Editor:

Mr. Bob Harker of Clarendon in a letter to the Orleans Hub called me out for my support of the Green Light Law. I would like to try and respond.

Each state has their own laws for issuing driver’s licenses. Eleven other states have laws similar to New York State’s Green Light Law. I am not sure what he means by licenses in New York State are not recognized federally. Licenses are the purview of the state. I don’t know what federal law the state is not following.

Mr. Harker then claims that I have “great knowledge” for requirements to obtain a license. The requirements are public and Mr. Harker could easily look them up himself then he would have “great knowledge.”

Finally, Mr. Harker asks why some DMV offices are not clear about all the legalities of the law? I suggest Mr. Harker ask the DMV officials why they are not prepared.

The New York Times reported (3/18/19): “It has long been an open secret in upstate New York that the dairy industry has been able to survive only by relying on undocumented immigrants for its work force.” Mr. Mike MaMahon, a dairy farmer from central New York, told the Times, “There are people out there who just say, ‘Send them all back and build a wall.’ But they would be facing empty shelves in the grocery store if that were to happen.”

Mr. Harker asks for civility in our responses. I would like to ask the same of Mr. Harker. When he sits down to his Christmas dinner, I would ask him to remember that undocumented (in his words illegal) immigrants are in large part responsible for the food on his table and the Christmas tree in his living room.

William Fine

Brockport

Editor:

While ringing the Salvation Army bell last week in front of Walmart, I had a deeply encouraging experience.

An incredulous young man approached me holding a wad of hundred-dollar bills enclosed in a piece of paper and a rubber band. The paper was labeled $1,000. He must have thought an old geezer would know what to do with it!

After getting over the thrill of having my faith in people vindicated—if only anecdotally—I suggested we visit customer service. On the way, we passed Medina Savings and Loan (Generations Bank), the likely place from which the money had been procured.

To make a long story shorter, the young man who had unintentionally dropped the money roughly fifteen feet from where the Salvation Army kettle was located. He had evidently been asked to do some Christmas shopping for the family by an older relative.

Not twenty minutes after we checked with a very helpful woman at customer service, the “twenty something” guy who had dropped the money rushed up to me as if I had found and returned what remained of the $1,000. While his heart appeared to be visibly pulsating through his shirt, he thanked me as passionately as someone might have. He insisted on giving me a hug as well.

To the “twenty something” who deserves the credit for returning the $500 that remained, I offer this for what it may be worth. Though I never got your name—and I may be wrong—you have something money cannot buy. That thing is character. Whoever you are, and regardless of where it originated, that character is something that is likely to serve you quite well going forward.

Sincerely yours,

Gary Kent

Albion

Editor:

It is so predictable.

The majority of liberal opinions published in the Letters to the Editor here on The Hub are written by two people – Mr. Conrad Cropsey of Albion and Mr. William Fine of Brockport. Though often tempted to respond to these two gentleman, I generally do not. Their two latest letters, though, should be challenged.

Mr. Cropsey, with his legal background, should be able to cite particular laws that have been broken by President Trump. I’ve yet to see any in his letters, or anywhere else for that matter. Innuendo, “feelings”, and accusations abound. Not factual evidence.

Abuse of power? Where? Why is it that Donald Trump is the only president in our history to be singled out for a conversation with a foreign leader? The left’s claim of abuse of presidential power is refuted by the actual players involved – including Ukraine!

How is it that former Vice President Biden gets a pass for actually doing what the left accuses Trump of? Even Zelensky claims there was no pressure placed upon him. Is Mr. Cropsey aware that military aid to Ukraine was actually delivered ahead of schedule? Does he acknowledge that former President Obama refused to provide any military aid at all, opting instead for only humanitarian aid? Add to that the fact that former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s “reset buddy” Putin has stated that this is a purely political move on the part of the democrats.

