Thom Jenning’s recent letter regarding state funding to Orleans County is flawed in that monies given to schools are locked up for school use only. Funds given to the schools can only be used for artificial turf football fields, purchasing and holding large fields of farmland, maintaining large cash reserves, maintaining the buildings and grounds and yes some limited educational programs.
My first thought after reading Thom’s letter was that if things are so great in Orleans County, why did he move from Albion to Oakfield? Tom Rivers is taking up the right cause in seeking more AIM funds to be used by towns and villages as this money is for the benefit of the citizens at large, not just for pet projects by school districts in the county.
Taxes in the village of Albion are extremely high partially because funds that should be available are locked up as well. There exists a seven million dollar perpetual care fund for the expensive upkeep of Mt. Albion Cemetery, however only the funds derived from the interest on that money can be used. It is hardly enough, leaving village residents to pay the true cost, which contributes to higher taxes.
Government by itself produces nothing, much like accounting to a business for tax purposes. Citizens and business owners are the ones who have to pay for these services. The burden of government and business expenses are forever growing, like the IRS, which means you are having to ante up more and more of your hard earned money to pay for everything.
If the school districts that are receiving all this money were to reduce taxes, perhaps parents could afford to provide a nicer homes to raise their children, provide better quality food and clothing, pay for their children’s own breakfast and lunches and maybe even save for college.
School districts that take too much are causing parents to have fewer children due to the increased expense, which will spell the slow demise of the schools they are trying to fund. If there are fewer children to teach, there will be fewer teachers and administrators needed to educate them. In essence they are cutting their own throats by keeping taxes high.
Government has become a greater problem for citizens over the years in part because of voter apathy and ignorance. Government likes it that way. When you are working multiple jobs to make ends meet, the last thing you want to think about when you come home is politics. I’ve been there, I know.
This only perpetuates the mindset of people in government today who put their own interests ahead of yours because for whatever reason, there are too few voters to make a difference. “People Increasing Government Spending” or P. I. G. S. are much like the animal that doesn’t know when to stop feeding. “Citizen Activists Reducing Expansion” of government, or C. A. R. E., like the farmer, need to oversee activities lest they become bloated and fat like P. I. G. S.
Recently, the County Legislature voted to purchase land and buildings to further expand county government. With school enrollment down in Albion, as in most districts, it would make sense for the county to share services with school districts by converting empty classroom space into office space for county workers. After all, schools are off the tax rolls and are already being paid for by residents. Why not use the empty space and save the taxpayers some money!
The recent editorial entitled “Where is outrage over state shafting villages, towns with AIM funding?” by Tom Rivers, certainly fits the “big bad Albany Democrats giving Orleans County the shaft” but at best it can be called a partial truth, because, while there is undoubtedly a shortfall in AIM funds received by Orleans County, the State more than makes up for the shortfall in school aid and grants to Orleans County.
The property tax levy is made up of school tax, local tax and county tax. Everything the state provides to any of those line items reduces the tax burden, not just AIM funds. So, while Mr. Rivers paints a bleak picture to elicit a Rosa Parks-style protest, school aid and AIM funds both come from the same source and have a direct impact on property taxes, one only needs to look at the math to paint a clearer picture.
Here are a few stark examples, if we look at Chautauqua County, Mr. Rivers points out that AIM funding in Salamanca amounts to $156.54 per capita. Now that number is an outlier, but we can use it to demonstrate Orleans County is not being short-changed by the State of New York.
The total school aid for Orleans County is roughly $114 million, and the population is 40,000, which amounts to a per capita of $2,858. In Chautauqua they receive $345 million with a population of 127,000 which is a per capita $2,716 per capita. That number applies to residents of Salamanca, and residents of Medina.
The difference amounts to $142 per capita, in favor of Orleans County, and if we use Mr. Rivers example of the Village of Medina, they receive $6.88 per capita in AIM funds, which is inaccurate anyway because he didn’t include AIM funds given to the towns that are part of the Village so it should be doubled to $13.76 per capita.
$142 + $13.76= $155.76 which means Medina receives more per capita in school and AIM funds than Salamanca, which is the city in Mr. Rivers example with the highest per capita recipient of AIM funds.
