Comment on 2011-12 budget adopted by BOE

I just read the highlights of the proposed budget that was adopted this morning by the board. I see that five positions are being eliminated mostly through retirement.  Good, but I shall assume that these retirees will recieve full benifits which the the tax payers are still paying for.  Cost savings is?  CSEA employees are accepting a lower cost medical benifits package with higher copays.  Good, but do the employees contribute to the cost of this benifit package, like most private sector employees, or does the district/taxpayer pay the cost?  I'm glad to see that the CSEA employees agreed to a pay freeze this year!  But, why would anyone agree to extending a contract for three years that is unsustainable?  Maybe my interpretation of this agreement is incorrect, and please correct me if I'm wrong, but it appears that we have now lost the timely opportunity to re-negotiate a contract that would be more suited to today's economic situation.  The fifty percent tax increase in the last four years is real!  Although extreme, paying more to give students opportunities and a better education is well worth the price.  Paying more to ensure the comfort and prosperity of district employees is simply ridiculous. There does exist a threshold where paying more DOES NOT get you more.  We are there!