Editor:

With early voting beginning October 24th and election day right around the corner, it is important for voters to know who is on the ballot in their community.

In the Town of Yates, there is an election for the Yates Town Supervisor, and Sue Hrovat will be on the ballot. Sue (and many others) passed petitions by going door to door, discussing issues, and meeting with registered Republicans throughout the Town of Yates.

The petition process is unique and indicative of democracy in our country. It provides any person the ability and opportunity to pass petitions to force a primary for a political party’s line if they are not nominated by a political party, in accordance with state laws and filing deadlines.

Our democracy also provides the ability for candidates to seek elected office as a write-in candidate. This is one of the great parts of our democracy—the ability to give voters a choice. I have no problem with this; I have personally been elected as a write-in candidate myself.

Having a choice is healthy for democracy. While having a choice is vital, selecting a candidate with proven leadership is equally important, which is why Sue Hrovat stands out. She is highly qualified, motivated, and capable to lead the Town of Yates as Town Supervisor, possessing the exact experience and expertise needed to manage town government.

Sue has been involved in our community for decades, taking on roles in various organizations well before she ever sought elected office. I went to school with her children, and looking back, she was always a reliable and steady presence in the community—attributes that continue today.

Balancing community needs with regulations, labor laws, and financial constraints is a demanding and often thankless responsibility. I am thankful we have someone like Sue Hrovat willing to step up, and I am proud to support her as our next Yates Town Supervisor.

Respectfully,

James C. White

Lyndonville

Editor:

The residents of the Town of Shelby should think carefully before giving up their right to elect their highway superintendent. Once that decision is taken out of the hands of voters and placed with the Town Board, an important level of public accountability is lost.

A town highway superintendent has one of the most important jobs in local government. From maintaining roads and bridges to responding to winter storms and emergencies, the decisions made by the superintendent directly affect the safety of residents and the condition of the infrastructure they depend on every day.

Highway maintenance is also the largest expense for town governments, according to the State Comptroller. With so much taxpayer money involved, residents deserve a direct say in who manages those resources and oversees their highway department.

There is a fundamental difference between an elected and an appointed superintendent. An elected superintendent answers directly to the people of Shelby. Residents can judge the superintendent’s performance, ask questions, and ultimately decide at the ballot box whether that individual should continue serving. An appointed superintendent also answers to the Town Board, leaving voters one step removed from that decision.

Supporters of an appointed position may argue that it gives the Town Board greater control over highway operations. But greater control for the Town Board should not come at the expense of the public’s right to choose.

The New York State Association of Town Superintendents of Highways strongly supports preserving the elected position of highway superintendent in Shelby. The choice of who maintains the town’s roads and manages one of its largest public expenditures should remain where it belongs — with the voters.

Theresa Burke

President

New York State Association of Town Superintendents of Highways

Editor:

I am writing to announce my write-in candidacy for office because the local Republican leadership has bypassed the democratic process, leaving voters with no real choice.

The party leadership selected their candidate quietly, without notifying the public or giving anyone the opportunity to circulate petitions for the primary. As a result, only one candidate is currently on the ballot for what amounts to two separate vacancies.

First, voters are being asked to cast a ballot in an election where the candidate has already been hand-picked behind closed doors. Second, if this candidate is elected, the secondary seat they vacate will be filled by appointment or subsequent maneuver—meaning voters are effectively handing over control to those who consistently vote to raise taxes and fail to solve our community’s pressing problems.

We deserve transparency, competition, and representation that actually listens to the people rather than party insiders. It is time to restore accountability to our local government.

Sincerely,

Steve Colon

Yates

Editor:

There comes a point when things you did not want to believe in the past become obviously true.

Inflation just hit new highs as did the debt. A handy tool to calculate your inflation costs can be found by clicking here. You might want to believe otherwise but these are real numbers.

The purchase of 1.5 days worth of Russian diesel will pay for weapons Russia can use against Ukraine or sell to Iran to kill American soldiers. That’s the hard truth so there is no reason to trust anyone continually aligning with a butcher like Putin.

The second war in the Middle East calms down, the Israeli PM will likely be voted out of office and his trial for fraud and graft will resume. His bad advice to stay in power is recognized there and has brought economic disaster for us – fuel, fertilizer and missiles. There is no reason to trust anyone who chooses to believe everything a desperate crook wants to cling to power.

Did you know Donald Trump profits this year on his cryptocurrency business exceed his investors’ losses? This says something about whose pocket book really matters to him. That was a pattern with the New Jersey casinos too.

AI investment supports the economy right now. Profits are years off. But the money makes stock market numbers and economic activity numbers look good. Clearly in a crowded field many will go bust. No matter investors may overbuilding data center capacity since Google has announced radical new software which increases computational speed 8x while decreasing memory needs 6x.

Now do you think DT has pure motives when he fights all proposals to exam the details of AI or does he simply want to support growth numbers for his investor friends and to pad inflated economic reports?