If you shifted the school aid to AIM, the school would be forced to raise property taxes, so there is no real disparity, and Medina’s firehouse conundrum would not be solved by more money from the state, the state is clearly providing equitable property tax relief.
If anyone should feel shafted it is Genesee County. Mr. Rivers also pointed out that the City of Batavia receives $112 per capita in AIM funds. Total school aid to Genesee County is $134 million with a population of 59,000. That is $2,271 per capita, and $587 less per capita than Orleans County.
Let’s not forget that Salamanca has a casino, and Batavia has a racino, both of which generate a significant amount of income for the State.
So, is Orleans County really getting “shafted” by New York State? Nope, not even close, and those numbers don’t take account of huge grants in recent years, including a $4.5 million one to The Village of Medina.
As for the Villages, one of the major sources of revenue to the county, that stays in the county, is sales tax. Orleans County has seen astronomical gains in recent years, and could provide some form of relief to Medina, perhaps in the form of a no-interest loan.
While it doesn’t fit the hyper-partisan nature of politics in the region, the outrage should be with the county government, which has hoarded its sales tax largesse for decades.
I have to agree with Andina Barone’s letter to the editor in which towns should seriously look at the health effects of adding Fluoride or (Hydrofluorosilicic Acid) to our water.
There is a reason its scientific name is classified as an acid. Because it is just that. An acid. During my work in the water treatment industry, I learned many things about Hydrofluorosilicic Acid that was quite concerning.
As we all know using fluoride in dental practice proves quite effective in helping to prevent tooth decay. But what most people don’t understand is once it passes your gums and is ingested you’ve pretty much swallowed a poison. It has no medicinal value past your teeth and can cause a multitude of health problems.
In 1945 the fluoride revolution began and a barrage of hired guns disguised as scientists and dentists convulsed on small communities to sell more Hydrofluorosilicic Acid. Armed with incomplete and inaccurate information they proceeded to scare communities into believing they could save children’s teeth by adding this acid into drinking water.
Over the next 25 years or so the fluoride industry showed data proving the induction of this acid in drinking water was working. It was the big lie of the ’50s and ’60s. What these studies failed to inform us of was that the dental industry also took on the use of fluoride in a big way and toothpaste started to add fluoride to their products. Also, during this time education about the benefits of good oral hygiene created a huge shift in the way we took care of our mouths. The 6-month dental visits became the norm.
Too often doctors are afraid to call out the health problems we see from this every day. Too often acid reflux, heart burn and even ulcers are blamed on coffee or soda, But yet we add acids to our diets every time we drink water. Drinking bottled water won’t save you either because Hydrofluorosilicic Acid is hard to remove from water. We’ve added so much of it over the years it can actually be detected in lake water.
Now if you look at new data over the past 25 years you can see that communities that do not add fluoride to their water show NO signs that their children’s teeth are worse off than those that do. A little known fact that the fluoride industry spends millions of dollars to keep quiet.
Now that the lion is out of its cage putting it back in will be difficult. Whenever communities even breath of removing it from drinking water lawyers will descend upon that community with motion after motion until the community can no longer afford to fight them.
But the truth is it is truly the vote of said community that determines fluoride in water treatment. In October of 1965 Albion voters, with inaccurate and incomplete information voted to add this acid to our water. To my knowledge no vote has been handed out since then.
I did try a few years back to get the Albion Village Board to consider putting this out to the public for a new vote with more up to date information. I was shut down by the next regular meeting and it was never even brought up again in a public forum.
The bottom line is it is up to the community whether this acid stays in your water or not. Voice your concerns, have a say. Let’s educate ourselves and convince Albion and all water treatment facilities in Orleans County to at least put this back up for debate and vote.
On February 22, 2014 Hub Editor Tom Rivers convincingly made the case state leaders should increase the amount of AIM funds coming into the county. He suggested organizing a march across the county to generate publicity.
As a profound sense of inertia seems to have engulfed Lynne Johnson, Skip Draper, Bill Eick and the others in the county government, I don’t see them leading anybody to help secure the money, let along actually walking in a march.
