Editor:

When is enough enough?

There are some positive achievements from the current administration like securing the southern border. His supporters will also cite savings from DOGE and gutting the CDC and stopping immunizations as good things and that he is doing exactly what they voted for.

The reality is since the start of President Trump’s second term, we have experienced one self-induced crisis after another. The Qatar free $400 million 747 that will cost another $1 billion to make it Air Force One and then he thinks he going to take it for his Presidential Library, the lack of release of Epstein files, Signal Gate, the government shutdown, and the list goes on.

Aided by his incompetent and unqualified administration members who are not merely minions, but follow a corrupt leader and implement mean, hurtful and unlawful ideas of their own. It is not merely President Trump but most of his administration who help to perpetuate the chaotic environment.

His blatant disregard of the US constitution and the rule of law transcend every aspect of his actions – both domestically and internationally. The list is quite exhaustive and far too many to list in a short opinion piece.

Internationally, he started with a series of on-then-off-again tariffs that punished our closest and longstanding allies as well as perceived enemies. He ordered the military to blow up suspected drug boats without any proof and violating international laws. He failed to acknowledge the genocide in Gaza, bombed Iran, withheld military support to Ukraine, and cancelled programs that feed starving populations around the world.

He abducted the President of Venezuela and by his own admission plans to manage their oil, says the US will run the country but the large American oil companies are reluctant to re-enter Venezuela. He threatens to invade and take Greenland by force which will end the NATO alliance. Forcing our NATO allies to send military force to the island while he places tariffs on those countries.

His actions have cost the American taxpayer hundreds of millions of dollars in military and ICE deployments, personal recreational trips, renaming institutions to name a few.  Domestically he started by pardoning the January 6th insurrectionists and allowing incompetent DOGE to bastardize the Federal government forcing out some of our most valuable experienced Federal employees causing a huge corporate knowledge drain which will take decades to rebuild. DOGE hackers obtained personal data on every American and who knows has access to all this information with no oversight or audit trails.

He withheld funding for scientific research, food aid for children and healthcare for poor Americans while attacking institutions of higher learning and giving $40 billion to Argentina while American farmers suffered under his tariffs. He has the east wing of the White demolished to build a grand ballroom all while circumventing proper historical or congressional oversight.

He weaponized the DOJ against his perceived enemies like Mr. Comey and now the Federal Reserve Chairman who failed to bend to his will. He rewrites historical events at the Smithsonian and puts his name and likeness on everything he touches. He and Hegseth immediately replaced the female Chief of Naval Operations, the female commandant of the US Coast Guard, the black Chief of the Joint Chiefs and forced out other senior officers who were deemed not loyal or the right gender or color for the current administration.

Others resigned rather than follow these incompetent egomaniacs or execute unlawful orders. He deployed the military to American cities. He and his administration contently blame every situation that many in fact are of their own making.

Without question the most damming is the actions of ICE agents. These ICE officers dress like fully combat ready special forces complete with body armor and assault weapons while hiding their identity behind face masks and no observable credentials – all designed to intimidate and terrorize the population. Their ranks have nearly doubled in less than a year and are still growing. Soon if not already Trump will have a heavily equipped private military loyal only to his administration.

The DHS and White House established quotes for apprehensions which by nature drive aberrant behavior as the ICE agents go from targeting the most dangerous illegal undocumented immigrants to grabbing anyone who fit a certain profile and are easy pickings. Adults and children are whisked away placed in detention centers many times lost to family members and some deported to countries not of their origin. Members of Congress are denied access for proper oversight. American citizens are caught up in these raids and now a young mother died because of being shot by an ICE agent.

The President and his administration along with MAGA republicans lie about the incident, refuse local authorities to investigate and try to paint the victim as a domestic terrorist when the multiple video sources prove otherwise. Then to top it off the ICE agent calls the woman he just shot a F-ing b- and calmly walks away from the scene.

They controlled the incident scene and refused to allow the local law enforcement to investigate. Six DOJ prosecutors resigned in protest and that should tell us something. Maybe the officer had some justification for the shooting but without a proper investigation justice cannot be served.

It appears many ICE officers use fear, racial profiling and overly aggressive tactics in their operations but make no mistake President Trump and his corrupt administration condone and encourage this behavior, and he could stop it if he wanted.

