The views and opinions expressed in our letters section are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Hudson Valley One. You can submit a letter to the editor here.
Proposed support for volunteer firefighters
There are numerous important proposals in Governor Hochul’s Executive Budget. Some of the large initiatives focus on improving mental health care, housing, energy affordability, reducing emissions, creating access to child care, combatting fentanyl and clean water.
Governor Hochul’s mention of volunteer firefighters across the state and their enormous contributions also resonated with our community in New Paltz. The budget included $10 million to support stipends for volunteer firefighters who complete core training. Additionally, there was proposed legislation to allow municipalities and fire companies the ability to compensate volunteer firefighters with stipends of “nominal value” without jeopardizing their status as volunteers.
It is truly stunning when we stop and look at what is expected from the New Paltz Fire Department. Exterior and interior firefighters must fulfill 79 and 128 hours of training, respectively. Then the NPFD has monthly meetings, maintenance events or trainings every Monday evening. New members must attend at least nine monthly meetings, five maintenance events and nine trainings in a year. Once members satisfy all the initial training, they may request a status change to “active” which requires at least four monthly meetings, five maintenance events and five trainings. NPFD bylaws also require all members to participate in at least one parade per year in uniform.
New members must attend at least 20% of the year’s calls. “Active” members must attend at least 15% of the calls. In 2022 there were 716 calls in New Paltz so 20% was 143 calls and 15% was 107 calls. And these were the minimum number of calls!
Thank you Governor Hochul for working hard to support so many of the residents of our state, and in particular, our volunteer firefighters.
Mayor Tim Rogers
New Paltz
Still not too late
In 2022, Woodstock Supervisor Bill McKenna had the opportunity to show the town’s appreciation to our volunteer firefighters and volunteer ambulance drivers. It was then that New York State enacted Chapter 670, which authorizes towns and villages to allow those volunteers to deduct ten percent of the value of their residences from local property taxes. What is he waiting for?
Howard Harris
Woodstock
Away we go
A consoling thought: everyone who was cool five years ago is now hopelessly out of fashion.
Sparrow
Phoenicia
Traditional Medicare is under attack
Calling all seniors who are sick or might ever be sick! Your traditional Medicare is under attack. An op-ed piece in the (December 20) Wall Street Journal warned that as medicine becomes industrialized, “The Doctor’s Office Becomes an Assembly Line.” A doctor added that: “Large healthcare systems which are viewed as single entities, have been able to negotiate fees up to 300% higher than what independent practices get. The lower fees have forced many independent practices to go out of business.” They may soon disappear.
Some patients have recently sensed a change in their physician’s manner. It is more rushed and less attentive. The office management is bureaucratic and difficult to deal with. This is the result of the current sweep to privatize medicine. It is called REACH and if your physician’s practice opts in, it will be managed by profit-seeking middlemen and your health will be too.
The government is attempting to drastically change Medicare. If it succeeds, the new structures will change healthcare delivery for everyone. An active group of healthcare providers called Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP) is opposing those efforts. I urge you to go to info@pnhp.org and to protectmedicare.net to learn more, sign a petition and protect your health.
Doris Chorny
Wallkill
Skip and go naked
What can I say. Twenty-three of us found the sweet spot-on Saturday night January 28. We attended a specially charged intimate performance by Marc & Mike. Yes, this duet, Mr. Black — a locally beloved singer/songwriter and eclectic folk-rocker — and his pal/accompanist Mr. Esposito — a wonderful Woodstockian electric bass guitarist and renowned [old spokes home] bicycle whisperer — provided a thrill by heating up a chilly winter nigh. All with an evening of songs and down-home merriment.
Yup, originals and covers highlighted personal thoughts and memories in a lyrical and in an agreeable, arousing way. Plus, their slippin’ n slidin’ of old-time radio rockin’ covers of the sing-along kind was like a soundtrack to our lives which we never tire of.
It happened in a peaceful setting at the Matagiri Center — a yoga studio. There was lots of smiling, playing, mixed with a simple slammin’ attitude — all packaged in a low-fi manner. These two musical cats, Mike & Marc, gave the audience an intensity of full attention. And with it came a common pulse with a common purpose, to deliver such a great sound full of love, emotion and magic beyond.
