Propaganda it is not

Hasso Hering asserts that “If all (the school district newsletter) has is an explanation of why the bond is absolutely essential, then the charge that it is campaign material — and thus improperly paid for with public funds — is hard to refute.” That would be true if that was all that the newsletter contained. Inspired by the city’s “Bridges” newsletter, the purpose of our newsletter is NOT to campaign for the bond. If it was, a far less expensive information card would suffice.

The first issue of the newsletter as currently configured does have bond-related information — board process for deciding what was to be covered, examples of crowded conditions, etc. — but it also has a profile of KOIN anchor Mike Donahue (an Albany schools alumnus), an update on the activities of the Albany Schools Foundation, and a profile of our student-employer connections program, to name a few items. Our message is that our schools belong to the entire community and the entire community should know of both the successes that students achieve and the challenges they face.

We have made absolutely sure that there is nothing in the newsletter that says “Vote yes on the bond,” which would indeed be improper spending of public funds. Rather, we consider this one of our primary tools to get the word out to our community of the great things happening in our schools, and the fabulous job that teachers, students, and community members do in contributing to student success.

Tom Sramek Jr., vice Chair, board of directors, Greater Albany Public Schools

story placement questioned

If you are letting bias affect the Albany Democrat-Herald, please forewarn us by posting a message on the front page.

Your Monday, Sept. 25, 2006, issue placed behind the sports pages on page B6 an article about former President Bill Clinton’s interview on Fox News Sunday and his response to a loaded question from host Chris Wallace. I watched the interview, and Chris Wallace asked why Clinton didn’t go after Osama Bin Laden while he was president. Wallace was taken aback by President Clinton’s vigorous response and may have misspoke when he said that he had asked President Bush’s advisers the same question about the apparent lack of a campaign to capture or kill Osama bin Laden.

What strikes me as out of balance is that Tuesday’s Albany Democrat-Herald had Condeleezza Rice’s response to President Clinton’s claims on the front page, front and center. If you didn’t know about Fox News Sunday or didn’t read the pages that follow the sports pages you would have no idea what the secretary was responding to, which changes the whole situation.

Funny thing is I know you are more than smart enough to be aware of that.

Patrick V. Ryan, Albany

What are they learning?

Lately there has been a lot of info regarding education. Two things that happened to me only verify that our children are not getting a proper education.

A while ago I bought a snack for a granddaughter. The cashier said I had to pay the exact amount in cash. I told her I did not have any change and she could easily give me forty-one cents from my dollar bill. She said she was not allowed to take the word of a customer and since the computer was down she did not know how to make that kind of change.

A couple of weeks ago a friend and I had lunch in a local cafe. I told the cashier, a young lady in her 20s, that we were splitting the bill. She told me that the computer did not do that kind of transaction so she could not comply with my wishes. I told her to just divide the bill by two. She told me she did not know how to do division.

Now, do you feel there is something wrong with our system? I learned division in my early school years.

Alice Swope, Lebanon

More family wage jobs

Here we go again! City, county and state employees have dutifully been doing their jobs for the last two years trying to secure more family-wage jobs for us, and yet two of our city councilors aren’t sure they can approve it yet.

These opportunities don’t just come along everyday, yet they want to delay their approval, which does not send a good signal to those involved who have put many hours into this project already, not to mention the company involved and other companies looking for places to locate.

Councilor Christman is right: If this doesn’t get approved, none of the agencies involved will ever work with the city again, and I would not blame them. Though the company will not have to pay taxes for 15 years, all of their employees will be paying taxes and the company will no doubt contribute to community projects and organizations.

Every family-wage job of this type creates three to four other service jobs in the community. I hope that Councilors Konopa and Olsen can realize all the benefits that a project like this can bring to the whole community. Let the people we pay to do economic development do their jobs, and let’s get on with making Albany a better community for all of us.

Gordy Gamet, Albany

MAILBAG GUIDELINES: Letters must be signed and include a return address, but we’ll omit the street address in the paper.