Editor:

I believe Mr. Fine needs to research what is spent in New York educating students before criticizing Congressman Jacobs. The cost to educate  is well over $23,000 per student in most New York  districts.

One area I see New York State needs to invest more dollars is economic education. The children enrolled in school now will be faced with paying back this federal debt which now exceeds 125% of GDP. It will not be possible to fund this debt just by increased taxes on those making over $400,000.

The increased tax burden will be more far reaching then the wealthy and corporations.

Edward Urbanik

Lyndonville

Editor:

Congressman Chris Jacobs’s mendacity is on full display. In a press release Mr. Jacobs stated that: “Democrats refused to help us advance policies that would fund an expedited return to school for our students. Republicans introduced over half a dozen amendments to the COVID relief package to open schools. Democrats rejected them unanimously.”

Mr. Jacobs does not tell us what amendments to the American Rescue Plan, offered by Democrats, that Republicans made to improve the bill and expedite a return to class rooms. However Steve Scalise, the Republican Minority Whip, while on ABC’s “This Week” stated: “They’re saying they want to pass over $100 billion of new money that’s not even tied to schools reopening.”

The American Rescue Plan has $130 billion for schools which Mr. Jacobs voted against. These funds go towards things like safer use of classroom, improving ventilation systems buying personal protective equipment, according to the House Education and Labor committee. Additionally, schools are required to save at least 20% of the money they are granted specifically to address learning loss. I am reminded of Mr. Trump’s promise of having a “terrific, fantastic, phenomenal” health care plan, always better and always sometime in the future (which never came) and in fact no committee to create a better health care plan ever developed. There is no big beautiful better health care plan and there is no better Republican plan to safely open schools .

Mr. Jacobs refused to work with Democrats in opening up schools and safely returning students to the classrooms. Mr. Jacobs press release is deceitful and manipulative. The citizens of this district deserve better.

William Fine

Brockport

Editor:

The Town of Barre is celebrating our Founders Day on March 6th.  We won’t be able to have an in-person celebration this year.

The Barre Betterment Committee has created a puzzle for you to celebrate with us. It’s a little challenging, but we are confident you can figure it out!

A photo of the puzzle is here as well as a link to a downloadable pdf (click here).  Good Luck!

Betsy Miller

Barre

Editor:

The American Rescue Plan is a relief bill for the pandemic-induced crisis. While not a panacea or cure-all, it will offer some relief.

This legislation is supported by every sector in America. Former President Trump’s hand-picked Chairman of the Federal Reserve, Jerome Powell, and his economic advisor, Kevin Hassett, have expressed support for the Rescue Plan.

A group of bipartisan mayors from across the country sent a letter to Congress in which they wrote: “President Biden’s American Rescue Plan contains such assistance as part of an aggressive strategy to contain the virus, increase access to life-saving vaccines, and create a foundation for sustainable and inclusive recovery… Your quick action on President Biden’s plan is a crucial step to making meaningful progress in one of the most challenging moments in our country’s history. We encourage you to take up the President’s rescue plan as soon as possible in the 117th Congress.”

Over 300 small business leaders from across the country wrote to Congress: “The American Rescue Plan meets the urgency of the moment and takes the steps necessary to save small businesses struggling during these difficult times.”

Leaders in education, and state treasurers from across the country sent letters to Congress urging the passage of The American Rescue Plan. This bill is not political and not controversial unless you politicize it by telling lies and intentionally mis-characterize the facts. That is what Congressman Chris Jacobs and the Republicans are doing.

PolitiFact, the New York Times and other fact checking organizations have categorized the claims by Republicans that there is still “over a trillion dollars of money unspent from previous relief bills” as misleading since the money they are talking about, while not spent, is allocated to other purposes.

Furthermore, the claim that only 9 percent of the money goes to Covid relief is also labeled as misleading at best. While only 8.4 percent is specifically allocated to fighting coronavirus, spending on things like subsidizing health insurance coverage for laid off workers, extending paid sick leave and funding for veterans is also important and needed to insure the recovery from the pandemic.

