NRA money trumps morality

Dear Editor,
Regarding the Florida school massacre, what is more important, the Second Amendment and the NRA, or the lives of our children and grandchildren?
It is ironic that on Valentine’s Day, 89 years ago in Chicago, Al Capone mowed down seven gangsters with a Tommy gun, AKA a machine gun. The gangsters were all armed with hand guns. What chance would a school teacher have in similar circumstance? The result was automatic guns were banned by law.
Fast forward to Valentine’s Day in Florida, 2018. Seventeen school children are killed by a similar weapon, an AR-15. Why are they legal?
After Las Vegas and the night club massacres, we get feeble and evasive excuses from certain derelict leaders.
It’s obvious NRA money trumps their morality and conscience.
How sad.
They should be removed from office.
Sincerely,
Dale Bond
Clarkston

We are not safe in Clarkston

Dear Editor,
No charges were pressed. It takes months to go through legal system. School would be out for the summer before the case could even be heard in court. The eighth grade trip was canceled.
The reason I’m sharing this experience is to show it’s difficult to protect the good people, the rule followers. The obstacles my family would have to hurdle to get peace and justice were tremendous. There was no moral obligation of the school to protect. What I had imagined to be true – in that especially a private school would keep my kids safe was wrong.
My point – many people are afraid to seek justice against troubled kids who threaten violence. The court system is ugly, not fair and in my opinion protects the bad guy not the victim or the victims rights. It should be cut and dry – you make a threat and you are expelled and a mandatory psych evaluation for Ryan. I don’t think banning guns is the answer. Bad guys will always be able to get guns. Accountability is part of the solution. We need family and community involvement. We need the return of morals and ethics to society. We need to teach kindness instead of spreading hate.
We aren’t safe in Clarkston. Something needs to be done!
Sincerely,
One of victims of a student who threatened school violence

Hats off to Clarkston City Manager

Dear Editor,
I am encouraged by the City Manager’s intention to develop a Capital Improvement Plan for the City of the Village of Clarkston. The COVOC has had a Master Plan for several years, but has never developed a six year Capital Improvement Plan as required by the State of Michigan.
Higher than expected costs and insufficient revenue have demonstrated the need for a clearer picture of our infrastructure repair costs. It will be especially critical to understand from where the funds will come to maintain the City’s streets and sidewalks.
The current budget included funds for repaving Miller Road that turned out to be one fourth of the $100,000 estimated cost. Miller Road repaving has been shelved. The current budget contains sidewalk repairs funds that are one-third of last fall’s survey by the City Manager. This means sidewalk repair costs will grow before the current non-compliant sections are repaired. The current budget contains funds to repair City Hall, but the expansion consideration includes costs several times greater than the repair costs.
It is clear our one-year budget does not provide an accurate understanding of anticipated infrastructure maintenance costs which should drive both capital project priorities and determine the source of funding required.
The unknowns seem to be growing. Jim Tedder recently acknowledged that state revenue sharing is expected to decline. The parking kiosk income has not begun. Will the 40% increase in Errors and Omissions insurance premium be greater this year? Knowing our future legal costs is not possible wwith the number of the City’s current law suits. How will city hall expansion bids be compared if each bidder is being asked to develop their own architectural specifications?
Without a multi-year Capital Improvement Plan we are driving at night with our headlamps off. It is not necessary to wait until the master plan update is completed to develop our six year capital improvement plan and determine the City’s infrastructure spending priorities and funding sources.
Sincerely,
Chet Pardee
Clarkston

  Letter to the Editor