Editor:

Most would agree that a strong and active two-party system is vital to our country.  The Orleans Republican Party is alive and well.

However, the Orleans Democratic Party may be another story. A number of observers have said the county Democratic party is in a mess and in shambles.

The party website lists a Jeff Lewis as Chairman. One way to show his party is alive and well would be for Mr. Lewis to post items in The Hub on his party’s campaign strategy, where he could discuss the issues and show how his party intends to get out the vote prior to the Presidential Election.

Posting items in The Hub, and writing letters to the Editor could be indicators the Orleans Democratic Party is alive and well. No word from Mr. Lewis

could mean the observers are correct.

Jack Capurso

Albion High School 1960

Ashburn, Va.

Editor:

In a previous letter to the editor on Aug. 27, I outlined Harris’s ongoing efforts to keep home illegal immigrants by creating jobs in Honduras, Guatemala, among others.

The second part of the Biden-Harris program has focused on the US-Mexico border and has reduced illegal crossings by 80%.

Harris adviser Blas Nunez-Neto has worked out an arrangement with Mexico. The deal allows the US to return large numbers of non-Mexican migrants back to their home countries.

In short, the two-part Harris plan of creating jobs to keep people home, and smart tough restrictions at the US-Mexico border is ongoing and working.

Ref: Washington Post, Sept. 1, 2024, page 1, “Little-known adviser helmed Biden’s bid to tighten border.”

Jack Capurso

Albion High School, Class of 1960

Ashburn, Va.

Editor:

Going back to its opening the Martin-Linsin Hospice Residence in Albion has been the “Shining Star” of Orleans County’s health care system. Following its grand opening ceremony in November 2012, The Daily News proclaimed, it’s the “Birth of a Miracle!”

We can be proud of the fact that it opened following an incredible community-based fundraising campaign which raised $2.3 million; a good share of it was local funding provided by those in our community who were from the beginning very proud of what their efforts and contributions brought to Orleans County.

I was privileged to be on the Board of Directors from 2014 until July 2021. I was part of a team that had a true passion for the mission of Hospice. My motivation in taking on this responsibility was very personal. In 2003 my little sister Melody Lape passed away from cancer and had been a Hospice patient. Her husband Craig would eventually become the President of the Hospice Board which led The Martin-Linsin Hospice Residence construction project. Both he and I helped to fund one of the eight rooms in her honor.

The Martin-Linsin Hospice Residence was born of a vision into the future as a health care facility which the Orleans County community could be proud of. It was funded essentially by a localized fundraising effort, and until recently it has been locally staffed and led by members of our community and under the guidance of a Board of Directors that are your friends, neighbors, or fellow employees.

And now according to the Hospice of Orleans website, the current Board of Directors is now led by Mr. John Lomeo. He has served as the President and CEO of Niagara Hospice for 24 years until his retirement in July 2024.

The remaining members of the Hospice of Orleans Board are now also Niagara Hospice Board members, except for one local representative. With a “Board” and “Team” of five members combined, all except one are from Niagara County and they have no apparent link whatsoever to our community.

I am dismayed to think that what began as a community founded, community based and community supported hospice residence now may have an uncertain future?

If you have been following this calamity the Hospice of Orleans authorities have denied closing the Martin-Linsin Residence, but states that it is on “pause.” I have stopped in several times recently. The Residence is not staffed, there is no maintenance going on, there is no housekeeping underway, the employees are otherwise reassigned or laid off, and the doors are locked; trust me, it’s closed! If it looks like a duck and sounds like a duck … it’s a duck!

When I was on the Board, we worked diligently to promote all of our services to the public. We worked very closely with the social workers in the neighboring hospitals to let them know we were available to help if needed.

We personally contacted key medical professionals in the area to remind them of what we could offer their patients who were facing an end-of-life diagnosis. We maintained a very close contact with the hospice agencies of every neighboring county to let them know when we had a room available per chance they needed our help.

And now all of a sudden there are no patients in Orleans County or in the seven counties of Western New York in need of residential hospice care? Are the good citizens of Orleans County all of a sudden healthier; I would suggest likely not!

However, very sadly we must accept this “pause” dictated to us by a group of people that ostensibly have absolutely no personal or professional interest in providing a respectful and honorable end-of-life experience for members of our community; the residents of Orleans County.

Apparently, The Miracle is over.