While citizens in Orleans, Genesee, Wyoming, Livingston and across the 27th congressional district are facing food insecurity, job and income insecurity and a health care crisis, Congressman Jacobs wants to play political games and refuses to help the citizens of his district.

William Fine

Brockport

Editor:

Originally, I wrote a completely different version of this for Black History Month. It is from the perspective of a Caucasian who has taught and coached Black teenagers. I have had one, or two, Black teammates on several of the teams I played on growing up.

But I have also been a minority of one on two otherwise all Black, or brown, teams.

The first was the Rochester Steelers, a semi-pro baseball team that played out of Genesee Valley Park. Among its top players were the Sutton brothers, Jesse Dowdell and Ike Walker, a teammate of Jerry Grote’s on the Auburn Mets before Grote got called up in 1969 and Walker quit professional baseball because he thought he was a better catcher than Grote. Our coach, Bosie “Slim” Thomas, Jr. and I thought Ike may have been right.

The second otherwise all non-white team I played with was Henri’s Inn, a slow pitch softball team here in Albion. Its coach, Arelee Ellis, referred to as “Boss Hog” by his players and friends, recently died down South. Among the better players on that team were Billy Witherspoon, Angel Rosado and Nate Little. Billy is still a good friend known by most as “Bogard”, while Nate went by “Tap”.

Let me attempt to give you something more to think about.

I have seen discrimination in some very ugly forms. James Neal, a Black teammate, had a relative beaten to death in the 1950’s in the South. A high school basketball teammate, Willie Torrance, was benched in his junior year, even though he was scoring over half our points, supposedly because, “He doesn’t care about defense”. The deal with Jerry Grote’s Auburn teammate may have been another.

One of my Black baseball players at Kendall was intelligent, articulate, athletic, decent, respectful, had artistic ability and looked like he could have been in the movies. I had to talk him back from despondency outside the counselling office one day—as nearly as I could tell—mainly because his Blackness made him feel unworthy. There were tears in his eyes while we spoke.

When I played for those two, otherwise all Black or brown teams, I never felt discriminated against. In fact, I might have claimed the reverse. It was my impression that I was always given the benefit of the doubt and, if anything, discriminated in favor of. The guys always had my back and stuck up for me. They tended to make excuses for my screw-ups.

Take from this brief description of my experience interacting with those of different skin color what you will. Though it is likely unnecessary to say, but I can only marvel at it.

Yours in all sincerity,

Gary F. Kent

Albion

Editor:

Every day when I go to school to teach, there are three things educators emphasize: lying is not OK, bullying in any form or context is not acceptable, and that belief and opinion are not the same as fact.

Breaches of these tenants are actionable. Yet when I see members of Congress like Marjorie Taylor Greene being allowed to harass, threaten, spout nonsense that incite violence and hate I am deeply disturbed. This is a person whose claims have nothing constructive to bring to governance.

Taking her off committees is not enough. What could possibly be the constructive governance goals of a person who believes dangerous, insidious, insane conspiracy theories, who endorses murdering people and encourages domestic terrorists to destroy and kill? What people say and believe when in a position to make crucial decisions matters.

Elected officials have no business remaining in power who unapologetically hold such beliefs. She espouses and seeks to shove through these theories to bear fruit in the governance of the United States of America. Conspiracy theories only cement tyrannical power.

Elected officials who let peers stand to this behavior either are hair-raisingly likeminded, cowed, or are arrogant and lacking in good judgment. In any case, they do not deserve the privilege of serving in Congress.

Robin Lewis

Holley

Editor:

In response to the recent letter by Paul Lauricella, urging elected officials to dismiss the governor’s Executive Order on police reform: an Executive Order carries the weight of law with criminal consequences.

Mr. Lauricella wants elected officials – of which I am one – to break the law and be criminals. He then calls us spineless if we don’t. This is pathetic. It’s the logic of a toddler.

Darren D. Wilson

Lyndonville

Editor:

I have noticed that it has come time for Governor Cuomo’s racist, anti-law enforcement, police reform executive order to be complied with. This is the same individual that allows criminals a revolving door to recommit with no cash bail. He is accused of senior genocide, being a bully and a sexual harasser.