Obstruction of Congress? Where? Mr. Cropsey was silent when President Clinton claimed executive privilege 14 times and Obama 9. Where was Mr. Cropsey’s indignation then?

Does Mr. Cropsey not acknowledge that this baseless impeachment attempt actually started on November 9, 2016, the day after election day? There were murmurs of impeachment before our duly elected president even took office.

This is simply the left’s feeble attempt to negate the voters’ voice from 2016 and influence the 2020 election. The very thing they have the audacity to accuse Trump of. Why is it that so many protocols were ignored in the House hearings to clearly support impeachment and silence our Republican representatives? The Democrats have failed to present a viable presidential candidate and they know it.

As to Mr. Fine, his latest letter asserts that people in this country illegally should be able to obtain driver’s licenses in New York State. Even he admits that these are not recognized federally. Does he advocate states picking and choosing which federal laws they will follow and which they will ignore? Mr. Fine claims great knowledge on the requirements for obtaining a license by people here illegally. Why is it that some county DMV offices are issuing no learner’s permits because they are not clear on all the legalities and  implications?

I fully expect negative replies to this letter. I would ask the writers to maintain civility and stick to facts as I have tried to do here.

Bob Harker

Clarendon

Editor:

Later today the House will vote to impeach President Trump. I keep hearing shouts about winning, process, and the like.

I have studied everything carefully and do not see things in that light. We tell ourselves that the Rule of Law is paramount in the United States and the world respects us because of our adherence to law and long established traditions which protect our democracy.

The House was clearly going to pass on alleged criminal matters revealed in the Mueller report that are better left to criminal authorities for investigation and review.  But after my review of the Ukraine situation which occurred after President Trump assumed office, I think the most important thing now is that we are telling the world that at least one part of our government is still able to do the hard thing and try to enforce what the Constitution, our founders, and our history require.

That is an important message that requires bravery in the face of almost certain defeat.

I guess I would also like to note that the Christian bible requires us to pray for those we hope will do better. It’s good advice for people of all political stripes and persuasions.

Conrad Cropsey

Albion

Editor:

On Wednesday, December 18, at 5 p.m., a meeting at the Lyndonville Village Hall (next to library) will be held open to the public.

At this meeting the Town of Yates Expansion Task Force will be available to answer any and all concerns of the proposed changes to the already undesirable Yates Town Park. This park was built in the mid-2000s to hopefully build community spirit.

If our elected officials would be in tune with our concerns instead of their own personal agenda, they would admit the park is a failure. Do we want to continue to pay with our taxes the $10,000 a year to maintain this park for the use of criminal activity that currently exists? Or do we say, “No more!”

Come voice your concerns on Wednesday. It is better to speak out now before it is too late to turn back versus complaining in a few years when our taxes are increased to cover enhanced costs plus the decrease of property on the tax rolls.

Do we want to accept the $2.5 million grant which we (New York State taxpayer) cannot afford to be wasted on a project that does not benefit the entire community. Come be an informed resident rather than an uninformed hearsay repeater!

Concerned Yates Taxpayer,

William Jurinich

Lyndonville

Editor:

The Green Light Law allows undocumented migrants to obtain driver’s licenses. Undocumented migrants work primary in agriculture. Richard Ball, New York State Commissioner of Agriculture told Syracuse.com on Jan. 30 that approximately half of New York farm labor force is undocumented.

Without undocumented farmworkers, farms in Wyoming, Genesee, Livingston, Orleans, Ontario counties and across the state would fail. The federal government handles immigration policy, not the state.

However, the state is responsible for the people within its borders. It is important to understand that farmworkers are important to our farms, our community and our economy.

Licenses issued under the Green Light Law will say “Not for Federal Purposes.” They can not be used to register to vote, for passports or for benefits.

To apply for a license you have to show documents of your age, identity and that you live in NYS. Then they will take the same written and road test the rest of the residents in the state take. If they pass, they can obtain a driver’s license, register their car and obtain car insurance. Studies in states that have similar laws shows a lower average traffic fatality rate.