Overall, Marc sang some cool verses with a powerful FLASHBACK of lyrical flowers, and these two musicians strummed tuneful notes from their guitar strings which twang’d and thump’d with a ‘round n ‘round sound shake or twist.
The two players were in a deeply meaningful a/k/a pleasing groove and a fun sound, sometimes loose, cresting into a slappin’ improv, which shaped the musical poetic on intertwined waves of highest fidelity. They simultaneously lit up the purest aural candle [a certain frame of mind] thus allowing for the illumination of the yoga studio space we sat and listened in, to jump or jive [boogie, rock & roll, swing and lindy-hop] with joy.
With straight ahead coolness, our thumbs-up reaction showed multiple stars flying out the tips; We, the audience, smiled and nodded from perceived affinities between sound and body motion as this ear massage gave the “collective us” an opportunity to hear the colors that our two standout musicians felt and painted with their infectious music. Finger snapping pirouetted with toe tapping as both talented musicians crackled and popped madness from a set list of old, new and sometimes hot-song stylings we heard.
An impassioned audacity distinguished itself, in the rousing unapologetic way-out zeal of the 23 listeners: It was a deliciousness of now, plus an invited ease where a jump-in positivity transcended amongst a flamboyant twirl of audience hoo-ha mixed in among lots of enthusiastic applause!
Music is the best! Especially when performed like this. Much appreciation and a very heartfelt thank you to Marc Black and Mike Esposito for your marvelous groove and entertaining nature coupled with a nimbleness and its dash of genre shaping musicality and a very BIG hi-five thanks to the Matagiri Center in Mt. Tremper for hosting this event at such a beautiful space.
Neil Jarmel
West Hurley
Voter remorse
This parody is dedicated to those who voted for Joe Biden motivated by the conviction that “anybody would be better than “Trump.” With this in view, I suspect that many of them now wish that the “anybody would be better than” conviction they held had included Joe Biden. (To the tune of Bob Dylan’s “Maggie’s Farm”)
I ain’t gonna defend Joe Biden no more
No I ain’t gonna defend Joe Biden no more
He told us young Corn Pop was a real bad dude,
then told us of the time he had to adjust his attitude
But Joe’s Corn Pop tale just sounds like false folklore
I ain’t gonna defend Joe Biden no more (2x)
(Stanza)
He never fails to tell us “The Biden’s are honest folk”
and if you have a doubt, he says it really is “no joke”
I trusted him, until I learned the score
So, I ain’t gonna defend Joe Biden no more
(Stanza)
I ain’t gonna shill for Joe Biden no more (2x)
He told me Georgia’s voting laws were worse than old Jim Crow
But all Joe’s propaganda couldn’t hide this truth that I, now, know:
Georgia’s voters like their laws so, now I’m sure
I ain’t gonna shill for Joe Biden no more (2x)
(Stanza)
He told us he’d unite us when he
ran for president
but “MAGA voters are fascists” was the message that he sent
Now, the country is more divided than before
So, I ain’t gonna shill for Joe Biden no more
(Stanza)
I ain’t gonna listen to Joe Biden no more
No, I ain’t gonna listen to Joe Biden no more
He says the economy is doing, oh, so well
but the rising cost of living could create an economic hell
He says taxing the rich will solve the problem and help the poor
I ain’t gonna listen to Joe Biden no more (2x)
(Stanza)
He lied about his college days and Hunter’s laptop too
He said he drove an 18 wheeler but what he said, just ain’t true
Prices just keep rising at the grocery store
So, I ain’t gonna listen to Joe Biden no more
(Stanza)
I can’t make excuses for Joe Biden no more (2x)
There’s trouble at the border Joe’s Afghan pullout was a bust
and the crime that’s in our cities has made me lose all trust
Joe’s involvement with Hunter’s businesses, Dems should explore
I can’t make excuses for Joe Biden no more. (2x)
(Stanza)
He said Trump having classified info was, oh, so bad
but then we learned of the classified info that Joe, himself, had
It’s a shame he kept some behind his garage’s door
So, I can’t make excuses for Joe Biden no more
(Stanza))
I ain’t gonna vote for Joe Biden no more (2x)
He’ll lie to you at breakfast; he’ll lie at dinner too
Seems every time he’s talking Joe’s lying to me and you
He’s “a lying dog faced pony soldier,” that’s for sure
I ain’t gonna vote for Joe Biden no more (2x)
(Stanza)
I said anybody but Trump would really be okay
But, now, the song I’m singing is “I long for yesterday”
So many things Joe says and does, I do deplore
So, I ain’t gonna vote for Joe Biden no more, yes, no more
(repeat “yes, no more” to fade)
George Civile
Gardiner
Where does the buck stop in Ulster County?