Before the current administration ICE officers were properly vetted, trained and presented as official Federal officers without combat gear, assault weapons, or face masks and openly displayed their credentials. There are better, more compassionate, and less dehumanizing ways to accomplish ICE operations.

My question to members of Congress, the Supreme Court and his MAGA supporters, when is enough enough?

James Fraser,

Colonel, USAF retired

Batavia

Editor:

Ms. Mager in her 13 January letter to the editor seems mighty upset over criticisms of Donald Trump, but then does little to defend him, instead diverting our attention to Minnesota, which, while a real scandal, does not affect you or me in the way that most of Trump’s specific policies do.

So I will address the general criticisms of Trump’s policies, and provide reliable, verifiable statistics to back up my points. It is easier to trust facts rather than emotional comments.

Here are some of Ms. Mager’s claims that I most strongly refute:

1. That Trump boosted manufacturing jobs: No. The 2024 data showed an average monthly gain of 168,000 jobs. That was already one of the weakest years outside of recessions.  Then, in 2025, under Trump, the average job gain averaged only 49,000 a month, which included negative growth in June, August and October. Data comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

2. That Trump secured the border: Better, with only 10,000 crossings per month. But not secure. That’s still some 120,000 people this year.

3. That Trump disrupted criminal networks: I was unable to research this, because it is not clear what she means by this statement.

4. That Trump expanded addiction care access: With cuts to health care nationwide, it is hard to see how health care in any area could have improved. According to Congressional Budget Office analysis, Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” aims to cut health care spending.Medicaid cuts will push 5 million to 7.8 million people off Medicaid.

The Affordable Care Act  tax credits will expire; up to 4.8 million more people could lose their insurance in 2026, with 7.3 million losing ACA coverage overall. Did you know they have cut the budget for the National Institutes of Health? They do our medical research.  This does not improve health care. On January 15, the Trump administration cut thousands of federal grants for mental health and addiction. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration said the grants had been cut off because the programs “no longer effectuate” the agencies’ priorities. These cuts amount to nearly $2 billion.

5. That Trump raised public safety and industry standards: In 2025 the Environmental Protection Agency proposed to repeal or weaken greenhouse gas standards for power plants and vehicles (which increases air pollution). They plan to extend compliance deadlines for oil and gas industries to clean up their sewage and emissions. This causes more air pollution and rivers and waterways filled with industrial poisons. Any fishermen out there who care?

They will no longer assign dollar values to health benefits—for example, air pollution causes emphysema, which causes hospital visits, surgeries and medication, which costs money. They will no longer keep track of the harm to human health in terms of dollars. The Big Beautiful Bill makes steep cuts to investments in solar energy and wind energy, both of which make a cleaner environment and can also create more jobs to build those systems.

Now let’s talk about the Minnesota mess.  It is truly a case of gross mismanagement. It will cost Governor Tim Walz his job. But Trump did not send ICE to clean up the fraud in Minnesota, as Ms. Mager claims. ICE was sent to arrest immigrants. It has arrested 2,400 as of this writing. Only 85 are Somalis. Actually, ICE does not deal with crime. The FBI does.  ICE finds and arrests foreign-looking people, whether they are citizens or not.

But while we are on the subject of ICE:  These ICE people have been sent mainly to liberal cities. They come in unmarked cars, without uniforms, without search warrants, with face coverings (are they ashamed?), armed with more assault weapons than our regular combat troops in a war zone, and they refuse to provide any identification.

You know all this is illegal! You know this is unAmerican! We don’t behave this way! We don’t tear people out of their cars after breaking their car windows, and throw folks on the ground. You know five armed masked guys against one lone man or woman face down on the cement is not a fair fight.  You know that they do this even if the person says they are an American citizen. You are an American citizen… it could happen to you. In fact, they arrested and took away three Oglala Sioux Indians. Who’s the immigrant now?

Some ICE statistics:  Over 73% of those arrested had no criminal record and many of the rest had only traffic violations. Many were not border arrests, but inside the country away from any border. According to TRAC Immigration, 41,624 were booked into detention centers in October 2015; 68,440 people were in detention as of mid-December 2025.  622,000 have been deported; 1,900,000 self-deported. There have been 34 deaths in custody. 4,250 are reported missing, just plain gone.

