Editor:

I commonly hear or read that the impeachment of the former President is a waste of time because he is already out of office. Yes, Mr. Trump is out of office but that doesn’t excuse his culpability in fermenting an insurrection to prevent a constitutionally mandated duty to certify the election.

It is one thing to question the election, file legal briefs in court and argue your case. Mr. Trump’s lawyers filed over 60 cases and produced no evidence of fraud; they lost every case. Furthermore, Mr. Trump’s Department of Justice and Homeland Security also stated that the election was free and fair.

Let’s be clear about what happened. Mr. Trump and his cronies continued to lie, undermining confidence in the courts and the most basic underpinning of our democracy; free and fair elections.

These lies led directly to the putsch of Jan. 6th, 2021. The whole purpose of the Jan. 6th “rally” was to overturn the election that every state had certified as free and fair and that every court case found lacked evidence of fraud.

There must be accountability for this lawlessness and attack on our democracy; people died. Since Mr. Trump and his cronies instigated the crimes they must be held accountable.

The argument that Mr. Trump is out of office and therefore should not be held accountable is like claiming that people who invaded your home should not be charged since they are not in your home now.

William Fine

Brockport

Editor:

With no public explanation by the Yates Town Board about the Town of Yates taxes within the Village of Lyndonville on your 2021 County & Town Tax bill, I will do my best to give an explanation.

There are 7 funds that are incorporated into developing a budget for the Town of Yates: A – General Townwide; B – General Outside the Village; DA – Highway Townwide; DB – Highway Outside the Village; SF – Fire Protection District; SW2 – Water District #2; SW4 – Water District #4.

Taxpayers outside the Village are billed by the Town for the costs of the Town’s Fire Protection District and for the costs of the Water District in which their property is located. Village taxpayers pay for fire and water services in their Village taxes.

The Town tax rate is developed each year based on the amount of money that needs to be raised by taxes in the A, B, DA and DB accounts described above. All taxpayers within the Town (inside and outside the Village) are taxed to cover  the A and DA accounts.

Only taxpayers outside the Village are taxed for covering the B and DB accounts. Services covered in these 2 accounts are covered by Village taxes for Village taxpayers. Thus, with more money needing to be raised by taxes for those living outside the Village, the tax rate for those outside the Village is greater than for those inside the Village. Village taxes more than make up for the difference!!

For 2021, the Yates Town Board approved going over the NY State 2% Tax Cap. The amount needed to be raised by taxes for 2021 was an increase of 15.29%. To cover this increase, the Board worked out a tax rate outside the Village that increased by about $0.50 / thousand dollars of assessment ($50 for a home assessed at $100,000) and a tax rate within the Village increasing by about $1.16 / thousand ($116 for a home assessed at $100,000), 2.32 times more than for outside the Village!!

When I questioned the Board about this at its Jan. 14th Town Board meeting, Supervisor Simon explained that the Town Board found that there was a disparity between the tax rates inside and outside the Village. He stated that the imbalance has been in place for a long time and that the only way to get it back in balance was for this increase in the Village.

My reply was that the discrepancy is caused by the taxpayers outside the Village being responsible for covering the costs of the B and DB accounts that those inside the Village aren’t taxed for. Supervisor Simon stated that he couldn’t agree with the way I summarized my concern. He stated that the Board closely looked at all the numbers and came to the conclusion to do as they did.

I served as a Councilman on the Town Board for 10 years from 2010-2019. In preparation of budgets, never did I witness anything close to this situation. I also looked at the tax rates since 2010 for the 6 towns within Orleans County that have rates for municipalities both inside and outside their town. Again, I could not find anything close to this situation. Would it have made a difference in making this decision if any of the five Town Board members lived within the Village? Just asking for a friend!

If this explanation of what happened with Town of Yates taxes, specifically within the Village of Lyndonville, concerns you and you have ever given any thought to running for the Town Board, this might be your year to give it a try.

Three Town Board seats will be up for election in November – Supervisor and 2 Town Council positions. The process of political committees choosing who they will endorse is beginning in towns as you read this. Should you contact your local political committee to express your interest in a position and not be selected for endorsement, you can individually complete a petition and submit it to the Board of Elections. There are timelines for this process.  For more information contact your local political committee or the Orleans County Board of Elections as soon as possible.

Wes Bradley

Lyndonville

Editor:

Got a 2-page color “Senior Fraud Alert” from Chris Jacobs in the mail the other morning (although he didn’t mention how much of our tax money he spent to send out a few thousand of them.)