Now is the time for the Democrats to seize the initiative, move into the power vacuum created by Republican inaction, and help coordinate the AIM March. Democrats should help Rivers organize the AIM march by: handing out flyers for the march to the public, contacting media outlets with the route of the march, and inviting Congresswoman Tenney, State Senator Ortt, Assemblyman Hawley and U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer to join in.
Who knows, once county leaders hear that high-level political leaders and the media will be at the march, they may put on their hiking boots and join in
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 22 February 2024 at 3:27 pm
Structural discrimination from state leads to high taxes locally, neglected infrastructure
Photo by Tom Rivers: The Village of Albion has low water pressure on the east side of the village and has put plastic bags on fire hydrants on East State Street so firefighters don’t use them. It’s part of an aging infrastructure showing lots of wear and tear.
Town and village leaders in Orleans County and across the state have failed to fight for a long overdue increase in state aid through the AIM program. They need to holler but can’t muster a whisper.
The state sets aside $715 million annually through Aid and Incentives to Municipalities (AIM). The cities get 90.5 percent of this money, with most small cities getting $100 to $150 per capita in aid.
The city of Salamanca, which is similar in size to both the villages of Medina and Albion, collects $928,131 in AIM funding or $156 per person for its 5,929 residents.
Medina, population 6,047, gets a lowly $45,523 in aid, while Albion with 5,637 residents, gets even less at $38,811. That is a meager per capita of less than $8 for Orleans County’s two largest villages.
It is infuriating to see the disparity of money given to small cities compared to similar-size villages that offer comparable services. But you don’t hear much griping from our local officials or our state representatives.
Orleans Hub calculations based on U.S. Census population statistics in 2020 and funding amounts from the NYS Division of the Budget.
I realize we are proud people who think we can manage our way out of what has turned into a crisis of high taxes and neglected infrastructure. But we need more revenue, outside of property taxes, especially for our villages.
Look at Medina facing a $1.7 million expense for a new ladder truck and an estimate of $6 million for an addition to its fire hall. Those projects will be a huge tax hit to a village that already has the highest tax rate in the Finger Lakes at $21.15 per $1,000 of assessed property.
The bond payment for the fire truck would be about $160,000 a year over 20 years. The fire hall will likely be even higher than that. And both payments are already on a strapped village where it feels the taxpayers are tapped out.
If only Medina was treated like a small city by the state with AIM. The village could easily handle those new bond payments and it’s high tax rate would be much lower.
The state started AIM in 2006 as a revenue-sharing program with cities, towns and villages. It gave the vast majority of the money to cities, which often have high poverty concentrations and greater demand for services.
The state should develop a metric that looks at poverty levels in communities, the tax burden on residents and the services offered by the municipalities. Right now, it doesn’t make much sense why there is such a disparity in the payments, and that includes among the cities where some get much more than others.
Of the $715 million in AIM, the cities get $647.1 million, while towns statewide receive $47.9 million, and villages share $19.7 million.
This money is a small chunk of what the state brings in sales tax each year and is intended to help municipalities pay for some of their critical services.
In Orleans County, the state takes in close to $25 million in sales tax with its 4 percent share, or half of the 8-cent tax on purchases.
Orleans County only gets $381,897 total in AIM funding. That is $108,371 for the four villages: Albion, $38,811; Holley, $17,786; Lyndonville, $6,251; and Medina, $45,523.
The 10 towns collectively receive $273,526, which includes Albion, $46,944; Barre, $12,486; Carlton, $13,680; Clarendon, $11,416; Gaines, $21,323; Kendall, $21,299; Murray, $44,677; Ridgeway, $46,273; Shelby, $45,007; and Yates, $10,421.
The AIM amounts haven’t increased in 15 years for anyone, even as the state budget has grown at a breakneck pace, from $132 billion in 2009-10, to $142 billion in 2013-14, to $229 billion in 2023-24, to the governor’s proposed budget for 2024-25 at $223 billion.
If state legislators and the governor don’t want to increase AIM significantly, they could first start by looking at the AIM payments to villages. Those payments could be multiplied by 10 and still be short of what small cities are getting.
A good start would be tripling the payments in the new budget. That would cost the state about another $40 million. If that happened, the Orleans County villages of Medina would get about $91,046 more, with Albion at another $77,622, Holley at $35,572 and Lyndonville at $12,502.