Doug Miller

Albion

Editor:

As the days wind down before the November Presidential election, Americans are once again faced with a choice. The choice is not about who the most likable candidate is, but who will do the best job.

For the most part, we can no longer trust mainstream media for the truth. They have evolved into an amoral institution; no longer able to meet the standard of excellence of just telling the truth. Instead they serve their own interests and a culture of lying has been born as Paul H. Weaver states in News and the Culture of Lying: How Journalism Really Works, Paul H. Weaver (The Free Press, 1994).

Both the media and government are married to a ruthless network of manipulation and egotism. As a result of this decadent union, the need to create crises to arouse the interest of the public has emerged. Journalists capitalize on this as the government, in turn,  follows suit to showcase their role as protector.  Many times these so-called crises are purely joint concoctions to lie to the public instead of telling us what is true and preventing the government in ruling accordingly.

Many Americans are now faced with a conundrum – who to believe?

As for me, I have established my own criteria to help me make the best decision. Having been vigilant over the last four years has allowed me to see the light, to weed out the smokescreens – so I can get to the truth.

It is vital that our freedom of speech and religion always be a given for all of us and future generations.

As a former teacher, it is imperative that teaching math, history, and science return to the classroom instead of indoctrination of our children.

Peace in the Middle East and returning our troops from foreign countries to end America’s involvement in foreign conflicts must start. Focus on what needs to be cleaned up here in our own nation: the domestic war of homelessness, drugs, poverty, a broken welfare system.

Instead of outsourcing a lot of jobs overseas, keep jobs in America to rebuild our economy and add credibility to the label: American Made.

Securing borders and legal immigration is a must.

The police need to be respected once again. They are on the line every day to risk their lives to protect us. Again, the media has done extensive damage to these men and women. Dramatizing one part of an incident only shows one part of the story.

Law and order must be maintained everywhere. Looting, violent protests, burning businesses and cities should carry the highest penalties, so these violent acts are stopped in their tracks. Criminals being put back on the streets is nothing short of insanity.

The military and veterans who fought for this country should be afforded the greatest honor and respect.

The Constitution and the Bill of Rights must be protected.

For me, these standards define a better America, and I will vote for the candidate who has repeatedly upheld them, along with our national security and the Constitution.

Mary Mager

Fairport, formerly of Albion

Editor:

MAGA is needlessly frightening people telling them their houses and unrealized gains in danger and going to be taxed away. Poppy cock.

Like the British and Germans if you make over sic. a hundred million a year you might have to pay an extra tax. But (big BUT) they will avoid the tax by investing in domestic jobs through loans, deductions, and credits to offset it. That is how an economy grows.

It makes sure some money keeps getting invested in the very people who made them rich in the first place.

Also on the issue of fright, campaigning in a prohibited area of Arlington Cemetery is less an issue in some ways than the use of force to push an employee out of the way. It reminds me of all the 2015 rallies with fist fights. Back then, until the liability lawyers got involved, Trump promised to pay the legal bills of supporters who beat up reporters and opponents. That’s mob rule.

Threats, violence, false claims, and things like stacking partisan Election Boards are contrary to a honest government entrusted with our freedom.

Debunking stuff like this is exactly why other countries look up to us. We have, and always will, fight off enemies of freedom within and without to ensure that our freedom remains joyous.

In FDR’s time the motto was “We do our part.” We lift each other up. That attitude made us the greatest nation on Earth!

Being careful to not needlessly scare people with bad facts or superficial analysis and fastidiously avoid placing anyone in fear by associating with, or encouraging, thugs is essential to ensuring freedom survives. That is part of a leaders part of doing their part.

Respectfully

Conrad F. Cropsey

Albion

Update from Conrad Cropsey on Sept. 3 at 3:22 p.m.:

Editor:

When I wrote about the tax on the top 10,000 peoples unrealized gains. I should have said that it’s proposed in Britain and Germany and enacted in Spain and Norway.

Further, I should have been more clear that there is a practice among these 10,000 people of living off of loans on their immense wealth in order to reduce their taxes. Like anything with tax, ways to avoid tax are immensely complex and that loophole would have to be addressed.

Editor:

A handful of giant corporations such as Cargill and JBS have control of agriculture, from what farmers pay for seeds and fertilizer to what they are paid for their finished products.

