I am writing regarding the "letter" authored by Frank Tassone and printed in last week's paper. I am appalled by the true lack of remorse and understanding exhibited by the author outweighed only by the excess of self-pity exposed.

Make no mistake. This individual is a danger to society in one of the worst and most insidious senses. He was "the fox who guarded the henhouse." His victim was the entire public school system. If you subscribe to the philosophy that a free and appropriate public education for all is one of our country's great contributions to civilized society, as I do, it is not hard to imagine why just punishment is warranted. While this crime may not have been "violent," it certainly demonstrates contempt for every aspect of this system, including but not limited to the children, the parents, the teaching faculty, the administrative colleagues, the public in general, the taxpayers specifically, the law, and the legislature. These were all the victims of Frank Tassone and the other felons who attacked here.

The pain enduring in our fractured community has devastated us. We couldn't believe such a thing could happen. Our trusting and supportive nature for what we were raised to believe in, for what we have and we are raising our children to believe in, that is the value of public education was taken advantage of in a way so sinister that people were reluctant to believe, and full advantage of this was taken by the perpetrators.

The likes of these individuals disappointed, disillusioned and disgusted me, and my community, but we will survive this. We will overcome this and we will restore all that was stolen in time. The money was just one aspect of this theft. The mismanagement and neglect left behind by the felons have been much harder to fetter out than their actual larceny. It will take us years to address it all, but we will get there. As foul as the theft of dollars, perhaps even more so, was the theft of faith, trust, and confidence of a community, an entire profession and of half a generation of children and their parents.

It is my belief, and the belief of the many honest and hardworking people I represent, that Frank Tassone (along with his accomplices, and all of the other criminals who preyed on this community) make full and complete monetary restitution, (the rest of what they stole cannot ever be restored by them, but there are some of us trying to do just that for the kids and schools we love), and that he (they) be given the maximum prison sentence allowed under the plea arrangement and under the law in the discretion of the Court at his (their) sentencing.

There are those of us who find it repugnant that these former public employees retain rights to their pensions. This pension system supports all of the loving devoted teachers and administrators who come to work every day with children and their best interests on their mind. These criminals should be sharply distinguished from their decent former colleagues. If it is tax money that must support them upon retirement, then the taxpayers should determine the venue for the retirement of these criminals. My suggestion for the appropriate retirement community is state prison.

Meryl H. Waxman