Worcester must scale back project
I recently received the Worcester Central School newsletter and was glad to see that our school superintendent is aware of the fiscal distress in our economy and Albany.
I do hope Mr. Kuch also understands that many of our taxpayers are also in fiscal distress, as exemplified by the delinquent tax list that appeared in The Daily Star recently. Some local residents have lost their jobs, and others have lost their homes. Local businesses are also feeling the pain due to the bad economy. I cannot understand why our school board is plunging ahead with the $32.6 million building project in a time when our taxpayers are facing the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. Mr. Kuch alluded to the fact that it is questionable as to whether New York state will continue with the STAR Exemption program. If this program were to cease, the local school taxpayers will pay $474 a year more in school taxes. More of an impact would be on our senior citizens with fixed incomes. If the Enhanced STAR were to cease, our senior citizens will be paying $883 more in taxes. Add these tax increases to the cost of the school building project, one can only imagine how difficult it will be for many taxpayers to pay their taxes and to keep their homes.
I understand the need for a new cafeteria, as well as renovations to the existing school infrastructure; however, the necessity for a 28,000-square-foot addition is overkill. Currently. the student population at WCS is just over 400 students, whereas in the early 1960s there were more than 600 students housed in the main building, before additions were built in the 1970s.
I strongly urge the Worcester School Board to scale back this building project.
Bruce Hollenbeck
Worcester
Social Security mustn't be privatized
During his presidency, George Bush made privatizing Social Security one of his priorities. Thankfully, logic prevailed and he failed. Despite that failure to put millions of Americans' retirement incomes in the hands of the private sector _ need I remind everyone of how we recently bailed out Wall Street _ there is still an organization called the CATO Institute, which continues to advocate for the privatization of Social Security.
What is even more frightening is that Congressman Arcuri's opponent this fall is apparently a significant contributor to the CATO Institute. Does that make him an advocate of CATO's basic principles? One would have to assume so.
My parents depend on their Social Security income. Like so many others, they too lost out in the markets over the past few years and saw their retirement accounts dwindle, making their Social Security benefit not just a supplement but an absolutely vital resource for their survival. Yet there are those who would still gamble with its privatization?
I know Congressman Arcuri stands against such privatization and in fact is a strong advocate to strengthen Social Security so that it remains sustainable for my parents, for my family and for my children. For this we thank him and continue to support him.
Michael S. Garry
Mount Vision