As a result farmer gets squeezed at both ends from input to output. I explained in my last letter how the Trump administration prioritized these corporations over small family farms. In this letter, I would like to outline some of the ways the Biden-Harris administration is helping small farmers. The Biden-Harris administration strengthened farmers’ bargaining position when dealing with these large corporations and has made antitrust a central theme.

For example, the Trump administration greenlit both the Bayer-Monsanto merger, which created the world’s largest company for vegetable seeds, cotton seeds and herbicides, and the Dow-DuPont merger, which created the largest ag-biotech and seed firm in the U.S.

The Biden-Harris administration sued to block the merger of supermarket chains Kroger and Albertsons. Farm Action stated: “A successful merger between the two companies would leave dairy farmers with fewer places to sell their milk, and grant Kroger-Albertsons with untold power to command lower prices. As a result, independent producers would inevitably be forced out of business.”

The Biden-Harris administration also filed legal action against Koch Foods Inc. to prevent them from requiring chicken farmers to pay a “termination penalty” for switching to a different processor. President Biden has issued an executive order directing the FTC to go after corporate “right to repair” restrictions that prevent farmers and ranchers from doing their own maintenance on equipment.

It is no accident that under the Biden-Harris administration, net farm incomes have gone up from $94 billion in the years between 2017 to 2019 to $165 billion between 2021 to 2023. Our local farmers and farm communities are economically more healthy under the Biden-Harris administration.

William Fine

Brockport

Editor:

The State of West Virginia, the cities of Cumberland, MD, Tulsa, OK and Rochester, NY have created programs to lure people who already have jobs, and work remotely, to their cities.

Cumberland is giving $20,000 to people who agree to buy a home and live in the community.

The Rochester program, called Greater ROC Relocate, grants up to $9,000 towards purchasing a home. In addition the State of West Virginia has started the Ascend program which offers $12,000 to people willing to live in the city of Morgantown and the Greenbrier Valley areas.

The Tulsa, Oklahoma program now has 3,000 people working remotely which has added $62 million to its economy.

Perhaps the Orleans County Government, the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce and the 10 Orleans towns could consider creating such a program.  It could be called OR Relocate.

Jack Capurso

AHS 1960

Ashburn, Va.

Editor:

I agree with Ms. Mager, VP Kamala Harris’s record needs mentioning. Biden decided early in his administration he would concentrate on foreign affairs and the economy, among others.  He assigned Harris: abortion, the US-Mexico border problem and voting rights.

On the abortion issue, Harris has visited 18 states, made countless speeches, and worked one-on-one with state legislators to convince them of the importance of a woman’s choice.

Regarding voting rights, she has worked to require federal approval of any changes to voting rights in localities and states. This is because some local areas are trying to restrict Black and Hispanic Americans from voting in local and state elections.

In her most impressive achievement to date, in May 2021 she created the Central America Forward Program (CAFP). Most observers have long known that if provided good-paying jobs, illegal immigrants in Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador would stay home.  The CAFP has $4.2 billion to create jobs in these countries. CAFP is an ongoing program: see US State Department, Progress on CAFP.

Jack Capurso

Albion High School 1960

Ashburn, Va

Editor:

On August 1st, I read an interesting Letter to the Editor by Mary Mager regarding her thoughts on Kamala Harris. The letter was extremely well crafted, so I was not surprised to learn that Mager is a former English teacher.

She addressed Harris’ unremarkable career as part of the political machine with which she has been involved most of her adult life. As Mager listed the Harris failures, she methodically backed up each point with specific examples. In writing about Harris, Mager was under no obligation to discuss Trump. Her letter was concerned only with her thoughts about Harris. Letters submitted to the editor are not required to compare candidates, as Capurso later suggests.

On August 16th, Capurso made a statement which I, and others, found hard to believe. Just as Mager gave examples to back up her claims, in this instance the same standard should apply to him. In order to back up his claim regarding Republican women, he needs to list their names.

I have friends from both major parties, as well as independents, and I have yet to meet anyone so unhinged that they cannot speak President Trump’s name. Until Capurso reveals names, his statement is incomplete, and must be dismissed as splash and hyperbole. Listing Mager as one of those woman is slight of hand and has no merit.  As it stands, when he attempted to hijack her letter and put words in her mouth, he made himself look like a bully, and his presumption that he was in a position to grade her letter certainly fortifies my opinion.