Talked all about the latest scams we should be careful to avoid: Medicare scams, Grandparent scams, Fake accident scams, Charity scams, etc., etc.

I was disappointed though he didn’t mention one of the biggest scams out there, one he himself has been working on: the big lie that the recent presidential election was “stolen”!

He’s one of the minority in Congress who thought they all should spend more of their time, and our money, pursuing false claims of election fraud in the states where his candidate got fewer votes, but was somehow not declared the winner. All in the middle of the worst pandemic in a hundred years – but first things first.

Now Grandparent scams, etc., can result in the loss of serious chunks of money, which we grandparents can really use while sitting around eating snack food all day, due to the amazing management of the Covid pandemic by our new ex-president (well at least he managed to get us the most of something!)

But Jacobs’ fraudsters weren’t just stealing our money, they were trying to steal our government, our electoral democracy.  An election in which thousands of loyal Americans, of every stripe, worked hard, diligently and honestly, to count our votes and certify an accurate result.

Unfortunately, the scam our congressman has been supporting caused an insurrectionist riot and attack on our national Capitol. That may well not have been a consequence he intended, but does it really matter? Should those who act irresponsibly be held accountable for the unintended consequences of their reckless behavior? Even if he’s only doing it so the right-wing radicals will vote for him again?

At any rate Chris Jacobs, thanks for all the advice about Senior Scams. And we know you didn’t mean it, but because a bunch of crazies believed that lie, our national Capitol was ransacked and people died, including a policeman. You really did us proud!

Don Welch

Clarendon

Editor:

I read with interest Mr. Glogowski’s letter urging public schools to adopt a business practice to improve efficiency—a methodology called Six Sigma.

He stated, “If the educational system pursued a business-quality standard for education, and achieved the business standard of Six Sigma, they would have just 1 person out of the last 100,000 students to pass through the school system not graduate with a functional high school education. We are not coming anywhere close to that standard.”

He insisted that public schools strive for a “Six Sigma quality education product.”

Curious as to his view of students as “products”, I began to read up on this technique that promised such incredible results. Wikipedia states Six Sigma “… seeks to improve the quality of the output of a process by identifying and removing the causes of defects and minimizing impact variability in manufacturing and business processes.”

I spent most of my professional career as a teacher in Orleans County, and I can say with certitude that I never envisioned my kids as a products that I was stamping out on a production line. Maybe this method was revolutionary for Motorola and General Electric when it was adopted in 1986. “Removing causes of defects”? Some kids have troubling home environments, some come to school hungry, some have learning disabilities, and brains don’t all develop at the same rate.

I don’t think any teacher today who cares about his or her students would seriously equate the classroom experience as some kind of manufacturing process, striving for “defect-free” high school graduates.

We are talking about people—human beings here. Teachers today are doing the best that they can dealing with evolving human intelligences and emotions on a one-to-one basis. A school system where only one student in 100,000 would be “defective”? That kind of thinking defies logic.

Christine Bronson

Crossville, TN

Editor:

It’s been awhile since I’ve had to clean my morning coffee off my computer screen following something I’ve read – but today is the proverbial day.

First, let’s get up to speed with what’s going on in America …

• A virus that will have killed a half-million people by spring.

• A vaccine distribution program in total abject failure.

• A spurned lover in North Korea who says he has submarine nukes that can destroy any city in America. (Talk about an ex scorned!)

• Mexico already caught cheating on our “wonderful & fabulous” new trade deal. (Well, at least they paid for the wall right?) Wall? Someone built a wall somewhere?

• Florida on its way to becoming the world’s most populated sink hole.

• The seat of our Democracy pillaged, urinated in and looted by treasonous lunatics incited by our own president.

• Insurrectionist whack-jobs seen beating people over the head with the AMERICAN FLAG in a riot viewed by the entire world (complete with gallows & noose) leaving five people dead.

• Our Constitution imperiled by the same elected officials charged with its defense.

• Iran, vowing retaliation, blaming America & Israel for the assassination of its leaders.

• Our Nation’s Capital, literally the beating heart of American freedom, is now a fortress under heavy armed guard looking more like Syria and Afghanistan than any coveted “shining city on a hill.”

• An economy in the toilet fueled by record unemployment & business failures with no end in sight.

• Racial, political and social unrest everywhere we look throughout our country.

• A soon to be ex-president who publicly claims that the only person more famous than himself is Jesus Christ. (Which, I suppose, leaves Mao, Stalin, Hitler, Pol Pot, Judas Iscariot and even Satan himself among other lesser-known runners-up)

• But most tragically, the entire world watching our beloved country quickly becoming a case study on how democracy dies. No, I’m wrong. It pales tragedy.

