Sweeney Payne’s North Tonawanda Column Belongs in Enquirer

Why does “Sweeney Payne” sign off on his/her smarmy “Open Letter to Mayor Pappas and esteemed NT Common Council” as being from the Citizens (Taxpayers, Voters, and Residents) of North Tonawanda? First off, know that does not include this NT resident, voter & taxpayer. Payne’s complimentary closing of “Respectfully” is laughable. Writing an opinion column is one thing. Passing it off as a letter from me and my neighbors is another.

Sweeney writes a collection of what used to be incessant Sound Offs in the now-defunct Tonawanda News. Funny how the last SoundOff was December 10th and the first Payne column appeared on the week of Dec 16th Reporter issue. (Ok, it’s circumstantial) If Ms. Payne wants to gain any improved credibility in this column over those anonymous, hearsay Sound Offs she ought to knock off the innuendos and write up some verifiable facts.

• What authority told you that Security Companies are complaining of rising response times?

• Would you be happy if the solidly elected Republican Council went out of their way to hire a Democrat Clerk-Treasurer? Simple Jimmy Griffin Politics 101 says that you don’t hire an “enemy” over a friend.

• Is it too much trouble for you to get off of your butt and go to the Library to read the budget? Why should we pay to have them printed & delivered to fire halls and schools (where we’d have to pay a custodian to keep the doors open after hours)?

• See salaries & pensions at SeethroughNY.net

• What makes you think that all the resident attendees at the Council Meetings want to increase the time that you are allowed to rant about your personal, by no means concise, pet peeves?

• Do you really want your tax dollars paid to LCTV to televise Council Meetings? I don’t. (See Above)

• Why don’t you ask your representatives what they’re doing with their time if you truly believe that it is your business? Then you could tail them for your own amusement, and then call them out during your allotted time at Council Meetings for their heinous lies.

• What makes you think that residents of Vanderbilt, Deerfield etc. wish to have the scent of a Nash Road steak crematory wafting over their homes 7 days a week?

• Why not ask your alderperson to arrange for a meeting about flooding, leaf pickup, and road repair issues in your neighborhood? If they ignore your request, or if you choose to ignore their reasonable explanation, note the date & time and THEN whine to the paper with some degree of credibility. Then they won’t get away with taking care of all the Republican Streets first as you seem to insinuate.

• Do you have some mega corporation in mind that is holding back and waiting because they were denied a more formal invitation to move into the Buffalo Bolt property? Maybe we ought to use some taxpayer dollars to mow the lawn weekly.

The Reporter’s motto is “The Truth Is Always Fair”. You appear to be stretching that premise Ms. Payne. Give the trash gossip a break would you, before you turn the Reporter into just another supermarket check out rag! I would hope that The Reporter steps up to the plate in the absence of the Tonawanda News – minus the SoundOff stir-the-pot bologna. Don’t blow it!