I am two things, each as important to me as the other. I am a feminist and an independent voter. Capurso’s implication that republican women are unhinged, along with his snide attempt to twist Mager’s words to include her in that group, left me with the clear impression that he is a throwback to the male chauvinist days.

That, along with his constant ranting and raving about President Trump on this venue, may well steer me to cast my vote for Trump on November 5th. That is the unintended consequence of belittling the views of others. The women I know and share friendships with belong to all different political parties, and not one of them is so fragile as his alleged cadre of Republican lady friends.

Mary Hare

Medina

Editor:

Under the Trump administration, farm policy prioritized large farms and farm corporations over small family farms. For example, the Trump administration revoked rules to protect livestock producers from exploitation by big agricultural operators.

Mr. Trump also weakened oversight of meat packers to the detriment of individual small farmers. After attempts to eliminate the Undersecretary for Rural Development, (the position was left vacant during the Trump administration), the budget was slashed. The mission of Department of Agriculture’s (USDA), Rural Development provides financial resources to rural communities improving the life in rural America.

Another way the Trump administration hurt small farmers was by reducing the workforce and the budget of the Economic Research Service and National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Beyond cutting available services and resources to rural farmers the Trump administration started a trade war, closing markets and raising consumer prices.

A study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture found that agricultural exports were reduced by $27 billion from mid-2018 when the tariffs were imposed to the end of 2019. These policies led directly to the soaring farm bankruptcies that erupted under the Trump Presidency.

In his next administration he will continue these policies more aggressively and will cut crop insurance policies. Recently, a hail storm damaged the apple crop in Orleans County, cutting or repealing crop insurance, as Project 2025 proposes, will devastate farmers and local communities. A second Trump administration will devastate rural America.

William Fine

Brockport

Editor:

To add some insight to a recent Letter to the Editor, reader, if you don’t want to believe what the press prints then take a few moments to reflect on what Donald Trump, the man himself, posted to his own “Truth Social” concerning R.F. Kennedy Jr.

In his own words:

“Don’t waste any Republican or Conservative votes on Junior. He’s one of the most Liberal Lunatics ever to run for office. He caused massive high energy pricing in New York and New England. He just admitted that he was actually OK with the Vaccine. A Phony Radical Left fool whose poll numbers are TERRIBLE, and getting worse. His campaign is falling apart, great dissension!!!” – Truth Social on May 25

“So bad that FoxNews puts RFK Jr., considered the dumbest member of the Kennedy Clan, on their fairly conservative platform so much. Competitive networks don’t want anything to do with him. He’s a Radical Left Lunatic whose crazy Climate Change views make the Democrat’s Green New Scam look Conservative. He’s polling badly, 8% at best, but says he does well against Crooked Joe and me, one on one. WRONG, he gets trounced! Junior said I’m the ‘best debater’ in generations, and I want to debate him, and Crooked, but first he’s got to get his bad poll numbers up – a lot! He would be ‘easy pickins.’ Republicans, don’t waste your precious vote on this phony Liberal Activist. With all of that said, he probably hurts Sleepy Crooked Joe more than ‘US!’” – Truth Social on May 1

“RFK Jr. is the most Radical Left Candidate in the race, by far. He’s a big fan of the Green New Scam, and other economy killing disasters. I guess this would mean he is going to be taking votes from Crooked Joe Biden, which would be a great service to America. His running mate, Nicole Shanahan, is even more ‘Liberal’ than him, if that’s possible. Kennedy is a Radical Left Democrat, and always will be!!! It’s great for MAGA, but the Communists will make it very hard for him to get on the Ballot. Expect him, and her, to be indicted any day now, probably for Environmental Fraud! He is Crooked Joe Biden’s Political Opponent, not mine. I love that he is running!” – Truth Social on March 27

We are all allowed our own opinions, but not our own facts. Voters, please take the time to separate the “Truth” from the fiction.

Bob Furmanski

De Kalb (Weston), MO

(Furmanski has many family members from Orleans County.)

Editor:

As a freelance writer, I often find myself going down the rabbit hole. The one that nobody else wants to bother with or talk about.

I am very aware how many people feel about Donald Trump. Many reasons have been cited, and no one seems to hold back the abundance of ammunition pointed at this man.

As I reread everyone’s comments, there was not one writer who explained why Kamala Harris would be the best choice for America. I find that very interesting and somewhat odd- that they would bring forth everything bad about Trump but nothing good about Harris.

