"Metzger's support comes from the people" Letter to the editor, Tom Denton

 Although reports on campaign financing don’t always predict poll numbers of a given political race, they can often give a sense of which way the wind is blowing. Third-quarter results issued by the New York State Board of Elections show that the campaign of Sen. Jen Metzger brought in 1,095 contributions, a high total among NY Senate candidates. Her opponent for District 42, Mike Martucci, generated 268 contributions. Support from their state party organizations shows a similar imbalance. State political parties, with access to good data, typically invest money where they believe they have a better shot at winning.
Throughout the election cycle, Martucci, a wealthy individual, has regularly loaned his campaign money, currently a total of $300,000.
Do constituents of District 42 want a Senator whom regular people support with their dollars, or an opponent trying to buy a seat with bucks from his own bank?

Publishing history

River Reporter 10/292020

"Martucci ‘short on substance’" letter to the editor, Hal Chorny

The debate between Jen Metzger and Mike Martucci was civil but revealing. Martucci criticized Democratic positions and blamed Metzger for being part of them. He criticized Metzger's farm bill, not by discussing any faults, but by citing a few dissatisfied people, implying that no one likes the bill. Martucci was short on substance throughout the debate. In contrast, Metzger mentioned some of her large number of bills, many of which had bipartisan support. As a freshman Senator, she established herself as hard working, responsive to the needs of all her constituents. She has a fine grasp of problems and solutions. She is also someone to go to with a problem because she listens, remembers, and tries to find solutions. Martucci is a party man, and well funded. His campaign is very well advertised and his signs are everywhere. You would wonder why anyone, would want to replace Senator Jen Metzger, A vote for Metzger is a very good vote.

Publishing history:

River Reporter 10/29/20

"Re-elect Metzger to have good things happen", Opinion piece, Hal Chorny

Jen Metzger deserves a second term as state senator. Hard-working, people-oriented and sincere politicians are rare. Jen found grant money for local projects when the state had no money She has passed important legislation with bipartisan support because she takes on problems and solves them. She is a voter-pleaser and not a party pleaser.

Her opponent is a rich businessman who earned a fortune running a school bus service. His platform is based on platitudes such as law and order and family values while indicating he will follow the Republican agenda. Albany has been full of such people who serve everyone’s needs but yours and mine.. Jen represents a new wave. If you want to have good things happen in Albany, give Jen your vote and another term. She is the real McCoy.

Publishing history:
Oneonta Daily Star 10/2/2020

Letter to the editor, Doris Chorny

Did you know that the life Senator Jen Metzger saves may be your own?  Thanks to her, the Wallkill Valley Ambulance Corps will get $50,000 to help pay for a new emergency vehicle.  The Wallkill Fire District will get its own $50,000 to buy a generator.  Among other benefits the generator will allow the firehouse to serve as a shelter in an emergency. The money comes, not from taxpayers, but from a State and Municipal Facilities Grant.

Senator Metzger’s opponent tries to smear her reputation, but her work speaks for itself.  Why would you want to change?

Vote to re-elect Jen Metzger and see what else she’ll do for you!

Letter to the editor, Doris Chorny

We should welcome the fact that six mid-Hudson Valley candidates running for the New York State Senate formed a coalition to make things better for the people of our region.  There is greater strength in numbers.

State Senator Jen Metzger is one of the six, and that’s not surprising given how well she listens to and works with others.  The group intends to promote local PPE (personal protective equipment) manufacturing and distribution.  This addresses the Covid 19 pandemic and at the same time enhances our local economy.

The group also plans to take on the backward way New York State funds schools and town governments through property taxes.  Our property taxes are among the highest in the nation and have driven away so many New Yorkers that we’ve lost congressional seats. Albany is supposed to support education through state income taxes and if the state taxed income rather than the homes people live in, the burden would be shouldered much more fairly.

A vote for Senator Jen Metzger is a vote for a politician who works hard for us. 