So, given all this, now we’re going to get all snarky and whine because the next President of the United States of America, a President elected by “We the People” interrupted Wheel of Fortune? Seriously?

But not to worry, I called a friend of mine in Canada who told me that the final puzzle ended like this:

Things: “CL _ ELESS REP_BLICANS”

Anyone care to buy a vowel?

Tom Graham

Rochester

Albion High School ’78

Editor:

A few weeks ago when I let out a fully surprised and incredulous laugh when a friend let out he really believed Trump won the election – he is a good man, bright, and I was unfortunately caught off guard .

I had accesses via Westlaw etc. to read Court briefs, exhibits, decisions. I had watched unedited tapes. He was just listening to highly “motivated” partisan news sources.

But it made me look at why people believe Trump won. Sure Trump was saying it but his veracity is not exactly sterling. He said if he lost 2016 it would be fraud too.

But today I ran across old polling figures from Fairleigh Dickinson University.  I found that maybe 61% of Republicans think something was wrong. But similarly in 2004, 37% of Democrats thought Bush stole Ohio and in 2012, 36% of Republicans thought Obama stole Ohio. Only 30% of Republicans thought the 2012 election was legitimate.

The pollsters found that the more a respondent knew about politics and issues, the less likely there were to question the results. And they found that the more “motivated” the voter towards a candidate the more apt they were to think something was fixed against them.  Motivation to get a result is what Murdoch’s son implied about his Dad’s Fox network last week.

Of course in none of those elections did a candidate claim fraud and take, and invite, extreme actions to stay in power. This year was a first. And people wonder because of that if we can go back to being a law abiding nation in which all would respond in horror to anyone who would storm the Capitol, prepared to take hostages, kill and do whatever to get their way.

But, fortunately, looking at the historical numbers demands we consider that we are simply in the smarting period after a hard fought loss. It does not mean the mainstream of any party would ever be so blind to let this happen again. With luck the horror we saw will mean we all become more careful to never let it happen again.

And maybe the shock of what happened will mean we open our eyes to the difference between protest and violence. Last summer some protest was marred by violence. On Jan 6th planned Supremacist and neo-Nazi violence assault destroyed what was, for a few MAGA, mere protest.

The numbers-driven conclusion is we need to talk things through rather than being sure those who disagree with us are out to get us and will destroy things. I respectfully submit that if we adapt that attitude we will all get by just fine. This is the USA!

Conrad F. Cropsey

Albion

Editor:

Oh, no, what cataclysmic event is pre-empting the tail end of Wheel of Fortune I wondered last week? Why, there’s a very, very familiar political face (three decades).

He’s without an official office (I checked the U.S. Constitution) and already he believes he is more important than Jeopardy!? This has got to be super important.

I unmuted and in less than a sentence, he made it clear to me that he had absolutely nothing important to say. The same as his entire political career. After blathering on for over half an hour (re-muted and left the room) it amounted to less than a paragraph long press release from the DNC that was in the news cycle for about 15 minutes.

What was CBS thinking? Are they trying to push to the head of the line for “exclusive” interviews with the incoming regime? (Old stuff, most of them; clearly Obama re-treads). Joe… you need a new Communications Director. Suggestion: get one in the Jeopardy demographic.

The only saving grace was that it wasn’t Chuck Schumer. Yet.

It’s going to be a long four years.

Ralph E. Smith

Lyndonville

Editor:

We, the members of the Town of Ridgeway Republican Committee, believe that social and political issues are as important at our local level as at the state or national levels. Day to day, the decisions of your Town Board, who are your friends and neighbors, impact all of us more than national politics.

Both young and old in our community have knowledge to share about what should happen in our own backyard. Your fresh ideas and insights can affect change for the better. The process to get involved is simple, and your local Board of Elections or Political Committee can help.

2021 positions up for election in Ridgeway include: two Town Board seats, Town Clerk, and Highway Superintendent. Because the current Town Clerk chooses not to seek re-election, nominations are particularly needed for that position. Although incumbents often run unopposed, your candidacy is welcome as part of our democratic system.

Local Democrat and Republican Party committees conduct interviews and endorse candidates based on how their views align with the party’s. While candidates secure a place on the ballot through party endorsement, anyone can run as an independent if you feel your views don’t align with a party.

