Editor:

As everyone knows, the election is over. Donald J. Trump is the president-elect of the United States. I understand the disappointment people may feel. I understand the emotions people may be dealing with. However, we must unite as a community and country.

If you’re a man, Donald Trump is your next president. If you’re a woman, Donald Trump is your next president. If you’re Hispanic, Donald Trump is your next president. If you’re African American, Donald Trump is your next president. If you’re a Democrat, Republican, Liberal, Conservative or Libertarian, Donald Trump is your next president. If you’re gay, straight, bisexual or transgender, Donald Trump is your next president.

He might not represent your views or values, but Donald Trump is OUR next president. Accept the results. Come together and work together. Until we come together as Americans, we will continue to be divided.

As President Obama recently said, “everybody is sad when their side loses an election. But the day after, we have to remember that we’re actually all on one team. We are not Democrats first, we are not Republicans first, we are all Americans first. We are patriots first.”

Come together and work together, because together we are stronger.

James C. White

Gaines

Editor:

In an area as densely populated, environmentally favored, and habitat rich as Orleans County, wind turbines should be regarded with the utmost skepticism.

To me, politicians who are indifferent to them have not thought through the implications of locating industrial wind “farms” in our area anywhere near enough.

As I have tried to point out several times in the past, the siting realities for wind turbines are such that allowing them into our area will certainly further diminish our woodlands.

The setbacks inevitably required will force industrial turbines exceeding 500 feet in height into wooded areas, making it necessary to level portions of already pressured habitats. A drive down route 98 north of the Ridge might serve to illustrate what I am talking about.

Sportspersons and environmentally conscious residents might later regret the indifference—even nonchalance—with which they appear to be viewing the targeting of sleepy Orleans County by giant corporations. What we too often take for granted, and sometimes even regard somewhat contemptuously, can be taken from those whose vigilance is lacking.

In my view, this particular issue should be regarded with at least as much alarm as The S.A.F.E. Act.  Having a gun with which to hunt means little once there is little left to hunt.

For those such as myself, who are not what I would call “into hunting” as such, the importance of Orleans County on the Atlantic Flyway is difficult to overstate. That does not even take into consideration our tremendous abundance and variety of resident birds.

Companies which stand to reap enormous profits from selling communities on industrial wind “farms” should look to areas with lesser population densities and habitat that is less productive and diverse. The Tug Hill is far better suited for wind farms, as are more extensively wooded areas in general.  Putting them off shore makes far more sense to me than further eroding increasingly scarce woodlands in Orleans County.

There are actually parts of this nation where there is virtually nothing of environmental consequence to ruin. Roscoe, Texas is a pretty good example. Much of it resembles a moonscape, and, as I recall, its population density is a tenth of Orleans County’s.

Lovers of the outdoors need to wake up before it is too late.

Sincerely yours,

Gary Kent

Albion

Editor:

It is with great interest that I read Bob Harker’s letter.  I agree with him 100 percent. Congressman Collins and Senator Ortt are in the back pocket of SOS.

Yesterday I sent a letter to both, stating after voting Republican in every election since 1961, it is with a sad heart, I would not be voting for either one of them on Tuesday. As Mr. Harker stated, “SOS members are misinformed and very selfish.”

As a former military member (Air Force) it’s easy to understand why the KC135 tankers are coming back to Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station. All of the underground storage tanks and fuel pumps are still in place from when the tankers were before.

Both Col. Joseph D. Janik, Operations Group Commander of the 914th Airlift Wing, and retired Col. David Belote have stated that the Lighthouse Wind Farm would not affect the Air Base with its new mission now or in the future. We should trust these two men, who both have the knowledge and experience.  Col. Belote was an F16 pilot and the youngest Air Force Base Commander of Nellist Air Force Base.  After retirement, Col. Belote helped establish the DOD Siting Clearinghouse.

