Public officials, whether paid or unpaid, must walk a self-imposed tightrope to ensure their credibility. The following cannot but raise questions: possible misuse of public funds or position with regard to plans for a five-day inaugural ball; purchase of a Cadillac; requests for a private, publicly funded jet; expensive furnishings for an office; no definite reactions by some who had all the answers; questionable response to financial matters by a former employer. All this in less than three months. The unexplained excesses do nothing but help destroy one’s faith in the people involved.
However, we here in Harvard have our own local problems: possible misuse of funds for special education; failure of School Committee to explain itself adequately to the public, resulting in a possible $25,000 bill for an audit of the books; an override request by a School Committee that refuses to submit detailed explanations or a detailed-enough budget for our Finance Committee.
Brief statements to the effect that we or I am free of guilt do not clear the air. Such attempts at a cursory explanation do not adequately explain anything regarding the specific questions. Something’s sadly missing that, perhaps, was never there to begin with.
Alcon Chadwick
Woodside Road
