City needs to rein in its wasteful spending

The budget hens have come home to roost.

Here we are: Schenectady grapples with a budget deficit. Solution by the elected officials is to cut essential services police and fire departments are getting the brunt of weight.

So, this is what happens when our elected officials spend like drunken sailors on shore leave. Maybe the million-dollar cricket field, the $3 million tennis courts and the albatross $12 million swimming pool that gets used by a small portion of residents for a short 3-4 month time frame was not prudent spending. Maybe this is just spitballing.

The mayor and City Council should have had the foresight to have a surplus rainy day fund. People of Schenectady, we need a council and mayor to be more in tune with keeping essential services and infrastructure running. This cabal of big spenders wastes money on pet city projects and organizations.

Did we really need another city-owned building for school administration in downtown Schenectady? All of these wasteful spending ventures all have residual spending for maintaining them. The mayor should have been the conservative he portrayed himself and his team to be when campaigning.

I can think of several areas to cut rather than police and fire that serve the entire community. The typical Democrat response is to raise taxes to cover their inept governing, and the taxpayer suffers. Wake up, Schenectady.

Robert Sponable

Schenectady

Will continue to protest for issues that matter

After reading William Aiken’s Oct. 13 letter, (“Antifa is real, despite what media claims,”), I felt compelled to respond.

He lists “journalists” that President Trump invited to the White House. I reviewed information on each individual that he listed. Only two of those listed had the title of journalist associated with their name. Those were Katie Daviscourt and Jonathan Chow.

Every single one of the others are as follows: internet personality, political commentator (who shares his conservative views and opinions with like-minded individuals), right wing social media influencer, screenwriter and science fiction writer, YouTube content creator and a MAGA influencer. The majority of them appear regularly on Fox. Some have even had their credibility criticized for using selective, misleading and inaccurate information.

He states that Donald Trump calls a spade a spade. If that’s accurate, can I inquire as to why he pardoned all of the Jan. 6 insurrectionists? Each one was deemed guilty by a jury of their peers. I get the sense that Mr. Aiken would rather get alternative facts that confirm his preferred narrative.

We are all entitled to our opinions, but opinions are not facts. I certainly hope that Mr. Aiken doesn’t consider that anyone who isn’t MAGA is Antifa.

American history is rich with protests that have been pivotal in shaping our nation’s laws and our social fabric. I will continue to participate in........

© The Leader Herald