The next letter I would like to comment on is the one written by Councilman Riggi and also signed by Supervisor Simon. Both of these officials are also in the back pocket of SOS.

At last check I did not find the Lake Ontario Shoreline anywhere in the Town of Barre. As a taxpayer in the Town of Yates, I feel the two men were elected by our Town to do our Town Business.

Since they took office in January 2016, they have done absolutely nothing to bring new business, new residents, or new tax money into our Town as they promised at election time last year. All they have done is spend money on attorney fees fighting the Lighthouse Wind Project, money which the Town doesn’t have.

Contrary to their belief, a wind farm might tell the public that the Town of Yates is a progressive Town and bring new business and much needed revenue to Our Town. In closing, I’m sure that the elected officials of the Town of Barre are very capable of running their own town.

Yours Truly,

Howard L. Pierce

Lyndonville

Editor:

Your editorial of October 31st about increasing County sales tax revenue was spot on. (Click here to see “Editorial: To lower taxes and strengthen economy in Orleans, local officials should grow sales tax.”)

We do need to take advantage of existing assets – Historic, Heritage Trails, Fishing etc.  But in the end increasing “in-county” purchases requires we have the businesses in place to make the sales and wage earners with sufficient disposable income.

Here’s the basis of a plan for discussion.

1) The IDA needs more money to find manufactures and create higher income jobs. I was the IDA attorney for over a decade. Even though it’s a bit harder to know what they are doing as they no longer file with the county, it’s clear that have completed projects, and implemented policies, that I dreamed of back when. Additional funding, including for more staff to get things done faster and better, is a priority.

2) There is a need for significant expansion of the IDA’s micro-enterprise program. Large businesses like Walmart are one-offs. The micro-enterprise program provides training and financial assistance to participants who will start the small business that will be involved with capitalizing on the existing assets you mentioned. Additional funding in the way of County and Local grants is a priority. In our situation hitting a lot of singles can be a big lift.

3) We need to look out after ourselves better. Federal mandates, especially since Reagan, have increased the local responsibility which are paid for by property tax increases. That’s hard on poor counties like ours. Worse, more property tax means people have less disposable income.

We need to join with other smaller counties and collectively design alternatives that fit our needs and abilities; back in the Clinton Presidency trial programs were encouraged and we need to push for that once more. Similarly, we need to recognize that federal income tax reductions have never worked quite as advertised when it comes spurring growth. Worse, for low-income counties like ours, the benefit from income tax cuts ends up going to higher earners in other counties. We need to support what will work for us. We need leadership which is not tied to the past with slogans and stale ideas.

There is no one out there who will just up and solve our problems. Fortunately, there are some tools in place which we can leverage. We need to fund them and forge our own path no matter what others want us to think or believe. Sales taxes will increase if when we figure out what actually will help us and we then do it.

Conrad F. Cropsey

Albion

Editor:

I have spoken with many voters about the upcoming elections. Through these conversations it has become clear that the majority of voters are unaware of the Senate and Assembly elections. Assemblyman Steve Hawley and Senator Rob Ortt are running unopposed, but they still deserve our votes.

In his first term, Senator Ortt has sponsored 180 pieces of legislation, 13 of which have been signed by Governor Cuomo. By any measure, this is impressive for a first term senator. These pieces of legislation range from increasing penalties for child abuse to requiring certain municipalities to display the prisoner of war and missing in action flag.

Senator Ortt currently serves as the chair of the Heroin Committee and Chair of the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Committee. In addition, he serves on eight other committees. Senator Ortt has been a champion for veterans, the disabled and children.

Assemblyman Hawley has served us in the assembly since 2006. Assemblyman Hawley has sponsored legislation that will prevent registered level two and three sex offenders from working in amusement parks. This legislation added other layers of protection for families and children. Hawley has also been a champion for the local agricultural industry, sponsoring legislation that established the Agricultural Assistance Program and extended eligibility for the agricultural property tax credit.

