Letters to the editor of the Waltham News Tribune

Sunday

Mar 11, 2018 at 12:17 PM

Do you want to weigh in on a topic? Do you have a group to thank for support? Is there something you would like to see covered in the News Tribune? Write a letter to the editor. Letters are limited to 400 words and writers are limited to one per month (30 days) per writer. We require a civil tone and reserve the right to refuse to run any letter. Letters must be signed and include an address and phone number for verification and are published as space permits. If more letters are received than can be published on any issue, we will publish a representative sample. We look forward to hearing from you.

Circuit breaker needs funding

I recently sent a letter to Rep. Jeffrey Sanchez, chair of the House Committee on Ways and Means, expressing my support for fully funding the special education circuit breaker account. In Waltham, we are seeing increased severe special education claims and decreased funding which has resulted in a loss of vital educational funds to our city this year.

Fully funding the special education circuit breaker account would enable public school districts across the state to meet the needs of special education students with the most severe disabilities and who require highly specialized education and treatment. I don’t believe that the current appropriation is sufficient and asked the Chairman to include an additional $36 million in a supplemental budget.

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (ESE) recently posted the circuit breaker reimbursement claims of public school districts and I was very concerned to see an increase in net claims of 8.4 percent, which had been averaging approximately 4.5 percent for the past five years. While substantially lower than net claims, special indicator reimbursement claims also increased significantly at 8.81 percent over last year.

When the legislature developed the current state budget, we were constrained by declining revenue projections. Due to the unexpected increase in district reimbursement claims, however, the current appropriation for the circuit breaker account of $281.2 million will only provide reimbursement of 65 percent of excess cost over four times the per pupil foundation budget amount, instead of 75 percent over excess cost as called for by statute. The most recent state tax revenue collections report now puts the Commonwealth $810 million above year-to-date benchmarks and we need to secure increased funding to special education circuit breaker. This funding is critical for our community.

Thomas M. Stanley, Neighbors Lane, Waltham City Counselor

Silence equals violence

The Trump administration has ambitiously ramped up deportations and raids through his subordinate agency, ICE. In bureaucratic speak, Trump is letting hell break loose: ICE reports arresting 110,568 people in the first eight months of the Trump administration - a 42 percent increase over the same period the year before. To make matters worst, the future of DACA recipients is now hostage to a Republican Congress.

As Martin Luther King Jr., once said, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

In these times of moral crisis, it’s important to ask: where do our state leaders stand?

Although it is not the duty of state government to dictate immigration policy, the State House has a golden opportunity to preserve the dignity of immigrants: the Safe Communities Act or SCA (S.1305 and H.3269).

The SCA is a safeguard for immigrant populations in Massachusetts from arbitrary detentions and breaches of due process. More importantly, it prohibits local police from acting like ICE agents — which is costly, causes racial profiling, lacks oversight and increases fear of reporting crime. Last, but not least, the bill disallows any participation, state or local, in a Muslim registry.

The bill is a win-win, regardless of your political cup of tea. Conservatives can appreciate the preservation of our tax dollars from arbitrary federal mandates. Progressives can appreciate the protection of dignity for these marginalized groups.

All people want safer communities.

The police agree. The Massachusetts Major City Chiefs Association and the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association endorsed the latest version of the bill.

Unfortunately, the SCA is paralyzed at the rules committee. It is no secret we cannot count on Governor Baker who, on this matter, practices diet Trumpism. But, we don’t need him. There’s a democratic super-majority at the State House. Ironically, instead of galvanizing support for the bill, the Democratic leadership — in both the House and Senate — left the SCA in legislative limbo.

What is their excuse?

We need our leaders to do their job and lead.

If you have a moment, please call the Democratic leadership and demand action:

Here we are again conveying condolences, sending sympathy, proffering prayers. Parkland is bleeding; the whole nation hurting. In the first 44 days of 2018 there were no less than 18 school incidents with guns.

Our visits to the Wailing Wall are becoming the norm. How often must the nation weep at this sad location? Seventeen lives terminated by terror. This time the survivors are eager to step out into the world and make their mark. This time their mark is being etched, on society. This time Parkland survivors, and teenagers nationwide are taking control.

Kudos to all of you. Don’t be discouraged. Your action is important.

Political conversations focus on protecting school children. We send them into hallowed halls of learning, where guidance for a productive future is offered. Not always!

Other banned items include Kinder Eggs. Small chocolate eggs with a tiny toy inside. And haggis a Scottish delicacy. Don’t try to buy a cigar imported from Cuba. That too is a no no.

Fact is many items deemed dangerous to humans are quite simply not found on U.S. soil. Except for the ultimate menace. Firearms.

So, our nation can assess, and take action, when an item is deemed harmful (God knows what danger a haggis poses).

But, where is the reaction to the harm guns wreak on human life? Is this the proverbial elephant in congressional chambers.

From this last mass shooting tragedy a new breed of activists has emerged - not seeking political favors, nor re-election. They are seeking safety, a normal way of life. Prevention not protection.

And it is working — guns turned in or destroyed, stores withdrawing high powered weapons.

The nation’s youth is speaking. We must listen.

Audrey Nicol, Hillcroft Road

Officers should have safe working conditions

Two weeks ago, I was at the checkout at BJ’s and saw two Waltham Police officers heading to the checkout as well with a huge flat bed cart of bottled water. I asked if they were having a special event with all the bottled water and they replied that none of the police officers will drink the water at the station because it tastes so bad. They told me that the officers “donate” .25 per bottle so they can keep purchasing water. I was shocked that our officers have to pay to have clean, drinkable water.

As a former city councillor I will never stop standing up for our police, fire, teachers and/or residents, so on another day soon after I had the opportunity to actually taste the tap water at the police station. It not only didn’t taste good at all and even though I ran the water for a minute, it was not cold but rather warm. I now know why they buy bottled water! They told me that they once had a water cooler but that was taken away because it was no longer in the budget! I also learned that most city departments no longer have water coolers and employees must bring their own water or purchase bottled water as do the police officers. In my opinion this is not acceptable.

While at the station that morning I also saw the poor condition of the restroom on the first floor. Stained ceiling panels and no shower head and stained ceiling panels and what looks like mold in various parts of the building from what several officers commented to me.

The police who protect and serve us and any other department in the city should have access to clean, free water and a safe and healthy building while at work.

It’s clear to me that a new police headquarters building should be addressed and construction planned as soon as possible and other buildings there including the Lexington Street fire station, fire headquarters and 911 should also be evaluated since these buildings may very well be in the same condition.