Dear Editor:
This is in response to the letter published in this column (April 28) from Ms. Evelyn Benyo. First may I say that I respect the right of Ms. Benyo to her opinion as I respect the same right in everyone. However, I must take issue when the opinion is not based upon credible evidence.
Ms. Benyo writes that when I campaigned for election to the school board last year I opposed the school budget which included exorbitant salaries to the few administrators in our school system. I must say that not only do I admit to this but I am proud of the position I took at the time.
However, Ms. Benyo goes on to complain that once I was elected to the board I did “zip about these increases since the administrators will get their raises.” I wish to point out to Ms. Benyo that once I was elected to the board the raises had already been a ‘done deal’. I had no input in preparing the budget that included these raises. The face is that I couldn’t do “zip” or anything else about the raises. I believe that Ms. Benyo is venting her frustration in the wrong direction. I do not remember her complaining to those who gave the raises.
As to my comment that 500 Secaucus voters would have voted for Mickey Mouse had his name been on the ballot the election results sustained this observation. About 500 Secaucus citizens voted in the recent school board election voted on the question only and did not vote for any of the candidates.
I invited Ms. Benyo to attend the next school board meeting on May 9th to be held at the Huber Street School at 8:00PM, at which time I shall be happy to personally explain to her my position as to the 2001 and 2002 school budgets. Also, for those who may not be able to attend the meet I’ll give you a little hint of how I plan to start my explanation. In my home, at the foot of stairs leading out of the house hangs a saying. It reads, “God grant me the serenity to accept things I cannot change… Courage to change the things I can change, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
Tom Troyer