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Dear Editor,
I am disappointed to read, in
the August 3 edition, that this paper is now
attacking the new school board president via The
Heidcamp Report.
As a school board member, I
will admit that this paper has done some good
investigative journalism. You wrote about the
superintendent's expense reimbursement claims and
pointed out some that were questionable. We as
board members had not been receiving copies of
expense reimbursement claims. I asked the
superintendent about these claims. Having done much
business travel with IBM in my job, it was easy for
me to compare the expenses claimed with the IBM
travel policy. In my opinion, the claims were
generally in line with what IBM allows. Still, the
board took action on expense reimbursement. We
implemented a new policy and regulation based on a
New York State School Board sample policy. This new
policy requires that board members now receive
copies of expense reimbursement claims.
On the other hand, The
Heidcamp Report is always one-sided. It seems the
column is trying to dig up as much dirt as possible
to run the superintendent out of town. It often
reiterates and rehashes the same points. Your
readers should understand that there is much good
news to be reported about the school district.
Perhaps you could try to publish more positive
articles on how the students, teachers, and staff
are excelling.
Further, Mr. Heidcamp tries
to manipulate the school board behind the scenes.
Consider this from an email sent to me by Mr.
Heidcamp on June 7:
"I don't know if I can trust you. I will
have to pay a little more attention to what you say
and do. You can defend Rhau all you want, Mike, but
in my opinion and many others, he is a used car
salesman and he is selling you and the taxpayers a
lemon and you are falling for it ,hook ,line and
sinker.. And that my friend is MY OPINION! There
WILL defiantly be some changes on that board come
next election, you can take that to the bank with
you. You do not know me Mike, and you have no idea
what I am capable of, I will not go away..."
This email upset me so I sent
you a letter asking you to consider whether you
wish to continue with The Heidcamp Report. I asked
that my request be kept off the record. I am
disappointed that you did not honor that in your
editorial of June 29. I thought the press was
supposed to honor such requests. So, please print
this letter on the record.
School board members have
limited time to spend on district issues, as family
and jobs come first. I should not have to be
spending the time to write this letter in defense
of our school district, rather, I should be
spending it on issues that that matter to the
children. The people who write The Heidcamp Report
and you as the editor may think you are helping the
children of this school district, but in my
opinion, you are not. I hope you do not publish it
just to sell papers.
Thank you for your
consideration of this point of view. I will
continue to do the best job I can in service to the
community as a school board trustee.
Sincerely,
Michael
MacIsaac
August 10, 2006
Saugerties Post Star
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