This wouldn’t be a transformative difference, but it would help. In Medina, for example, the village takes in $3,786,964 in property taxes. Another $91,046 in AIM would represent 2.4 percent of the tax levy.
I would focus on the villages first because they have police protection which isn’t offered by the local towns. The village police save the state (and county Sheriff’s Office) from paying more for additional officers and deputies.
The state should develop a formula for how it gives out this money, much like it does for school districts where it factors in services, enrollment or population, community wealth and several other factors. With AIM, there is no rationale for why some get much more – or less – than others.
Our elected representatives in the state government have failed us in Orleans County with this issue. They don’t speak out about such a glaring disparity in state aid to our villages and towns, compared to small cities in the state.
State Sen. Rob Ortt and Assemblyman Steve Hawley have had news conferences in the past month seeking more state funding for school districts and with CHIPS money for road paving.
These two are both articulate and forceful speakers. They should take up the cause of the gross AIM disparity for the towns and villages. I’d like to see press conferences and press releases with fiery rhetoric about this issue. They could stand outside the Medina fire hall, or by Albion’s off-limits fire hydrants.
The Albion village sign on Moore Street is in front of a fire hydrant that is bagged due to insufficient water pressure.
More state funding for the towns and villages would bring in new revenue to help knock down taxes and maintain services.
Orleans Hub has written about this issue many times in the past decade. There hasn’t been a sustained charge from our local team of officials – village, town, county and state – about how to press the state and rectify a situation where we are clearly getting shafted.
When others have faced discrimination, they have marched to help bring awareness to their plight. They have bandied together and not accepted second-class treatment.
Statewide a powerful display would be carrying a torch from one end of the state to the other, with mayors, DPW workers, police officers, clerks, firefighters and residents of villages and towns walking together, and then handing off the torch to the next town.
It should be delivered in the state capital with a massive rally of our small-town people, showing the Legislature and governor that there is work being done at all levels of government, not just cities. There are poor people and middle-class residents in towns and villages, too, who could use a break in their property taxes if more AIM came to their town or village. Our DPW could use updated plow trucks, rather than vehicles more than 20 years old.
Our firefighters would welcome dependable fire trucks that aren’t nearly 30 years old. They should be able to use fire hydrants that spew out a powerful stream of water, rather than a trickle.
I realize a statewide effort would be hard to coordinate. Orleans County could be the leader. I’d like to see Orleans municipalities and their elected officials, employees and residents have a march from one end of the county to the other, going 25 miles along Route 31, or 104 or the towpath.
I don’t understand the meekness with the issue. Our small towns and villages should follow the example of Rosa Parks, who refused to go to the back of the bus.
I have read with great interest the recent Letters to the Editor regarding the manner in which government in Orleans County keeps growing, expanding their reach and costs to county residents. Several letters have also dealt with the manner in which party candidates and committee members are chosen.
Some people think to solve this we should do away with partisan elections in the Village of Albion and perhaps across the county as if that will move more people to run for office and get involved.
It is not necessary for all elections to be non-partisan. There has always been the opportunity for “outsiders” to run for office. For town and county positions, if someone wants to run they need only contact the Board of Elections in Orleans County or, in the Village of Albion, the Village Clerk, and request their own petitions.
They then choose the name of their party and get the required number of signatures. It is then a matter of filing these petitions by the deadline to be on the ballet. For more information contact the County Board of Elections or go to https://elections.ny.gov for more information on how to run for office.
Meanwhile, if you are truly interested in getting to know the chosen candidates and what they stand for then you should do the following:
Go to Meet & Greets and Candidate Forums to talk with and get to know the candidates beliefs and vision for the community. Just because the candidate is not of your party affiliation does not mean you cannot go and speak to them. Don’t rely on your party committee or your neighbor to decide your vote for you. Choose the best candidate no matter what party they belong to. Don’t rely on the candidates ability to go “door to door” as the weather does not always cooperate.
If you are affiliated with a political party you can attend their meetings which are open to the public.
