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Hudson Valley One welcomes letters from its readers. Letters should be fewer than 300 words and submitted by noon on Monday. Our policy is to print as many letters to the editor as possible. As with all print publications, available space is determined by ads sold. If there is insufficient space in a given issue, letters will be approved based on established content standards. Points of View will also run at our discretion.
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DJ Trump bibles $6.66
Next to the ART of the Steal, The Bible is Fat Donnie’s favorite book.
In the heart of a nation once proud and free,
Lies a darkness veiled in democracy.
Where a leader rises, with a devil’s allure,
A fascist fiend, spreading fear and more.
Trump, the name that stirs up dread,
A vile would-be dictator in lies and what’s said.
With promises grand and lies entwined,
He preys on fear, a mastermind unkind.
The F Word, not to be ignored,
Yes, there’s Fascism, a wicked sword.
His followers blind, to his evil schemes,
Caught in a web of twisted dreams.
With honeyed words and venomous tongue,
He speaks of greatness; his web is spun.
But beneath the facade, a monster lurks,
Feeding on hate and chaos, yes, evil smirks.
If the Trump & MAGAt strategy reigns supreme,
Their purpose will erode trust like a silent scream…
Leaders who uck you, with a grin,
Their souls are tainted, yes, tainted with sin…
With any luck, this will be God’s final straw,
For the heavens above to act with awe,
We need a lightning bolt, a BIG one indeed,
To wake up from slumbering, fulfill our need.
Neil Jarmel
West Hurley
GOP: Rattlesnake and Python
A mosaic is a term in biology describing an organism whose cells are composed of two genetically different types, making it an apt descriptor for today’s Russian-Republican Party, which is both rattlesnake and python. (Oddly, both MAGAs and those who actually love our nation may happily agree with this.)
The rattlesnake in the Russian-Republican Party brutally and viciously attacked the Capitol on January 6 in an attempt to overturn a legally decided election. Through Trump’s incitements, it struck dramatically, seeking to paralyze and seize the government. Police officers protecting democracy’s sacred shrine suffered grievous injury. One died of injuries, two shortly afterwards by suicide. The building was defaced. Our elected representatives fled into hiding until order was restored.
The python kills with a coiling embrace. Paralysis is not via coagulation of the blood, as with a rattler, but by denying the prey’s cells of oxygen, sinking the victim into pixilated consciousness and then death. The python aspect of the Russian-Republican Party is the network of tax dodges through which American oligarchs funnel endless funding to construct the alternative reality pushed on American society by Fox and other fake-news outlets. I refer you to the 4/3/24 article in the New York Times by Thomas Edsall, “Trump’s Backers Are Determined Not to Blow It This Time Around.” < https://tinyurl.com/3e5zcv3w>.
Edsall writes, “More than 100 conservative tax-exempt organizations have joined forces in support of Donald Trump and the MAGA agenda, forming a $2 billion-plus political machine. Together, these organizations are constructing a detailed postelection agenda, lining up prospective appointees and backing Trump in his legal battles.
“Most of the work performed by these nonprofit groups is conducted behind closed doors. Unlike traditional political organizations, these groups do not disclose their donors and must reveal only minimal information on expenditures. In many cases, even this minimal information will not be available until after the 2024 election.
“Nonprofits like these are able to maintain a cloak of secrecy by positioning themselves as ‘charitable organizations’ under section 501(c)(3) of the tax code or as ