Artsakh
The following letter is in response to the April 3 op-ed by Saul Anuzis. In the fall of 2020, the jihadist regime of Azerbaijan with the backing of the jihadist Turkish Republic invaded the Armenian territory of Artsakh and engaged in ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity against Armenian civilians. The war crimes conducted by the Azerbaijanis did not get a mention in this deceitful commentary.
It is abundantly clear that in the name of the horrific and tragic war playing out in Ukraine, that propaganda on behalf of Turkey and Azerbaijan is going to be uncritically accepted by the media. Armenia is a peaceful democratic republic that is struggling to survive against hostile and dangerous regimes in Baku and Ankara. Armenians survived the Turkish orchestrated genocide one century ago and are still facing an existential threat to their physical existence from these two dictatorships. Azerbaijani officials have threatened to attack nuclear plants in Armenia.
In addition to this, Turkey, which is the sponsor of Azerbaijan, has been threatening Greece by putting forward claims to the islands belonging to Greece. Turkey has also invaded and continues to occupy 37% of Cyprus, where the Turkish army ethnically cleansed over 200,000 Greek Cypriots in 1974. There are many who are able to read through and comprehend the sinister foreign influences that motivated the aforementioned op-ed.
Theodore Karakostas, Boston
Contractors
It’s no secret the construction industry has gained — even earned — a dubious reputation. Lack of transparency, wasteful spending and unfair labor practices, to name a few. While this may not apply to responsible contractors (yes, they do exist), it comes as no surprise that there are crooks. Unfortunately, we the taxpayers, are doubly compensating them for their scams. The most egregious of which is tax fraud. As Tax Day rolls around, I ask the question: Why do we award thieving contractors with our taxpayer dollars all the while they are robbing our communities blind?
Cheating employers steal nearly a billion dollars in wages every year while governments lose $8.4 billion in taxes. What’s worse is that 39% of construction worker families rely on public assistance to make ends meet, while these swindler contractors are buying second homes.
Public construction projects are supposed to lift our community, not burden it. These lost tax dollars could be used to support our schools, libraries and athletic programs, improve our roads and even help our veterans. When it comes to unscrupulous contractors, we are under attack by the rampant tax fraud and wage theft that is plaguing the industry.
It’s time for us to protect our law-abiding contractors and ourselves. The lack of oversight by public enforcement agencies is hurting our communities. We must hold those accountable who award and monitor these taxpayer-funded projects. Be an active part of the solution: Attend meetings, write letters, make phone calls and stop the tax fraud. To join this effort, visit StopTaxFraud.net.
— Aron Danielson, East Bridgewater, Millwright Local Union 1121
BPS superintendent
Regarding the editorial focusing on questions you might pose to candidates if given the opportunity, let me add one: ‘Do you have a valid superintendent’s certificate?’ That issue seemingly was overlooked by the most recent person overseeing the BPS.
— Paul Stewart, Quincy
Source: https://www.bostonherald.com/2022/04/11/letters-to-the-editor-345/