Assemblyman Hawley has been committed to veterans and their families—he currently serves as the Ranking Minority Member of the Assembly Veterans’ Affairs Committee. In addition, Assemblyman Hawley serves on several other committees. His district office is in Albion. Assemblyman Hawley truly cares about his constituents.

Senator Ortt and Assemblyman Hawley have a constant presence in Orleans County. They have been “do something” elected officials, instead of “do nothing” politicians. They deserve our votes. I will proudly vote for Senator Ortt and Assemblyman Hawley.

James C. White

Gaines

Editor:

The recent article published in the Hub and titled: “SOS, Collins and Ortt Not Convinced Turbines Won’t Affect Future of Niagara Falls Base” included statements by APEX (Ms. Cat Strumlauf) which were misleading, deceptive and designed to redirect clear and present closure dangers relating to the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station (NFARS).

The pertinent passages from the Hub article and responses are as follows:

1).  “Apex officials said the local community doesn’t need to worry about the turbines having a negative impact on the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station.”

• Response: Clearly, there is a significant need to worry about negative impact on NFARS.  The Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission will see any potential encroachment as a negative.  Especially, if they are looking for any reason to close any one of the myriad bases trying to remain commissioned.  To do anything that would pose a risk to the over 3,000 good paying, local NFARS jobs currently balancing on the BRAC Sword of Damocles, is unconscionable.  APEX is doing Western New York no favors stating that the “local community doesn’t need to worry”.

2).  “We are perplexed about why this topic continues to be raised, especially after Lighthouse Wind has received a letter directly from the DoD Siting Clearinghouse stating the project is ‘unlikely to impact military testing or training operations in the area,’” said Cat Strumlauf, a public affairs associate for Apex.

• Response:  BRAC and ONLY BRAC makes the decision.  They do not use DoD Siting Clearinghouse information as the only factor in decision making.  BRAC could use ANY REASON to close NFARS.  The statement by Strumlauf is an outright obfuscation of the truth.

3).  “Niagara County residents can be confident there’s no current or projected mission impact on Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station, which is more than 20 miles from the Lighthouse Wind project area. At this point, it is clear that the concerns being raised about potential impact to the base are unfounded and entirely speculative,” Strumlauf said. “We are surprised at the audacity being shown by these few civilian anti-wind activists in questioning the DoD Siting Clearinghouse as well as the expertise and knowledge of local military experts and advisors about their own base. We trust that our professional national security experts are doing their duty and acting in the best interest of our nation and our armed forces.”

• Response:  The reason APEX continues to denigrate the position of the vast majority of the residents opposed to the Lighthouse Wind Project is because APEX knows this issue is still in question.
• Response:  The “unfounded and entirely speculative” statements on potential impact to NFARS in the Hub Article belong to Ms. Strumlauf and APEX, not the people of Western New York.
• Response:  Additionally, we know very well that the statement: “We are surprised at the audacity being shown by these few civilian anti-wind activists in questioning the DoD Siting Clearinghouse”, is misleading, as has been shown over and over again via election results, letters of opposition, five public surveys and more.  The overwhelming majority of the people do not want the Lighthouse Wind Project.  Furthermore, as citizens, we have every right to question the actions of our government, military and any governmental organization tasked with protecting the people.  The “audacity” to question the government is not “surprising”, it is the American Way.
• Response:  Lastly, use of the phrase “their own base” is a clear indicator of APEX’s unwillingness to admit whose base NFARS is:  It belongs to the citizens of the USA.  It is OUR BASE!!!

In the past few months, APEX Clean Energy, in an all-out attempt to allay clear and present fears over Industrial Wind Turbine encroachment on the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station (and risk to jobs at that base), brought an ex-military, pro-wind consultant to Western New York for private meetings with a number of interested parties (Town/County Government and Save Ontario Shores, to name a few).

Reports from these meetings showed the consultant indicating that personal experience in the military, as well as personal government acquaintances led to the conclusion that the Lighthouse Wind Project would be unlikely to pose a risk to the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station (NFARS).

