I would like to comment on Publisher John D'Agostino's remarks (Nov. 2) in reference to the constant harassment from this person against the city workers in Dunkirk.
His column "City ignores elephant in budget" is a direct attack against people who are trying to make a living for their families and offering a service to the residents of this city by making a living with a decent wage. If not for the decent wages and benefits, who are you going to get to pick up your garbage, protect you and your family from crime and our drug problems risking their lives on a daily basis? Do you want your garbage to rot on the curb because these workers are tired of being harassed by someone who sits at a desk and thinks of these ideas?
No one stopped D'Agostino from taking a test for the police or fire. No one stopped him from working at the city garage that is already short of manpower from years of cutting the work force. No one stopped him from doing any of those jobs.
Don't blame the city workers for any budget shortfall. Put the blame where it belongs - the free programs this state has thrown on the taxpayers. Go to your local stores on the first of every month and see for yourself where your tax money goes and you get nothing in return for it. At least you're receiving a service that any city needs so don't sit on your high horse and look down on those who are only trying to make a living. Remember they pay those taxes as well, not the freeloaders.
Why don't you write articles about the welfare fraud and those who live off of us and the benefits they receive? Those benefits far exceed those of any city worker.
Try picking on the freeloaders for a change and leave those who are trying to make a living and paying those taxes. People are leaving this state not because of civil workers. They are leaving this state because they are tired of being taxed to death so the freeloaders can live a useless life.
Look what Albany has done with our tax money. Free college for illegals. Free air conditioners this past summer. Free gold for their teeth. Free cell phones. Free money for cars and gas. Free health care. If they claim to lose their checks or misplace them, they are issued a new check right away because the workers at Social Services don't care about us.
The new brainstorm for Albany is they claim there are six different foreign languages in New York City so instead of teaching English, the taxpayers are going to pay for interpreters. What sense does that make? The taxpayers of New York state baby-sit these people for the rest of their lives.
When our forefathers came to this country from Europe they had to go to Ellis Island first. They were given nothing and some were sent back. The rest had to find work or starve - no handouts.
They built this country so those who came later had a country to be proud of. But it looks like our politicians forgot about all of that and became bleeding hearts for all newcomers instead of making those newcomers self-sufficient.
So you see Mr. D'Agostino, you sir have a lot to learn. I hope you start soon and please look for other occupations to pick on. You have made your point.
Richard Makuch is a Dunkirk resident.