This man is unfit to mop the floor at a brothel let alone run a state. I think nothing will happen to him and he will be re-elected. He is a Democrat, therefore nothing to see here.

What I find most reprehensible is our local police, legislators, mayors and town boards going along with this garbage. Does getting money now or in the future mean that much to you that you would spinelessly cede to a man that is truly using racism to fight phony racism and police brutality? All this will do is further embolden criminals and further impede law enforcement from doing its job. The criminal element will rule the day. The citizens will be less safe.

Most reasonable people would be glad to be rid of these individuals and breathe a sigh of relief that they can no longer be a menace to society. Unfortunately it is law enforcement that have to deal this criminal type in the end and they get demonized, hated and lied about by the ill-liberal press and politicians for just doing their job.

For me, when a violent white criminal is jailed or shot and killed by the police, I thank God and pray that the police officer wasn’t injured ridding the earth of such scum and am glad I never had to encounter such a person. I thank God there are policemen. If the perpetrator was roughed up a little in his resistance to comply, Good! Don’t resist. The problem isn’t the police. It for sure is not racism. It is those who commit the crime, do not reasonably comply with authority and are violent by nature.

Those in charge and elected should tell Cuomo and his racist executive order to go to h-e- double hockey sticks. You open this door at our peril. The law abiding citizen. They are not going to stop this nonsense unless you push back.

A disrespected law enforcement will one day walk off the job and let the progressive social workers and racist ministers handle the calls. Let them walk in a cops’ shoes and see how they deal with it. This will eventually happen because none of you elected have a spine. You are letting the criminals win.

We live in a world ruled by the aggressive use of force. The criminal will never let up on that aggression. Let the police do their job and stand behind them.

None of you should be re-elected if you go along with this. I fully expect the hate from the progressive left and right defending the indefensible. I don’t care.

Paul Lauricella

Yates

Editor:

My wife and I are well over 65 with comorbidities. We have been on a list at our pharmacy for months. After reading article in Hub about Orleans not getting enough vaccine, and promise of a significant shipment, we were excited.

Yesterday, our pharmacy called and we were assigned appointments and went through state site to confirm. Today the rug was pulled out, and we get no vaccine.

You cannot put shots in arms with no vaccine! Mr. Cuomo who got our doses?

Dayton Hausman

Medina

Editor:

I remember Al Capurso from the time he was a child. In 1965, Father Joe Rigley recruited me to bring migrant children from Coloney Camp to the St. Joe’s Boy Scout Troop. Al’s Dad – Al Sr. – asked me to help with the troop, since we were bringing in a bunch of kids. Al Jr. and Bob were scouters then and great kids and accepting of the migrant kids.

Then Al worked with Rev. Edmangelesdorf, who headed up a 1970’s drug outreach program, a nation-wide popular approach to reaching out to kids tempted by drugs at that time. That staff were like guardian angels to youths in our community, available at all hours. Al was a tireless, 24-hour advocate and rescuer of youths in crisis.

Al then became one of the first counselors for the County’s Alcoholism Counseling Program.  When STOP DWI came in and dramatically changed the culture of drinking and driving, Al was at the forefront.

We, the Probation Department, dedicated one officer to handle 50 felony level DWI’ers (95% likely to be alcoholics). Al and our Karl Holt teamed effectively keeping our probationers in treatment, sober and off the roads, so that we had no repeat offenders in nearly two years, a remarkable task in dealing with alcoholics. Karl left for greener pastures. Al continued.

Also,  Al  brought to our community’s historical heritage and political life the same energy, effectiveness, generosity and kindness that he’d shown all his life. We all know he loved music, which he also willingly shared to ours and others pleasure. He was a “man for all seasons,” a loss to us all, but a gain to Heaven.

Bob and Margaret Golden

Waterport

Mr. Golden was the Orleans County Orleans Probation director from 1964 to 1988.