" Metzger Champions Households" Letter to the editor, Tom Denton

Talk, talk, talk.  We’re accustomed to politicians who deliver the rhetorical flourishes during the elections campaigns—witness the strident, ominous verbiage we’re hearing from the GOP candidate for NY State Senate district 42—but we’re surprised and pleased when our elected officials bring to office a long record of achievements and expertise in a field….and then work to act on their knowledge and promises. 

Prior to her election in 2018, Senator Jen Metzger (D-Rosendale) was well-known as a founder of Citizens for Local Power, which fought utilities companies successfully to keep electric rates fair for customers.  Since becoming a senator, she has continued to advocate for the interests of private citizens over the utilities’ profits.  In the wake of tropical storm Isaias, she has urged Central Hudson to reimburse customers for losses suffered during power shutoffs. 

Most significant have been her efforts during the COVID crisis.  She co-sponsored  and passed senate bill S8113A, which forbids utilities and municipalities from shutting off gas, electric, water, and phone services through March 31, 2021 and lets customers set up deferred payment plans without financial penalties.

Consistency, integrity.  We can trust that Senator Metzger’s oversight of public utilities and defense of the public good will persist.

Publishing history:

            Sullivan County Democrat     River Reporter,      Shawangunk Journal 9/17/20

"A most precious resource" Letter to the editor, Doris Chorny

State Senator Jen Metzger cares about a most precious resource: our children.  Her cares translate into action and recent actions will benefit our children’s education and health.  She proposed S8805, a bill which passed with bipartisan support.  It will give access to affordable and reliable internet service to everyone in New York State which is especially vital during the pandemic when going to school means going online.

Jen knows that healthy children are more alert and learn better so she helped put together a farm-to-school food program for Ellenville.  Supported by federal and state grants, it will also address childhood obesity and bring more business to our local farmers.

It’s a win win!  And that’s what Jen Metzger is: a state senator, who listens to us, cares about us and moves bipartisan legislation to help us.

Vote to keep a good thing going!  Vote to keep Jen Metzger our state senator on November 3^rd or earlier.

Publishing history

River Reporter 9/10/20

letter to the editor, Hal Chrony

 Jen Metzger is is seeking a second term as your State Senator. She is a Democrat but in no way a pawn of the downstate Democrats as her opponent charged.

She has sponsored and seen passed many bills with wide bipartisan support. Those bills were good for everyone. She recently secured a $ 50,000.grant for the Wallkill Ambulance Corps to purchase an emergency response vehicle. She secured another $ 50,000. for the Wallkill Fire Department to buy a new generator for the new fire house, enabling it to be used as a shelter in emergencies. 

Wallkill is a town where Democratic electioneering signs can easily disappear or be destroyed. It is a known Republican stronghold but Jen Metzger is not stopped by party lines. She serves all the people of her district and does it very well. In this divisive climate she is a standout.

" A Simple Tale of Two Men", Letter to the editor, Tom Denton

These two youtube vignettes tell Americans all they need to know about the characters of the two presidential candidates.  The first, from 2015, showing Donald Trump mocking a disabled reporter, previewed the cruelty, bullying, and theatrical narcissism that have defined his time in office. 

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PX9reO3QnUA    

 

The second, from last week's Democratic convention, records a brave, stuttering 13-year old boy describing how Joe Biden befriended him and, drawing on his own experience as a lifelong stutterer, gave him tips on how to meet his challenges. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S828vjO1m4g   

 

We American parents who have raised and protected our own 13-year old children can  ponder the importance of policies, judges, war, safety, justice as we measure where the character of one man has brought us after nearly four years.  With which candidate would we entrust our children's future?

Publishing history

 

Columbia Register Star/Hudson Valley 360          8/24/20

Northern/Southern Dutchess News   8/26/20

"The real election fraud", Letter to the editor, Tom Denton

 Imagine you are the President of the United States with all the powers the office gives you.  Looking ahead to the November 3 election, would you: 

1. Denounce the election’s results, before votes were even cast, claiming they would be fraudulent and unacceptable?
   
   
2. Appoint a crony as Postmaster General, who promptly and systematically shredded the Post Office’s ability to process the many millions of expected mail-in ballots?
   
