Jun 17, 2002 2 min read

Dear Editor: Recently you ran an unsigned editorial entitled “Using red ink to run a school” in which you imply that since none of the taxpayers showed up at the Laurel Highlands School District court hearing, it doesn’t bother anyone. That’s a very simplistic assumption on your part. An incorrect assumption since I for one, am bothered by it.

Let’s suppose I did attend the hearing and voiced my objections. Do you really think that judge would have withheld his consent?

Would it have been in the best interests of my children for him to do that? I don’t think so.

Let’s start the year in the red from last year and see how they cut that much from the students, since the big expenses (labor and related expenses) are covered by union contract and can’t be changed. The only ones who suffer are my kids.

I thought we paid money for the business manager to give us accurate reports on the solvency of the finances. Is he required to be bonded? What about the office staff? Can’t they put two plus two together? What about the school board?

Do I have a right to demand to see the books and do my own audit? Should I have to?

The election laws are such that a person doesn’t have to possess any more qualifications for the school director’s position than a desire to take the responsibility of the job. The benefit – a larger pool of people to draw from. The drawback is messes like the current one.

So what do we do now?

We choke it down, make our calls, complain to the neighbors, and hope that at the next election more qualified or maybe more alert directors are elected. But make no mistake, it bothers me.

Craig McKee

Lemont Furnace

Stay on alert

Dear Editor:

I am fearful of a shadowy army of extremists labeled terrorists.

The threat to our way of life will come from the dregs of our society whose self-interest supercedes what is best for our country.

Our free nation will never again suffer the calamity of Sept. 11, 2001 unless first, we, the people, allow another complacent, apathetic debacle to operate in Washington, D.C., as was the Clinton-Gore administration.

Al Hopfer

Greensburg