Trump gave permission for ICE to raid schools, hospitals, places of worship.  This isn’t the America that I grew up in.

Let’s talk about economics.  Trump said prices would come down dramatically on day one of his administration. We all know when we go to the store that everything  is much more expensive now that it was before Trump. He says higher prices are a “con job” made by fake news, a “scam.”  We know different. Some statistics to consider:

The Tax Foundation has studied the impact of the Trump tariffs on American households.  Here are some of their findings. The tariffs amount to an average tax increase per US household of $1,000 in 2025 and $1,500 in 2026.

The Trump tariffs are the largest US tax increase as a percent of GDP since 1993. Historical evidence and recent studies show that tariffs are taxes that raise prices and reduce available quantities of goods and services for US businesses and consumers, resulting in lower income, reduced employment, and lower economic output.

The tariffs have caused other countries to retaliate. China has changed from buying our soy beans to buying them from Brazil and Argentina. They are buying more beef from South America. US sales to China decreased significantly due to tariffs; some reports show a decrease of  38%.  Our farmers can’t find a buyer for their products now.

The US is Canada’s largest trading partner in goods and services. Now Canada is seeking trade relations with China due to Trump’s tariffs and Trump’s statements about taking over Canada and making it our 51st state. According to USMCA statistics, before, Canada exported between 75-80% of its products to the US but now seeks to diversify due to tension between the two  countries. Almost all of Canada’s oil came here, according to the Canada Energy Regulator, but is now being diverted to China.

Let’s get back to corruption. We can agree that the Minnesota situation is very shameful.  The Somalis and the Americans who worked with them should go to jail.

On the subject of corruption, here is a very small sample of what Trump has done:

He has terminated criminal investigations into companies that have donated to him.

He has pardoned or rolled back sanctions for known bad actors that have provided financial support for his ventures.

He has dismantled anti-corruption laws so that criminals can go free. He has pardoned President Juan Orlando Hernandez of Honduras, who was let out of prison after being granted a full pardon by Trump. Hernandez had been convicted in an American court of major drug trafficking and weapons dealing and sentenced to 45 years in prison.

Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner’s private equity firm has received significant investments from Qatar—amounting to billions of dollars— which have bought Qatar direct access to Trump and the White House.

Qatar has invested $5.5 billion in a Trump golf resort. Qatar will be allowed to build a Qatari Air Force facility in Idaho.  You scratch my back, I scratch yours…

Qatar gave Trump as a present a huge plane costing $400 million. They called it a “flying palace.” Not only is it illegal for Trump to accept this gift (please look up the “emoluments clause” in the Constitution, which forbids our officials from accepting gifts, which could be bribes) but the taxpayers (that’s you and me) are paying to have the plane retrofitted with security systems etc. that a president must have. This will cost at least an extra $1billion. And with the luxury, and the security, it won’t be finished until after Trump leaves the Presidency. Now, that’s corruption.

These actions by Trump affect you and me. They make our lives poorer in terms of money, health, safety, and security, and peace of mind. There are things that make American great, like honesty and fairness for all of us, and they are going away day by day, not coming back again unless we demand a change.

Karen Galeano

Ashburn, VA

Editor:

Hey neighbors! Let’s come together to stop the monster that threatens us and our way of life.

Local residents of Genesee County are outraged and horrified by the new plan from STREAM US Data Centers and their corporate backer, private equity firm Apollo Global Management, to ruin our quality of life to make a profit.

Our community strongly opposed the siting of a data center at STAMP one year ago when GCEDC first tried this scheme. The Tonawanda Seneca Nation and the Sierra Club sued to challenge the environmental approvals and they succeeded in getting GCEDC to withdraw the approvals for a 900,000 square foot / 250 MW data center being proposed by STREAM.

Now, STREAM has been bought out by one of the world’s largest private equity firms, Apollo Global Management, and they are coming back to try with an even more outrageous plan. They have proposed to build a 2.2-million-square-foot data center that would guzzle 500 megawatts of power per year – enough to power roughly 400,700 households total – or the equivalent of nearly every home in Monroe, Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming counties combined.

