Editor:

Voters in the Albion School District are blessed to able to choose from among several candidates for the school board on May 17.

While I do not know all of them, I do know Steve LaLonde.  Steve has the background, experience, training, and temperament to be an asset to the school board. Decision makers can often get bogged down, or even overwhelmed, by numbers and studies.  As an educator with a statistics background, Steve would be invaluable to the board.

Beyond these thingsand perhaps more importanthe is a listener with humility who understands that there are a great many intelligent people in the Albion School District. I believe he would be among those who truly respect the views of other members of the board rather than seek to impose his thinking on them.

Having attempted to recruit many fine Orleans County residents to public service with limited success, it is my opinion that we have an opportunity to add a fine man to the public service mix here in Albion.

Sincerely yours,

Gary Kent
Albion

Editor:

We are former members of the Medina Central School District Board of Education who continue to be concerned with the direction and health of our school district.

We can easily recall Medina CSD once being a highly ranked district within the county. The demographics of the district are not all that different from others in the area – poverty levels, graduation rates or student absenteeism. Leadership is key to addressing the challenging issues facing our schools and regaining our position of excellence.

Medina CSD is fortunate to now have in Mr. Jeffrey Evoy a superintendent who has a very diverse background in education and knows the importance of residing in the district he serves. As former board members, we experienced the difficulty of having open recruitment and properly vetting candidates.

We believed that the students, staff and community would be best served by having a transparent, accountable process and fought hard to assure everyone’s interests were heard and respected. In short, we were not willing to settle for ‘business as usual’ when it came to the oversight of our school district.

Also, we were fortunate to have had a business administrator, Mr. Alan Getter, who began to rebuild our depleted reserve funds. It is through his initial efforts to address numerous financial issues that (we newer) board members became acutely aware of the questionable oversight which had gone unchecked for some time.

When Mr. Getter was questioned, he respectfully answered or researched an issue so that accurate information was available. This was not only necessary but a refreshing change from ‘business as usual’. It is fair to say we spent far too much time cleaning up mismanaged issues and too many surprise situations which were not dealt with in a timely or professional manner.

Board members are entrusted with the responsibility of representing the entire community. Special interests, an agenda or a desire to promote ‘friends and family’ hiring practices have no place in board oversight. The best qualified personnel, thoroughly vetted, build a quality educational environment.

For so many reasons and from our past experience on the board, we support and endorse the candidacy of Wendi Pencille, Lori Draper and Brenda Lindsay.

Each brings varied experience to the board. Wendi and Lori are hard-working current board members, and Brenda, with a strong background in finance, has served as a community member of the board’s audit/finance committee for several years. Brenda has been an excellent asset when reviewing financial issues. The community will be well served by each of these candidates.

Wendi, Lori and Brenda are committed to independent, open-minded representation. They are not supported by any specific organization or union. Board members must represent the best interests of the entire community; students, staff and taxpayers.
Leadership must be honest, trustworthy and fair. Vote on Tuesday, May 17th.

Former Medina BOE members,

Susan Squires
Maureen Blackburn
Rosalind Lind

Editor:

One of the things I have learned in life is there are things I want and things that I need. Wants and needs are two completely different things. That is why I am prompted to write when I see a County Legislature that could not give us a tax cut looking to spend 30,000 dollars on a feasibility study to put an addition on the DMV building.

Need: Board of Elections needs to be relocated. I can not believe that there is nowhere in this county complex that the agency could be moved to. According to Chairman Callard there isn’t. I do not believe you sir.

Wants: A fancy conference room, and a fancy new legislative chambers. Somewhere, sometime one or more of our legislators must have been in another county with a much richer tax base than ours, saw better legislative chambers and I’m guessing now wants it for themselves. I say you don’t need it.

Much of our tax money has been put into the Clerks Building and the grounds. It is looking quite nice, actually beautiful. A resident put it right when he said that there is too much history in that chamber to abandon it. Many agree.