The Town Board meets two evenings a month – first an organizational meeting, and then a board meeting. Both are public forums.  Board members are charged with determining the town’s direction. Current issues include the introduction of solar panels in the town, managing the town budget amid the pandemic, and ensuring local Fire Departments have the resources to provide necessary services.

Our Town Board website affirms that we are a small town with heart, a township that has much to offer, and just a friendly, hometown community. As the Town of Ridgeway Republican Committee, we encourage you to step up and be a part of your town’s future.

Sincerely,

The Town of Ridgeway Republican Committee

Laura Olinger (585) 733-9602

Ken Baker

Charlie Smith

Ayesha Kreutz

Virginia Nicholson

Dawn Meland

Gary Lawton

Steve Bunch

Matt Kreutz

Melody Parker

Kevin Bogan

Amanada Kroening

Nancy Traxler

Steve Songer

Mary Hare

Editor:

Congressman Chris Jacobs in a press conference stated: “I have not said in this discussion at all, definitively, there is fraud because I don’t have the information for that. But the issue was it caused a lot of questions.”

So Mr. Jacobs has no evidence for his statement that several states made “unprecedented changes to their electoral systems without the authorization of their respective state legislatures as the Constitution dictates.”

Mr. Jacobs seems to be saying that there were allegations of voter fraud and that is why he opposed certification of the election. It needs to be emphasized again and again that all allegation of voter fraud came from Republicans, like Mr. Jacobs, to overturn a fair and free election.

Mr. Trump, his lawyers and sycophants would hold press conferences alleging fraud, but in court case after court case, times 60, there was no evidence of significant voter fraud. All 50 states certified their election results; that means that the results of the election are correct and all votes were counted correctly.

All 50 states said they were satisfied that there was no fraud that would overturn the election. Repeat, no evidence of voter fraud in 60 court cases and in all 50 states. Mr. Trump’s director of Cyber Security and Infrastructure Security Agency, Christopher Krebs, stated: “The November 3rd election was the most secure in American history.”

President Trump’s Attorney General, William Barr stated: “To date, we have not seen fraud on a scale that could have effected a different outcome in the election.” Despite evidence, fact and testimony from experts, Mr. Jacobs continued the mythology of voter fraud which was instigated by Republicans to create doubt about our election.

There was no allegation and no question of voter fraud outside of Republican mythology. It was a Republican-created myth, Mr. Jacobs, that provoked feelings of anger and aggression in people resulting in the mob insurrection we saw at the Capitol on Jan. 6.

Mr. Jacobs you need to take responsibility for your part stirring up the MAGA riot. Stop trying to weasel out of your irresponsible statements and attempts to overthrow a free and fair election. Mitch McConnell stated: “Overturning the election, would damage our republic forever.”

Mr. Jacobs, there was no voter fraud, there is no question about the election and your actions threatened our democratic form of government. You should resign.

William Fine

Brockport

Editor:

First, I would like to give credit to Mr. Harker for essentially republishing Mr. Shaw’s letter to the editor.

Having spent my entire life in rural Western New York, I have observed enough in my years to understand that politics and religion rarely function well together. This relationship often reveals the true hypocrisy that is often the root of the “holier than thou” attitude Mr. Harker speaks of.

Raised Catholic, I always found it odd that so many conservative Christians championed pro-life rhetoric and the care for unborn fetuses. Once that child was born, it needs to pull itself up by the bootstraps and better itself, just like the rugged Americans who came before it. A group that claims to be pro-life has its ranks filled with many who find the death penalty acceptable, are fine with placing kids in cages while depriving them of basic human rights, or labeling them as “bad hombres” and criminals if they attempt to escape violence and persecution in their homeland (and no this is not representative of all Christians).

Mr. Harker claims that he does not feel powerless, but in the same breath places the blame on New York’s economic woes on Andrew Cuomo. I wonder if Mr. Harker supports efforts to break Upstate New York away from New York City? A movement that is rooted directly in feeling voiceless and powerless in an increasingly liberal state.

I am old enough to recognize that Albion and parts of Orleans County look the same as they did twenty years ago. That the economic downturn of the rust belt predates Andrew Cuomo, yet the one enduring political aspect of our region is our commitment to voting red. So please do lecture us about the Democratic downward spiral of the state. We can always hang our collective hat on our esteemed recent history of Congressional Representatives:

Chris Jacobs of Delaware North and Boston Bruins family fame. A man who threatened the longevity of the US Postal Service because he could not tell the difference between the Yes and No buttons.

Chris Collins, the original Trump lackey convicted of insider trading, later resigning in shame, and later being pardon in greater shame.