During the past month, I have emailed our county executive’s office twice and requested the opportunity to review one year of Ulster County’s energy bills. If they have already been audited by an impartial, non-partisan energy analyst, I would like to see the report. I feel entitled and believe that all ratepayers and taxpayers are interested parties.
Somebody is paying the bills. Where does the buck stop in Ulster County?
As a solar energy analyst, during a previous decade for Sustainable Energy Alliance (SEA), US Department of Transportation (DOT), Habitat for Humanity of Suffolk County and private industry, I discovered obvious discrepancies in Nassau County’s municipal accounts, not to mention the utility’s political slush fund for both corporate parties and environmental groups.
That was 20 years ago, and I like to imagine that the energy business has cleaned up its act by now. They probably don’t make any contributions, but for transparency, let’s ask. Using my limited computer skills, I have searched for this info without success. Perhaps a more qualified reader can help. So far, our County Executive has not.
Steve Sloane
Port Ewen
A request for more coverage
In response to the comprehensive coverage of the Onteora CSD restructuring crisis written by Eleanor Schackne-Martello, I’d urge her to write another follow-up piece highlighting key datapoints. This data could include but not be limited to the new population of young families with future school age children who plan to attend these elementary schools at risk of closure; local preschool enrollment numbers from the past three years as well as how these preschools have had to evolve and adapt to the larger student population. Another perspective would be to propose fundraising efforts to make up the district budget deficit, as well as expand on the K-5 expanded option for Woodstock Elementary.
There is so much that can be done to save these schools from closing, yet so many [newer] voices in our community that are not being represented.
I had a call with the superintendent who wasn’t sure where the data behind the enrollment projections is coming from, but that they don’t look promising. I believe this data is inaccurate and misrepresentative and we should take a closer look at the numbers.
Last night, January 31 there was an ad-hoc world cafe meeting with guided table discussions, covering topics that included the restructuring plan. There are many of us who wanted to participate but weren’t allowed the opportunity whether some missed the deadline or the superintendent’s office shared that individual’s category of representation was not needed and there will be future opportunities to give input.
The superintendent shared that the findings from last night’s discussions “may” be reported out at the next school board meeting on Tuesday, February 7.
There is a growing group of local concerned parents who plan to attend this meeting as well as contribute to the upcoming survey that should be coming out on February 10 as well as participate in the community forum on March 30, according to the superintendent’s office.
This is a major issue that needs significant coverage driving awareness so that those affected can participate in the shaping of our children’s future education.
I can think of a minimum of 30 families locally with an average of two children per household who plan to attend Woodstock elementary and are outraged to hear of this crisis. I for one have four-month-old twins and a three-year-old, all of which we had intended to send to Woodstock elementary, a short, three-minute drive away. In fact, we just bought a house around the corner, excited to be an active part of the student body in just a couple of years.
Please use your respected and esteemed platform that is Hudson Valley One to drive awareness to this closure campaign and encourage participation in our growing alliance of Parents of Tomorrow’s OCS Students (PTOS).
Kudos to Eleanor at 17 years old for publishing such a well-written article.
Anything I can do to help with this crisis, I will!
Thank you for listening!
