To the Editor:

Freedom of speech and the First Amendment, as I see it, was once again denied to the residents attending the Westerlo Building Committee meeting of Feb. 16.  There was a changing of the guard and the announcement to refrain from talking was conveyed to a handful of us residents sitting in the gallery by a different councilman or committeeman.  I get confused because it seems like they change hats so often, like an old wild West town depicted in movies.

As I see it, our puppet strings will be pulled at the next town board meeting where we will be granted the opportunity to speak.  Will we then be rewarded a treat like a dog learning how to obey the speak command?  Is this a local government to be proud of?  Is this what our soldiers have fought for, what they have suffered for, and what they have died for?  Is this the legacy our town passes to its children?  I must remember “silence” is necessary for “productivity.”

Comments, questions, etc. were not even permitted following the meeting.  I still believe cowardice and fear are characteristics of anyone executing the prohibiting of speech.

The $2.75 million proposed project, in my opinion, is still flipping.  It reminds me of two separate bulls in two separate china shops.  One bull, represents the “ highway garage” with all its salt-seepage well problems, and the other bull represents the “town hall’ with its confirmed asbestos contamination.

Both of these bulls are just thrashing their designated area.  So you wind up with two areas that are disastrous.  Now which one do you choose?  Do you want the salt or do you want the asbestos? Either way you are going to be dealt BS.

The meeting, in my opinion, still had its boring lengthy speeches, some facts, a lot of unknown info that had to be researched, some dramatics, a few digs, a variety of obvious ploys, and a lot of insulting of our intelligence.  I kind of felt like at times it was a poor stage performance, the type where you want to get the old-fashioned hook to remove them from the stage.

Mistakes of the past should be acknowledged before they can be remedied.  Unfortunately, I see history repeating itself and I find myself asking lots more questions.

Why did the town go from a highway garage roof repair to a $2.75 million combo project?  What happened to the approximate $200,000 that was voted on to exceed the 2-percent tax cap (a budget a few years ago) and was to be used for a roof repair?  See why restricting designated funds should be mandatory?

Who and what are the common denominators responsible for the past and present issues?  Why are the same individuals who are serving as councilmen serving as a building committee?

Two-hundred-and-seventy-five million dollars is definitely a lot of money.  I can’t imagine it being tossed around in a china shop.  If and when this huge sum of money is obtained via the Westerlo taxpayers and whether it is acquired in one chunk or sectioned out in pieces, I think this dollar trail has to be closely monitored.

The town hall has been referred to as “sentimental in its value to the community.”  I remember it as a school for children.

I felt at the time of sale that the Christian school should have been awarded the bid/sale.  I also felt the Christian school should have been compensated for the oil that the school paid for and was still housed in the school.  But, the town with all its “sentimental” concerns would not reimburse the school for it.

My cousin and another town resident went to a group of us and we were the individuals that donated the money to the Christian school. I strongly believed what was being done to the school, in reference to the oil, was totally wrong.  I firmly believe, God does not sleep and today I say, “Thank God the Christian school does not have this mess!”

Continuing to address the “sentimental value,” I view the town hall as a building that has been neglected and a building that has not received even basic maintenance. I suggest to every taxpayer: Observe and check it out.

So then, how is a new building going to be treated?  Will it just become more wasted dollars?  If you opt to go and observe it, everything is quite visual to the naked eye.

Please, just be careful climbing the back concrete steps.  They’re a bit crumbly.  You might hear in response to this, “That’s why we need to give the town hall almost a million dollar makeover.”

I respond with, “If you haven’t taken care of your ‘sentimental value’ up until now, how can we believe that you will take care of it  at any point in time?”

Residents, businesses, commercial industry, farmers, and large landowners, I ask you this: How do you want your tax dollars spent?

The vote on the permissive referendum was supposedly to have sent a message to our town government, but I believe I continually observe too many twists and turns where poor leadership is trying to lead us by the bull ring in the nose down the wrong path.

As far as advice, I believe the town government should start waking up.  They should get some intelligent community members to be on the building committee. There are many more residents that I believe are more qualified than those individuals who just give long-winded speeches.

Once again, a sincere thank you to The Altamont Enterprise for allowing me the opportunity to experience freedom of the press through your newspaper and to inform Westerlo residents about the $2.75 million project and alert them to watch their pockets.

Anita Marrone

Westerlo