Chris Lee, the esteemed Representative who resigned after soliciting a woman on Craigslist.

A rather impressive list of “common folk” who demonstrate good, Christian values I suppose? At least you didn’t elect that Marxist, Communist, Socialist Democrat Nate McMurray, right?

Mr. Harker steps forward to criticize Mr. Shaw’s quotation of Biblical verse. Despite the early verses being directed at slaves, husbands, and wives, it is not out of context as the final verses of 1 Peter 3 speak to all Christians. Peter calls Christians to unify around the way of Christ (not Chris), be sympathetic, love one another as family, demonstrate compassion, and be humble. I believe that is what strikes at the heart of Mr. Shaw’s letter.

In closing, it was not the weather that made me leave for North Carolina. It was not the taxes, nor the fear of losing my guns, nor Andrew Cuomo himself. A simple drive through the countryside, perhaps the flags that Mr. Shaw spoke of, encouraged the move.

Matthew Ballard

Statesville, NC (formerly Clarendon, NY)

Editor:

I demand Assemblyman Jonathan Jacobson, D-Newburgh, (104th Assembly District) withdraw his bill, A352, which seeks to ban body armor and make possession of body armor a felony. This bill would turn innocent residents into criminals and disproportionately harm marginalized peoples.

This bill is completely unnecessary. No harm is done to any individual or any property through the mere act of owning a body vest. There is no victim when someone wears one, so why make it illegal?

Assemblyman Jacobson is trying to create another victimless crime, for which innocent people will be branded as felons and be carted off to prison. Is sending people to rot in a cage for wearing protective gear really a progressive ideal?

This bill is shockingly tone-deaf. District 104 encompasses a diverse population, including people of marginalized identities. Unfortunately, the present socioeconomic conditions of this country put people of color, LGBTQ people, immigrants, Muslims, autistic people, the disabled, and other marginalized peoples, as well as women, at an increased risk of encountering violence, and thus they have a greater need to have any and all tools at their disposal, including body vests, to help defend themselves.

This bill would take away a very useful tool for self-defense and make already vulnerable peoples more susceptible to violence perpetrated against them, including violence perpetrated by the state.

A352 exempts police officers from this ban. Why should cops, whose acts of abuse grabbed the headlines and sparked massive protests throughout the previous year, get to wear protective gear, while ordinary citizens are jailed for the same action? Since when are cops better than anyone else? In this country everyone is supposed to be afforded equal treatment before the law. Either everyone gets to have access to body armor or nobody does.

It’s also worth noting that should this bill become law, it will be more heavily enforced against people of color, just like gun control and drug laws. They will be at greater risk of arrest and will receive harsher sentences. I don’t think that’s the future of New York State progressives envisioned.

People have the right to defend themselves. Wearing a body vest is a harmless way to do so. Turning ordinary people into criminals is tyrannical. Bill A352 would do just that.

Assemblyman Jacobson, let the people protect themselves with body armor. Withdraw this bill at once!

Chase Tkach

Carlton

Orleans County Libertarian Party Chair

Editor:

This is a big week coming. An inauguration, as impeachment and an investigation into  insurrection. I respectfully submit we should focus on ourselves, language – how we use and it and what we listed to! Voltaire said, “those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.”

The recent storming of the Capitol was done by a lot of misguided people. No one can get a mulligan for going into a restricted area, destroying federal property and/or threatening our elected officials. First, while I disagree with MAGA types some of them were not insurrectionists but simply were around because they believed some absurdities they had been told.

But more importantly were crazy QAnon Trump supporters who thought that Jan 6, 2021 was the “Storm” and it was time to kill Congressmen and install Trump as the permanent dictator.

Then, just as deranged, there was the ever present white supremacists and Bro Nazis who only care about overthrowing the US. They think there are hoards who will jump up and join them if they kill enough to be taken seriously. (Their new hero Trump let them out of the bottle which had held pretty well since 1995 when they killed hundreds of children in Oklahoma City.)

Who did what will have to be sorted out. And our Senate will have to decide what to do about President misleading them, summoning the crazy people amongst them to DC and telling them all to commit serious felonies and advance into a restricted security area – many openly and also illegally in a security area packing guns for a fight.

But really with an inauguration and a new start its gives us a moment to look at the words which inflamed many of these people and got them in this trouble. There are dozens of examples but I will write about socialism and free markets. Those are two of the many words I see thrown about without definition or understanding – absurdly inciting people over nothing here in the US!

