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Editor:

Can anyone explain why, on a day when the Supreme Court unanimously ruled against the Trump Administration on  deportation practices (2nd time), the only immigration news on Fox News was that a lower Court agreed the Administration  correctly interprets a registration provision in a 1952 law?  (The fight under that law will be if visitors like Canadians will be included and if some crazy things mentioned – like  jailing them in Central America – are legal.)

Both are and will be interesting. Where is “Fair and Balanced”?

Conrad F. Cropsey

Albion

Editor:

The Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states that no one shall be “deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.”

And the Fourteenth Amendment also states that no State shall “deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.” Due process is so important that it is the only command that is stated twice in the Constitution.

It is a fundamental principle of fairness in the legal system ensuring that everyone is treated fairly and has a chance to defend themselves against government actions. The Constitution states that due process is extended to everyone including undocumented immigrants, or those who have overstayed their visas, and even those who have committed crimes against this country; think Donald J. Trump.

Mr. Trump was extended the Constitutional right of due process, even after he was convicted of crimes and when the evidence against him was overwhelming. Despite the fairness shown to Mr. Trump, the Trump administration is denying due process to people in this country, violating the Constitution and the basic American principle of fairness.

The administration doesn’t care about the rule of law. It arrested over 200 individuals because they had a tattoo that in someone’s arbitrary opinion, looked like a gang tattoo, and denied them their Constitutional rights of due process, deporting them without any legal basis. Since this administration is routinely violating the Constitution and the rule of law, can anyone still claim we live in a democracy?

William Fine

Brockport

Editor:

The renowned Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes said: “Taxes are the price we pay for a civilized society.”

It is worth keeping that statement in mind when considering the huge tax breaks – $472 million! – offered by the GCEDC as an enticement to build a large data center at the STAMP site in Genesee County. Once built, the data center will be occupied by a tenant company.  The firm building the data center currently has a soft commitment from a potential tenant: a  Fortune 50 company (i.e., a very large, very wealthy company).

The GCEDC has argued that, since no cash is actually being exchanged in the tax deal, it’s really not as bad as critics make it out to be, but rather it’s just part of a win-win deal for badly needed economic development in a state that ranks near the bottom for business friendliness. Furthermore, they noted that it’s possible that Albany will push through tax relief legislation, so some or all of the taxes they propose to abate might just disappear. Sounds great, right?

There’s a bit of sophistry in this argument that needs to be sorted out. Tax abatements, whether they come from GCEDC or Albany, are dollars that the data center does not have to pay. That’s a huge win for the data center and a huge win for the GCEDC, which, interestingly, stands to collect tens of millions of dollars as a reward for the transaction.

But what about the rest of us, the taxpayers of New York? Well, that’s tax money that we’ll never see, money that might have been useful to support any number of worthwhile public projects. Adding insult to injury is the proposal to give the data center a price break on massive amounts of electricity, a move that is likely to result in higher electric rates for residential ratepayers.

The counterargument for all this is that the data center will spur economic growth in the area, thereby offsetting the tax breaks.  But that’s not how data centers work. They need few workers (around 120 jobs, so about $3.9M in subsidies per job).

What they need are 1) tons of electricity, enough to power multiple western NY counties, 2) clean water, and 3) a place to dump their sewage. That’s it. There is no way that a data center per se can be rationalized as a magnet to draw other companies to the site.

However, what a data center could do is pay for an electric substation, thereby accomplishing what Plug Power failed to do. Even though the net effect of a highly subsidized data center will be to put an additional burden on the taxpayers and electric ratepayers of New York, the hope is that electrifying the site will attract other companies that will create  jobs and boost the economy. Thus the data center would be an expensive means to a desirable end.

Don’t believe it.  STAMP is fundamentally flawed.

STAMP is tainted with the original sin of “bad location.” This is not news. Twelve years ago (!) a detailed critical analysis of STAMP concluded that it was “a poster child for location inefficiency.”

The very real economic, environmental, and ethical problems that plague the STAMP site are all related to the fact that it’s in the wrong place – in a remote, wet, rural area, lacking infrastructure, and nearly surrounded by protected and tribal lands.

Yes, if you wave enough money at a company it may decide to accept the risk and build there (Edwards Vacuum, recipient of $18 million of Sen. Schumer’s CHIPS money, is an example) but at what cost to taxpayers and ratepayers? This tradeoff is not worth making.  The proposed heavily subsidized data center at STAMP is a terrible idea, clearly not in the interest of the citizens of New York.

Sooner or later the truth will come out, and STAMP will be recognized as a failure, not because it was poorly conceived or managed, but because it was poorly sited.  If development at STAMP continues, the only uncertainties will be the amount of taxpayer money that will be sacrificed, and the amount of damage done to  protected lands, tribal lands, and local waterways.