The data center would raise our power bills, increase air pollution, and would make 24/7 noise that would affect the physical and mental health of local residents and harm wildlife. We also can expect that the data center developers will ask for all of us to subsidize this monster data center – possibly up to 750 million dollars (they asked for $472 million the first time around).

And for what? Data centers don’t create many permanent jobs – STREAM is claiming around 100 for this project. They have a short lifespan – 15 to 20 years before they get mothballed. The AI-based economy is heading for a crash. This is not a good investment for our region.

Across the country, communities are saying no to data centers that are trying to steal their resources – and they are winning! This is not a partisan issue. This is an issue about local control over our shared environmental resources, our tax dollars, and our quality of life.

So join us in telling GCEDC, STREAM, and Apollo to go away: No Data Centers in Genesee County. Together, we can stop this monster.

Come to our next meeting: Desserts and Data Center Discussions: 6-8 p.m. on Tuesday, January 27 at The Goose Community Center, 33 South Main St. in Oakfield. We will share more info about the data center plans, answer questions, and talk about

next steps to stop this monster from invading our community!

Here are a few other dates to keep in mind: 1) The Town of Alabama Planning Board will meet on Monday, February 2 at 7 p.m. They are responsible for reviewing the data center site plan, which so far hasn’t been shared. And 2) The GCEDC Board of Directors meets on Thursday, February 5 at 4 p.m. at the MedTech Center in Batavia. Their meetings are open to the public, but they won’t let you speak or ask questions! We will be there with signs.

For more info, call or text (585) 300-4925 or email alliesoftsn@gmail.com.

Alyssa Beuler

Oakfield

Editor:

What is going on in Minnesota has no relationship with the law or law enforcement.  It is performative cruelty by dress-up military actors behaving like an occupying force in a hostile environment, with no oversight and no accountability for their actions.

The administration’s stated reason for sending in immigration enforcement is because of fraud, allegedly committed by residents with a Somali background. It is important to note that 98 individuals have already been charged in the scheme, which could exceed $250 million. But none of the more than 2,000 immigration officers on the streets of Minnesota are investigating fraud.

Although $250 million is a lot of money it pales compared to the billions President Trump and his administration have defrauded from the American people. Mr. Trump has defrauded Americans with his cryptocurrency scheme, the brides for pardons fraud, and all his violations of the emoluments clause of the Constitution. Not to mention the hundreds of millions of dollars of Venezuelan oil money Mr. Trump sequestered in an offshore account he claims he controls.

The list of fraud from Mr. Trump alone takes pages. Kristi Noem, Secretary of Homeland Security, spent $200 million of taxpayer money to purchase luxury jets for her personal and private use, according to a Department of Homeland Security press release.

Furthermore, when the state officials of Mississippi were found guilty, in a court of law, of defrauding the federal government and ordered to pay more than $1 million dollars in fines, the Trump administration reversed that decision. But I don’t want to get bogged down in both-siderisms.

Thomas Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence that: Governments “derive their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed.”  The Immigration officers in Minnesota are not there with the consent of the citizens or their elected leaders. There was no increase in crime or civil disorder that required federal law enforcement’s presence.

And let me be clear, if there were a need for immigration officials to be in Minnesota, Minnesotans would ask for help. Minnesota has a long and successful history of working with federal immigration officials. But that is not the situation now. Federal agents have not communicated with or made any attempt to coordinate with state and local law enforcement. This is not law enforcement, it is dominance.

Further evidence that this is not a law enforcement activity is that since the federal immigration invasion of Minnesota, schools have gone remote, and businesses have closed.  People are afraid to go out, and residents of the city are terrified. Think about that, federal agents are intentionally creating chaos to terrorize the citizens. They are not making the city safer; they are intentionally and deliberately terrorizing the citizens.

The facts and the evidence are overwhelming. What is happening in Minnesota has no connection to the law or law enforcement. It is forced obedience to authority and to an authoritarian regime. That is why people are taking to the streets to protest.

William Fine

Brockport

Editor:

WNY STAMP project is pushing forward with plans to build a 2.2 million square foot (think 40 football fields) data center adjacent to the Iroquois Wildlife Refuge and Tonawanda Seneca Nation Big Woods.

