what it means to feed a public hunger for information:

In light of the recent teacher’s contract negotiations the Tiverton School Committee feels obligated to provide the residents of Tiverton with the data it is using to project departmental expenditures for FY09 and FY10. We have compiled a summary of financial information that we have been using to make decisions during contract negotiations. It is our hope that by sharing this information with the residents of Tiverton, you will better understand our position and the challenges that we will be facing.

Now the union can publicly explain why particular items are incorrect or irrelevant, what’s included and shouldn’t be, or what’s missing. Otherwise, I’d like to know the union’s justification for demanding percentage increases when the 2010 projection is for a $130,739 shortfall, even as the cost of accumulated step increases will cost the town an additional $304,464 that year compared with 2008.