Lastly, none of you are that important that you need to spend the 30,000 to study it. This is why when budget time comes around and Mr. Nesbitt puts on his somber show and blames unfunded mandates for all the woes of the county, it is hard to swallow. The problem is you spend too much on unnecessary things.

You care only about doing things for government, to advance and grow government and for the good of government. The feasibility of a new county jail was also brought up from years ago. I remember because myself and a group of others opposed that and instead of spending 42 million on a new complex, the barely 40-year-old building built by a former Legislature Chairman’s relative was actually looked at and repaired for around a million dollars.

I believe Legislator Johnson did that looking. If not for protest from the public, more taxpayer money would have been wasted. So my two cents is make due with what you have. Stop wasting money unless it’s to cut our taxes. The 30,000 is a year’s salary for the average Joe in this county and you all toss it away for selfish reasons. My opinion.

Paul Lauricella Jr.
Lyndonville

Editor:

History was made on April 22, Earth Day, when 175 countries signed the Paris Agreement on Climate Change to reduce carbon emissions. This was the largest number of countries to sign an agreement in one day. There were many children present for the signing, and UN Secretary General Ban said that the day represented a “day for our children and grandchildren and all generations to come.”

Everyone has a part to play in this global effort, and in some cases, we are being led by our young people. Congratulations to the University of Buffalo, recently recognized as “first among college campuses nationwide in the use of green power.” Young people are concerned about their future, and they should be.

Wind energy is one of the cleanest forms of energy and critical to tackling the 21st century’s greatest challenges of combating climate change and reducing carbon emissions.

This “home grown” power pays back any carbon used in startup within a few months. Adding wind power to America’s energy mix diversifies the nation’s energy portfolio, diminishing our reliance on fossil fuels.

I support Lighthouse Wind and Heritage Wind for our future, but especially for our children’s future, and our children’s children.

It is our way of doing our part of a national and a greater global effort to build the needed infrastructure for a better, cleaner future.

Sincerely,

Linda Fisk
Lyndonville

Editor:

I recently read of Clarendon’s Local Law #1-2016 requiring permits for structures as small as 64 square feet. It’s disheartening to see small, rural town governments failing to serve their constituents by promulgating frivolous, expensive laws that don’t serve the public they were elected to represent.

The Clarendon Board is Republican. I always thought Republicans were opposed to more laws, more fees and more regulation. Apparently I was wrong.

It’s germane to this letter to mention that I am a NYS Code Official. I work with local and State laws every day. NY State’s position on the matter is that structures 144 square feet or less do not require a permit. That said, Clarendon has the legal right to make a more restrictive requirement but to what end?

Ostensibly, as reported, it’s so the assessor can keep track of sheds and get them on the tax roll.

Let’s do the math: An applicant pays $40 for a shed permit. The building inspector has to review the application and plans, issue the permit, then file the permit. The Town Clerk has to accept the fees and make record of the receipt.

Then, the inspector has to visit the site for framing and final inspections. Following the inspections, the inspector has to return to the office, produce a certificate of compliance and mail that certificate to the applicant. The inspector also has to file a copy of the original of the C of C in the property record with the permit. I’m positive $40 doesn’t begin to cover the expenses associated with generating and administering a shed permit.

When a Town creates a local law, there are publication expenses, code book update expenses, attorney’s fees and filing fees. While costs vary, it’s not at all unusual for these costs to range into the thousands of dollars. Let me remind you we’re talking about a law that requires a permit for a shed that’s not much bigger than your sectional sofa. It’s not something important that will save lives.

The Town lost money issuing the permit and creating the law. Now, the assessor finally gets to put the shed on the tax roll. Let’s say it’s an awesome 8×8 shed and it gets a $200 assessment. Clarendon’s tax rate is about $4 a thousand. That $200 assessment generates roughly 80 cents a year in revenue for Clarendon and around $8 a year in total tax revenue for the county, town and school combined. It will probably cost more to inventory the shed and track the shed than the shed will ever generate through taxation.

