Editor:

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

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

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

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

Jack Capurso

Albion High School 1960

Ashburn, Va

Editor:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mary Hare

Medina

Editor:

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

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

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

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

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

William Fine

Brockport

Editor:

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

In his own words:

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

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

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

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

Bob Furmanski

De Kalb (Weston), MO

(Furmanski has many family members from Orleans County.)

Editor:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mary Mager

Fairport, formerly of Albion

Editor:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mary Hare

Medina

Editor:

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

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

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

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

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

Sincerely,

Sandra Shingleton

Albion

Editor:

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

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

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

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

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

Tom Taber

Albion

Editor:

Stephen Miller said something that is truly evil. On the Aug. 7 Ari Melber show on MSNBC he specifically stated that Biden & Harris are the # 1 sex traffickers of children, girls, into sex slavery.

Miller is one of Trump’s  longest term advisors. He served throughout Trump’s presidency and was  the architect of Trump’s policy to ban Moslems from flying into the US. He was the main force behind Trump’s family separation policy that was put in place at our southern border.

To be clear: I do not believe anybody is inherently evil but there are forces for evil. But there evil forces and Trump utilizes those forces.

Dennis Seekins

Lyndonville

Editor:

I have explained why: 1) Trump’s proposal to increase tariffs across the board is the same folly we saw the Smoot-Hawley Tariffs Act which increased prices brought down our small economy and created a world-wide cascade leading to the great depression.

2) The Republicans (not Democrats – 2024 excepted) have fueled the deficit for over 40 years and brought on inflation.

I now address how the proposed cuts in social programs and disproportionately leaving the middle class behind is economically unsound.

Our inflationary deficits and trade deals – neither Reps and Dems  adequately anticipated how much investors and corporations could and would move high tech and skilled  jobs overseas – also added to the situation lowering middle class income and increasing the disparity which creates fall of Rome-type economic problems.

Simply put our economy in total now depends too much on investment rather than labor productivity. Roosevelt built the middle class with investment in infrastructure and jobs.

Neglecting the middle class economically causes: 1) Investment bubbles – think of the dot com investment bust, 2) over lending and overextended borrowing – think of the 2008 housing bust, 3) an imbalance between domestic long-term investments and domestic long-term productivity – this hurts domestic jobs and job growth, 4) lost sales due to lack of consumer spending to keep plant doors open – an easy example is deflation which can lead to financial collapse; Japan is now and great place to borrow funds in 0 to negative interest rates to avoid collapse. Having a huge and well paid middle class to buy things floats any modern economy.

It is true that investment can lead to new industries. But unlike government investment in infrastructure (Biden) and investment to assist the middle class with real tax cuts and child care credits, private investment does not keep jobs here. Public investment in our middle class does.

True the Trump cuts for the rich and big corporations will be allowed to expire and pay for this investment in us, the US.  (Personally I also think will see a renewed push to have an international corporate minimum tax rate so no multinational park profits in a tax free or low tax countries. This is a big reason you can not rely on increases in any given multi billionaires wealth.)

 As a last note regarding price gouging regulation. Most states already have laws against price gouging but gouging on a national scale needs a national response. It is not socialism.

People forget that the only truly unregulated market is the criminal black market. Broken knee caps and gang wars are no way to run a country. So looking at companies with soaring prices far in excess of the cost of materials, labor, plant and distribution is logical and little different than anti-trust regulation which stops unfair predatory practices which also lead to market domination and price gouging.

So there you have it. Biden-Harris is using proven tools to rebalance growth through investment and growth due to labor.  We have lost ground the last 40 years due to “Voodoo” economics. But, with an economy 20 times the size of Russia and California being the 4th largest economy in the world, if we are smart we have plenty of capacity to get back on track.

Respectfully,

Conrad F. Cropsey

Albion

Editor:

The article on the Alms House sadly left out just how abandoned it was, when skulls of some of the deceased were found in the ditch along County House Road.

Someone should have had responsibility to those unfortunate souls. What if they had been your ancestor? Maybe they were?

Dawn Kittle

Clarendon

Editor:

In my letter to the editor on Aug. 8, I asked Ms. Mager to be specific in discussing Trump’s presidency and the criminal charges against him. Instead of providing that information, she said she would not discuss Trump because of the negative reactions it would generate.

She is correct. Many Republican women across the country have found Trump so objectionable, that for them like Ms. Mager, he is now unmentionable.

Jack Capurso

Albion High School 1960

Ashburn, Va.

Editor:

The Medina Joint Recreation Summer Recreation Program in Medina has come to the end of the 2024 season. This program is supported by the Village of Medina and the towns of Ridgeway and Shelby.