The words Capitalism and the Free Market are great words when used correctly. The plain truth, however, is that the only “unregulated” “free market” is the underground Black Market! And the plain truth is that the only economic system that does not use capitalist economics is Communism!

Honestly, since the US makes it easy for a. hidden charges, b. false or misleading advertising, c. products with hidden problems, the US is a major violator when is permits skirting the rules of capitalism requiring transparency in order to accurately price what we buy.

The real debate is really who, what, where, when, why, how much and if we want to do any job properly.

Similarly, everyone knows that Switzerland is most capitalist country in the World! But the fact is that Obamacare is just a watered down version of the Swiss subsidized private insurance system. (Did not know that? Ha.)

While some say all people deserve access to health care others accurately point out that it’s also cheaper to have insurance than leaving people without any assistance at all. So what is the beef? The beef is so many on this and many other issues get taken in by people crying “wolf”.  In this case it led to people dying and others soon going to prison.

Speech is a powerful thing. To use it responsibly you have to know the subject matter. We are at a time with a new administration when I believe is time to listen and learn, not fight reflexive based on absurdities. Biden’s goal is to make the marketplace for everyone. That is not absurd.

Conrad F. Cropsey

Albion

Editor:

To Governor Cuomo, in your State of the State address you proclaim that 98% of New York State is covered by internet broadband.

I have driven every road in Orleans and Niagara County with Niagara County Legislator David Godfrey. We are members of the Niagara-Orleans Regional Alliance (NORA) spearheading broadband connectivity throughout both counties. NORA has mapped every single address point with the excellent help of our county Planning Departments, proving coverage is lacking by a minimum of 20%.

Governor Cuomo, please visit our rural areas and see for yourself. The help we plead for is to open the USDA Rural Development application period now so that we can apply for funding to get our residents internet.

I appreciate your desire to aggressively build our broadband connectivity. Start here.

Lynne M. Johnson

Chairman, Orleans County Legislature

Editor:

Joel Chandler Harris wrote about the tar baby in his Uncle Remus stories. If you touched it, you were stuck to it. By following Trump into the seditious area of trying to thwart a Presidential election, Congressman Jacobs has embraced the Trump Tar Baby.

This very specific type of tar cannot be cleansed by rhetoric, leaves a life-long stain, is likely a federal crime, and can be politically fatal.

Jack Capurso

Ashburn, Va

1960 Albion High School graduate

Editor:

I had to read a recent letter a couple of times – I could not believe what I was reading! Robert Shaw, you sit in judgement of people you don’t even know?

You state, “I have lived here my entire life and know enough to know that many of my neighbors consider themselves good, Christian folks. Yet, on houses throughout the county, houses belonging to these same self-styled Christian folk, there is hoisted the flag of a man. A vile, repugnant man who is antithetical to Christ’s message but held in higher regard. Our modern worship of power, punishment and celebrity is laid bare.”

Your thinly veiled notion that one’s political affiliation can negate or effect that person’s relationship with God is outrageous, offensive, divisive, and reflects a “holier than thou” attitude.

You then go on to say, “Not much has been happening in Orleans County for a long time. Without expanding job opportunities, strong social organizations and the general belief that one can better one’s circumstance we are left feeling empty, powerless and hurt.” You conveniently forget that NY’s woes belong to Andrew Cuomo (#57 out of 62 in per capita income). I’d add that my friends and neighbors do not walk around feeling empty, powerless, or hurt. Neither do I. I’m sorry if you do.

Then you correctly state, “Now, I don’t know how many of you know or are friendly with a millionaire, much less a billionaire. But here’s something that’ll hold water: they don’t know about you, they don’t care about you and they can’t possibly understand what you’re going through. They’re in it for them. Period. The old saying goes, ‘you don’t get rich by giving away money.’”

The natural extension of that euphemism is, “you get rich by separating fools from theirs.” I am surprised that you speak so negatively about the likes of Pelosi and Cuomo! Or have you been “duped by celebrity politicians”?

You go on, “shut off cable news, delete all of our social media (especially Facebook), and take down those silly flags while opening up our minds and our hearts.” Mr. Shaw, I will decline your advice to bury my head in the stand. Those of us who keep our heads up have the ability to research issues from multiple sources including cable news, social media, etc. and form our own opinions.

I will close in saying that it is disingenuous to quote the Bible out of context. First Peter 3 is focused on the relationship between man and wife.

Also, you refer  to another letter to the editor written from a former Orleans County now living in North Carolina. I wonder if he moved “because of the weather” as Coumo claims.

Bob Harker

Clarendon