   
3. Use the threat of this shredding as a bargaining chip to negotiate the dollars of government COVID relief precipitously downward?
   
   
4. Promise to the nation your commitment to protect the legitimacy of our democracy’s sacramental rite and respond to any challenge or obstacle?  Assure Americans afraid of out-of-home voting that they’d be able to vote safely at home with COVID 19 as the ever-present threat?  Announce with congressional leaders of both parties the release of whatever funds were necessary to assure secure and reliable mailed-in ballots, ample sites for early voting, and well-equipped stations and workers on Nov. 3?                        

The right answer, of course, is 4) because you took the oath to “preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution,” and, by extension, the American people.  But if you believed you’d lose a free and fair vote, you’d choose 1), 2), and 3), like the tinpot dictators of other nations we criticize when they undermine their own countries’ elections.  Bad Belarus.  Nasty Russia.

Donald Trump.  Wannabe dictator. Loser.  Americans who want to keep their republic must demand that Congress appropriate funds to support the Post Office for its November 3 responsibilities and beyond.  Otherwise, prepare for the dissolution of the country we thought we had.

Publishing history

Daily Freeman     8/21/20     Shawangunk Journal     8/20/20, Hudson Valley One   8/19/20

"Sour grapes" Letter to the editor Tom Denton

Anyone who has gone through K-12 is familiar with the “C” student who gripes when hearing that another one got an “A”.  “What’s so great about that?  It was an easy test.  I would have aced it blindfolded.”  But of course, he didn’t take it. 

So Mike Martucci, candidate for NY Senate District 42, griped when hearing that a bill of his opponent, Senator Jen Metzger, passed the legislature.  That bill requires the Public Service Commission, for the first time,  to study closely the regulations and guidelines that have inhibited the expansion of quality broadband services to rural areas and to report its findings to the governor in a year. 

Martucci says, “People … don’t need another study to tell them they don’t have access to broadband services, they need action.” 

He has it backwards.  The Commission’s analysis is necessary for future responsible, targeted budget proposals for broadband. 

Metzger has record of accomplishment for her constituents.  Martucci earns a sour “C.”

Publishing history:

Times Herald-Record             8/1/20

"False God" Letter to the editor Tom Denton

History will likely identify this as the single moment when Donald Trump’s presidency began its irreversible descent:  when Trump, his path cleared by tear gas and accompanied by his entourage of advisors and military chieftains, stood in front of a Washington church and held aloft—“wielded” is the better term—a Bible.  The pageantry of the scene crystalized an unintended symbolism for many astonished Americans:  Trump as a vengeful god, attacking his enemies and issuing his latest threat.  Yet the moment captured with gaping clarity the essence of Trump the man: small and pathetic. 

The just-released memoir of his niece, Mary Trump, traces the dysfunction in the Trump family history.  It produced for the world stage a weak man, desperately trying to project strength, spinning battle fields and enemies, leaving a nation tattered and exhausted. 

In the face of COVID 19’s onslaught, he threatens state and local officials who don’t open their regions’ economic and civic life as quickly as he demands.  The virus rebukes him.  Now, he threatens to withhold federal aid from other state and local leaders who hesitate to open wide the doors of their schools in the fall.  Thankfully, those leaders ignore him and follow the guidance of science. 

We have a cartoon gangster president without the mojo.  Braying thunder without lightning, he’s no Tony Soprano.  Pathetic.  November can’t come soon enough. 