Economic growth is important and desirable, but it’s got to be smart, ethical growth. It is incumbent on thoughtful New Yorkers to make our voices heard, and express our disapproval of STAMP in general and the data center in particular.

David Giacherio

Kent

Editor:

Spicy

Spicy was taken to Medina Stray Haven. He was to get neutered and returned to me, his owner (Katie Bourke). He escaped from the owner of this shelter on the night of April 6 before his neuter the following morning.

He is lost in Medina from Elm Street and not familiar with the area because he’s from Albion. I am offering a safe return reward for him. He is all up to date on vaccines and not aggressive, but very frightened as he’s only ever been an indoor kitty.

He’s 8 months old, a tuxedo cat and responds to the name of Spicy. We are heartbroken and praying for his return.

Anyone with information about Spicy can reach me at (585) 297-6198 or by email at katiebourke24@gmail.com.

Katie Bourke

Albion

Editor:

The Shelby Republican Committee held its spaghetti dinner fundraiser March 29th at the Knights of Columbus. I would like to say thank you to all that attended, to the Knights for being a gracious host and the various businesses that made donations.

It was a wonderful evening having our endorsed candidates – Scott Wengewicz for Shelby Supervisor, and Mike Moriarty and Vassilios Bitsas for town council member positions –available to answer questions and hear concerns of our constituents.

 As the weather warms up we are looking forward to going door to door to continue introducing the three endorsed candidates and answer any questions you may have as we approach the Republican primary election on June 24th.

Scott is the incumbent for Town Supervisor. He started his position with the Christmas blizzard of 2022, being the 4th Supervisor in Shelby since 2020. In the last 2-plus years he has extinguished many fires the town has been battling. We look forward to seeing more positive leadership from him in the future.

Mike and Vassilios might be new to the political scene, but they are ready to fight for the residents. Both are no-nonsense local businessmen. Mike is the general manager at Pride Pak while Vassilios who lives in the village manages & helps his family with their many restaurants. I have enjoyed getting to know these young men and I believe they will bring a much needed fresh mindset to the Town Board.

As many of you know where there are politics there will be unfortunate drama – at least how it seems in Shelby. I hope you, the voter, will do your due diligence to research and get to know all candidates before you cast your vote.

I would like to invite all persons running in the Shelby Republican Primary to a date in May for a debate. I believe it is important to our town constituents to attend and ask their questions, bring up concerns and be able to hear all persons running express their views under one roof not just read one-sided post cards with no explanation to “facts” given.

Candidates will be mailed an invitation and I will inform the public when a date and location is secured.

Thank you,

Dale Root

Town of Shelby Republican Chairman

Editor:

Four years ago, I ran to serve our great community as a Town Councilman. I promised to be the voice of the people, the watchdog, making sure to shine a light on the dark shadows of government to create more transparency. Talk is cheap when we operate in a results-driven world.

Many of you know me as a straight shooter. It’s dangerous when the political party bosses hand pick blind leaders to promote their power and greed. We pick up enough BS on the farm throughout the year and sheep are useful for when you can’t sleep. We don’t deserve this kind of leadership in Town Hall.

I can look back at the last four years and be proud that the promises I made were kept, which make me accountable to our community. I’m not a bobble-head politician, I do not blindly follow the party bosses. My “agenda” comes from you, the people.

My record speaks for itself. Shelby is not barren wasteland. It’s full of opportunity. We have a majority-controlled government that doesn’t prioritize us but rather prefers status-quo. I have proudly voted “No” when it negatively impacts our community and vote “Yes” when it’s the right thing to do. No one is perfect but I’m proud of the accountability and transparency we have mandated over the last four years.

One of the biggest things I can do as a Councilman is vote on the budget. I have never voted for a tax increase; I routinely seek a tax decrease. In fact, when the majority-led Town Board couldn’t justify their over spending on paper, they justified it through the reassessment. I was the most vocal opponent! Revenue isn’t the problem, out-of-control politicians are!

When the majority-led Town Board wanted to institute email voting on Town business, I led the fight against it so that our community can have accountability and transparency. I was proud to bring our meetings to a YouTube channel so that our community can actively participate even when they are not in attendance.

I’m most often a minority voice but it’s an important voice. This election, we have the opportunity to choose between status-quo and the right direction for Shelby. I will continue to be the champion of our community and not the party bosses. Together, we can leave the BS on the farm while delivering results for the taxpayers.

Ed Zelazny

Shelby Town Councilman

Editor:

On February 28, GCEDC approved the construction of a data center at their STAMP site just outside the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge and the Tonawanda Seneca Nation’s Big Woods.