This made me wonder why. Are people tending to lean toward a candidate, with a broken track record, because they hate Trump so much? To sacrifice better judgement at all costs to elect someone who displays no standard of excellence?

As many of you know, I attempted to explain her lack of productivity and was accused of not shedding light on Trump’s record. Perhaps I expect the same in return.

Where is the evidence or timeline of exemplary accomplishments for Harris? What makes her the better candidate? Why have no writers on this platform illustrated her proficiency?

There is an obvious imbalance between the overload of negativity toward Trump and the noticeable scarcity of positivity toward Harris.

Questions such as these make me go down the rabbit hole. I might not like what I find, but I usually get my answers.

Mary Mager

Fairport, formerly of Albion

Editor:

The iconic Kennedy family inspired me and millions of others to become interested in politics  in the 1960s.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is the nephew of the late President John F. Kennedy and eldest son of the late Senator Robert F. Kennedy Sr., was effectively forced out of the 2024 election for next President of the United States by his own party…the same party that revered his family and rode their legacy for generations.

He risked so much in entering the election of 2024, as he was denied any real platform where he could discuss his views. He was excluded from debates, which made it virtually impossible to get his message to voters. He risked his own personal safety to launch his campaign, as he was denied Secret Service protection, in spite of the fact that his uncle and his father were both felled by assassins.

Those of you who still think the Democrat Party is the party of your fathers might want to watch RFK Jr.’s speech, delivered on Friday, as he suspended his campaign and then endorsed and joined forces with former President Trump.

Now, none of us will ever know what he might have done if given that chance. But, as one path ends another path begins, and one on which I wish him godspeed and much success. The Washington Democrats didn’t want him, but everyone else will gladly take him as our own. He received thunderous applause on Friday night at the Republican rally in Arizona, and former President Trump looks forward to working with “Bobby” in forming a committee to address the myriad of health issues that plague the children of America today.

How can the richest country on earth have the sickest children?  That is what we all want to know. All parties surely must agree on this because the children are our greatest national treasure.

Finally, as far as the media goes, they are corrupt and sink lower and lower in the eyes of the public on a daily basis. They have enjoyed and abused the power they were entrusted with, but their time is rapidly coming to an end.

Truth is finding its way into the light, as truth always will. Kennedy said the people who practice censorship are not good people. He is certainly correct. Nobody believes anything the press prints. We all find alternative places to get our news.

Mary Hare

Medina

Editor:

I am beginning to see a current trend occurring in this column that I find disturbing. The Hub has a forum for the opinions of our area residents.

At the moment, our presidential elections are only a few weeks away. I am seeing a lot of mud-slinging from the progressive left. OK, you’ve written and have had your comments published.

It seems to me that if anyone dare to write and have published a different opinion, these contributors are verbally attacked …as if they’re not allowed to have their own political opinion.

I find this being unfair and narrow-minded. No one will ever see everything the same way and that’s what makes everyone unique and with value. Please be kind to one another in this column.

Ms. Major was unfairly attacked in the letter she contributed to this column. Be fair to one another. Please, all have the right to their opinion.

Sincerely,

Sandra Shingleton

Albion

Editor:

As I find myself living my 75th year on the planet, I am reflecting on some of the most strange and surprising things I have witnessed.

Nothing seems more bizarre to me than the idea that nearly 50% of our citizenry is willing to support, and vote for, Donald Trump. If I agreed with all his plans for and opinions about our nation, I still wouldn’t be able to vote for him. If he could somehow eliminate the five worst things he has done in his 78 years, moving up #s 6-15 to his “top ten of awfulness,” he would still appall me.

 I had a brief discussion with a stranger a few days ago. Got around to my observation that if, on 9/11, the jet that struck the Pentagon had targeted the Capitol building instead, both Senator Ted Kennedy and First Lady Laura Bush would have been killed.

He told me that it was a missile that struck the Pentagon. I said, “Oh, you are a Trump supporter, I bet!”  He went on to tell me what a “great patriot” Trump is. (If Trump is a great patriot, I might be the Pillsbury Dough Boy.) We soon parted ways. Can’t recall whether or not I informed him what I wouldn’t do if Mr. Trump was on fire.

How such a life-long con man can be supported by more than 10% of our citizens both astounds and frightens me.

Tom Taber

Albion