The Business Council of New York, the state’s largest business lobbying group, supports the law. They point out that this law will create business opportunities, and benefit employers such as farmers.

The Green Light Law will make it easier for farmworkers to participate in their communities, their schools and churches. It makes our roads safer, and it helps our economy grow. Forcing people to be isolated from their community and limiting their economic opportunity by law (or because of personal preference of some county clerks) is a form of institutional racism.

I strongly urge the county clerks to re-consider their position on this issue.

Thank you.

William Fine

Brockport

Editor:

Once again New York State has joined New York City and many other progressive cities in another failed climate change lawsuit.

Our intellectually inferior progressive leadership continues to waste taxpayer money suing oil companies. The Exxon suit, which was based on misleading investors on climate impact, enriched only the corporate attorneys.

This lawsuit damaged Exxon investors by forcing the company to fight a frivolous suit. Courtroom observers that followed this case mentioned how ill prepared the state was after four years of discovery.

After this sounding defeat, our Attorney General issues a press release on defending the citizens of this state against big corporate interests. All she did was increase the cost to operate in New York State. How does that benefit us?

Edward Urbanik

Lyndonville

Editor:

I refer to a recent letter in the Letters to the Editor from Leonard Lauricella. We also live in the village in a 2-bed, 928 square foot house with comparable taxes.

The house was built in 1951 and other than siding, roof and over 15-year-old replacement windows has had little else done to it.

If our daughter and her husband and two grandchildren did not live nearby in Niagara County we would be headed for a state the doesn’t tax out SS income! The thought of continuing to live in the village is one that disrupts our sleep on a nightly basis!

NY State must be split so we are not taxed to support the masses that live in the big city! Furthermore, the towns and village must reduce the tax load on village residents!

Thank you.

Dayton Hausman

Medina

Editor:

It is not fair that our NY Congressional District 27 has no representation in the House of Representatives in this time of political power play against the President of the United States of America.

I voted for Donald J. Trump for President of the United States. I see and hear the political party of opposition speak of up holding their Oath of Office and the Constitution of the United States and know that they are guilty of violating US 18 Code sections 241, 242, 2383 & 2384; mismanaging taxpayer money, weakening the United States’ borders, weakening the United States economy, and ruining the standing of the United States’ image and its President´s image to the rest of the World.

The Constitution of the United States is clearly written and is understandable. Only people of opposition lie and claim they do not understand the contract. I do understand the contract. The President of the United States of America needs support of the American people.

I am on a campaign to get him support and show the party of opposition that it made a tactical mistake in its mission to ruin America. For I believe that many Americans feel like I do. To those I say the time is now to join up.

I know many of New York’s fighters have moved out of this mismanaged state. We that are left can not waiver. We must fly are banners of freedom. We must send letters and emails of disapproval to the public employees that forget we are the bosses. We must call the switchboards and comment centers and remind them they work for us.

I see only one choice to fill the vacant NY Congressional District 27th seat. A man who stood in support of President Donald J. Trump. A man who has worked and has cut spending. Stefan Mychajliw is that guy. NY does not need someone whose voting record shows weakness, fear and complacency.

The President of the United States needs a fighter. The United States needs someone who can do math and knows how to cut taxes and spending. Stefan Mychaliw is that American. NY needs someone who defends all civil liberties and Civil Rights – not just the popular ones.

America needs and deserves a Constitutional believing Congressman. Stefan Mychaliw is a living example of America. The world should see that the American voter can make great choices for the job of helping to run and improve the United States of America.

In closing let us ban together and vote for the best, while supporting our president.

Steve Colon

Lyndonville

We have the highest taxes in the nation and now Albany insiders have stacked the deck even further against taxpayers, handing out another $100 million of your money to political candidates so they buy loads of robocalls, billboards and television commercials – an absolute disgrace.