Project “Double Reed” will be enormous—900,000 square feet. Hard to picture, isn’t it? Here are a couple comparisons: Marketplace Mall in Henrietta has 804,806 square feet of retail space; the Carrier Dome in Syracuse (now the JMA Wireless Dome) contains 527,320 square feet. Huge.

In addition, GCEDC misleadingly says that the building will only be one story tall—one story that rises 31 or 44 feet. Those are some high ceilings.

Imagine that you are driving through the countryside of pretty farms, fields, and woods. Then suddenly, a monstrous, blockish data center. No (proposed) landscaping will be able to hide it. And even if it could, you will be able to hear the low-frequency hum of the fans used to cool the equipment, a continuous sound, from miles away. Noise pollution has serious health effects—and if it’s bad from outside, it’s got to be worse to work inside.

The Sisters of St. Joseph live the mission of reconciling neighbor to neighbor and neighbor to God. They are committed to the good of the Earth and its people.  At a taxpayer cost of $3.9 million per (projected) job, the so-called benefits of “Double Reed” do not serve the land or the community

Holly Rockwell

Justice and Care for Creation Coordinator

Sisters of St. Joseph of Rochester

Editor:

Mr. Hemingway, I do not know you personally nor do you know me. I am having a very difficult time trusting you and your intentions.

1. I question your loyalty; you were a Democrat for many years and then you bailed on them to become Republican. The question is why ?

2. You praised two board members for the job they are doing. However, are you aware that they are under investigation for code of ethics violations by the town and the state comptroller’s office? Are you aware of a current board member who tried to split the town of Shelby, I’m sure you did. You mentioned Linda Limina has a four-year degree in accounting. She has a B.B.A. (Bachelor’s in Business Administration), not an accounting degree. Google her bio and find out as I did.

Why is it at every meeting she has to grandstand and question the budget when she was a part of its conception? She has questions at every meeting because in her own words, “I do not understand.” Maybe if she did her job that she is being paid for by Shelby taxpayers and quit worrying about what Medina is doing, she would understand.

Are you aware of the thousands of dollars of taxpayers’ money that she wasted for an investigation against her for jeopardizing worker safety – maybe you should. They continuously vote no on anything that would benefit the taxpayers. They tried their damnedest to stop water coming from Royalton at a lower rate because Medina would lose out on the revenue.

It is apparent that their loyalties are not with the town of Shelby, and I assume they have their own personal agenda which is really not that hard to figure out.

As far as the financial record keeping for the town, when you inherit an issue that former supervisors and board members caused, you first have to find the problem and then come up with a solution to fix it. I believe the current supervisor and board tried to address the issue with the Williamson program without costing the taxpayers more money. Unfortunately the Williamson program that the past supervisor and board members purchased was not compatible and they were unable to fix the issues.

As a taxpayer I applaud his efforts to save our tax dollars before they spent more money to get an outside accounting firm. Unfortunately, it did take a long time to resolve the issue. The truth is there is no money missing. So quit crying about past issues that have been resolved and start looking forward.

I also read the preliminary budget for 2025 which had a tax decrease until the two board members that you praise so well got involved and we wound up with a tax increase. These are just some of the reasons I question your loyalty and your intentions. I personally cannot trust you and you will not get my vote.

Steve Mazur

Shelby

Editor:

We do not grow bananas or rubber… many things.

A hundred years ago we learned swinging 2x4s is folly as the damage doesn’t fix complicated trade and economic issues.

But now every time I eat a banana my wallet will tell me I just paid for some of Elon Musk’s tax cut. Too bad my having fewer bananas will not matter – only hurt me – as he’ll get his tax cut anyway.

Respectfully,

Conrad F. Cropsey

Albion

Editor:

Initially I was shocked when I saw the front page headline in the Sunday March 30 Buffalo News that … “Langworthy, Tenney don’t back plan to make Canada 51st State”! Of course they don’t, who in their right mind would? Then it dawned on me, who in their right mind indeed?

Mr. Langworthy was quoted as saying that “I take the Canadians at their word that they will not be joining the United States and are going to remain a strong patriotic and independent nation.”

Sir, the question was never about the intent of the Canadians; why turn this into their issue? They did not instigate this conversation; it appears that by passing the buck back to our Canadian friends you were attempting to transfer the culpability for this nonsense from its chief and only originator; The President of the United States.

And according to The News Ms. Tenney “essentially dodged the question”! This political strategy is best known as “escaping chaos with my credibility intact” by following The President’s oft used modus operandi. When asked about something he is not comfortable with or has no idea what to say, he throws it back into the political oblivion which is always highlighted by his constant reference to “they”; I often wonder, who are “they”?

Ms. Tenney took this escape strategy to an advanced political level by following the advice of the self-proclaimed “Greatest” – Muhammad Ali. You “dance and dodge” in order to avoid any contact which might endanger your success. Yes, at this point it appears that she has nothing to offer about The President’s suggested “annexation” of Canada; neither for, or against – just dodging and dancing up a storm of circumvention.