 Publishing history:

Daily Freeman     7/16/20
Shawangunk Journal 7/23/20
Hudson Valley One  7/29/20

"Metzger Is a Powerful Supporter of Farms" Letter to the editor Tom Denton

Metzger Is a Powerful Supporter of Farms

In a short year-and-a-half Senator Jen Metzger (D-Rosendale) has established herself as one of New York State government’s more important voices for agricultural interests.  On May 13^th she co-chaired a virtual New York State legislative hearing that examined the effects of federal COVID-related legislation on small businesses, especially farms and food industries.  Legislators heard testimonies from the New York Farm Bureau, the Cornell College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and other groups.  The hearing revealed that some aid is getting through to farmers, but they—like other American businesses—have  experienced late payments and difficulties with loan applications.  What was clear, as Metzger noted, is that agriculture fills a critical, particular niche in community life, and its challenges in this pandemic require thoughtful, targeted solutions. 

One thing we Americans have, gratefully, been able to rely on is the continuity of our food supply in stores—even as those of us facing economic devastation survive with the assistance of food banks.  Have we ever recognized so acutely the importance of our farmers, who now are struggling with vanishing markets and oversupply? 

As chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, Senator Metzger is well-positioned to defend and support agriculture in our region, and she has responded aggressively with successful advocacy and proposed bills:  restoring agriculture budget cuts, winning support for farming tax credits, advancing legislation to ensure the physical and mental health of farm workers.

Publishing history

Times Herald-Record                       5/28/20            

River Reporter                      5/26/20

"High Quality Broadband Is Critical for Student Learning'" Letter to the editor Tom Denton

High Quality Broadband Is Critical for Student Learning

Many of us in Ulster County have observed our own school age children and college students or have been listening to neighbors and friends weigh in on how their kids have fared the past two months with the abrupt, COVID-forced distance learning from schools.  Some students—mostly independent, highly motivated learners—have prospered academically, at least.  Others, whose skills and inclinations suggest they need social and supportive arrangements in schools to succeed, might have struggled with the online lessons our admirable educators have created in short order.  Nationally, we’re having critical debates about the extent to which online learning can or should be woven into future K-12 curricula and about the tuition charges higher education should demand for off-campus semesters.

These debates are moot for the many families whose neighborhoods and regions are poorly served by broadband.  These students without a quality internet connection are doomed to fall behind their more privileged peers.

Fortunately, Ulster has been well-served by its state and congressional representatives who have worked diligently to use the power of government to bring broadband to our underserved, often rural areas.  Senator Jen Metzger (D-Rosendale) has introduced bills that require the Public Service Commission to “study the availability, affordability, and reliability of high-speed internet and broadband access in New York State and produce a detailed access map on its website that indicates internet service by location.”  Another would require the Commission to be a more effective watchdog on internet providers, especially those with monopolies, to ensure they meet required standards.  Congressman Antonio Delgado (D-Rhinebeck) successfully pressed the Federal Communications Commission to direct federal funding to Ulster for broadband after it initially deemed the county unqualified.

Metzger and Delgado are examples of elected representatives who have kept their promises to improve the lives of the people who elected them.

Publishing history

Shawangunk Journal, Hudson Valley 360     5/28/20

Daily Freeman 5/23/

"Vote-by-mail initiative should go national" Letter to the editor Ted Millar

 Last month, state Sen. Jen Metzger, D–Rosendale, introduced a bill (S8120) requiring the state Board of Elections to create a vote-by-mail election plan during emergencies, which would allow state residents to cast June 2020 ballots via U.S. mail should the current coronavirus crisis continue.

Her plan involves all eligible voters receiving and returning ballots through the mail or delivering them to designated locations — just like Oregon, Washington, Hawaii, Utah, and Colorado.

 I applaud this step, and called my state senator, James Skoufis, R-Cornwall, to urge him to sign on to Sen. Metzger's bill. The staffer I spoke with said he has.

Yet we should not institute this reform merely in times of societal disruption such as what we experience today, but use this opportunity to incorporate a nationwide vote-by-mail system.

Already, U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer of Oregon and U.S. Senate counterpart Ron Wyden have introduced “The Resilient Elections During Quarantines and Natural Disasters Act of 2020,” intending to replicate nationwide what their state has practiced since being passed into law in 1998.