This monster will use 500 megawatts of our electric power, enough to supply every residence in Monroe, Genesee, Wyoming, Livingston and Orleans counties combined. It will essentially be operated by Apollo Global Management, one of the largest private equity corporations in the world.

More than $410 million in state subsidies (our tax dollars) have already been poured into this boondoggle, with not a single one of the promised 9,000 jobs having been created.

This massive data center will raise our electricity bills, strain power supplies, create constant noise and air pollution, imperil wildlife,  and destroy the rural nature of the area.

It’s time to pull the plug on STAMP.

Sandy Chenelly

Waterport

Editor:

As I peruse the various letters to the editor, I find it interesting how many diehard writers continue to concentrate on the Trump administration and digress on everything wrong with him and his policies.

Although his administration has boosted manufacturing jobs, secured the border, disrupted criminal networks, expanded addiction care access and raised public safety and industry standards, some people fail to concede any good he has done for our nation.

This intentional negativity is meant to divert not only from the truth but from the real issues presently affecting our nation. So after many months of waiting, reading and evaluating the content of such posts, it’s time to broaden the picture.

Let’s start with the explosive fraud brought forth by Nick Shirley in Minnesota, which at first seemed to be an untouchable topic by mainstream media. Only when it no longer could be denied, did they start covering this, but those good old boys just can’t tell the whole truth.

Instead they had to weave their sinister lies within each broadcast, article or newspaper. That was a total flop too. After awhile the picture became so clear and obvious that no denial or coverup could thwart the truth. The pressure cooker’s lid had popped and reality was unleashed. Fraud had become so rampant and apparent, the volcanic effect was now in full swing. New allegations were erupting every day and the initial revelation of daycare fraud had evolved into widespread corruption, abuse and misuse of taxpayer money.

It is estimated that $700 million was found in baggage by Somali couriers leaving the St. Paul International Airport. That’s around $2 million a day over a two year period. Most was transported by the Somali/ American couriers on flights to Somalia and the Middle East. Since the cash was legally declared, no immediate capture or arrest were rendered.

However the Feds are now investigating the movements of this money and suspect money laundering amidst large-scale fraud in Minnesota. Some probes have now indicated that some of this money was transferred to regions in Somalia controlled by al-Shabaab, a known terrorist organization. Is it any wonder Trump sent federal agents there to clean up this mess.

The complete abdication of accountability by the Walz administration shows the deep corruption, not only in the state Medicaid system but within the social services departments as well. Taxpayer money has been diverted from the most vulnerable to, in some cases, illegal immigrants who have been getting health care with other state only Medicaid funds.

When Waltz was warned to produce a corrective action plan by the end of 2025, he did so but his plan was inefficient and didn’t address the fraud and abuse. Hopefully the highest quality of healthcare there can be restored to the most vulnerable.

Venezuela – another misunderstood topic. Venezuela sits on 300 billion barrels of oil; worth over 17 trillion dollars. The US does not need their oil. China does.  They buy over 90 percent of their crude from Venezuela. The oil does not need  to be controlled by our enemies.

Trump understood something that some other countries didn’t. “Power does not come from owning energy, it comes from controlling who gets it.” So if China loses this gem – a  Taiwan War could be avoided. This is called leverage or better still – strategy. Trump is reshaping alliances so peace can be preserved.

The last topic involves the ICE agents who are battered with verbal abuse and put themselves in harm’s way every single day. Their directive is to root out the criminals, the rapists and the illegals. They are doing their job and with any law enforcement organization, they should be treated with the utmost respect and admiration. Yet we see maniacs trying to impede their agenda. Those who choose to obstruct this mission and put fate into their owns hands must be ready to face the consequences.

Little by little, other independent investigators are coming forward with similar revelations in other states. The domino effect is now in full swing, as it should be. Every state needs to guarantee government accountability, adherence to the law and accuracy. This applies to all state agencies, local government and various private receivers of taxpayer money.

The State Comptroller, the Attorney General and the Department of Revenue need to step up their supervision/audit of taxpayer dollars. One would like to assume that this is already being done, but obviously after this fiasco in Minnesota, that’s not the case. It’s time to clean up this corruption.