Megan H. Brenner
Woodstock
Keep history alive
I am content that there are so many good places to walk in the Hudson Valley. I am happy that some of the estates of the formerly wealthy are state parks. The houses give us peeks at the lives of America’s aristocracy, but the workers that built those houses and the wealth that supported their residents seem absent. A few bits and pieces of plaques and signage, or displays of tools in the visitor centers doesn’t cover the worker’s lives.
The Hudson Valley from its lower to upper ends had thousands of workers. It had iron foundries, paper mills, quarries, clay mines, lead mines and lots of farm workers and probably brothels for the single men. The Hudson Valley had a melded economy of agriculture and industries. A Saugerties farm provided the mules for the Ashokan. The black and white notebooks in grammar schools came from the Valley. Where are the tributes to the workers, men and women of this great array of work. Where is the Museum of the Hudson Valley? The Maritime Museum and the D&H Museum are wonderful, but have singular interests. The Reher Museum is trying to bring the story forward for Kingston, but the Valley deserves a tribute to the whole story. I would love to see a museum similar to the one near Scranton, Pennsylvania that honors the coal miners of that area. It contains a history of labor (occasionally bloody), a set of rooms like those lived in by the workers, a display of the mills the women worked in, and even a coal mine to tour.
The state hasn’t gotten around to this yet, but I think it should and I think it would enhance the current interest of visitors to our area and its mountainous neighbors. The ideal site would be in the Mid-Hudson. Winston Farm would be perfect for a proper museum on its non aquifer portion and trails elsewhere, but that ship seems to have sailed. Too bad. Too bad for us, too bad for the State of New York. There’s was and is much more than wealth in this state. There are the workers.
Mary Ann Mays
Saugerties
A divisive plan
I have become more aware lately of a bi-national plan between the Biden administration and the Israeli government, to move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to The Allenby Barracks in Jerusalem. This is a terrible idea, primarily because this piece of land is legally owned by a number of Palestinian families, and, significantly, Palestinian-American citizens. It would mean that our county would be making a deal with a foreign country, in this case Israel, to purchase land already owned by U.S. citizens, and to ignore their legal rights to refuse to have their property built on! We in this country are so righteously indignant when its comes to “private property rights” and so up in arms about “colonialist intentions” — look at our united front in defense of Ukraine and our rhetoric against Putin’s bloody tactics. How come this same disgust doesn’t arise when its comes to Israel’ s treatment of its Palestinian citizens? It’s time to get in touch with our representatives and voice our strong denunciation of joint Israeli and American chauvinism in regards to Palestinian-held land.
Martin Haber
Woodstock
“Ized”…
Humans have been searching for answers to why they behave as not caring for their species. Today I saw several clips on my computer showing humans loving their cows, horses, cats and dogs, talking to, holding and loving them. Clearly, the animals understood and returned the grace they were receiving. These pictures travel directly to the heart, with no interference, no ego in the way.
Why have humans forgotten they are animals? We eat, breathe, breed and die like all other animals. Is it the big brain that has grown too rapidly outdistancing our emotions, such as holding a crying child or placing our arms in comfort around our dying elderly and stopping killing those we are not aligned with politically? Have we wandered so far out of the cave that we’ve forgotten that being loved and cared for is needed for survival, and without it, we lose learning how to self-care? Do we fill our need for self-care by relying on child care, medical and funeral care? It appears that all the caring we animals need has become pasteurized, mechanized, homogenized, computerized and governmentized to take our money under the pretense of keeping us alive instead of offering arms and hearts that carry the emotional contact needed to bring meaning to living.
Our brains have grown so large that they believe they hold all the solutions to our survival and existence. Soon those few not plugged in will become extinct species living in the last remaining wilderness. The fingertips of the majority of humans in our country tap plastic keys for comfort, asking computer acquaintances to respond to their most intimate communications. Can zeros and ones be patterned into phrases related to our internal worlds? Have our typed ideas and words diluted what once got translated by touch? Has physical and emotional communication been written off as animalistic? Why does your dog or cat not nestle up to the computer? Will the bird you see on the computer make eye contact with you like the one in your yard?