Better yet, get on the committee itself. Political committees are currently in the process of re-organizing and now is the time to make it known that you are interested in getting on and getting involved. Check the committee website and contact the committee Chair to express your feelings about issues, candidates and how to become a committee member.
Too often people do not want to get involved. It takes conviction, energy, money and courage to run for an office. You are putting yourself out in front of the public and often there is a “behind your back” rumor mill ready to tear you down.
Run for office yourself! To use an old term “Put your money where your mouth is.” We are always looking for good committee members and good candidates.
Mr. Cropsey’s most recent Trump bashing letter is an insult to the intelligence of college-educated Orleans County residents. He thinks we are too ignorant to understand the fraudulent details in another “get Trump” case brought for the sole purpose of taking away our right to choose our next president. This case, in addition to the many other cases, reeks of election interference!
Mr. Cropsey continues to beat the same dead horse with his constant Trump-bashing editorials, never documenting his sources of information. (Include your sources please!) He has shown himself to be a one-trick pony, repeating the same things over and over. He seems to have lost the capability to process new information to discuss some of the many current events that are much more important than Trump at the moment.
Cropsey, along with Fine and Capurso have demonstrated their hatred for someone they don’t even know, getting their information from corrupt media sources that always, at the direction of our corrupt government, paints Trump as the devil in disguise.
All of these editorialists need a large dose of a vaccine sufficient enough to cure them of their severe case of “Trump Derangement Syndrome.” Maybe a month-long vacation and dose of reality somewhere near the southern border would help to cure them.
I don’t feel sorry for any bank or business that either made money or lost money due to President Trump’s inflated value of his worth or the worth of his property. The people who made the deals were “big boys” who understand the financial banking system enough to make millions for themselves and other investors.
Everyone thinks their assets, like houses and such, are worth more because they hope to get the best price for their property when they sell. President Trump is entitled to the same. It is up to the professional appraisers and assessors to determine the value based on their experience. That is what they get paid for! If the banks failed to utilize their services and thus failed to make a larger profit, it’s their fault!
New York has become a loser state that many people are sick of! Corrupt politicians constantly redirect budget funds to influence people to make money for themselves or to help to increase their power over us. Where are the funds coming from to pay for all the illegal migrants who are flooding our cities, taking away resources from low-income families who need these funds and services? Will these migrants be granted citizenship if they join the military in exchange for their vote to perpetuate our corrupt leadership?
President Trump was the “great interrupter” who stopped the flow of corrupt money that congressmen and women depend on to become billionaires while in office. They hate him for this!
President Trump, the outsider, worked for the people, not to further the corrupt system. Come November, we will have the opportunity to choose between a free and more prosperous America or a fascist America with never-ending wars. I hope we get this right!
For once I can not recommend reading a case about Trump – the $356 million fraud case. It’s simply too darn complicated for anyone not willing to outline and digest materials equivalent to a college course.
Although Trump lies or engages in misdirection about everything involved, there is a fundamental legal question presented which people should be looking at.
First note that emails, appraisals and numbers in sworn statements of worth and debt were laid out in dizzying detail. They were falsified.
What bank, what department, what underwriter and the like received false information was all laid out. Many times there were email discussions of what the internal records and appraisal(s) showed and leaving them out or ignoring them. They simply ensured the right people got the wrong values. It was incredibly brazen. (That said there were a couple of up appraised property’s values which were not as strongly established by the AG. That said it would be unusual for an appeals court to reverse on the facts when the trial court indicates a belief a witness is lying and explains why.)
Second, I surprised to learn that the banks did not revalue Trump’s net worth to $2.6 billion. News reports to that effect left out a key detail. The bank actually uses 1/2 or $2.6 billion in the event of default as all they might expect to recover since they knew they would have a cut of the pie involving other creditors and expensive litigation. Therefore that is what they loaned against – and why Trump doubled and tripled values.
I expected to find problems with proving the applicable lower interest rate Trump received by inflating his net worth. That is another factual issue that is unlikely to be upset on appeal but could be. His trial estimate was obviously lower. The judge did not believe that witness.
Trump’s other deflections were resolved. Who could be believed and why was set forth in unusual detail to bullet proof the findings of fact from Appellate review which is almost always limited to law.