Editor:

One of the objections to raising the minimum wage was that the Congressional Budget Office projected that it would cost 1.4 million jobs. However, research has shown that this does not happen.

Paul J. Woodson and Dale Belman’s report, “15 years of Research on U.S. Employment and the Minimum Wage,” show that increases in the minimum wage have not led to detectable job losses.

Even in low wage states like Mississippi raising the minimum wage is beneficial. Studies by Michael Reich, Sylvia Allegretto and Claire Montialoux found; “Minimum wage increase will have more positive effects in Mississippi and other low-wage states than in more affluent states.”

While the CBO may project job losses, that is not what extensive years of research shows. Furthermore, studies by the Economic Policy Institute show that “public assistance programs would fall by between $13.4 billion and $31.0 billion.” This will help to reduce the federal debt. They reported that: “Earned income tax credit (EITC) and child tax credit (CTC) expenditures would decline by somewhere between $6.5 billion and $20.7 billion annually. Expenditures on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and other major government transfers would fall by between $5.2 billion and $10.3 billion annually. Reduced annual expenditures on SNAP alone would range from $3.3 billion to $5.4 billion. We also estimate that the $15 federal minimum wage in 2025 would increase annual Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) revenue by between $7.0 billion and $13.9 billion.”

Raising the minimum wage will help essential workers that have been there for all of us throughout this pandemic crisis. Home health care aids, nursing home workers, substitute teachers, grocery workers, cooks and many other essential workers deserve to make a living wage and research shows that it will benefit society as a whole. Thank you.

William Fine

Brockport

Editor:

District Attorney Joe Cardone is quoted in the Orleans Hub on Feb. 17, 2021, saying that Colorado legalized marijuana and marijuana-related traffic deaths went up by three times.

I was just wondering where Mr. Cardone pulled these numbers? The only source I can find for this claim comes from RMHIDTA (Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area). A federally funded law enforcement agency. RMHIDTA have been writing highly biased and persistently critical reports on the effects of cannabis legalization since 2013. The link to their study gets 404’d or “not found.”

Cannabis is detectable in the body for up to 30 days. RMHIDTA used this to skew their numbers. AAA officials also acknowledge these studies find only correlations, not causative links.

Here are a couple peer reviewed studies on marijuana related traffic deaths. Click here for one from the American Journal of Public Health. Their conclusions are three years after recreational marijuana legalization, changes in motor vehicle crash fatality rates for Washington and Colorado were not statistically different from those in similar states without recreational marijuana legalization.

The Society for the Study of Addiction issued this report (click here). Conclusions: The combination of step increases and trend reductions suggests that in the year following implementation of recreational cannabis sales, traffic fatalities temporarily increased by an average of one additional traffic fatality per million residents in both legalizing US states of Colorado, Washington and Oregon and in their neighboring jurisdictions.

The War on Drug is a War on Liberty.

Greg McCarthy

Medina

Editor:

The efficiency of any car motor is totally dependent upon the quality of the parts it’s made from.

Sadly, after witnessing recent events in Washington, D.C., it’s obvious that the engine that runs our government consists of two-bit, penny ante politicians. Not all, but enough to gum up the works. “A chain is only as strong as its weakest link” sort of situation.

Altruism is reserved for saints. It would be naive to think otherwise. The thought of someone running for office with the intention of bettering the whole, regardless the risk it may present to themselves, is a pipe-dream. It’s a Hollywood script, filed under fiction. I get that. But, at least it’s a goal to set our sails by. Unfortunately, we’ve veered so far off course, I worry if we’ll ever find our way back.

We live in a “what’s in it for me?” time. Gone are the days of our representatives in government exerting effort without the expectation of a reward. Doing exactly what they were elected to do – for the people that elected them – is not a part of their newly, self-defined job-description. That’s because conventional execution of obligatory tasks is considered an option now; an option dependent upon further compensation – in some form or another. Not all politicians are like that, but far too many are.

The unabashed plundering of taxpayer dollars and the insult/ignorance to voters’ concerns are as rampant as the devastating virus that has altered our daily lives over the past year.

