LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Safe schools The whole community in the Saratoga School district wants safe schools. Beyond the school they want a safe community. Adding more guns does NOT do that. Most people cannot clearly understand risk.
People advocating for armed civilians in the school have a fear of a mass causality event when the far away more likely and more frequent gun involved tragedy would be accidental shooting or suicide.
It is ludicrous to think that armed civilians will safeguard all of our “soft” targets: houses of worship, movie theaters, entertainment venues or sporting events. We’d have to empty the cemeteries to source enough retired police officers.
So many rational organizations advocate against guns in schools but not the NRA. The NRA position on every conceivable act is “add more guns”. Where the local NRA may be advocates for safe hunter training and responsible gun ownership, the national organization seeks to undermine the social fabric in the support of weapons makers (going so far as to accept money from Russia). They are wrong.
Sensible gun measures have contributed to a reduction in gun violence in our state. Our local sheriff would add greatly to our safety should he aggressively enforce “red-flag” gun prohibition and the assaultweapons ban. The proven risks to our community.
I have experienced loss from gun violence; a childhood friend, a brother-inlaw, a son. I understand that there is no easy answer to end gun violence. I feel we need to reduce our risk not add to it. Steve Bederian Saratoga Springs (Wilton)
Leadership of the incumbent City Council
The lightning strike on Saratoga Springs City Hall this August has certainly made a mess of things in our city’s historic landmark. But it is nothing like the leadership mess that has been created by the incumbent City Council.
The Council’s prize creation this year was a package of changes to the City Charter that were resoundingly rejected by the voters on November 7. The package would have preserved the basics of the dysfunctional elected Commissioner system, removed four critical offices from any elected official oversight, and added two members to the Council as junior non-administrative watchers. The “Charter Commission” that drew up the package was comprised entirely of elected commissioners and their political appointees.
To their credit, the voters saw through the political insider trading.
Now, the Council has followed this exhibit of selfdealing with a binge of impulse buying to kick off the holiday season: an $11 million renovation of City Hall. The expense will be covered by only $4 million from insurance for the lightning damage, thus requiring $7 million of borrowing.
The borrowing is required because the building appears to have been under-insured, the extensive renovation was not planned, and no money set aside. How many members of the Council, let alone taxpayers, have insured their homes for only onethird of replacement value?
Seven million dollars of unplanned taxpayer debt will inevitably prevent planned capital projects from moving ahead. Which plans for recreation, parks, streets, equipment and traffic safety will be deferred?
The modernization in City Hall that is most needed is reform of our governmental structure. We need professional management, not impulse government by self-interested politicians.
The writer was Mayor from 1974 to 1980