In response to Mike Flannigan's comments of Sept. 12, I don't recall if Mr. Flannigan was a regular attendee at board meetings when I was board president (seven years ago). However, if he was, he would know that questions from taxpayers were treated with respect and answered promptly by myself or administration.

Taxpayers were invited to come in to discuss their issue of concern with the appropriate staff person. Questions were answered promptly and requests for printed information (copies of audits, printed comments, etc.) were promptly provided free of charge.

It was not necessary, as it has been for the past several years, to complete and file a formal Freedom of Information Law request form with the district and pay for tapes of meetings ($1.50) and for every page ($.25) of information received.

F.O.I.L. requests are not always responded to within the required time specified by law, and in the recent past formal appeal requests have had to be filed with the Committee on Open Government in Albany before the requested information has been made available.

Providing a monthly board action summary to the media would certainly be a step in the right direction toward keeping the public informed as to the expenditures of our tax dollars.

In my opinion, Mr. Flannigan, it is not "Do as 'I' say, but don't do as 'I' do", but rather ¬Do as I did seven years ago.

Helen M. Lafferty