It’s truly cowardice of Albany leadership to kick such a controversial topic to an outside commission instead of allowing a full debate and vote where lawmakers actually had to take responsibility for creating such a wasteful and unnecessary system.

Replacing “big money” in politics with taxpayer money does not solve the problem, it only exacerbates a corrupt Albany culture.

Furthermore, the commission has put minor parties on life support, forcing residents into two camps, Republican or Democrat, and further dividing our state. Gov. Cuomo’s personal war with the Working Families Party robs voters of choice and will certainly disenfranchise those who want a third-party candidate.

Once again, special interests in Albany have gone too far by overhauling a system behind closed doors, out of public view. I am calling on Gov. Cuomo to bring us back to Albany for a special session before January 1 to fix these disastrous new regulations.

Assemblyman Steve Hawley

Batavia

Editor:

On November 6 at Clear Skies Above Barre, Inc. monthly public meeting, Larry Gaylard, a standing Town Board member, said that a postcard previously sent out to at least one family in our community was sent by Clear Skies Above Barre, Inc.

This postcard contained malicious innuendo pertaining to leaseholders in the proposed industrial wind project. Having been shared on social media by the family that received it, rumors and now accusations about who sent the unaddressed postcard are circulating.

Clear Skies Above Barre did not send out this postcard nor do we have any further knowledge as to where it came from or who may have received it. We will not condone such malice in our community. Our mission is to protect the community of Barre while valuing a sense of community and neighborhood relations. Many members have expressed disgust of the postcard and heavy hearted sadness that our organization would be accused of sending it.

Clear Skies Above Barre will continue to uphold our integrity; all postcards sent will contain our emblem. Since some community members are using the term “opposition” or “anti” groups interchangeably with our organization and other groups/ individuals in the community – Clear Skies Above Barre would like to make clear our organization is separate from other groups forming in our community that are also in opposition to this proposed wind project.

As always we urge our neighbors to seek out the proper authorities if they are being threatened.

Sincerely,

Barbara J. Verburg

Acting President – Clear Skies Above Barre

Editor:

Well, they’re at it again. At our last Barre Town Board meeting the attacks on free speech continued with the directive from Supervisor Pogue.

Without a vote of the board he dictated a new rule to make it very difficult for any town resident to speak freely. His dictate is this: From now on if you wish to address the Town Board you will have to leave me a voicemail Tuesday before the meeting, and along with that he will no longer allow you to be on a list of speakers for an extended period.

Barre is limiting the number of speakers to just 10 people. Gee, Mr. Pogue, what if someone has an ongoing issue, or what if someone needs help? Will you deny them the opportunity to air their grievances unless you approve?

Well sir, I’ll inform you that we in America have what’s called the First Amendment. When you continue to allow the same person from our Planning Board to stand up and stump for Heritage Wind but not allow the people to respond, you have just committed another act of malfeasance.

You are free to be silent in Barre.

John Metzler

Barre

Editor:

For the second year I have received an “escrow deficiency” letter from my mortgage company.  Both times now I have been required to pay a lump sum of roughly $950 (plus/minus a few bucks) due to tax hikes, out of pocket to offset this, and my mortgage has increased significantly regardless.

The first year I paid the $950 +/- and my mortgage still went up almost $55 and change. This year I am opting to not cough that cash up because simply put, I do not have it. Because of that, my mortgage is going up again, this time significantly to the tune of an extra $160/month. The math says in 2 years my mortgage has gone up $215 in 2 years… For what?

In 2015 when I purchased my home on South Avenue here in Medina, my mortgage was roughly $540 a month. After the last escrow deficiency my mortgage went up to $595 and some change – keep in mind I coughed up $950+/- just to keep it that low. My new mortgage statement for the month of December 2019 is now $756/month moving forward.