Every state will undoubtedly be under scrutiny and as more and more fraud is investigated; the corruption which has plagued America for years will be exposed and those responsible should be held accountable and brought to justice.

Maybe it’s time to see the whole picture, to get out of the rut and admit that maybe, just maybe, Trump is trying to save America.

Mary Mager

Fairport, former Albion resident

Editor:

We would like to acknowledge the passing of Jim Zelazny, who left us shortly before Thanksgiving.

Jim gave years of steady, principled service to the Town of Shelby. He was a regular presence at Town and community meetings for more than a decade. He followed the public record, stayed engaged, and did the unglamorous civic work that supports effective local government.

Behind the scenes, Jim helped create positive change in Shelby, often without credit or fanfare. He also served as the treasurer of the Shelby Republican Committee, a position that required sustained attention to detail and a strong respect for process.

Jim improved Shelby in practical ways, often behind the scenes and always with integrity. His contributions were not loud or performative. He was honest, direct, and acted in good faith. He listened carefully, took notes, and paid close attention to procedure. When a process slipped or transparency broke down, Jim asked questions and pressed for clarity. He supported lawful processes and accurate public recordkeeping because public accountability matters.

Jim Zelazny showed what it means to be an engaged citizen. He led without seeking attention and treated people with respect. The example he set is a reminder that communities are sustained by residents who stay involved, pay attention, and participate. A meaningful way to honor him is for more people to step forward and do the same.

We are grateful not only for the time Jim Zelazny gave, but for the friendship and the privilege of having known him.

Sincerely,

Gabrielle Barone

Andina Barone

Linda Limina

Medina

Editor:

I suggest it is time for the Orleans County Democratic Party to become more active.  Summer picnics are nice, but it should use other county Democratic parties as examples and hit the streets.

The Dems should hold rallies in all Orleans towns to make their views known, conduct marches to publicize its agenda and go door to door explaining the party platform.

In essence the Democrats have been doing the same thing election after election and expecting different results. And the results have been a disaster. Could it be time for new leadership with new ideas?

Jack Capurso

Ashburn, Va.

Mr. Capurso is an Albion High School graduate, Class of 1960.

Editor:

Agreed, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is a bad man, a criminal. He is undemocratic, and repressive and his government has destabilized the region for years.

But attacking Venezuela the way President Trump has is criminal. It violates international law, U.S. law and our Constitution. The administration acted unilaterally, without consulting Congress as required.

Mr. Trump left the corrupt Maduro administration in power because he believes he can bully them into turning over their resources (especially their oil) to him and his corrupt cronies. While, Republican politicians, like Claudia Tenney, will just go along with this illegal and corrupt activity.

The rationale for this illegal action is very concerning. In his press conference explaining the illegal invasion of Venezuela to the American people, Mr. Trump stated that the U.S. has now replaced the Monroe Doctrine with the “Donroe Doctrine.”  Which he explained supersedes the Monroe Doctrine and is outlined in the new National Security Strategy released in early December.

This document changes our foreign policy from rule-based order promoting democracy to “Spheres of Influence.” Where powerful countries create spheres of influence in their region. This aligns with Vladimir Putin and Russian foreign policies goals.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Pestov speaking about it, told reporters: “The adjustments that we see correspond in many ways to our vision.” Spheres of Influence is how Mr. Putin’s explained his invasion of Ukraine.

This major break from the rules-based order and international laws to one where “Might makes Right,” is what Republicans like Ms. Tenney are cheering and it is very dangerous.

William Fine

Brockport

Editor:

The idea of placing a 2.2-million-square-foot, 500 megawatt data center in the middle of several wildlife management areas and the Tonawanda Seneca Nation’s “Big Woods” is the worst idea ever!

First of all, the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge is one of many important birding areas in Western New York. A refuge for many birds to rest, nest, feed and raise their young. I learned that over 30% of the endangered short-eared owl population have been lost since the WNY STAMP project began.

The owl depends on hearing to hunt its prey. How is the owl going to be able to hear if a data center is roaring as loud as a rock concert 24 hours a day, 7 days a week?

The other species of special concern in this area is the Eastern Massassauga snake, the Northern Harrier Hawk, Bobolinks, Long Nose Bat and the Cerulean Warbler are all at risk here.