 Rep. Antonio Delgado, D-Rhinebeck, should co-sponsor this bill.

In a nation with embarrassingly low voter turnout, being ordered to stay home threatens the nomination process, not to mention the general election.

It's time to vote through paper ballots by mail.

"Another day" Letter to the editor Tom Denton

Another Day

In one of the most popular sci-fi films ever, the 1951 The Day the Earth Stood Still, the outer space alien Klaatu, after landing in Washington D.C.,  demonstrates his overwhelming power by causing all cars, trains, clocks—seemingly everything mechanical that moves—to shut down, temporarily, across the planet.  His warning:  if nations didn’t stop their destructive march to nuclear conflagration and interplanetary pollution, Earth would be destroyed.  The film ends with assembled world leaders seemingly ready to negotiate a peace.

Transpose this cinematic scenario to the current moment.  Imagine that the leader of the US calculates a political advantage: far from humbled, he seeks to divide.  He rouses his most rabid followers, who see in this threat to humanity a sinister internal plot to undermine the economic supremacy of America.  “Liberate us from the fake invaders!  Attack!” the president cries, ignoring the pleas of leaders, in the US and abroad.   The soldiers surrounding the spaceship have already been rendered powerless by the menacing robot Gort.  The rebels, carrying their assault weapons and wearing the emblems of fealty to their leader, converge and fire on Klaatu as he attempts to depart. 

Klaatu and his people from a distant galaxy have no special feelings for the human race.  It is simply an irritant—more, a menace to peaceful beings.  However, the actions of this inexplicably foolish leader demand a forceful response.  Perhaps one that doesn’t incinerate all life on Earth but would allow other benign species to flourish . . . one that completes the task not with a fiery blast but a silent, slow, efficiency…

Publishing history:

River Reporter  4/21

Hudson Valley One 4/22

Sullivan Democrat  4/23

"Support vote by mail in New York" Letter to the editor Tom Denton

Support Vote by Mail in New York

Fair-minded people of both political parties acknowledge that as COVID-19 bears down upon us, we must plan alternatives to in-person voting in November’s elections.  A repeat of Wisconsin’s debacle, with dedicated, masked citizens risking their health to exercise their most fundamental right, has been likened to the courage of Americans who risked personal safety to protest racial discrimination in the 60’s.  Many will be willing to take that kind of risk in November.  But we can do more and better, at least in New York.

Senator Jen Metzger (D-Rosendale) has submitted a bill, S8120, that calls for immediate planning to provide Vote by Mail (VBM) to New Yorkers in November (it’s too late to implement for June 23 primary elections).  VBM eliminates the cumbersome process tied to absentee ballots, in which one must request an absentee ballot application, which is returned by the Board of Elections; the completed application is returned to the BOE; the BOE sends an absentee ballot; once voters receive it, they complete and return to the BOE.  With VBM the BOE sends a ballot to all registered voters; they fill out the ballot and return it to the BOE for counting.  Done.  Voting at polling sites will still be an option.

Yes, there are challenges.  Security measures must be in place.  Funding must be available to pay for new workers and post office charges.  States that have implemented VBM have offered careful advice about how to proceed. 

Perhaps above all, a massive public education effort is needed, starting now.  Whether VBM or “temporary illness” absentee voting is ultimately implemented, voters need to know what to expect, long in advance of November.  That effort will require money, staffing, and the use of all available tools for outreach.  We shouldn’t have to be heroes to vote.  Heroism will come from institutional support for our democratic system.

Publishing history:

Daily Freeman          4/22/20 

Sullivan Democrat    4/23/20

Hudson Valley 360

"Health Care after COVID19" Letter to the editor Tom Denton

Health Care after COVID19

The fall Democratic primary campaign was consumed by debate about health care, and specifically, Medicare for All.  With the onslaught of COVID19, that debate has raised new questions.  The weaknesses of the American system of health insurance tied to employment are vividly exposed.  17 million Americans, and counting, have applied for unemployment benefit relief, but how many of them will lose the health insurance offered by their employers?  How many, in these circumstances, can afford the cost of COBRA, which allows them to buy into their plan for 18 months at full premium cost?  How many will qualify for Medicaid, whose requirements vary widely in different states, and how many of them live in one of the 14 states that did not expand Medicaid eligibility and benefits as part of the Affordable Care Act?  The answers for millions will be, Out of Luck.