I ask you, what the blue bloody heck has this town done to warrant that kind of hike?  What are we spending this money on?  Where is it going to?  I don’t have kids in school and I don’t use any of the “services” outlined in the towns justification for doing this, not to mention most of the big services I actually need (i.e. water/sewer) are things I pay for out of pocket every 3 months anyways.

I’m a firm a believer in “don’t like it? Change it” So I’m selling my house, and moving out of this godforsaken state. There is no reason that I am paying nearly $3,800 a year in taxes to live in a town with less than 6,000 people on a 1,600 square foot house, in a town with literally nothing to offer but bars to get drunk at and pizza places. I purchased my barely 1600 square foot home for less than 60k and if I follow through with my mortgage full term in this town, I will have invested over $100,000 for seemingly nothing. And I already know this isn’t the end of the tax hikes.

I saw the proverbial writing on the wall early in this year, and thus purchased a home in PA just over the border, where my yearly taxes are roughly $1,150 all-in.

I urge all of you to go to more meetings, voice your opinions loud and clear and most importantly vote them out.

P.S. My house will be on the market or for rent sometime before or right after the new year.

Sincerely,

Leonard Lauricella

Medina

Editor:

On behalf of the Orleans County Legislature, I wish to share our appreciation to all of the Highway Departments across Orleans County and to our First Responders for taking quick action during our first snow fall of this season.

Public safety is a very high concern for the Legislature and we made it through this early snowfall thanks to everyone’s dedication. Your actions did not go unnoticed.

Thank you.

Lynne M. Johnson, Chairman

Orleans County Legislature

Editor:

I write about impeachment so people know the basics without all the bickering.

First: The President and Congress are all required to take an oath to uphold our laws and Constitution. Our framers took oaths very seriously!

An oath meant you were putting your soul, your reputation, and your place in history on the line. Gentlemen, with internal moral compasses, were expected to know the difference between what is meant to fully and faithfully carry out our laws and Constitution and anything that served other purposes.

Second: Our founders were extremely concerned to avoid the prospect of there ever being a king, a strongman, or dishonorable person who put themselves first. Therefore anyone who violated the oath could be removed for “bribery, extortion, and other high crimes and misdemeanors.”

They did not distinguish between an attempted bribe or if the bribe or extortion worked or not or anything else that violated the oath. If the President (with or without anyone helping him/her) took any actions that sounded like bribery they were betraying their oath. For criminal purposes, and not impeachment, there are certainly lots of ins and outs for each and every criminal act. (Clinton got impeached but did not get removed from office as his perjury did not affect putting the Country first.)

All sort of words are getting tossed about – due process, having the whistle blower testify, refusing to answer questions or respond to subpoena’s etc. A couple of comments about basics are important.

1)  Law keeping the confidence of whistle blowers predates the Constitution!

2) The processes being used reflect Congresses past practices. Intelligence matters and grand jury are secret. The House is simply acting as a grand jury. The fact that the President can hear the witnesses and cross examine them in the House (and before trial in the Senate) is not in the Constitution but is what was done for Clinton.

It seems like either public relations or a ploy hoping the Supreme Court will interfere with long-standing Congressional processes.

3) Congress has the right to issue any subpoena it wants and has its own authority to jail anyone who does not comply. The exceptions are for presidential secrets or anyone else if they go to court to quash the subpoena as improper. In the past Congress and the President work out a compromise.

But a) generally once anyone talks about a Presidential secret or any issue in public any claim of privilege vanishes and b) Congress almost never uses its independent power to hold people in contempt for not going to court as it does not have jails and would have to rent them out or build them.

There is simply no existing right to just refuse a subpoena. I am thinking that the President hopes the Supreme Court will agree with a legal defense that he can do anything he wants anytime – in a Appeals Court last month one of his attorneys claimed the President could actually kill people and not be stopped.

Attorney General Barr who has also sworn allegiance to Opes Die seems to believe that. It’s a dangerous idea!

Conrad Cropsey

Albion