What about the demand on our power grid and water resources? The STAMP project was intended for advanced manufacturing not a power-sucking data center! The GCEDC doesn’t care about the environment and how can they be the lead agency for the SEQR? It’s like putting the wolf in charge of the sheep.

Of course they are going to push it through they will receive millions for destroying our wetlands. For very little jobs offered.

Stop WNY STAMP. No data centers next to the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge.

Evelyn Wackett

Certified wildlife rehabber

Buffalo

Editor:

Congresswoman Tenney congratulated Trump for his capture of Maduro in Venezuela.  She stated that his capture “sent a clear message against tyranny and corruption.”  It appears Tenney has strong feelings on this matter.  I wonder how strong.

I suggest she volunteer to be the new Chief of the US Mission to Venezuela. Perhaps she would welcome the opportunity to govern 30 million hostile people and solve its severe poverty problems.

Jack Capurso

Albion High School 1960

Ashburn, Va.

Editor:

Yesterday, we saw another egregious act by our President. The sole purpose of this offense can be directly tied to the multitude of offenses by this Administration and its tag-along Congress.

Regime change is prevalent in our DNA, but it has never boded well for us or other countries. In fact, it is often destabilizing for a country and can cause irreparable harm in terms of the consequences and sometimes lead to civil wars.

The fact that Congress was not informed, and the President and his Administration lied in briefings to them by saying this was not going to lead to regime change. Senator Ruben Gallego repeatedly asked that question to Secretary Rubio and was told it was not.

We have removed President Maduro and his wife, flown them to New York where they will be held in a New York Detention Center in Brooklyn. I would say that is definitely regime change! Nobody should be a fan of Maduro and his corrupt government, but this brazen act was taken by President Trump and his administration.

We have a Congress, and under our Constitution, they have the sole power to declare war on a country. Why is that not respected and upheld, but instead mowed down by the ego and hubris of this President?

We have also witnessed the expected complicity by this Congress, including NY24 Rep. Claudia Tenney. Her statement praised the action of our government saying it “sends a clear message that the United States will stand firmly against tyranny and corruption that threaten US security in our hemisphere.” She also said that the Venezuelan people “now have the opportunity to pursue freedom and prosperity.”

This has absolutely nothing to do with the Venezuelans pursuit of freedom and prosperity, nor a stand against tyranny and corruption. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black! It does, however, have everything to do with the grift of this President and his administration.

Once President Trump got off script in his press conference, he was not shy about revealing the reasons he did it either. He repeatedly said “we are running Venezuela now.” And when asked why, he made no bones about how “we’ll be selling large amounts of oil to other countries.”

He is on the take for himself and his cronies. We have no money to pay for healthcare in this country, or rising cost of groceries, but he and his oligarchs are lining their pockets with Venezuelan oil money.

So, I ask you, is this what we are asking our brave military to do now? Be the muscle behind the grift and corruption? It is shameful, that this President, would send our young men and women to wage a war for the benefit of the 1%. That is the reality of today’s actions. It is most disgraceful that those in Congress, such as our Rep. Claudia Tenney, play a shell game with the truth. She does not deserve to represent us.

Time for a change!

Diana Kastenbaum

Batavia

Kastenbaum is a candidate for the 24^th Congressional District of New York.

Editor:

In rural areas like Congressional Districts 23 and 24, farmers rely on undocumented immigrants, especially year-round operations like dairy farmers, because those workers are largely ineligible for the H-2A visas.

While immigration was one of the major issues Republicans campaigned on last year, they have not proposed any comprehensive plans. Farmers want legal farm workers; they want changes to the immigration process.

Republicans like Claudia Tenney and Nick Langworthy vote against all reforms. Instead, they push enforcement and punishment. Newsweek reported (9/8/25) that Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids are putting an $8 billion farming business in New York at risk.

Democrats have proposed legislation to fix our broken immigration system. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) has proposed H.R. 3227 Farmworker Modernization Act of 2025. This act would provide a legal status for farm workers, protecting them from deportation and providing a stable labor force for the employers. It also streamlines and expands the H-2a visas to include year-round jobs and reduces bureaucratic delays.