Opponents of Medicare for All claim that most Americans like the health insurance they currently get from their employers.  Of what use is that insurance when either financial and market collapse or catastrophic viruses wipe out jobs, industries, governments?

Maybe America, staring at the prospects of future pandemics, might use this moment to separate health care from employment and find a new path forward, whether through single payer or hybrid systems of public and private insurance.  The bottom line will be this:   how many of us, after this pandemic subsides, will demand that the country act on the proposition that health care for all residents is a human right? 

Publishing history:

Shawangunk Journal, 

New Paltz Times    4/16/20

Times Herald-Record     4/13/20

"New York must expedite renewable energy projects' Letter to the editor Ted Millar

 Last year, Gov. Andrew Cuomo handed New York the distinction of climate policy leader when he signed into law the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA).

This act establishes the ambitious clean energy target of sourcing 70 percent of New York’s electric energy from renewables by 2030, with the objective to fully decarbonize the state’s grid by 2040

 However, the state will be hard-pressed to meet these climate targets if the state Legislature does not act this session to remove barriers to site and build renewables, which under the current process takes 8 to 10 years for a single renewable energy project.

Last month, fortunately, Cuomo explained plans to simplify and expedite the process by which solar and wind energy developers are sited and approved. This will minimize bureaucratic hurdles and increase projects’ pace while continuing to maintain rigorous environmental standards. Local communities will continue to set policy through local zoning laws for renewable energy development.

In addition, proposals to provide discounted electricity will help ensure local communities are getting the most benefit out of renewable energy projects, not least of all millions of investment dollars and the creation of family-wage jobs.

 Investing in clean energy helps keep our energy dollars here rather than using them to import energy from other states and Canada.

Transitioning to a 100 percent renewable clean energy grid is the first step in moving to a carbon-free economy, protecting us from local air pollution and climate change’s increasing threats.

Gov. Cuomo’s proposal should be celebrated, and we must call on state senators Jen Metzger, James Skoufis, and Assemblymen Jonathan Jacobson and Kevin Cahill to to pass meaningful renewable energy reform in this year’s budget.

Publishing history

"An Accurate Census Count Is Vital for Ulster County" Letter to the editor Tom Denton

An Accurate Census Count Is Vital for Ulster County

Residents will soon receive forms for completing the 2020 U.S. Census, most likely via email.  We should all understand the importance of an accurate Census Count to our quality of life in our communities.  Ulster County’s population was dramatically underreported in the 2010 Census, so residents were hit with underfunding for an array of grants and services:  maintenance of our roads; support for police and fire services; Head Start and public schools funding; small businesses; wildlife; housing and Section 8; family services; health care and Medicaid. 

Property taxes, too, are directly affected by Census numbers.  Underfunded services inevitably will be plugged by local tax bills.  Where else will the money come from?

It’s critical that all of us complete the 2020 Census questionnaire and make sure our neighbors, friends, and families do so. Let’s be sure that our second homeowner neighbors get the message, too.  They spend time here because they, too, love Ulster’s outdoors, its communities, its people.  Must second homeowners spend the majority of their time here in order to designate Ulster County as their households for the census?  Not necessarily.   They might envision spending even more time here in the next ten years.  They might even plan to retire here before 2030.  Those second homeowners are fully entitled to choose Ulster if they can anticipate spending greater amounts of time here and want to help enhance the quality of life here. If your neighbors are renters in New York City and own a home in Ulster County, choosing Ulster for their primary home for the 2020 Census has the most direct impact on our school and property taxes. 

Using census data for grants and reimbursements, New York City benefits from its high-density demographics.  Ulster County does not.