Without the support of the representatives from each of these municipalities: Jess Marcaino and Debbie Padoleski from Medina, Mary Woodruff and Jeff Toussaint from Ridgeway and Linda Liminia and Steve Seitz  from Shelby, this program would not be possible.  Also a special thanks to Jada Burgess, the Medina village cler, for all the behind-the-scenes work she does.

This summer we offered park activities at Oak Orchard and swimming lessons at the Roy–Hart pool. Seventy-one children registered for our park program this summer. They played games and enjoyed crafts at the Oak Orchard Playground. Thank you Superintendent Mark Kruzynski for allowing us to use the school grounds. Thank you also to Principal Jen Stearns and the janitorial staff for providing us space inside the building.

The kids enjoyed many activities including 4 square, our new dunk chair, and walking field trips to Cas-Nic Cookies, Mark’s, Lee-Whedon Library, Medina Fire Department and Medina Bowling Lanes. Thank you to these places for having us. The kids loved their time at each.

The group also enjoyed several bus trips during the summer. Thank you to the Medina Central School Bus garage for driving us to our destinations.

There were 224 children registered for swimming lessons. This year, the Medina pool was closed for repairs so lessons were offered at the Roy-Hart pool. Thank you to Superintendent Jill Heck, Dottie Barr and the janitorial staff for allowing us to use your facilities. Children enjoyed learning new swimming skills and had fun in the water.

I would personally like to thank my staff at both the pool and the park: Gabe Mark, Maddie Mark, Baliegh McAdoo, Liliah Class, Honesty Hill, Taylor Frentz, Allie Frentz, Aleena Silker, Hayden Woodroe, Sophia Goyette, Will Rousch, Cam Kenward, Miriam Fike, Brennan Woodruff, Cam Fike, Lexoni Russo, Maddy Farley, Tegan Balaban and Andre Toussaint.

It is clear how much you enjoy working with children by the wonderful activities you provide for them. I hope to see you back next summer. I also look forward to seeing all the children next summer and hope to create new memories and experiences for them.

Michelle Capstick

Director of Joint Recreation

Medina/Ridgeway/Shelby

Editor:

As I am no longer an active member of the Lyndonville Board of Education, I believe it’s important to ensure our parents, teachers, taxpayers and all school employees are aware of some things at the Lyndonville school district.

I wanted so badly to let everyone know the details regarding the negotiations I was part of with the Lyndonville Teachers Association (LTA) during the election, but was I advised to wait until after the election. At the request of the LTA and district, I was nominated by my fellow board members to lead the effort of procuring comparable or better health benefits.

Here are some things about the health insurance proposed that no one wants you to know:

1. No previous benefits would have changed, due to the HRA setup. The only thing that would have changed was the cost (much lower) to the school and employee. There would have been an additional step involved in submitting an expense to the HRA, but for the hundreds of thousands of dollars in savings for the district and premium savings to the teachers, and other school employees, it was well worth it. I also had the rates locked for 3 years!
2. Everyone would have been able to choose an individual, two-person, single parent and children, or a full family plan. Currently, only certain employees get family benefits. This would have been expanded to all employees! Under the current plan, a single parent must purchase a full family plan. The new plan was half the cost, as it was set up for these situations.
3. Dental was part of the new plan! There is no dental plan currently.
4. Retirees would have been fully covered as well, before they turn 65, and then with a supplemental plan after 65. This was never proposed to change. This was a lie from the LTA president.
5. It was brilliant. If NYS schools used this strategy statewide, there would be hundreds of millions of dollars available for budgets.

Teachers/taxpayer’s/substitutes/custodians:

You were not told all the facts. These details were all part of negotiations, and no one wanted you to know. The one day you were allowed in the room, the LTA president requested that nothing be discussed outside of the proposed specific plan. We had three different unions in the room, and some employees that were not part of any union. The LTA’s request was clearly a way of suppressing information.

The union president was so desperate to ensure he had new board members, that he personally lied (I have the texts) to retirees stating they would no longer have any health coverage under any new plan. He used these scare tactics to get people to vote a certain way. LTA members followed along, calling every retired teacher in the district.

I think you should wonder “who is negotiating for the taxpayers and school district now?”

Another fact is that the school business administrator admitted he tried to delay getting information to the teams (licensed insurance brokers) I had working on this for me as a personal favor. No one at the district was any help at all, until I had the full support of board members Ted Lewis, Sue Hrovat, Kristin Nicholson and Harold Suhr.

