If Thursday’s events at the Sullivan County Legislature are any indication of what the next four years have in store for us we are in real trouble. Our new legislators were swept into office on a mandate for change, and already we have been betrayed. A last-minute resolution to bid out the tourism contract was secretly introduced by Kathy LaBuda and Gene Benson at the very end of the final legislative meeting for the month.

It was so secret that it was not even listed on the agenda. Coincidentally, Bill Liblick and Donna Schick, who hold positions in the Democratic Party and just formed a not-for-profit tourism corporation last month, were in the audience to observe the vote. Legislator Kitty Vetter cried foul and called for the resolution to be tabled so that it could be considered via the normal “open” legislative channels. She was joined by Alan Sorensen, Jonathan Rouis and Ira Steingardt. Unbelievably, chairman Scott Samuelson, Cindy Geiger and Cora Edwards somehow kept a straight face and joined LaBuda and Benson to ram this through. If this way of doing business continues we may have to seriously consider a recall election.

Anita Parkhurst

Liberty, NY