But wait. The Real Property Tax Law§1573 requires a physical inventory of real property at least once every 6 years. That means the assessor or an agent of the Town drives around and looks at every property and then inventories every property. Assume the miscreant shed builder maximized his nefarious plans by building his non-permitted shed the day after the inventory, the Town would be out less than 5 bucks in lost tax revenue. What I’m saying is, no shed goes untaxed for more than five years.

In the past, I’ve worked for municipalities who created knee-jerk laws like Clarendon’s in reaction to a suggestion or a complaint. Politicians giddy with their perceived power, completely out of touch with what’s good for their communities reacting to an imagined problem. Like Clarendon, they created solutions to problems that didn’t exist and laid the impossible task of enforcing the useless law on the already too busy code official.

The NY State residential code is very clear in its purpose and scope – on the first page it states: “This code is intended to provide minimum requirements to safeguard public safety, health and general welfare” The code was designed to promote safety, not as a tool to generate revenue.

Playhouses too fall under Clarendon’s draconian new law but they are specifically excluded from the NY Residential Code. What standard will Clarendon enforce when an applicant comes in with a permit request for a playhouse? The only defensible standard would be the same as residential construction – that’s ludicrous, right? Go ahead Clarendon, make up your own standard for playhouses. Pass a law called the Clarendon Playhouse Standard. Let me know how you fare in the personal injury lawsuits when kids get hurt on a Clarendon Playhouse. What? You’ll let your code official decide the standard? That provides more pockets to sue.

Clarendon is a rural community. People choose to live in Clarendon because it is a rural community. Every yard in Clarendon has room for a 12×12 shed and nobody should have to beg permission to own one. No parent should have to ask permission or buy a permit to build a playhouse for his/her children.

I’ll stop soon, but Clarendon, I’ll be happy to forward a copy of your new law to NY Ag and Markets. They’ll have blast with the part that says you may require a site plan from farmers for their Ag buildings.

Chad Fabry
Murray

Editor:

I find it interesting that I haven’t heard the Town of Gaines officials complain about Orleans County sharing sales tax revenue based upon an assessed property value formula instead of need. Yet, when it comes to expenses such as fire protection, where that formula isn’t as advantageous to them, then they complain.

If the Village of Albion didn’t exist guess what – everyone in the Town of Gaines would have to pay the same tax rate for the same service. If the Town of Gaines has to create its own fire department then the cost is likely to be mostly determined by the fixed building and equipment costs instead of costs that vary based upon the number of calls.

I don’t mind paying an extra village tax if it goes to some modest extra services that people do not receive in the countryside. But no one wants to pay extra for services that are roughly the same. Village tax rates should be the lowest instead of the highest.

Unless the governments of Orleans County can learn to work together in fairness you will see a continued lack of investment in and a decline of the villages. That outcome wouldn’t be beneficial to anyone in Orleans County.

Jason Dragon
Village of Albion

Editor:

Typically I tend to be more outspoken on county issues, not as much on local town issues. However, the recent revelations about the Albion Fire Department’s contract with the Town of Gaines and potential litigation against the town for slander have motivated me to speak up about the issues.

It is my understanding that Supervisor Culhane and the Town Board had been well aware that the contract was set to expire on Dec. 31, 2015. Instead of being proactive by appropriately budgeting and allocating resources, under Supervisor Culhane’s leadership, the Town Board has failed the taxpayers and residents of the town of Gaines.

The actions (or inactions) of Supervisor Culhane and the Town Board have greater implications than one might see on the surface – on the surface it is evident that the residents in the Town of Gaines will not have fire protection after Aug. 31.

However, if you look deeper – taxpayers will likely see their fire insurance costs increase, the AFD will see a dramatic reduction in its manpower, and what does this mean for the insurance costs of businesses in Gaines? All of these are issues that were not considered when our elected officials allowed the contract to end.

Also, taxpayer dollars have been wasted on legal fees by fighting the windmill on the property of Chris and Karen Watt. Now, with their intentions of suing the town and four town officials, more taxpayer money will likely be wasted fighting the litigation in the court system -all from careless leadership on the part of Supervisor Culhane.