The best means of publicizing the importance of a complete population and housing count for the 2020 Census is neighborhood by neighborhood.  Spring is coming soon.  Let’s get out and talk over the fence, knock on a few doors, and give Ulster County a boost that comes only once every ten years.

Publishing history:

Daily Freeman

NP Times

Shawangunk Journal             3/5/20

Letter to the editor Hal Chorrny

P.T Barnum of Barnum and Bailey Circus fame ( “The Greatest Show on Earth) called himself the “Prince of Humbug”. He lied easily and often, making his way as a con man. One of his early businesses involved showing a phony mermaid for a price. She was created by sewing together an orangutan, a baboon, and a salmon. By hook and by crook he convinced newspapers to provide widespread coverage. Barnum believed there was no such thing as bad publicity since getting recognition was all important. He staged false controversies to catch the public's eye. He believed the public was willing, even eager, to be conned, so long as it was entertaining. He considered running for president and would have chose someone from Indiana as his running mate. We have a current “Prince of Humbug”, more dangerous because he occupies a more powerful stage with larger fish to catch than false mermaids.

Hal Chorny

"Trump: no gods before me" Letter to the editor Tom Denton

Trump:  no Gods before me

In the 2008 primary campaign candidate Barack Obama scorched himself with the comment that some frustrated voters “cling to guns and religion” in making their political choices.  Outrage poured from evangelicals, the GOP messaging machine, and even from Hillary Clinton.  Criticizing people’s faith, regardless of context, was a third rail.

After his impeachment acquittal, Donald Trump lashed out at Mitt Romney, accusing him of using his “religion as a crutch” to defend his vote to convict the president for abuse of power.  In his senate speech Romney, a devout Mormon who served as a bishop for his church, declared that his oath before God and the nation, and his own conscience, could lead him to no other verdict.

Apparently evangelicals, silent about Trump’s criticism, are insulted when religion is called a teddy bear but OK if it’s pegged as a crutch.

Clearly, Trump doesn’t think “religion” is a good enough reason to defy his ultimatums for loyalty.   People of faith can ponder the competing demands of their eternal God and the Idol who currently commands the stage. 

Publishing history:

NP Times       2/20    

Shawangunk Journal           2/20

Letter to the editor Hal Chorny

 Killing Iran's Major Gen. Suleimani impresses the uninformed as a big, bold assertion of US might. It is that, but the military significance is questionable since there are surely others in Iran ready to continue his murderous plans

However, the downside is potentially enormous. His death will provoke serious retaliation. It is the kind of act which could lead to war. Killing Osama bin Laden made sense because he was a renegade leader hiding from our retaliation. A similar argument can be made for targeting Isis leaders. None were official leaders of a country with ample backups to carry on, and removal seriously weakened their threat.

This killing is another error by a dangerously unfit president. It is further reason to remove him from office to avert more disasters. We will suffer the consequences of this act but could at least prevent more to come.

Publishing HIstory: Daily Freeman 1/5/20

Letter to the editor Carol Nolan

I am writing to second Christine Dinsmore’s assessment of the behavior of both Board of Elections commissioners and to expand on it. I spent many hours during the past week as an observer during the Ulster County DA recount, and I have two takeaways.

All of the Board of Elections employees have been handling the recount professionally, efficiently, and without letting their political differences interfere with the job they have been doing or with their interactions with each other. This is inspiring to see, especially in an era of so much political mudslinging. To top it off, the work is repetitive, their day to day normal work is stacking up and at least some of them privately doubt the added value the recount process will bring.

I didn’t know a lot about the machines’ reliability and the BOE security measures going into the recount. What I have witnessed couldn’t be more confidence building. Virtually every discrepancy I have observed between the machine counts and the hand recount has been the result of human error and was resolved by finding a handwritten column of numbers added incorrectly, a ballot hand sorted into the wrong stack or a stack of ballots counted incorrectly.

Publishing history

Daily Freeman 1/5/20