Anyone who knows anything about insurance knows that insurance cost reduction is all about spreading risk. We were trying to join a pool of millions versus the pool of just about 2,000 the district is currently in.

It’s disappointing to have served six years on a board, and the relationships and trust I thought I had built, got completely ignored. People I called friends literally avoided me over this. There was enough money to lower taxes, make our teachers the highest paid in the county, and provide full and better benefits to all the school employees. These efforts resulted in a teacher’s union president not giving their union full details on the proposed plan with the HRA and dental, interference by the district business administrator, and the teachers union literally endorsing other candidates for school board.

I have all the information on the proposed insurance and would be happy to share with anyone. I also have the text messages sent by the LTA president to retired school employees stating I was trying to take away their benefits. He clearly never gave NYSET all the proposed information either. Their comparison lacked the details of the proposed HRA.

While insurance is complicated, contracts are contracts. We can’t change insurance unless the benefits are comparable or better. They were better.

I think the question to ask now is why the union president wanted new board members so bad that they passed on the largest raise and expansion of benefits they would have ever seen?

I understand some just didn’t want change, as they are comfortable with what they have. I can respect that. It is the lying about what was truly trying to be accomplished that has me worried for our district.

Steven Vann

Lyndonville

Editor:

Week One: You will be represented. Unlike other Congress members, I will not spend my day making calls to raise money for the next election. I will spend my time working to improve your life.

Monday: You will be heard. While DC politicians don’t listen to each other, perhaps it’s time they started listening to their constituents. In week one, we will host our first “NY-24 Conversations.” I will dedicate 2 hours per week to take questions, comments, and suggestions from the residents of NY24 – live, via scheduled videoconferencing (Zoom). You will be heard. Not by staff. Not by a recording. Not by a form letter. Not via a photo-op. But by me, your Congressional representative, doing my job.

Unlike our current Representative, who inundates you with tv ads and emails detailing what she’s got to say – or incite you to be as angry as she is – I want to hear from you.

Tuesday: Reaching out. The finger-pointing and blame game needs to end and getting things done needs to take a front seat. In week one, I will reach out to Democrats and especially Republicans to actually do something about systemic problems such as the Border Crisis. You can complain, or you can do something. I choose getting things done. I will also reach out to start the process of getting the money and influence peddlers out of our governing process. Stock trading, corporate PACs and Congress-to-lobbyist track – out, term limits and public service – in.

Wednesday: Improving lives by making Upstate and WNY more affordable – groceries, gas, healthcare and housing.  Reaching out again to Congress members such as Senator Casey (PA) to fight Big Corporate greed and working to hold Big Oil and other big Corps responsible for price fixing, price gouging and addressing other causes of inflation.

Thursday: Protect, improve, and enhance Social Security and Medicare, not cut them. There is a plan by a group of more than 170 GOP Representatives to cut the benefits we are paid. I will fight them. We have worked our entire lives paying into a system and we should have no worries that it will serve us well in our retirement years.

Friday: Air and water. NY-24 is one of the leaders in cancer clusters in NY. Our toxic waste and superfund sites – and currently operating and closed landfills – threaten our water, our air, our families’ health, and our agricultural and tourism economies. Every day we take in tons of garbage from NYC and the Northeast and are left with toxic “forever chemicals” that threaten our water supply. Building garbage mountains in Upstate and WNY is not a long-term answer. In Week one, I will hire and dedicate staff whose sole responsibility will be to address these issues.

Saturday: Protecting women’s healthcare choices is a priority, as is improving access to affordable healthcare, especially mental health care in our rural areas. While nearly half of all Americans will suffer through a mental health issue, there is a scarcity of mental health professionals in rural areas.

Waiting for three months to see a psychiatrist to get needed therapy and medication, let alone one who accepts your insurance, can have real and tragic results. In week one, I will begin writing legislation that addresses the scarcity of mental health care in rural areas, including insurance parity, incentives and making training and education more accessible.

Sunday: Rest, mass, recharge with family and friends, watch the Bills and prepare for the challenges of the weeks ahead.

The challenges facing our nation will not be solved in a week. But the ultra-partisan standoff needs to end and we need to start listening to – and working for – the American people. I will be responsive from day one to the needs of my Upstate and WNY neighbors. I will listen to what matters to YOU in our weekly conversations and get the ball rolling by bringing a common-sense, positive attitude, and willingness to work across the aisle to get things done to make your life a little better. One week at a time.

David Wagenhauser

Waterloo

Wagenhauser is the Democrat-endorsed candidate for the 24th Congressional District, which includes Orleans and 11 other counties.