To the Editor:

In the Aug. 29 Enterprise, I read the letter from Gerald Houser [online at www.AltamontEnterprise.com; search: “GOP candidates are patronage recipients”] and it struck me: I’d seen the letter, or one awfully similar to it, on one of Supervisor Ken Runion’s websites, and all I could think of were the immortal words of the philosopher and sage Yogi Berra: “It’s déjà vu all over again.”

Really. Is this nonsense necessary? It’s bad enough that Mr. Houser is on the town payroll and writes as if we are supposed to believe he has some wisdom to share that might benefit all of the hard-working and over-burdened taxpayers in Guilderland. But can’t Mr. Houser at least write his own letters? You know — all by himself?

Or does Mr. Houser need a raise?

From what I understand, the web posting has mysteriously disappeared — much like the image of then-town-board member Mark Grimm who Mr. Runion once had air-brushed out of photograph.

Come on. After 14 years in office, can’t Mr. Runion find a better way to run?

Here’s a suggestion: Mr. Runion should debate his opponent Mark Grimm — I daresay, without Mr. Houser’s assistance — so there can be no confusion about who is behind the message. Each candidate would be held accountable for his own views in an unvarnished display unfiltered by any media outlet or ginned-up Letters to the Editor.

From my own experience, I know that Mr. Runion has dodged these debates in the past, but hasn’t the time come for him to cut out the mean-spirited, cloak-and-dagger silliness and talk to voters?

Or at the very least explain to us why he refuses to face the public and defend his record.

Peter Golden
Guilderland

Editor’s note: Peter Golden has run, on the Republican ticket, for Guilderland supervisor and Albany County legislator after serving a term on the Guilderland School board. Gerard Houser responded to similar charges from Guilderland’s Republican Party chairman, Matthew Nelligan, in the Aug. 29 edition, stating he was “not aware of any such blog post.” He added, “The information I had was based on general knowledge from 23 years of following local politics.”