Letters to the Editor

Trouble in Wheatfield - unless you like paying high taxes…

Reading the Buffalo News, I see our board has spent thousands of dollars of your money to propose building another library. On the surface, this might sound good tosome. But if you are like the majority of Wheatfield citizens, you know that conservative estimates for the building, staffing and supplies, are $5 to $10 millionmore of your money. Additionally, based on other local libraries, it costs a couple of million a year to operate.

Remember, Cliffe and the board tried to eliminate the town's support of the NT and Sanborn Libraries as one of their first official acts. Yes, they were againstlibraries before they were for them. It only costs $250,000 annually to support the NT and Sanborn Libraries vs. a new library costing $10 million plus $2 million inannual operating expenses. At the same time, they appear to be doing nothing to alleviate drainage problems!

It would seem this "Library Proposal" is being done to deflect us from their dismal failure in allowing Quasar to build a sludge plant in our back yards while theircontinuing approval of new subdivisions, causes further problems for Wheatfield families already suffering from severe flooding issues.

We need more shared services, not less. Let's cooperate with other municipalities to reduce our costs, not compete so we increase them. Let's continue our support forthe services provided to our Wheatfield residents through our payments to the NT and Sanborn Libraries. Don't waste millions duplicating services. Cut taxes, notburden us with more.

If we are going to spend any money, let's spend it on better drainage and better programs to benefit Wheatfield families.

Tom Stevenson

Questions or comments please either email me at this address or call me at 716-553-6475

Dyster's new SWEET team hires will be bitter fruit for taxpayers

I have yet to see anything in the newspaper or any posting on the city's web site about applications being taken for the open positions for the SWEET jobs. Does thatmean Mayor Paul Dyster who once said, "I will not hire family or friends" is going to go back on his words and hire them, or will he let his SWEET talking politicalspokeswoman and friend who was given a job without taking a civil service test, and given the title "coordinator" without any experience, Miss Brook D'Angelo, do herown hiring?

Wake up citizens and realize that Dyster is a compulsive spender and is creating jobs that aren't needed and will get worse if he is reelected and builds his animalshelter, he already has his animal control car on the road. Taxpayers can't afford to house and feed these animals.

Mickey D.

What kind of survey is this?

According to the Niagara Gazette in a headline, "Falls City Council to release results of citizen survey."
What survey?
Or did the Council pick and choose which "citizens" received the survey?
NF Reporter--investigate?!

Thx
A resident of Niagara Falls

East Stenzil Pretty Rough to Drive on

I'd like to add East Stenzil to the list of worst streets in the city. It's like an obstacle course.

John Swigonski
E Stenzil St.
North Tonawanda

Noted photographer, raconteur, and a man known to wax philosophic on an encyclopedic array of topics, Mr. Al Rotundo took exception to the repeated publishing of the message of St. Paul to the Thessalonians.

A reader debates Mr. Rotundo on St. Paul

For the edification of Mr. Al Rotundo (April 7th letters), if one reads throughout Paul's epistles, he tells us that the Lord indeed met with him and revealed thingsthat he should share with the readers. You can rest assured that if the Lord didn't want messages such as "If a man will not work, etc." posted in there, He would nothave mentioned it at all.

In no way is that verse a "holier-than-thou" missive; it tells people who are able to work, and who know they should work, this one message: if they are unwilling todo the bare minimum to care for themselves or their households, then they should not be allowed the benefits reserved for those who do take responsibility forthemselves.

I would encourage Mr. Rotundo to look at sermons given throughout the ages. Surely, sermons preached about helping one's neighbor in time of need. But, many of thosesame messages also preached against sloth and non-productiveness. Those sermons often said that those who gave without demanding the slightest return were also atfault.

Apparently, the modern "self-esteem" movement is getting too big for its britches.

Sincerely,

Lloyd Marshall Jr..

Mr. Lloyd Marshall takes exception to Mr. Rotundo's exception and since this a matter well worthy of debate we hope to hear from Mr. Rotundo or perhaps others on the topic.

Here is Mr. Rotundo's original letter referred to by Mr. Marshal.

"Your editor likes to repeat a bible verse. "For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, If any will not work, neither let him eat." 2 Thessalonians 3:10

"It's in your paper all the time. He thinks it's an excuse to call poor people lazy.

"But Christ never said those words. They are the words of Paul of Tarsus, a man who never met Christ. They were spoken in anticipation of Christ's return; he wasreferring to Christians who had stopped working in anticipation of Jesus' Second Coming.

"The message was about living an active faith, not passing judgment on the poor. One should always interpret religious texts in the spirit in which they were written,not as justification for an air or superiority or intolerance."