It is extremely interesting that this ex-military consultant is an employee of Cassidy and Associates (a pro-wind consulting firm).  This is the same firm that is trying to save bases closer to the population centers on the Eastern Seaboard in New Jersey (Including the Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, as well as the Earle Naval Weapons Station, the 177th Fight Winger and a Coast Guard Training Center).  Interestingly, this ex-military consultant also previously served as Vice President of Federal Business for APEX Clean Energy.  History aside, Cassidy and Associates is a pro-wind consultant whose job is to minimize the specter of risk at NFARS.

Coincident paths to profits make for strange bedfellows indeed.

The reality is as follows:  The verdict on the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station is fully in the hands of Defense Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission.  The decision on whether to close NFARS will be made by and only by BRAC.  BRAC has the Decision, the “D”.  Any reason, such as encroachment on military operations caused by industrial wind turbines, will remain a significant factor in potential closure of NFARS.  Even Governor Cuomo has no say in the BRAC decision regarding New York’s NFARS Base.

So, the questions to us Western New Yorkers are clear:

1. Are we to believe those that are looking to profit from a project that may very well pose an encroachment risk to NFARS?
2. Are we willing to risk over 3,000 well-paying, local NFARS jobs in Western New York based on informal letters and APEX statements of support for this destructive project? Remember that APEX Clean Energy stands to generate handsome profits from the potential loss of jobs in Western New York.
3. Given BRAC has the “D”, how much faith are we willing to put into statements which downplay the risk to NFARS?

It is safe to assume that the very existence of APEX’s Lighthouse Wind Project does not strengthen the case for ongoing operations at NFARS.  This fact should be enough for every citizen of Western New York to join US Representative Collins, the Legislatures of Erie, Niagara and Orleans Counties as well as the Western New York State Legislators’ delegation to oppose the APEX Lighthouse Wind Project.

John B. Riggi

Councilman, Town of Yates

Editor:

“Hillary’s corruption is a threat to democracy. If she is elected, investigations will go on for years and nothing will get done, folks.”  Well said, Steve.

How serious is the damage being done to our Constitutional Republic by inflammatory rhetoric and irresponsible demagoguery?  As he spouts the intoxicating phrases of someone (Steve Bannon) who may, or may not, be an anarchist/Leninist, we must assume for sanity’s sake, that candidate Trump is motivated by love of country.

This election is a test of our knowledge of history and the principles embodied in the Constitution. Glenn Beck, the self-proclaimed Constitutionalist, a man who once had a lot of “street cred” among the anti-Obama right, has warned of dire consequences should Trump prevail.

Make no mistake, the potential for calamity exists whether he “prevails” or not. He has used the megaphone of his wealth, fame, and stature as the nominee of a national political party to fan the flames of suspicion and distrust of the judicial system, and raised doubts about the validity of democratic elections and the free press indispensable to that democracy.

Recall that Jefferson once said, “If I had to choose between a government without newspapers and newspapers without a government, I would not hesitate to choose the latter.”

But who is he compared to Donald Trump? The fact that numerous solidly Republican “leaning” editorial boards have refused to endorse him qualifies them as “failed” in Trump world.

In some ways it is as simple as the chants he leads at his rallies: “Lock her up!” “Hillary for prison!”

Ironically, he forecasts apocalyptic scenarios for democracy if Clinton gets elected. Of course, he suggests investigations would have to go forward whether she is elected, or not. Has his popularity among millions of patriotic Americans made him forget that the criminal justice system separates responsibility for bringing people to justice into three distinct roles? Not even Donald Trump has the power to arrest, prosecute and convict without Fifth Amendment due process of law and a jury trial.

Keep in mind that Clinton was part of the administration that followed George W. Bush, a President whose “shortcomings” resulted in the deaths of thousands of Americans. There were no investigations of Bush initiated by his successor that I know of. Neither was there an investigation of Ronald Reagan after he overruled the entire Joint Chiefs of Staff and sent 264 Marines to their deaths at the Beirut Airport in the early 1980’s.