But to my mind the unspoken elephant in the room is way the law, the statute, was used against Trump. Usually this statute applies when business A (Trump) would lie to B (Bank) to obtain money business A (Trump) was not going to repay. This law is simplified to stop this business fraud. In this case is business A (Trump) lied to B (Bank) to pay Bank less than what the Bank was otherwise owed if the truth be told.
That may have affected the Bank’s reserve requirements but certainly increased what it had to charge other customers to stay competitive. But is it business fraud under this law? Trump calls it a matter with “no victims.”
The question, by analogy, is if it’s fair for another property owner with a property exactly like yours to get a lower property tax bill because that owner lied on his assessment (for example on square footage). Clearly not and there are legal remedies.
So in Trump’s case the question is if the 1950s (Republican sponsored) Executive Law used in this case should be used to address rich people cheating on net worth statements, hurting the bank’s projected profit, and indirectly boosting your interest rate.
The question for the Courts will be does this particular statute apply to Trump and, if not, do we insist the law be rewritten to stop this type of cheating.
The principle of transparent pricing to make capitalism work says either nail Trump or rewrite the law. Only in communist or authoritarian countries would treat this cheating as accepted business. Its strong men could engage in with impunity.
In capitalist countries it is the fraudulent conduct we expect from “gangsters.”
$356 billion to pay or not, law to amend or not, the entire episode tells us all exactly who Trump thinks he is and, in fact, is.
Policymakers should reconsider decisions to fluoridate public water supplies. A growing body of scientific evidence suggests that the practice may pose significant health risks that warrant serious consideration and immediate action.
The practice of water fluoridation is not universal and is subject to ongoing debate. Some countries and municipalities have chosen to discontinue fluoridation, citing modern dental hygiene practices (such as the widespread use of fluoride toothpaste) and the philosophy of individual choice regarding fluoride exposure. The decision to fluoridate water remains a local one, influenced by specific community health needs, public opinion, and the interpretation of current scientific evidence.
Excessive fluoride exposure is linked to dental fluorosis, a condition characterized by the discoloration and, in severe cases, the erosion of tooth enamel. This cosmetic concern, prevalent in children exposed to high fluoride levels, is just the tip of the iceberg.
More alarming are studies indicating a correlation between high fluoride intake and a range of adverse health effects, including bone fractures, thyroid dysfunction, and neurodevelopmental issues. Research published in leading medical journals suggests that fluoride can accumulate in bone tissue, leading to increased fracture risk and skeletal fluorosis—a painful and debilitating condition.
The potential impact of fluoride on brain development is particularly concerning. Recent studies have found an association between fluoride exposure in utero and reduced IQ scores in children. These findings echo the need for a precautionary approach to fluoridation policies, considering the irreversible nature of cognitive development impairments.
Despite advancements in water quality science and technology, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has not significantly updated its water quality regulations for decades. This stagnation raises concerns about the adequacy of existing standards to protect public health considering emerging contaminants and new research findings.
As a result, it is imperative to question the continuation of water fluoridation programs. The principle of “do no harm” must guide public health policies. With alternative dental health strategies available, including improved access to dental care and the use of fluoride toothpaste, the risks associated with water fluoridation are unnecessary and avoidable.
It is time for policymakers to prioritize the health and well-being of the public by reevaluating the safety and efficacy of water fluoridation.
Residents can discover what’s truly in your tap water by visiting the Tap Water Database on Environmental Working Group’s website at EWG.org and simply entering your zip code. Empower yourselves with knowledge and take the first step towards safer, cleaner water.
It has become fashionable for Trump and some Republicans to bash immigrants. If you believe them, immigrants are a drag on the economy, the source of rising crime rates and other problems.
The Chairman of the Federal Reserve, Jerome Powell, on “60 Minutes” recently stated, “The U.S. economy has benefited from immigration. And frankly, just in the last year a big part of the story of the labor market coming back to better balance is immigration returning to levels that were more typical of the pre-pandemic era.”
The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office in its 10-year economic forecast said immigration is a key reason economic projections are looking better. It added that because of immigrants joining the labor-force, “we estimate from 2023-2034, the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) will be greater by about 7 trillion and revenues will be greater by about 1 trillion than they would have been otherwise.”
