A Thank You To Congressman Reed For His Support, Efforts

September 17, 2020

To The Reader’s Forum: As the 19th anniversary of the 9-11 terrorist attacks on America passes, it is with a somber heart I remember that day and the days and months following. As a member of the New York State Police, like so many of my brothers and sisters, I was detailed as first responder to Ground Zero to help with the massive effort to protect and restore a sense of recovery to New York City. The sights and smells along with the stories of human tragedy will forever be etched in my mind. As a result of my time spent there, I have twice been treated for malignant cancer ...

Where Have Normalcy And Decency Gone?

September 16, 2020

To The Reader’s Forum: Where have normalcy and decency gone? Obviously, healthwise, Coronavirus/COVID-19 has significantly interrupted normalcy. It has been over 100 years since the last pandemic hit America. Fighting a “novel” disease should bring Americans together inasmuch as it’s really no different than other “natural” disasters, or wars, yet, the normalcy of crisis unity is hard to find with Coronavirus. Political normalcy has also been, at least, interrupted, too. Sure, politics creates philosophical “enemies”, but the government, the glue of American ...

Readers’ Forum

September 11, 2020

The Hard Work Of County Staff, Nurses Has Gone Unappreciated To The Reader’s Forum: A few weeks ago as the story about Fieldbrook Foods was breaking, a rather negative article appeared blasting the local health department and county government “handling” of the news. The story line was something to the effect that they were “fiddling while Rome burned” and that important issues regarding public safety were slow to emerge in face of mounting evidence in the press that there was a risk to the public. As a long time member of the Health Department staff, initially as its ...

Republicans Have Become The Anti-Democracy Party

September 10, 2020

To The Reader’s Forum: Over the past 28 years the only Republican presidential candidate to win a majority of the American public’s vote was George W. Bush in 2004. Seven presidential elections and only once did the people of our country choose a Republican. 2020 will be the eighth as even Republican leadership concedes it is virtually impossible for Donald Trump to win the popular vote this year. After receiving 3 million fewer votes in 2016 Mr. Trump was unprepared, he had no plan to govern. The only coherent or consistent policy of Mr. Trump was undoing every action ...

Why Not Have A Talk With Mitrano

September 2, 2020

To the Reader’s Forum: Tom Reed, while you have refused to debate your opponent, Tracy Mitrano, you recently stated in this newspaper: “I’m always willing to see the other side of the equation, and you do that . . . by sitting, by talking and most importantly by listening.” I presume you adhere to your caucus tenets that state: Every week we are in Washington, you will find Problem Solvers, proud Democrats and Republicans, seated together around a table, debating, listening, and working together to help solve these issues. So, why not talk face-to-face with Tracy Mitrano ...

Our Kind Neighbors Have Shut Their Doors

August 28, 2020

To The Reader’s Forum: Oh Canada! Our home and native land! True patriot love in all of us command. So begins the national anthem of our kind neighbors to the north. A land we Americans are no longer welcome in. Canada is known all over the world for being open and friendly. Stand around looking confused in any Canadian city for a few seconds and someone will offer to help you. Walk into a bar, ask any question about hockey, and you will immediately have a boatload of friends. Canadians are like that. But in 2016 we started seeing apprehension from many Canadians about ...