Once again in the Town of Gaines, we have been failed. Poor strategic planning and failed leadership have been at the expense of taxpayers for too long. Something needs to change – it is my hope that these prime examples of failed leadership do not slip the minds of voters when the elected officials are up for re-election.

Sincerely,

James White
Gaines

Editor:

When you’re driving and your phone makes that familiar “ding” sound, what do you do? Sadly, that’s a life or death question. Every day, nine Americans die from distracted driving such as texting and checking their phones. In New York State alone, there’s an 840 percent increase in tickets issued for texting while driving since 2011. How come? Because some drivers don’t believe It Can Wait.

It Can Wait is the name of AT&T’s campaign to educate motorists on the dangers of texting while driving. As New Yorkers mark another Distracted Driving Awareness Month, it’s a shame this dangerous behavior continues. Despite the number of crashes, life-altering injuries and preventable fatalities, drivers continue to put themselves and others at risk.

That’s why AT&T and AAA Western and Central New York (AAA WCNY) have educated drivers about the dangers of distracted driving for years and have partnered with Governor Andrew Cuomo to enact common sense laws aimed at preventing this dangerous behavior. Fortunately, these laws appear to be working. According to a newly-released study by AT&T, states with laws aimed at curbing these dangerous behaviors have lower rates of texting while driving.

Still, some drivers ignore the risks. This same study found that 1 in 10 motorists has video chatted behind the wheel. Similar studies by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety reported that more than 80 percent of drivers view distracted driving as a bigger problem than three years ago, yet 42 percent of drivers admit to reading a text message or email while driving.

For those drivers who can’t resist their phones, AT&T developed the DriveMode smartphone app that deactivates texting and other alerts when the car is moving and sends a friendly away message to people texting. AT&T also stages nationwide road shows with virtual reality driving simulators that challenge drivers to text while navigating busy streets (nearly every virtual driver crashes). AAA WCNY is also working to make our area roads safer with public service announcements, school programs, community events and driver training, and has been a leading traffic safety advocate since 1902.

As our world becomes increasingly mobile, keeping drivers, passengers, pedestrians and cyclists safe is an urgent community effort that demands driver awareness, law enforcement and common sense. The temptation to stay connected with friends, family, colleagues and social media is not worth risking a life. Making that decision to take your eyes off the road, even for just seconds, puts your own life in danger and threatens those around you.

Hopefully one day we won’t need a Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and we can give the month of April back to showers needed for those May flowers. But for now, as the grim traffic statistics grow, so does the campaign to fight distracted driving by AT&T and AAA Western and Central New York.

Marissa Shorenstein , New York President of AT&T

Anthony Spada, President-CEO, AAA Western and Central New York

Editor:

Over the past fifty years, or so, commercial interests have, to a considerable extent, hijacked Santa Claus in the interest of selling “things.” Prior to the ’40’s and ’50’s Santa Claus, a.k.a. “St. Nicholas,” remained more spiritually significant.

One of the more memorable and instructive images of legendary Albion native Charles W. Howard (June 15, 1896 – May 1, 1966) shows himas Santakneeling beside a cross. Though Mr. Howard tried his hand at toy-making, the image suggests that Charles Howard may have viewed Santa Claus much differently than he is often thought of now. Before he was used to promote Coca Cola and Mercedes Benz, Santa Claus was more often viewed as representative of a much more altruistic message and a force for good.

It was clear during last year’s Santa Convention in Albion that it was not primarily an interest in selling tin soldiers, Lincoln Logs, and video games that captured the imagination of Mr. Howard and the hundreds of Santas who revere him.

Rather, it is that Santa Claus embodies, in terms understandable to a three year-old, principles with religious significance. Santa Claus and Christmas are inseparable.

In one of the best known Christmas songs, “Santa Claus is Coming to Town,” the assertion is that, “He sees you when you’re sleeping; He knows when you’re awake; He knows if you’ve been bad, or good, so be good for goodness’ sake!” The “He” seems to refer to Santa Claus.

