Publisher's Point

Just a couple of thoughts

In a recent published story in The Leader-Herald regarding the Broadalbin Perth School District “ B-P staff cuts to include 12 teachers” the readers that commented on the website, for the most part, were great. They stayed on the issues, they gave intelligent opinions and information and actually managed to stay away from name calling and deteriorating to the point that the main issues were forgotten. This is exactly what we hoped we would generate by allowing and welcoming comments on our website. It was refreshing. You refresh my belief at there are knowledgeable every day citizens flourishing in our community.

Beware. None of us should be blindsided by the high initial percentages that are coming out on budgets. It is the newspapers job to report the 10-20 or more percentages that are first calculated and made public. They shock, petrify and anger many of us, and they should. So we shout and demand that it is ludicrous and they go back to the table and cutback to a 3-4-5-6%. If they could do it then, why not do it from day one? Well one reason is that when you are dealing with unions, such as school boards have to; they must give a certain days notice if they even feel there will be “potential” layoffs. It is many times impossible for the average or above average person to understand.