Letters: Don't Let Political Fights Stop Conte Project
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To the Editor:
Please pay attention, this is important.
I want my constituents to understand the impact that old political vendettas are having on the children in our community, and you should all be disgusted. The City of North Adams has the rare opportunity to get millions of dollars from Boston to build a new, state-of-the-art elementary school. Instead of plowing forward, a sector of our community has festered myths and lies to stall the project.
This is America and everyone has the right to self-governance without the fear of reprisal by their government, but once an American makes a public figure of themselves, they face public scrutiny. Just like those of us who are elected.
So, I am just going to say what's happening with the Conte situation: Bob Moulton is so very angry with Mayor Alcombright that he's created an agenda that impacts all of us who are parents of school-age children. Furthermore, Councilor John Barrett III has such transparent fury that he's willing to destroy progress. Nothing they've stated in public about the Conte project is true. Lastly, a sad gadfly named Bob Cardimino stands contrary to anything that City Hall passes. Don't even get me started on Mark Trottier.
What's true? Boston won't give us the money for any school that is not in the Conte location. There is no "going back to the drawing board" if this project isn't approved by constituents on April 30. All we can do is patch the mess that we currently have if this gift of $23 million is not accepted by voters. I know there's a number of folks who don't like the location of Conte. The bottom line is that there is no other location for a new school: Greylock and Sullivan have not been approved by the state.
Most importantly, your taxes will not be raised for these renovations. The contrarians are fighting for the opposite of what they want. There's no money to improve the current buildings and to finance the ADA adjustments; your taxes will likely be raised to patch ancient school buildings. It is a senseless argument with no defense.
The gadflies and crusty politicians against this project would be against anything City Hall proposes. Don't be fooled by them. Vote YES for Conte on April 30.
City Councilor Jennifer M. Breen
North Adams
April 10, 2013
Tags: Conte School, school project,
