Your printed letter Feb. 16 (Who Are They?) is incoherent and illogical. The writer, Trish Quirk, questions the qualifications of the Port Washington Educational Assembly (PWEA) by saying they are not, nor have they been, educators.

She says in her attempt to defame them that their "area of expertise is numbers." Isn't that a benefit for a group concerned about school budget numbers? Wouldn't that skill advance their positions when they are discussing numbers?

I don't know anything about PWEA and I don't know one person in that group.

I do know that in her attack on the group, Ms. Quirk pointed out that one of their members doesn't have children; another member educated their children in private schools and another had children in Port Washington schools years ago. Does that disqualify them from offering comment on a school budget? Or does that have absolutely nothing to do with the issue?

Does having children make one an authority on anything? Does being an educator in the Port Washington school system automatically make a person an expert on budgets?

We should be pleased the PWEA "knows numbers" as Ms. Quirk says. "As that group is not a credentialed educational body, like the PW educators are, it is highly likely that the PWEA might bring a professional objective opinion to their discussions about budget rather than a biased self-serving opinion that is geared to protecting the educators' turf.

I believe the PWEA should thank Ms. Quirk for pointing out to readers of the Port Washington News that the group does in fact have "numbers" expertise, the number one qualification for anyone trying to tackle a budget problem.

Alan Hirsch