Bounce Bus Boss

To the Editor:

The Feb. 9 issue has an article re: the recent school bus fiasco which has been amply covered in many NYC dailies. The official in charge of this poorly administered program is Martin Oesterreich, who was at one time Commissioner of Homeless Services. Last week he was castigated in the Post for going on vacation just when the new "program" was initiated. The Post mentioned there were rumors he was being sacked, which were then refuted.

It is a shame he wasn't sacked. Mr. Oesterreich has a long history of scuttling the merit system in civil service, and in the Oct. 3, 2003 issue, your newspaper documented how he wanted to privatize the school custodians and destroy the civil service positions of custodians.

In an article in the New York Times on Jan. 24, 2000, Bob Herbert's column details how Oesterreich coordinated raids on shelters to rouse homeless men in the middle of the night who had outstanding warrants for urinating in public and similar offenses. Most of the people roused were older frail individuals suffering from mental and physical ailments. When questioned about these needless raids, Oesterreich responded that "it takes time to gin up these operations."

Schoolchildren who no longer have bus service should realize that Martin Oesterreich is simply taking time "to gin up" the program.

GEORGE SILBERMAN

Editor's note: Mr. Silberman is a retired veteran employee of the city's social services system who worked under Mr. Oesterreich at the Department of Homeless Services.