In fact, Bush and Reagan were both re-elected overwhelmingly.

But Clinton is “different”, even if the chain of responsibility for the tragic deaths of 4 Americans at Benghazi is less clear.

The question is whether a President Trump will respect a Constitutional system and traditions (on view as recently as Obama’s Presidency) that helped make The United States of America great in the first place, or assume he knows better than everyone who has gone before him, including The Founding Fathers.

Or, should Clinton prevail, will candidate Trump graciously accept/respect the will of the people and set about attempting to disarm the “bomb” he has so cleverly devised?

Sincerely yours,

Gary Kent

Albion

Retired American History teacher

Editor:

SOS, Congressman Collins, and State Senator Ortt have announced their “doubt” regarding the statement from the US Department of Defense regarding the fact that the Apex project will not impact the operations of the base.

I don’t fault SOS as much as I do these two elected representatives. Members of SOS believe in their cause, are misinformed and as selfish as it may be.

Collins and Ortt are pandering – plain and simple. Everybody claims to be in favor of renewable and sustainable energy.

Both of them have said as much.  Collins: “It is essential that going forward we pursue the many energy opportunities available. These include exploring hydraulic fracking, protecting of our state’s coal industry, and utilizing a variety of other energy production methods. I will continue to ensure that when it comes to energy, Western New Yorkers will have every opportunity available to benefit from our state’s resources.”

Ortt: “This incentive will encourage people to implement clean energy initiatives, helping to reduce their energy consumption and lower energy costs for consumers. It aims to reduce our carbon footprint and pushes our region toward energy-efficiency, environmental responsibility, and local job creation in this growing industry. Western New York is on the upswing, and this bill will aid in keeping it there as more and more people gravitate toward less-costly, greener, cleaner options.”

As long as it’s not in their voters’ back yard, simply because of pandering.

Bob Harker

Clarendon

Editor:

This Presidential election cycle has been interesting to say the least. The nastiness and mud-slinging is apparently boundless, based on the topics we have had to endure.

Character surely is important, so are current events as is the future direction of this nation. Liberty and freedom are the founding principles of our nation and should continue to guide us in the future. In my lifetime, we have all seen our liberties and freedoms curtailed and even taken away in many aspects of our lives.

Government, particularly the Federal Government, has grown in size and intrusiveness. The office of President has stringent limits placed in the Constitution originally; but the power of the executive has been increased by each administration since FDR. The current Democratic and Republican candidates seek to continue both those trends, albeit in different directions.

Governor Gary Johnson believes that America is great right now despite the path we have been on.  He knows that the American people have a love of liberty and distaste for government intrusion into their personal decisions. He knows that the United States is a country of immigrants and to deny people seeking a better life for themselves and their families is detrimental to us all.

Governor Johnson will present a balanced budget to the Congress the first time. If they want to add to the nation’s debt, they will either prove to him how it’s going to be paid off, or have to expose their wastefulness by overriding his veto. Without question, Gary Johnson is the most fiscally responsible candidate in this race.

Governor Johnson knows that continuing to classify marijuana as Schedule One is nonsense and is harming many people who can use it as a medical and psychological treatment. Also, the expense of investigations, arrests, courts and incarcerations of marijuana sellers, growers, and possessors is a cost that we cannot afford and should not be incurring as it infringes upon people’s liberty to live as they choose.

Governor Johnson respects the 2^nd Amendment rights of all Americans and has stated more than once that he will not seek to add any further restrictions to the current federal gun laws.

Governor Johnson has a non-interventionist view on foreign affairs. He will not involve our military in regime change and unending war. He has the most support of current military personnel of all the Presidential candidates because of this view.