But isn’t the concept of Santa Claus as ever-present, all-knowing and just, curiously familiar to those for whom God represents the same qualities? St. Nicholas was a Christian Saint. For those being introduced to Christianity as children, hasn’t it always been useful to introduce the idea that virtuous conduct is rewarded? As children, one of the first messages we received was that an omniscient One knows what we are doing whether any mortal sees us or not.

One of the things that are likely developed through our early experiences with Christmasand Santais a conscience. As children, we learn that it may be useful to behave in order to avoid displeasing Santa. Hopefully, the concept evolves as we mature. Note that the lyrics from “Santa Claus is Coming to Town,” cited above, end with “. . . for goodness’ sake,” rather than, “. . . so you get some toys.”

The song title is, of course, misleading in one important way. It states, “Santa Claus is coming to town,” when in truth it implies he is always “in town” making note of how deserving we are.

On May 1st, the fiftieth anniversary of his passing, it might be well to reflect that Charles Howardand Santa Clauswere traditionally less about selling “things” and more about selling virtue.

Sincerely yours,

Gary Kent
Albion Betterment Committee

Editor:

4-H Grows. This is the name of the campaign being run nationwide to grow the 4-H program and help increase awareness of 4-H and what it means to become a 4-Her. The current focus of the campaign is “Grow True Leaders.”

Thankfully our county is full of true leaders. April 23rd was the perfect example. That day on the fairgrounds youth participated in a horse show, sewing workshop, tabletop gaming club, ran a food stand, and held a roast beef dinner. That day 27 of our 4-H adult volunteers were onsite and working in partnership with youth to make sure they had the best possible learning experiences.

On the 23rd many youth showcased themselves as true leaders by helping peers, taking the lead on organizing a kitchen, selling tickets to the public or teaching a new game to the rest of the group. Our community is full of true leaders who also made donations and contributions to make these events happen. It’s wonderful to be able to say what happened on April 23rd isn’t out of the ordinary, in fact it’s so typical of 4-H events that sometimes it’s easy to forget how special a day like that is.

4-H grows. We always welcome new members to explore 4-H and find out if it’s right for you and your family. We’re also always looking for volunteers with skills or interests they would like to share, whether it be teaching a one-time workshop or starting a club for a group of youth. Thank you to those who have grown 4-H and for those who want to keep growing.

Robert Batt
Orleans County 4-H Educator

Editor:

Thank you Councilman William Campbell for standing up for the residents of the Town of Clarendon and voting no twice on the oppressive, devoid of common sense, and tyrannical Local Law #1 requiring a building permit of detached structures 64 square feet or larger.

You are 100 percent right when you said “I don’t see the benefits to the Town of Clarendon. We should be looking to make things easier for residents.”

The elected officials’ job is not to oppress us but to protect our natural rights and uphold the oath of office one takes when sworn in. Unfortunately many in office see it as a tool to advance the nanny state and act as ruler rather than servant.

Paul Lauricella Jr.
Lyndonville

Editor:

Nearly 160 years ago the Mount Vernon Ladies Association led by founder Ann Pamela Cunningham purchased the home of George Washington with the intent of preserving and restoring the property. At $200,000, over $5 million today, the investment was large and frightful during a period of uncertainty in the nation. The effort is regarded as one of the first real efforts in historic preservation in the United States.

Since then, countless organizations have sprung up across the country in an attempt to preserve the rich cultural heritage of the U.S. To no surprise, Orleans County has her fair share of museums and historical societies sprinkled throughout the fourteen municipalities; perhaps too many to list for fear of excluding one. Those organizations were founded in a good faith effort to educate the local public about our shared history and many have grown and succeeded through the years.

Unfortunately, the current economy has not been kind to historical organizations. Our priorities have changed, arts and humanities are thrown to the side and resources are pumped into tangible outcomes in the sciences; cancer research and renewable energy are worthwhile projects by all means. Efforts to preserve the physical history around us prove to be extremely difficult and expensive at times. Any homeowner of an older property can explain the pain involved with maintenance and upkeep.