Blowharded speeches and pompous oratories abound from the highest offices in the land. Modern-day snake-oil salesmen, who preach deceit as loyalty and stupidity as bravery, have relegated pubic trust to the curb. If one’s pants really started on fire when they betrayed the truth, they’d have to put fire-hydrants up and down the House and Senate aisles.

Hypocrisy is the most brazenly used tool in Washington. And that tool is honed by the cowardice of its owner. An official voting for something that doesn’t personally reap an immediate reward – despite the fact that it is good for the whole – is as absent in today’s world as Mike Pence at a Metallica concert. Regardless if one took an opposing view in the past, it’s the particular benefit at a particular time that counts. Plain and simple.

How scary is it? The very essence of what happens to us – and to those whom we cherish – are in the hands of people whose words and commitments have a 24-hour expiration date. It’s in the hands of people who are willing to prostitute themselves at the mere thought of self-enrichment and/or simply to make the party-line happy. The very definition of an unscrupulous mercenary.

Think about that. Think about the abhorrent and unconscionable decisions some elected officials – who are entrusted by us – make in our name.

The voting system doesn’t need the overhaul, it’s those who run for office that do. Too many charlatans, literally, quit running as advertised once they are installed. Closer inspection is needed to keep our governmental engine from spit and sputtering the way it’s been prone to do lately.

Not all of them are clunkers, I remind you, but far too many are.

Tom Valley

Medina

Editor:

Congress was in session to fulfill its Constitutional mandated responsibility on Jan. 6th while fanatic supporters of Donald Trump were using an American Flag to pummel Capitol police.

As a combat veteran I am beyond appalled at this insurrection. Mitch McConnell, as Senate leader, told his members to vote their conscience in the second impeachment of Mr. Trump. Mitch McConnell then voted his conscience to acquit Mr. Trump, but then made a public statement saying that Mr. Trump was guilty both “practically and morally” and was responsible for the events of Jan 6th.

This tells me that Mr. McConnell lacks the human decency of his conscience. Others have said that Mr. McConnell lacks courage, I disagree. Courage is what soldiers face on the battle fields or what the Capitol police faced that day against angry Trump fanatics and supporters.

Mr. McConnell and the Republicans couldn’t stand with law and order, or the Constitution against the leader of their party and, by their own statements, the leader of the insurrection. (The German word for leader or guide is fuehrer). The vote by Republicans to support Mr. Trump was a vote to support the racist, xenophobic and corrupt policies of der fuehrer. By their vote, Republicans have abdicated their responsibilities to their oath and to the Constitution and pledged their allegiance to der Fuehrer, Donald Trump.

William Fine

Brockport

Editor:

A big thank you to the Barre Town Board for passing an update to the wind ordinance last Wednesday. This was a long, involved process which involved many, many meetings and they patiently listened to feedback from all residents over a period of years. I am proud of this Board for hanging in there and getting this done.

I’m disappointed, though, in the article that followed that meeting in the Hub which focused on one Board member who walked out of the meeting after requesting that the meeting end at 10:00 p.m. If you only attended this meeting, you may feel bad for that councilperson and believe the other board members should have accommodated her.

What you could not gather from one meeting, is that the other board members have been more than accommodating over the last year. If you followed all the Barre Town Board and Planning Board meetings for the past year, you would say cheers to the Board that they kept their focus and moved forward.

This councilperson has had the option and has been joining meetings from home for the last few months and could have continued to do so since it is normal for these meetings to go past 10 p.m.

This one councilperson has yelled at the other Board members on numerous occasions and slammed the door on the way out, has been stalling and delaying as a tactic all along because she opposes the turbine project, resulting in most meetings ending late or being postponed to another day. It is easy to see that this is what she was doing.

The other Board members have been trying to work with her and given her more than enough workshops and meetings to go over her concerns, but it seems that working together with the other elected officials is not part of her plan.

This councilmember must learn to work with  others. She may have a viewpoint she feels strongly about, but in the end, she serves all the residents, not just the ones with her opinion.

Chris Loss

Barre