To The Editor:

Each year at Christmas, the city hall band of merry travelers gives themselves a $20,000 Christmas present at taxpayers’ expense. This year’s gift from Selma taxpayers to my fellow public servants is a free trip to Reno, Nev., this week.

Our delegation is led by Mayor Perkins and his latest executive assistant, Darlene Rudolph. Also attending are City Clerk Lois Williams and, of course, the Crenshaw 4, who have never met a trip they would not take or a taxpayer dollar they would not spend.

As I have said before, I do not object to the trips per se and in other capacities have been on some of these junkets myself. What I do not understand is why an economically depressed city like Selma has to spend $20,000 to $25,000 to send eight to 10 people on the same trip.

Perhaps our merry band of Christmas travelers can explain why they are spending this money when policemen

are wearing short sleeve shirts in freezing weather because they do not have new uniforms, policemen patrolling in vans because there are not enough police cars, the new garbage trucks are broken down and men are picking up garbage by hand again this week, the fire department cannot buy vehicles approved in the budget because there is no money until January, agencies and museums have not been paid since September, and a former employee is reportedly paid $500 a day to come back and try to get the city finances in shape so the auditors can audit the books.

Obviously, our city hall travelers believe it is more blessed to receive than to give. So Selma taxpayers, keep on giving and we will keep on going!

Cecil Williamson

Councilman Ward 1