Finally, a vote for the Libertarian Presidential candidate will be counted nationally and if he can get above 5% of the total popular vote, the Libertarian Party qualifies for matching federal funding. This means that the LP in every state of the Union will have more money to help local candidates in the future.

Here in NY in 2018, we will have a Governor election. Better funding may help attract a great candidate who can at least get above 50,000 votes and get us automatic ballot access across the state for local, county and state offices.

We have seen some really great candidates in NY fall short of the overbearing amount of signatures needed to get on the ballot, while the main parties put forth the same old hacks. People I encounter say to me that we need another party at the table, the ones we have do not represent most folks. A vote for Gary Johnson helps get us to that table.

We need your vote. Your vote does count and besides, your conscience can rest easy knowing you voted for the person who would be the best president of those contending.

Dave Olsen

Basom

Chairman of Genesee County Libertarian Party

Editor:

Last month a news commentator said that people who have lost their jobs to trade deals no longer live with good-paying, lifetime jobs. They now live in an uncertain world where they will have to find several jobs during their lifetimes as not everyone is going to find a high-tech, high-paying job in the “new” economy.

The commentator also mentioned that small business growth is going to increasingly taking up the slack.

I immediately remembered that when I grew up small businesses seemed to be even more numerous and less risky than they are today. I will always remember the day my dad took me shopping for our first color TV. It was a small shop and we had to walk through the repair area to get to the new TVs in back. The owner told us the good and bad about each model. He explained why their prices varied. Why each model has different repairs costs.

One, the Zenith, had more tubes which were cheaper to repair and its layout kept the tubes cool. It was high quality and would be cheaper to repair. Another, the Motorola, had several circuit boards which were cheaper to start with but they were placed over the tubes so they would heat up more and be more expensive to repair.

What I ALSO remember was that the price of each set – there and everywhere else – was the price. No dickering. “Manufacturer’s Retail Price!”  My dad told me that the idea was that this would help assure everyone was paid enough to keep their doors open.

Then, just a few years later, I remember the push to end price fixing at the retail level. Some warned that it might hurt small retailers but others claimed that the extra service they offered and repairs would be enough to keep them going. We were all told the important thing was “freer markets” and “price competition”.

This all seemed to be OK but I was worried about the man in that shop. As a result I noticed when his shop stopped selling new TVs and later I noticed when he stopped repairing things and had to close.

In a similar vein a few years later I remember when businesses and consumers wanted tariffs lowered and prices went lower yet. Indeed, from my vantage point as a consumer I saw the push for cheaper prices play itself with clothes, cars, computers, circuit boards, and recently appliances, just to name a few.

What I am saying is trade deals like NAFTA did not cause our problems but were symptoms of the push for  “freer markets” and “cheaper prices” which were already well underway.

Change seems to be an inherent element of capitalism and its effective allocation of resources; I will let the economists argue those issues.

But what I do know if the only truly free market is the black market. Governments, laws and regulation shape them and set limits on behavior. Therefore, when I hear someone use the term “free market” I always wait to see if the speaker can define the problem or has a plan with detailed expected consequences.

When I hear someone rail against regulation I always wait to see which one, why is was or was not unwise, and how it could have been done better. I know to that everything government does, every trend in business, every advance in science, has both intended and unintended consequences so we need to be flexible and vigilant to make changes.

I will always wonder what would have helped my TV shop owner, my suit salesman, and my appliance guy, and my neighbor who worked at Harrison. They were this country’s backbone.

They all seemed to have been swallowed up by free markets and cheap costs. For some of them I am sure no thought was given about how to soften the blow while the rest of us benefitted.

And now we are back where we started with small business expected to take up the slack. We need to know if whoever is talking has a grip or reality or is selling us a bill of goods.  Therefore I actually look to see which plan starts out being most detailed, which has the best costing, which is the most flexible, and which makes the fewest  assumptions about how good it will be.

All of “my guys” deserved it then and we need it now.

Very truly yours,

Conrad F. Cropsey

Albion