Good capitalism, in theory and practice, depends upon good math, accurate information, free speech, and fairly applied laws. These will be needed to figure out the mix of financial and fiscal policy needed to dig out of our huge deficit. Doesn’t it makes sense to accept 50 years of data showing that policies which make the filthy rich, richer really do not create jobs or a better life style. What we face is being a country of renters rather than homeowners.

And why are the Epstein files and rich perpetrators names still being hidden while so many young victims information was outed. That is a good example of current misuse of government power and our justice system.

Will Canada every trust its boyfriend again?

This is an rare and consequential election similar to 1860 and 1932. So much is blowing up in our face that the crisis forces out old ideas and can bring clarity. Usually a major realignment in political thought starts with a landslide which matches the self evident need.

You matter, so your vote matters. Dare say, no one voted for what is happening. Vote this year.

Conrad F. Cropsey

Albion

Editor:

Don’t take our neighbors! They are not criminals. They are not the worst of the worst. The immigrants in our communities contribute every day. Many of them are working seven days a week, long hours to bring in the harvest as I type this letter.

On Saturday, October 17th from 4 to 5 p.m. there will be a protest at the corner of East Park Street and South Main Street in Albion. We will be standing against immigration officials taking our neighbors. It has been set to coincide with No Kings, though it is not an official part of the No Kings rallies nationally.

This is our community. This is a non-partisan issue. Many of you voted to have the worst criminals, the “worst of the worst” taken out. That is not what is happening in our community. Many of you did not vote for this at all. Our neighbors are people who support local industry as workers, as consumers, and as taxpayers. They are being taken away.

Please come stand with us. Show our immigrant neighbors that they are not alone. Show our immigrant neighbors that many of us are angry at what the government is doing. Let them know they are not alone.

Betty Garcia Mathewson

Albion

Editor:

For the last several years, since re-entering public service, I have tried to address the rising costs of Fire and EMS services in our village, from selling our brand new ladder truck, that this community could not house and could not afford, to negotiating an increase in rates to the townships in the west end for ambulance service.

This endeavor has been a constant struggle to reverse the mindset of those who wish to maintain the status quo and business as usual.

The Village of Medina ambulance service is not a private business venture that earns a profit. The Village of Medina ambulance service is a municipal service funded by village taxpayers and in no way should be providing those services to outside village entities without appropriate compensation.

The cost to run the Village of Medina ambulance over the last few years is from $2.6 to $2.9 million in expenses with an average/stagnated revenue of $1.3 million. These expenditures do not include fire-related expenses and recognize a 90/10 ambulance/fire split for personal services. That leaves an approximately $1.3 million to $1.6 million tab for Village of Medina taxpayers. This is absolutely unacceptable and it is obviously time for a change.

Early negotiations with the towns of Ridgeway, Shelby and Yates brought this fact to the table. A one-year contract was offered with a substantial increase from $35,000 a year to $135,000. This one-year contract is intended to give the four entities time to assess a more viable solution for all and to see the outcome of the Orleans County EMS study.

Deputy Mayor Scott Bieliski and I were extremely disappointed to see that the cost of the ambulance service to Village of Medina taxpayers was not included in the slides shown at the recent Orleans County EMS Shared Services meeting.

They reported a $300,000 contract with Mercy for seven towns in the east and central and a potential $405,000 for the three towns in the west end. This glaring omission was even more ironic since I have heard on numerous occasions that the county should follow the Medina model!

How interesting, since I don’t recall any conversations with any County EMS representatives to discuss the costs involved to provide that service. In fact, just the opposite has occurred.

A county legislator at the previous shared services meeting insinuated that Medina may not cooperate. History proves that Medina has more than provided its fair financial share in cooperating with its neighbors. And then to have a town supervisor report at his budget meeting that Medina has “fabricated their numbers” and the budget crisis they find themselves in is due to “Medina’s shenanigans.”

Let me assure you, Supervisor Simon, the Village of Medina does not fabricate their numbers and we certainly do not engage in “shenanigans.”  I, along with my fellow Medina taxpayers, do not consider this a game.  We are also facing a fiscal crisis and the failure of this whole county to recognize the elephant in the room – the fact that we are all in the same predicament does not bode well for finding a viable solution.

I hope that everyone takes off their blinders and recognizes that, most definitely, cooperation and open-mindedness is the only way through this. The Village of Medina is open to work with all agencies involved, but this administration’s position will always be – Village of Medina taxpayers first.

Respectfully,

Deborah L. Padoleski

Mayor

Village of Medina

Editor:

In response to Kathy Harnischfeger’s letter posted on September 19, and regarding the election for Town of Clarendon Supervisor, SCOPE of Orleans County has invited both Kathy Harnischfeger and Fred Seeman to speak to our membership and the public on Tuesday, October 13, at 7 p.m. at the Hoag Library in Albion.

