To the Editor:

As a concerned resident of Holyoke, I watch in dismay as the EPA deadline looms over the city. By July 1, Holyoke needs to show progress on upgrading the wastewater treatment facility or we will face fines. Instead of looking to find a compromise, this city's leaders are squared off in a game of chicken, ready to blame each other when the fines come down. This is no way for the executive or legislative branches of our city government to serve the people of Holyoke.

I am against turning any of our public resources over to a private company. I'm also meeting more voters every day who support that position. But even from that stance, I would argue that a short-term compromise is possible in the face of fines. We need to demonstrate progress to the EPA. Could either our DPW or Aquarion be allowed to break ground? This is a move that would require a lot of planning and administrative maneuvering, but we have known about this deadline for months. This is the kind of dialogue that I will strive for as a city councilor.

However, it is only a short-term solution. In the long-term, city government is deadlocked over the future of the wastewater treatment facility because the Council is not debating privatization, they are debating over terms the Mayor has set out for them. The problems with the entire decision-making process began when the Council gave away its authority over any final decisions, and became worse when the only fully-fledged plan has been to turn management of the wastewater facility over to a private company. As your representative on the City Council, I will demand that the Mayor's office treat the Council as its partner in government. Then all municipal leaders will be held accountable for every decision and its consequences.

Pat Duffy
Candidate for At-Large City Councilor