Our local historic gems have a small pool of local supporters who pay membership, contribute to pledge campaigns, and make in-kind donations on a regular basis. More often than not, those people constitute a pool of supporters who provide contributions to all historic organizations across the board. The result is an overburdened supporting base that finds itself overtaxed physically and financially.

Many of those sites are accessed by people across the country and across the globe. The Cobblestone Museum regularly welcomes visitors from countries in Europe, visitors from Germany, Belgium, Ireland and as far out as New Zealand. The interest in these sites is real and far reaching. Yet few of our existing sites are supported by local municipalities. Instead, many are left to struggle, reducing hours, services, and programming.

Heritage tourism is a real thing and should be supported by all levels of government. Studies show that a new generation of museum-goers has entered the scene, a younger, more energetic generation with varying interestswith that comes money.

Members of the community are now interested in supporting a museum/building/statue to the memory of Charles Howard and the Santa Claus School. I’m not going to argue whether we should honor Howard or not, that answer is simple. I’m not going to argue whether we need a new parking lot in downtown or not, the answer to that was spelled out several years ago in a parking study conducted by the Albion Main Street Alliance. Instead, I am going to cry out for the community to support the historical assets we already have, not recreate the lost ones.

People outside of Medina are likely unaware that the Company F Memorial Committee is working to raise over $70,000 for the erection of a bronze statue atop the Company F Memorial at the Medina Armory, in honor of those men who served with the unit. The memorial in its truest sense extends beyond honoring only those who served with Company F, but all men who served from Orleans County from the Spanish American War through our most current conflicts.

Few people are aware that the Cobblestone Museum is amidst a comprehensive project to raise funds for the restoration of windows on the oldest cobblestone church in North America, the only National Historic Landmark in Orleans County; a project that encompasses extensive repairs to a cobblestone home once owned by Horace Greeley. How many are aware that the Clarendon Historical Society is raising funds for the restoration of the historic chapel at Hillside Cemetery? What about the efforts of the Orleans County Historical Association to save one of the oldest cobblestone buildings in the county?

Every day we lose historic sites throughout the country because the interest and support needed to save them is not there. Far too young to ever have experienced this myself, I have heard the stories of the beautiful mansions that lined South Main Street, allowed to fall into disrepair and become yet another victim of urban sprawl. How many residents reminisce about the beauty that was once Albion?

My hope is that our greater community in Orleans County will come to appreciate what we have and see that we do not need to recreate what was lost. Save what is here, before it is too late!

Matthew Ballard
Albion

Editor:

For well over a year, I have listened with true appreciation to a number of people who have commented on how long they have lived here, including many who were born here.

I think another perspective is also warranted. I was not born here; in fact, my father was in the military so we moved often, as I have also done as an adult. I have lived in three countries and 13 states.

We spent over two years looking before we found our home here. We did not choose to make our home here to live in the middle of an industrial wind factory and if I wanted to live in the middle of 70 skyscraper-tall buildings, I would have chosen to live in NYC.

Having said that, I’d like to thank the Town Board for updating the wind law; certainly the size and technology have changed since it was first written and I appreciate the board trying to protect us all as much as possible from the negative effects this project would bring. To be honest, I don’t understand how anyone can not support this updated law. Even if you are in favor of the project, basic safeguards are necessary for our health, safety, and welfare.

So, how can APEX be upset with this law? It can’t be because of the property value guarantee. They’ve repeatedly told us that our property values won’t decrease! It certainly can’t be the baseline health study. Again, they’ve repeatedly said that there are no negative health effects.

Despite evidence to the contrary, they claim that the people complaining about them from around the world are exaggerating what are simply “annoyances.”

So, that leaves us with the setbacks. But the setbacks being required are actually under average compared to other communities! You aren’t even on the more restrictive end of the scale! If APEX says that these very basic setbacks equal a ban (as they said to Somerset); that’s on them. What that really means is that this project is improperly sited.