Based on this information it appears immigrants are an economic plus for the country. Perhaps Republican President Ronald Reagan said it best: “Thanks to each wave of new arrivals to this land of opportunity, we’re a nation forever young, forever bursting with energy and new ideas, and always on the cutting edge, always leading the world to the next frontier. This quality is vital to our future as a nation. If we ever closed the door to new Americans, our leadership in the world would soon be lost.”
Perhaps it is time for anti-immigrant Republicans not descended from immigrants to identify themselves. My guess is the group to stand up would be small-only Native Americans.
I am running a write in campaign for Lyndonville Village Board Trustee. Election Day is March 19th at the Village Hall.
Here is a little bit of information about myself. I graduated from Lyndonville Central School. I served in the Marine Corps for 5 years, achieving the rank of Sergeant, having over 30 Marines under my charge.
I was directly responsible for the repair/maintenance of over $500 million worth of military assets, working with a very limited budget. Currently, I work for the Town of Yates Highway Department and serve on the Village Planning Board.
I reside in the village with my wife and 2 sons. In my opinion, government should not be any bigger than what is necessary to perform its basic functions. In other words, the smaller the government, the better.
I also believe government should be fiscally conservative and responsible with taxpayers’ money. My military experience, motivation, and work ethic make me an ideal candidate for Village Board Trustee.
I vow to put the best interest of the taxpayers at the forefront of all my decision making. I also vow to be transparent in regards to all Village business, it is the taxpayers’ right to know.
Write in Justin Edwards for Village Board Trustee, March 19th, at the Village Hall.
Before I begin my letter, I just want to express it is not my intention to bash anyone, and/or cause chaos. But it is my intention to express my concern, as a mother, to Orleans County’s ongoing failure to protect the people that live here.
On January 10, 2023, my 12-year-old daughter was walking home from school with a friend, who lives very close to the school. Some who know this story will consider it “jaywalking” but due to one side of the street not having a sidewalk, nor having a safe means for the children to cross over to the other side, I would not consider it this.
On this day, my daughter was struck by a vehicle driven by an 18-year-old male. When I reached the scene of the accident, I was immediately ambushed by several people. Some expressing their concerns over my daughter, and others trying to justify the driver.
The driver was not only on his cellphone, but he was also going at a rate of speed that was inappropriate for such a heavily populated area of school children walking home.
This accident was caught on a home’s ring camera and showed any mother’s biggest fear. My daughter and her friend did everything they were taught. Stop at the side of the road, look both ways, wait for the cars to pass, and cross when it is safe and there are no other vehicles coming. My daughter’s friend made it to the other side of the road, to her driveway but unfortunately, my daughter did not. She was hit. She was thrown up on the car, where her knee went through the headlight, and her head shattered the windshield, and was then thrown a few feet off the vehicle, into the street. To this day, my daughter is still undergoing medical treatment from injuries sustained from this accident.
The driver of the vehicle did not receive any consequences for hitting my daughter. He did not even receive as little as a traffic violation. He was not arrested, he did not receive a sobriety check to make sure he was not under the influence of anything while driving, he essentially received a slap on the hand.
My daughter, my family, my daughter’s friend, and her friend’s family, live everyday with the trauma of that day…her friend witnessing everything happen and having to run to her mom for help. But the driver, the driver got to go on with his life every day like he did nothing wrong. After fighting and fighting for days, weeks, months, the only thing that was accomplished out of this accident was a sign that was placed on the road, advising drivers to slow down, and children may be crossing.
Now, 12 months and 29 days after hitting my daughter, this same driver hit another person. Thankfully it was not a child but, unfortunately it was fatal. The same driver that did not receive any tickets, or consequences for his actions just 12 short months later killed someone. Ultimately, if those persons who are elected and in positions in which to protect us, would have done more, the young man that was killed on Feb. 8 may have had a chance at being alive today. I do acknowledge the current bail reform that was put into place but there are other methods of discipline that could have been taken, when my daughter was struck.
As I stated at the beginning of this letter, it is not my intention to bash anyone or cause more chaos. But we must do better. Our DA must do better, our police force must do better. Albion is not the safe and enjoyable town it once was. Our town must start holding those, who are continuously showing reckless behavior, responsible for their actions.