Both candidates will be allocated up to 25 minutes. Only one candidate will be in the room at a time. This is not a debate.

Both candidates have received a questionnaire. The questionnaire can be found by clicking here.

Candidates may appear in person and/or submit their answers in writing if they are unable to attend.

SCOPE of Orleans County will publish its findings at a later date.

The SCOPE mission statement can be found by clicking here.

If we want to protect and strengthen our Second Amendment rights, we must be active at the local level.

Local elected officials make decisions that directly affect our communities, including policies involving firearm ownership, self-defense, public safety, and Second Amendment rights. When we show up, build relationships, and make our voices heard, we have an opportunity to influence those decisions.

Attend local meetings. Know your elected officials. Speak with them. Engage with local law enforcement. Stay informed and get involved.

These actions matter.

Strong local advocacy does more than stop bad policies—it helps build lasting support for our constitutional freedoms. What we do today will help determine whether those rights remain strong for the next generation.

Mark D. Allen

Orleans County SCOPE Chairman

The Orleans County Democratic Committee is proud to announce their endorsements of the following candidates:

• Kathy Hochul – New York State Governor
• Adrienne Adams – Governor
• Tom DiNapoli – State Comptroller
• Letitia James – State Attorney General
• Tom Arida – State Senate
• Sarah Wolcott – State Assembly
• Alissa Ellman – New York 24 Congresswoman
• Anne Joynt – State Supreme Court
• Craig Bucki – State Supreme Court
• Marlene Seielstad – At Large Legislator for Orleans County
• Fred Miller – County Legislator

These candidates have the experience, integrity and practical vision needed to address the key issues affecting our county, state and country. We believe that they are the best people to move us forward.

We encourage everyone to learn more about these candidates and their views.

Please join us in supporting them on November 3rd with your vote.

Sandra Walter

Democratic Committee member

Editor:

Rural communities must fight for themselves.

Since the quality of life has deteriorated since the early ’80s, new and bolder capitalist answers are needed. Not everything is socialist just because some robber baron pays for advertising, or Hub contributor, says it is. Structure, math and competition are quantifiable.

Our farmers are being hurt by the huge costs of diesel and fertilizer. Ending tariffs quickly with Canada – before it signs contracts with its new trade partners – is part of the answer.

Tax breaks to entice companies to relocate to New York are unfair to rural areas. Rural areas can only match the dollar amount rebated by urban areas if they give up a larger proportion of the property tax dollars they collects. Dollar for dollar it costs more.

The cuts to Medicare/Medicaid and forcing rural hospitals, ERs and Well Care Centers to treat more people without insurance. This means spending is in the red. (Some entire states, like New York, are hurt because good health care is a good way to keep people with small kids employed.)

Farm workers need a better way to stay here and work the fields or do the other low paying jobs typically filled by first generation immigrants. Talents we need, we need to attract and keep. (Canada and others have active relocation programs for researchers and university professors.)

In the early ’60s the County and Albion plan for expansion between the tracks and canal. Some communities with foresight have done this. Just because local governments can be clueless those communities should not suffer. New thinking is needed.

Recently a Hub op ed claimed “progressivism” was sneaking into “common man” Democratic politics. As with many polemic political nostrums it was fully backwards.

In fact, there have been 9 “progressive” parties since Teddy Roosevelt; 4 were Republican based and 1 was Democratic based. Historically the term “Progressivism” involved a concern over the socio-economic challenges produced by “Robber Baron” capitalism as defined by selfish elites, political corruption, and the concentration of corporate power. Several of the 9 had their roots in farm, rural, labor, and “common man” issues.

Rural problems are unique. The current Federal Administration is actively hurting rural areas. Bold action is needed to address deceitful “Robber Baron” self interest which is indifferent to what it destroys.

Conrad F. Cropsey

Albion

Editor:

In the nearly two years of governance, Republicans have broken trade agreements, threatened our allies, forced through tariffs, gave the wealthy deep tax cuts and created extraordinary corruption, while cutting funds for healthcare, food assistance, education and other benefits for the rest of us.

This midterm election is a referendum on those policies. Representatives Claudia Tenney, Nick Langworthy and Republican candidates running for office are strong supporters of these policies. The direct result of these policies is rising unemployment, a slowing economy, and wages not keeping up with inflation. You feel the effects of their policies every time you fill up at the gas station or buy groceries.

Your health premiums are more costly because Republicans are giving a tax break to the wealthy. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported that more people are going hungry in the United States now than during the height of COVID-19. Republicans support these policies and they will vote in this election; just look at all the yard signs supporting them.

Staying home, not voting, in this election will be seen as acquiescing to Republican policies. Policies that are driving up cost for farmers and small businesses, making life more difficult for Western New Yorkers.

Democrats running for office support  policies to strengthen our economy, help farmers and small business and support families.  Please vote early; if that is not possible make plans to get to the polls to vote. Please vote to end the rampant corruption and support Western New York.

William Fine

Brockport