It means that they did not do their homework; they are trying to place the largest turbines ever built in an area that is too populated. The setbacks would not be a problem if that weren’t true. There are communities and even countries that have setbacks in excess of a mile or more to protect their populations; these setbacks pale in comparison. Not to mention the increasing number of communities that are now actually banning these projects altogether due to the overwhelming and negative effects they have. If only we had that right!

In fact, the only places that have industrial wind turbines without complaints from nearby residents are those projects not near residents! When wind companies say that there are few complaints at most wind projects it is because most of them are sited in sparsely populated areas like North Texas and Iowa. Rural New York is 20 times more populated than those areas. In projects that are in more populated areas, guess what? There are complaints and lawsuits over the negative impacts. Frankly, in light of that, I wish the setbacks were farther.

It’s time for APEX to acknowledge their mistake; they chose an area that is too populated; an area rich in wildlife, natural scenic beauty, and tourism, a place too close to the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station and a place in the middle of one of the largest migratory bird flyways in North America.

It is time they listened to five different surveys, two town elections, and the resolutions passed by three counties, and two town boards.

It is time to heed the concerns expressed by the American Bird Conservancy, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the Orleans County Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs, the Great Lakes Seaway Trail, the Hawk Migration Association of North America, the Niagara County Board of Health, the Genesee-Orleans Board of Health, the Rochester Birding Association, the Genesee Valley Audubon Society, the Federation of Monroe County Environmentalists, the Nature Conservancy, Mercy Flight, The Niagara Chamber of Commerce, and the WNY delegation of the NYS Senate and House.

It is time to leave.

Donn Riggi
Lakeshore Road
Lyndonville

Editor:

Recently you reported on the Orleans County primary, and I would like to focus specifically on the Democratic results. Bernie Sanders bested Hillary Clinton in our small county 57.4% to 42.6%. I could speculate on all the reasons people in our county support Sanders, but let’s focus on one for now – the allure of “Democratic Socialism.”

Sanders supporters claim this is a way of “appropriating” taxes to “work for the people.” But what is a tax, and how does it relate to socialism?

A tax is an involuntary penalty you pay for being productive. An institution inserts itself into your interactions, and takes a portion of your earning, with the claim that it is to render public services. This institution asserts its right to your earnings based on your citizenship.

Essentially it holds you to a “social contract,” some claim you agree to simply by being born in a coincidental geographic location. A “contract” you never read, agreed to, or signed. It’s also impossible to opt out of because this institution has made it illegal to do so. Think taxes are voluntary? Try not paying them.

This institution can do this because it holds a monopoly on violence. It is able to hurt you without impunity. This is an uncomfortable truth Sanders supporters do not realize, or do not want to admit.

Every time you advocate for a social program financed through taxation, you advocate for that institution to steal the earnings of others at the barrel of a gun. If they refuse to pay, the IRS will burden them with fees that take even more. If they resist, the institution will put them in handcuffs and lock them in a cage. If they fight back, they will most likely be harmed or killed, and it will all be legal.

Supporting “taxing the 1%” does not make you moral. In fact, supporting a tax is one of the most immoral things you can do. It is simply “legal plunder”, and to quote Bastiat, “the state is the great fiction by which everyone tries to live at the expense of everyone else.”

It is not made any more moral by “democratically” voting for where the money goes either. At its core, democracy is mob rule, two wolves and a sheep voting on what to eat. It is an imperfect system, easily corrupted.

Socialism has been tried and has failed. Look to Venezuela and Greece.

The idea of individual liberty can be new and scary for a species that has spent most of its time on earth under the rule of tyrants. I implore your readers to explore these ideas. I also encourage your readers that in their study, if they should find no common ground this election cycle with a candidate, to stay home on election day. Voting is free speech, the same as not voting.

Our system is supposed to derive its authority from the consent of the governed. If you do not support the system, withdraw your consent.

Dave Joksimovic

Kendall