Arizona Senator Rubin Gallego proposed the Securing the Border and Fueling Economic Prosperity Act in May this year. This act would bolster border patrol staffing and the use of advanced technology for drug detection.

Additionally, the legislation would overhaul the asylum system and address the root causes of migration. Our Congressional Representatives continue to squash immigration reform. They will not address the issue of immigration because having a campaign slogan is more important to our Republican representatives than solving real issues facing their constituents.

William Fine

Brockport

Editor:

When Charlie Kirk died and his wife forgave the killer, according to the New York Times, Marjorie Taylor Greene (MTG) heard all the angry words striking out right and left which surrounded her and learned what it was to forgive again. She was reminded of the teachings of her faith. Leading with a spear and living in a state of constant hate is not normal.

I know that I’m a normal person because I do a lot of grocery shopping. I’ve been saying for a long time that prices are going to be going up with tariffs and putting more of the cost on the backs of ordinary people. Someone who installs gold toilets in the White House and tries to shout people like me down – saying everything is more affordable can’t persuade me that my eyes deceive me.

Things are only more affordable for the rapidly expanding cohort of the very rich billionaires this administration has now proven it actually serves. That is not normal.  It’s normal in a real Democracy like ours was for our American government to look out for all of us.

I see bullies all the time, and those gold toilets don’t make a darn bit of difference when it comes to the truth. It’s little different than when normal people in ancient Israel listened and learned it was wrong to bow down to golden idols. Sometimes you just know it. Sometimes you have to see it yourself first.

Another thing that was reported about Margaret Taylor Green is that she and staff were on speakerphone with the White House when she was told that the Epstein files were being slow walked because it would hurt “my friends.”

I wrote till I was blue in the face that the Rule of Law was being ignored. She apparently also came to realize that excuses which pass the blame or are good for friends are not the same as justice for the victims of pedophiles. Very good sounding-off-the-cuff excuses are not the same as carefully considered application of the Rule of Law to dispense justice.

In the end it appears MTG remembered what America is about when she heard the unvarnished truth shouted in anger over that speakerphone. For her it was a good example of the proverb we learned as kids: “the truth will out.”

Recently a person wrote: “Somewhere in America, a young Hispanic girl is hiding in an attic, writing a diary.” I think it’s clear that there are a lot of good people in this country who are now taking mental notes out of concern or fear. Obviously all of us concerned about higher prices. For that Hispanic girl maybe getting her day in Court. But mental notes are being made by voting poll workers, National Guardsmen illegally deployed to do police work, parents whose infants can not get measle shots, people denied the cancer vaccine which was in late stage approvals, people with 2X medical premiums (a senior, mine were 4x), farmers with lost sales. In fact by all whose lives Project 2025 said would be displaced or destroyed. Whether or not the White House read it, the primary author of that tome is in the cabinet and it’s clear every cabinet member is aware of its marching orders.

Finally Greene observed war is always a way to hold onto power. International law has always been clear that boarding another country’s ships is an act of war. But more than that as a normal person it scares me stiff when I hear Putin’s twisted claims being repeated by our White House, fully expecting that free people will ever surrender on Putin’s terms. MTG is right to think this is an administration that invites more war on several fronts.

I hope this is a year when more people like MTG demand normalcy. A year when all realize what’s good and decent and speak out and act – hopefully with every one joining together to throw slings like David used to kill Goliath. A year all step up each day all the way to the ballot box in November. And a year which ends with some rest, renewed friendship and a real start of our return to normalcy in 2028.

Respectfully,

Conrad F. Cropsey

Barre

Editor:

This past Friday evening and Saturday morning I had the opportunity to volunteer to ring the bell for the Salvation Army Red Kettle at our local Albion Tops.

This is a Thank You to all of you who donated your hard-earned money, whether it was a few dollars or change, towards those who are not as fortunate.

In this time of “affordability” your sharing goes to show the spirit of giving that is alive and well in our community.

A Thank You also goes out to Jami Allport of Genesee Orleans Ministry of Concern to promote this annual event. For those of you who would like to volunteer next year, just give Genesee Orleans Ministry of Concern a call and ask. You will find it heartwarming as well.

Jim Pratt

Albion