With 57 criminal charges against Trump, it is likely he will be convicted, imprisoned and subsequently become the subject of books by historians.
Politicians have long believed that the average voter has a short memory; however historians do not. And because most widely read American historians are liberal leaning, it is reasonable to assume Ms. Tenney’s record and pronouncements will be scrutinized very carefully.
Unless she changes her position on Trump, historians will likely consign her to the long list of ethically challenged politicians who betrayed their principles for votes. Her support of Trump will likely dwarf her accomplishments.
In a previous editorial, Jim Pratt encouraged people to start thinking more about the status quo that is prevalent in Orleans County politics.
Leaders and active members of political parties want you to trust their recommendation for a particular candidate based on their say so, with few reasons to justify their support. The crookedness in politics today is one good reason not to take all that a political party tells you at face value.
Candidates, together with political parties, need to provide more information to help voters make informed decisions for whom to support. It takes time to put this information out and for voters to read, however many problems we see in government today might be lessened if voters had the facts needed to choose the best candidates for the positions.
The actions of politicians, ever more blatant, serving themselves rather than serving the people they are supposed to represent has become the norm in politics. They use a network of like-minded party members, keeping them in power to affect the changes they want to take place.
County workers and leaders function as a “large and in charge” family with everyone in the group supporting the political agenda set forth by the leaders. The name for this type of corruption in government is “nepotism.” This is what keeps Orleans County functioning or dis-functioning the way it has for many years.
Government leaders provide jobs and in return the workers vote for these leaders to retain their jobs. The more jobs, the more votes for leaders. This is how the government network keeps government growing.
We have many supportive community members participating in county government who have done a good job, however, for some, it can be difficult to maintain the truths and beliefs they ascribe to when pressured by other party members of the group with conflicting ideas. The “go along to get along” mentality usually prevails in most cases, causing the few with righteous beliefs to cave to remain a member of the group in power.
It would be more advantageous to have a few more Democrats or even an independent candidate participating in county government to balance our current one-sided system. Maybe it would be even better if all candidates stood as individuals, not endorsed by any party. People would then be able to make their own informed decision for whom they vote based on what each candidate professed, rather than being influenced by political parties.
Individual candidates, regardless of political affiliation, who wish to be elected to serve in public office need to communicate their ideas and solutions across multiple platforms to improve Orleans County for all who live here. Ideas for sharing resources and reducing duplicate services among other things, needs to prevail to lessen the burden of ever growing government on the residents of Orleans County.
The outcome of county government should be to empower all county residents to achieve success without dependency on government. Shrinking county government is the first step toward enabling the people, who are overburdened paying for it, the resources they need to achieve a better quality of life in Orleans County.
The best government is the least government and the least government is the most efficient government. I encourage you to support leaders who have your best interests in mind.
Since my letter posted on Feb. 7, I have been asked numerous questions in regards to its content.
In the political arena we all realize that an endorsement can come from any political party or organization but it is still just a recommendation for support. In the political arena of Orleans County, we know that it is predominately Republican in nature and has been recorded that way in numerous past elections.
A few more thoughts are now forthcoming regarding Mr. Sansone’s endorsement by the Republican Party.
Who is endorsing and what does it mean? – “A small group of individuals stating that in their opinion all registered Republican voters should show their support for whom they recommend.”
As a refresher, 79 Orleans County Republican Committee members met on Feb. 3 to determine a majority to decide who they will support for district attorney.
That majority, (some unknown number over 50% which was not stated), of the 79 are now suggesting to all 20,000 registered voters from Orleans County as to who they should support and ultimately vote for. Again, predominately Republicans.
Previously I addressed the fact that committee members were representing districts that they did not live in. That is not illegal by any means.
Yet when this representation seems to serve a definite purpose, as in the case of endorsement voting for a specific candidate, then this is simply a scenario that must be deemed nothing less than unethical.
If the endorsed candidate, Mr. Sansone, was aware of this unethical approach, then he is truly not the candidate Orleans County needs for District Attorney.
Letters need to be concise and to the point, they must make you think.