I am sure that there is another side to seeing the internet as broadening and deepening the potential for human communication. However, I fear that there is little space left for the animal of man to remember that she and he are genuine animals. Why would we want to remember this when most animals today are used for food, entertainment and pets? Humans use their imaginations to distance themselves from being human, just as they have distanced themselves from the truth the weather delivers. Our animalness is like the weather; we occasionally are awakened by storms, floods, volcanos, tornados and hurricanes, but we soon forget the lessons and make more substantial homes, move to higher ground, or turn to governmentized weather. Humans awaken to being animals when sick, emotionally overwhelmed, feeling sexual and when death visits them. Unfortunately, none of these emotional states last long, and if they are to be understood, need a great deal of permission for self-understanding. Passion, insight, prayer, hope and love are the colors that make the fabric of living more than an idea.
Larry Winters
New Paltz
Statement from the Town of Saugerties Highway Superintendent
Given the importance of transparency and accountability, I thought it best to make the following statement:
Throughout your travels on a weekend, you may come across the Highway Department working. Through a court order given to the Town Board and Building Department regarding Property Maintenance Law, the Highway Department services are required. The Highway Department will be on private property assisting the Building Department removing whatever is in violation of the Town Property Maintenance Law. However, I do not want the Property Maintenance Law work to interfere with our Monday through Friday regular town-related work. Rest assured that this does not reflect onto the Highway Department budget. The Highway Department gets 100% reimbursed.
Please feel free to contact me at the Highway Department office or attend any Town Board meeting and ask for privilege of the floor should you have any questions regarding the Property Maintenance Law. Dates are listed on the Town of Saugerties website.
Raymond Mayone
Superintendent of Highways
Saugerties
Cooperation is the potential road to peace in the Middle East
The Jewish Federation of Ulster County is an unabashed advocate for the State of Israel. We acknowledge others have reasonable disagreements with the Jewish nation state and its policies. Israel is an open democracy, as susceptible to legitimate criticism as the U.S., Canada, the UK, Germany and France. But we decry criticism of the Jewish homeland based on thinly veiled anti-Semitism, especially when it is Jew hatred masquerading as political activism.
Recently, we debated a spokesperson for Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP). JVP is an organization whose views on Israel are diametrically opposed to ours. While we relished the opportunity to engage in the lost art of civil discourse with a well-informed ideological opponent, there was little on which we saw eye-to-eye. One thing we did agree on, however, is that we all want to see peace in the Middle East.
We can’t speak for how others wish to pursue better relations between Israel and its Palestinian neighbors in pursuit of that goal. We have chosen to embrace and lend support to two agencies worthy of special notice. One of these is Science Training Encouraging Peace (STEP). STEP is a cross-border NGO that uses science diplomacy to build science careers and relationships between Israelis and Palestinians. Its mission is to fund tuition for young Israeli and Palestinian scientists in intensive, graduate, academic degree programs. The intent is to foster enduring relationships of respect, trust and professional interdependence.
STEP pairs young Israeli and Palestinian science students and helps pay their stipend for the full length of a graduate degree at an Israeli university. The students must work on a joint project throughout their studies.
Another group is The Yitzhak Navon Heritage Association. Named in honor of the fifth president of Israel, it seeks to promulgate his values of solidarity, tolerance, mutual responsibility and multiculturalism in all walks of Israel society. Mr. Navon famously said, “Israel is a tapestry of ethnicities, cultures, traditions and values, each yearning for recognition of its unique identity and invaluable contribution to society. The goals I set for myself were to enhance solidarity, encourage patriotism and promote the understanding that all parts of the nation share a common fate.” The Association sponsors projects and programming to carry on that legacy.
Theories regarding the solution to endless conflict in the Middle East seem as numerous as grains of sand in the desert. But let’s acknowledge that a proactive approach to any problem has the best chance of coming to fruition. We urge you to take note of endeavors such as these. STEP, Navon and similar initiatives build bridges between Israelis and Palestinians in order to establish a road to peace.
It just might work.
