Questions and Comments for Adam Knight

Dear Mr. Knight,
I have just read your article in the Transcript and some questions and comments for you.  Could you answer them for the public and myself as voters in this upcoming election.  What policy change would you initiate in regard to public safety.  How many police and fire personnel would you recommend?  Would you support a base pay increase for police of 15% as I do with the stipulation that we stop allowing private businesses in this city to use them as private security gaurds.  I would also propose that street details be limited only to snow emergency routes and that we hire civilians to on all other streets. Civilians currently cross our most precious citizens, our children.  Side streets do not need police officers to watch traffic.  Do you disagree and why not?  Why do we need a garage which with cost overruns will cost the tax payer at least 9 million when completed to enforce traffic today?  What other plan do you have to revitalize Medford Square?  What plan do you have for Haines Square which is the most neglected of our squares?  I do agree with expanding the side walks and making only one sided parking in the bottle neck on the west side of the square.  You are correct there.  Do you think that the green line should go to Route 16 and disrupt one of the oldest continuous middle class black neighbor hoods in New England?  Yes or No? You gave a political answer on the casino.  You are for the casino and know that the mayor is trying to see what the city can get out of it.  You know that it is a hot button issue and will lose votes if you say that you are for it, so you avoid giving a direct answer of yes.  As for safety, I have no doubt that there will be so much money passing through that casino that Fort Knox would be jealous of the security on site.  It is the security in the surrounding area that I worry about.  You are also non-committal on the Brooks Estate.  How are you going to pay for more police (and incidentally we only have 96 officers currently - recommended 120 minimum for a city our size and pay for a 9 million dollar garage and 3.3 million (with roadway leading to it)?  Where is all this money coming from?  I would lie to say under my platform taxes wouldn't be going up but under yours they would go up even more.  You can review my platform by going to Martin4Medford.com.  I encourage your scrutiny and the scrutiny of the public.
Respectfully,
Jeanne Martin