Letters

Election mailer was a display of opportunism

I just received an election mailer that is the most vile display of political opportunism that I have ever seen.

Joe Long, a candidate for the Saratoga Fire Commission, is trying to use the mass murder of over 5,000 American citizens for a political leg up by offering a "salute to the fallen and a prayer ..." for the families of those who died on Sept. 11.

Of course, there is nothing wrong with saluting the fallen or praying for their families. But to use a tragedy of this magnitude to further one's political aspirations is inexcusable. I am quite sure that as a firefighter, this horrible event affected him very deeply. I, however, am also quite sure that had he not been running for fire commissioner, he would be mourning the loss of our fellow Americans the same way we all are--privately. Instead, he chose to take this opportunity to show off his "patriotism" by sending us a touching statement about his family's history in the department and a sickening peacenik prayer (no offense to St. Francis intended) on the back of a giant cardstock flag.

And whose bright idea was it to use this prayer? "... make me an instrument of your peace." "... it is in pardoning that we are pardoned ..." Excuse me? Is Joe Long running for fire commissioner or pope? Sorry Joe, but I'm not ready to pardon anybody--I am still angry--and I believe most of this country feels the same way. How a firefighter could do and say such inappropriate and offensive things is completely beyond me. He and his campaign staff should be ashamed of themselves.

Dionne Niemi
San Jose

Flier crassly exploited the Sept. 11 tragedy

I am writing to express my disgust at fire commission candidate Joe Long's phony "salute to firefighters" political flier. Crassly exploiting the Sept. 11 tragedy for political purposes marks a new standard in tastelessness. His campaign slogan overlaying our American flag on the rear of his flyer is no less than a desecration. The real firefighters I know are offended and insulted by this disgraceful spectacle.

Ed Farrell
Kittridge Road

Candidate should have sent money to victims

Unfortunately, we were unable to vote for Saratoga Fire Commission members because we live outside the district. However, when a friend within the district told me about a political piece authored by Ms. Lew, in support of Joe Long, candidate for the Saratoga Fire Commission, the following question entered my mind: Instead of spending the money for the political piece, why didn't Mr. Long donate that money to one of the firefighters' funds instead?

It is likely that the mailing cost several thousand dollars, and I'm convinced that donating those dollars to the NYFD families would have been a far better use of his money.

Marcia Fariss
Saratoga Glen Place

Commissioners ignored earthquake risk

I am writing to urge Saratogans to vote for David Dolloff and Barry Ford for fire commissioner on Nov. 6.

The fire district is having serious problems over the construction of a new fire station, and these problems are entirely of the district's own making.

The fire commissioners and the department administration knew soon after the earthquake of October 1989 that the existing fire station had serious seismic problems. In the early 1990s, an engineering study showed that the fire station could be retrofitted to make it seismically safe for a few hundred thousand dollars. The fire commissioners and the district did nothing.

In the mid-1990s, the state of California had millions of dollars available for seismic retrofitting of local fire departments. All the Saratoga Fire District had to do was apply for these funds and it was almost certain that the state would have paid the 75 percent of the cost for bringing our fire station up to current seismic standards. The program and the availability of funds were communicated to the Saratoga Fire District, but they never bothered to apply.

After 10 years of doing nothing about earthquake risk at the fire station, the incumbent fire commissioners now want Saratogans to believe that the situation is a life-and-death crisis and that they cannot occupy the current fire station for even a few months. It is exactly this kind of lack of candor and lack of performance that has alienated the rank-and-file professional firefighters in Saratoga from the administration and the fire commissioners.

It is time for a change. On Nov. 6, please vote for David Dolloff and Barry Ford for fire commissioner.

John Keenan
Mt. Eden Road

Cartoon misrepresented mood of annual dance

This letter is in response to Steven DeCinzo's cartoon in the Oct. 10 issue of the Saratoga News. I found DeCinzo's cartoon extremely inappropriate and inaccurate. The cartoon depicted Saratogans as scared and depressed and suggested that the time was not right for Saratoga to hold its annual street dance. This is exactly what the terrorists were trying to do on Sept. 11. They were trying to disrupt American lives and scare us from going about our everyday lives. But when I look around, I do not see Americans shuffling their feet with their heads hanging down. I see Americans standing up tall and proudly waving their American flags. I see patriotism everywhere I look.

It has been more than a month since the terrorist attacks, and it is completely reasonable to go on with our daily lives and have the street dance. It would have been more appropriate for DeCinzo to have drawn a cartoon expressing the unity of America as we continue to stand united despite these attacks.

Caitlin Belomy
Glasgow Drive

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