To the Editor:

I write regarding several letters to the editor that appeared in The Altamont Enterprise on Oct. 26.

Anne Margaret Oldick mentioned in her letter, as similar letter writers in previous editions of The Enterprise have pointed out, that the well being of the town of Berne residents and the town roads that they live on will take a back seat if the Berne highway department members are merged with Albany County. As Margaret states, Berne residents represent 1 percent of the vote in Albany County. Does anybody really believe our interests will take priority over more populated areas of the county?

And frankly, I’m sick and tired of hearing about shared services. The think tank consultants carry on about shared services as if they have invented the wheel.

You know the ones I’m talking about; they have all kinds of letters after their names, except the letters B.S. They have no practical hands-on experience; most can’t find their backsides with both hands but they’ll tell you how the work should be done and the “savings” to be derived.

Yeah, it looks good on paper, but, no thanks! The fact is that the Hilltown highway superintendents, like all highway superintendents in hamlets throughout the state, have been sharing equipment and resources and making bulk purchases for many many decades.

Leo Bartell in his letter to the editor mentioned the ongoing, never-ending saga of Stage Road where it meets Route 443. By any stretch of the imagination, this is a very dangerous intersection. If safety is a concern, and it should be, Leo Bartell is absolutely correct: This portion of Stage Road should be filled in and closed permanently.

I found it ironic that Berne Town Board member Joe Golden in his letter to the editor mentioned that the (possible) proposed merger of Berne Highway Department workers with Albany County would require approval of Berne residents via a voter referendum. Interesting.

Why didn’t the Berne Town Board provide a town-wide voter referendum to Berne residents when the Game Farm Road property was purchased? There is nothing taking place at the Game Farm Road location that cannot take place at other town-owned property.

This property purchase, much like the NY SAFE [New York Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement] Act, was brought about with no discussion, pro or con, no input from residents whatsoever. If another property within the town of Berne with a view of the distant Catskills comes on the real-estate market, what is to prevent the Berne Town Board from purchasing it?

Robert J. Motschmann III

Berne