And now, can you imagine a more ridiculously absurd plot line which is similar to his other “annexation” quest as The President’s newfound interest in militarily seizing Iceland. Doesn’t he know that Iceland has been an Independent Parliamentary Republic since 1944 and Greenland is an Autonomous Territory with Self-rule since 2009, and is a member of the Kingdom of Denmark? The key question here is simply as always; doesn’t he know, anything?

Mr. President, Denmark says “nej tak!”

Doug Miller

Albion

Editor:

As some people know gun violence is a big thing in the world now. One of the main problems is gun violence in schools. Many people have different thoughts if security guards should be armed or unarmed.

In Orleans County there are 14 public school buildings and some people wonder if there are armed security. I can tell you in Holley high school and elementary school there are indeed armed guards. Kendall Central School also has an armed resource officer. The 14 schools in Orleans County have armed guards.

There is a lot of research that supports armed guards and how they influence kids to make the right decisions and even though they might not see the weapon they just see the person and just know to do the right thing.

Many have expressed their feelings and opinions about armed security guards in schools but many don’t know the positives around that. In May 2018 at a high school that is located in a different state, an armed gunman came onto campus. The armed security guards took charge and wasn’t far away from the armed gunman. The guard chased the gunman off campus then shot to disable him. No one besides the gunman was hurt. The gunman did not die but he spent a couple days in the hospital and was sent to prison.

From 2013-2014, 43% of public schools have one or more security staff in the building. Most armed guards keep 2 firearms on them. One on their side and one on their leg as a backup.

What’s the point of hiring an unarmed security guard if all they can do is put their self in the line of danger and possibly get shot?

The U.S. Congress also adds an additional 14 million dollars for that budget to help train armed security guards in schools.

In New York State alone they have 200-400 armed security guards in schools not accounting the schools in New York City. Some may ask what’s the point of having armed security guards in schools and they really do help by patrolling the hallways and making sure there is nothing going on while also taking a look outside to make sure nothing looks suspicious.

After the Parkland school shooting in Florida on Feb. 14, 2018, more and more schools have hired or let security guards be armed. I appreciate the time it took for you to read my article about armed security guards in schools and if you have any questions please reach out to my email at mackenziefiorito@student.holleycsd.org.

Mackenzie Fiorito

Holley

Editor:

The endangered Short-eared owl population has declined from 2011-2021 by almost 50%!

Ironically, the Environmental Impact Statement issued to WNY STAMP dates back to 2012 to build in the endangered owl habitat. Seems like a possible connection between these events, don’t it?

NYS and the GCEDC is using taxpayer dollars to provide kickbacks to attract the most noisy, energy and water guzzling data centers and locate them in our wetlands next to the Tonawanda Seneca Nation and the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge! This violates several laws including NYS CLCPA, Endangered Species Act, Environmental Justice Siting Law and the Canandaigua Treaty.

GCEDC is fast tracking the STAMP project with no consideration of the changes that the data centers have had from 2012 to now. What about changes in Federal Freshwater Wetlands regulations?

I am calling on the state of NY to reassess the impacts on financial, environmental, water, energy use and wildlife before building a data center in THAT location in Genesee County.

Destroy our wetlands for the profit of private entities is a big loss to our precious last remaining continuous green wildlife wild-way corridor to the edge of Lake Ontario.

Stop STAMP.

Save the owls.

Save our water and power.

Evelyn Wackett

Buffalo

Editor:

Was Patrick Henry a radical revolutionary? When he exclaimed, “Give me liberty or give me death!” was he spouting an extremist sentiment?

Our government has proclaimed that Mahmoud Khalil—a legal resident of the United States—should be deported for his pro-Palestinian rhetoric that makes some Jewish students at Columbia University feel unsafe.

After all he has led anti-Israel protests that call attention to Benjamin Netanyahu’s decidedly anti-Palestinian policies. His detractors apparently feel that, in Khalil’s case, the first amendment does not apply. There are just some subjects about which freedom of speech should be set aside or restricted.

Hey, this guy is no doubt a Muslim. The founding fathers couldn’t have wanted non-Christians to enjoy the freedoms covered by the Bill of Rights to the U.S. Constitution, could they?

As citizens of this republic, we must be vigilant. The dissolution of a representative democracy begins with the usurpation of the freedoms unpopular minorities enjoy. After all, there aren’t that many pro-Palestinian people around the United States. How is it a big deal that a few people lose their rights?

That is how the road to tyranny starts. Where does it end?

By the time we start giving this stuff our attention it may well be “game over”.

Sincerely yours,

Gary Kent

Albion