David Drimer
Kingston
Rondavid Gold
Woodstock
Racism, Part one
With the mid-term elections over November 2022, the next two years will witness grid lock as the House is Republican/Conservative and the Senate Democrat. But there is a block on the dismantling of our Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid benefits as the Democrats will draw the line at attacking these benefits; also, even the Republicans have parents and relatives drawing benefits as well. But it should be very interesting to see the playout for the next two years. I have been hammering away at this issue for over six years starting in August of 2016. The statement by the candidate for POTUS, Donald Trump, if elected “would be the dismantling of the administrative state.” I took this to mean all programs in play from the New Deal of Franklin Roosevelts administration and subsequent administrations would come under attack; this was the impetus for my involvement. However, I would like to discuss something else today that has been on my mind for some time.
One of the legacies of Donald Trumps is he tapped into the underlying emotion in this country that goes back before the Revolution. And that underlying emotion is racism. I say before the Revolution, as it was the Spanish when they arrived here in the Americas in the 1500s. The Spanish were seeking wealth in minerals and all cases antagonized the Indians, even killing many of them. Other countries eventually became involved in both of the Americas. Needless to say, their treatment of the indigenous inhabitants was not good.
Even when the American Revolution was over, the ‘problem’ with the Indians had to be addressed for the expansion of the New Country westward. I do not have to recount the treatment of the natives to make my point; the history of NYS and the Westward Movement are well known to the citizens of NY and the states west of the Mississippi.
There were always drips and drabs of immigrants coming into the country after the American Revolution. However, the first major European migration of immigrants resulted from the French Revolution of 1789-1790 and the subsequent reign of Napolean Bonaparte, 1805-1812. These events led to the collapse of feudalism on the continent, overthrowing centuries of control by the landowners and aristocracy. This led to the great German migration of immigrants of the 1830s, into this country.
This was followed by the Irish migrations of the late 1850s. Both migrations witnessed these two different groups of people coming into the country, with their distinctive language idioms and cultural habits. The Irish particularly introduced Catholicism into a heretofore Protestant country. This was followed by the Civil War of 1861-1865 where millions of black Americans were freed from slavery and granted protections under the 12th, 13th and 14th Reconstruction Amendments. This was followed by the granddaddy of all migrations with the end of WWI; this witnessed millions of Eastern Europeans coming into the country. The outcome of these five social upheavals led to the introduction/migrations of large numbers into a heretofore white society.
Because of the introduction of these large numbers into the country, there arose at various times, white organizations, to address this spread of foreigners. They are the American Order of Clansman, the Ku Klux Klan, Knights of the Golden Circle, the White Cap Movement, all addressing the black situation, either supporting pro-slavery or uniting all white citizens. The Ku Klux Klan was a powerhouse during the 1914-1944 reign of the 2nd era Klan, controlling the state houses and legislatures in a number of states. This organization is still in existence today.
Racism part two will follow next week.
Robert LaPolt
New Paltz
The Earth’s inner core could be slowing its spin, but don’t panic
Geddy: https://www.popsci.com/science/earth-core-spin/. This is a legitimate alternative reason that weather patterns change over long, (but not glacially long), time periods. As for ice ages, geologists have evidence of about 16, spaced roughly 20,000 years apart. Once upon a time, the Adirondacks rivalled today’s growing Himalayas. Ground down to beach sand and Long Island.
Where did I park my Time Machine?
Paul Nathe
New Paltz
Steve strays a bit
In response to Steve Massardo’s letter of 1-26-23 (Spreading the manure), he conveniently forgot to describe the huge difference between my political commentary and Neil Jarmel’s political commentary in our letters to HV1. My comments address CURRENT dangerous events in real time being engineered by the PRESENT hapless, divisive and ineffective President Biden and his administration, while Neil’s comments almost exclusively focus on an ex-president who has been out of office for two years and who has had absolutely no decision-making abilities that are responsible for the chaos we’ve all been witnessing and experiencing for two years under Biden. Let me go out on a limb by saying that I think the vast majority of ALL Americans are living in the present and trying to deal with issues in their present day lives. Neil’s F-bomb laced PAST and ongoing tirades against Trump, aka his TDS, hardly compares to my present day concerns with Biden and his calamitous consequences for ALL Americans and our military — two different planets, altogether.
