Background Checks in CT

A recent letter quoted a publication as saying a “background check law” resulted in a 40% drop in homicides in Connecticut. Is this believable?

Using the Internet to search statistics for Connecticut reveals that claim is false. The violent crime rate remained nearly flat from 2016 to 2017. There were 102 murders in 2017 compared to 87 in 2016. Violent crimes in Connecticut follows national rates. Major cities have a relatively higher crime rate.

Gun Prohibitionists have a reputation of creating statistics to support their policies. What happens when their claims are exposed? How many lies can they tell and retain their credibility?

Ronald A. Sobieraj

Smells Fishy

With no disrespect meant toward Dr. Danielle Brown, why wasn’t Damaris Ramirez appointed to the Board of Education’s vacant position when she had the fourth highest total of votes? Why have an election at all if the wishes of the voters (and not those of a handful) are ignored? We’re encouraged to vote and then a stunt like this is pulled! Something smells awfully fishy here – and it’s not emanating from the Raritan Bay! Maybe the rules should be changed so the majority indeed rules! It seems as if the tentacles of questionable practices keep extending further and further. Once again, the few have overridden the voices of the many – let’s hope the many have long memories!

Sincerely,

Michael J. Rusznak

Big Brother is Watching You!

Ok folks, more real news that the fake news won’t tell us and this one is wild. A man by the name of Jeff Bezos, who they say owns Amazon, and the Washington Post was crying about the National Enquirer, a supermarket tabloid. They say his privacy was invaded by spying on him. At the same time, Mr. Bezos was using Amazon to build a surveillance state to invade our privacy. Since when can a private company spy on us? Facebook has been doing this for years by stealing our own data and selling it. Yes, Big Brother is already here watching us like never before!

Orlando “Wildman” Perez

Response to

Superintendent’s

Presentation

I know that his intention was to publicly shame me, and intimidate me because I criticized the school district. But the amount of district time, effort, and manpower that was used to create this act of revenge is staggering; and the sheer joy and satisfaction with which it was delivered should trouble everyone. Who wants to work in a school district where the people in charge act like that? 

Listen, we had/have real problems with temperatures in our classrooms, and I used the same instrument that the custodians use to track temperatures in the schools. We made the problems public because nothing was getting done. Then things got done. If that makes me a “Henny Penny” as Mr. Chromey suggested, then so be it.

We really do have a lot of staff members leaving the district. Board members have been asking about that since last year. Donna and I are on the front lines of what goes on in the school district and we know why people are leaving. We talk to them every day. They can kid themselves all they want.

We have never been given any evidence that our staff members have poor attendance. A high absentee rate for one day does not constitute poor attendance. Many districts have high absenteeism on certain days, such as the Monday after the Super Bowl, or days in June when there are graduations and other events. To suggest that our attendance makes students unsafe is ridiculous. Most staff members have good attendance.

We really do have a problem with student aggression & violence. To suggest that bringing up that topic means our staff members don’t like children is absurd. Some of our children need more help than we can give them in a classroom full of other students. Teachers, paraprofessionals and other professional staff members show nothing but love and kindness to these children. I have seen it with my own eyes. But it isn’t healthy for other students to witness this violence and aggression day after day, year after year; and staff members do not deserve to get beaten up.

I try to live my life unafraid. I speak the truth, and I refuse to be intimidated. I think the presentation last night embarrassed the school district more than it could ever have embarrassed me. People in the audience were extremely uncomfortable and several commented that they had never experienced any like that in their lives. I suppose the presentation was intended to keep them all in line, too.

Pat Paradiso

President 

Perth Amboy Federation