School board was despotic in choosing Simpson

To the Editor:

What audacity! What arrogance! In the recent school board elections, Allan Simpson, the incumbent, who almost never loses, finished dead last in the voting by the residents of the Guilderland School District. [The Enterprise, Nov. 16, 2017, “Guilderland School Board embraces ousted candidate, Allan Simpson”].

The pathetic showing was clear evidence that he had done an inadequate and unsatisfactory job as a member of the board. Meanwhile Sean Maguire, who had never run for a position before and had barely missed being elected to the board, finishing a mere 20 votes short of the third and final spot, was bypassed.

Maguire had received 1,126 votes, Simpson 782.  So Maguire had 57 percent more votes than Simpson, a clear and overwhelming statement that the residents of Guilderland completely preferred having Maguire on the board and did not want Simpson. In fact, Simpson’s vote total was so pitiful for an incumbent.  

And yet, the board of education chose Simpson over Maguire, picking one of their own over the person the residents clearly preferred. The good ol’ boy network thrives in the Guilderland Board of Education.

I only hope that next May, and the next two after that, the town residents remember how haughty, shameless, and despotic the board members are and kick their arrogant butts out of office.

Barry Nelson Uznitsky

Westmere

Editor’s note: Barry Nelson Uznitsky is a past president of the Westmere Fire Department, in which Sean Maguire was formerly an active member and commissioner.

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