Regarding IRS employees, no matter what the past and current numbers, why hasn’t there always been a focus of their skills, resources and power, all along, on the six-figure earners, millionaires and billionaires where the real money is? That’s where the bulk of game playing and tax deceit is happening — not with the everyday Joe and Jane who are struggling to barely make ends meet. Don’t the current IRS agents feel skilled and confident enough to outsmart the wealthy in order to recoup tons of hidden money in unethical or illegal tax evasion schemes and loophole tricks? I’m not a CPA, but it seems logical to go after the huge sharks and whales instead of primarily focusing on all us small fish.
If Steve’s statistics are accurate, how are 400+ billionaires able to get away with only paying 8.2% of their income in taxes while all us common folk are paying a much more disproportionate percentage on our meager incomes? And, some billionaires pay NO taxes, according to Steve. How is that even possible? If this is true, doesn’t anyone think that our taxation system is in dire need of a MAJOR overhaul? And, Steve blames Republicans for this ongoing abuse. Then, where are all the Democrats and why are they silent on this issue? For two years, didn’t they have total control of the House, Senate and presidency? Yet, not a peep on this sensational taxation imbalance. The truth is that this has been around for quite some time with BOTH parties carrying on their inaction. No meaningful legislation has ever been introduced to straighten out this inequity. Why is this? If either party did anything about it, it would hamstring our wealthy politicians and non-politicians from getting even richer. For most politicians, developing and increasing their own personal wealth far surpasses doing the bidding of the people on their list of priorities.
So, is there any wonder as to why many American people have little trust, confidence and faith in most politicians and why the “swamp” has been and, most likely, will continue to be a permanent fixture in Washington, DC, with little to no change in sight? The manure to which Steve refers is in Washington, DC and NOT in the Feedback section of the HV1.
John N. Butz
Modena
Lobbying reform is a must
Well, strike up the band and cue the fireworks; John Butz and I have found something on which we fully agree: the IRS is not a friend of the working man. We may have our political differences, but when faced with the fact that tax loopholes favor the wealthiest Americans, our shared outrage is unifying. One quick point, though, before the main one. I never put the blame for this situation solely on Republicans as John implied in last week’s letter, published online. If you re-read it, you’ll see that I only blamed Fox News and congressional Republicans for repeating, ad nauseum, the lie about “Biden’s 87,000 armed IRS agents,” which was used as their argument for de-funding the IRS. There is no question that both parties are guilty of enabling the unfair and disproportional auditing of schlubs like us while letting the super-wealthy exploit our labyrinthine tax code. So how did we get here?
The tax code has always contained Easter eggs for the rich, to be discovered by expensive accountants and tax lawyers, but over the past 50 years or so things have gotten much worse. Why not have something simple that the layman can understand? One reason is that tax preparation companies like H&R Block, TurboTax and others have spent millions of dollars lobbying Congress to keep things as opaque as possible so that the average taxpayer will have to use their services to file. Our system, in which the IRS already knows how much you made, how much you owe and how much you paid in taxes, requires us to go through this draconian pas de deux every spring. No other country in the world demands this of its citizens. By the way, the Democrat-sponsored IRS bill that Republicans just overturned would have put a cap on audits. The increase in auditing money would have affected only people making over $400,000 per year. If you’re in that group, congratulations.
Don’t take my word for the statistics I cited; they are available online. Warren Buffet, with a net worth of $100 billion paid a total of $24 million in taxes between 2014 and 2018, or about 0.1% of his wealth. In contrast, someone making $50,000 pays over 20% before deductions.
You asked why this is allowed to happen. In the simplest terms, it’s because our elected officials on BOTH sides of the aisle are being paid to let it happen. Lobbying reform is a must if this is to be fixed. The Citizens United decision in 2010 made it even easier for dark money to infiltrate the election process. As long as tax prep companies continue to pony up, there won’t be a simple tax code.
Steve Massardo
Saugerties
Join the family! 
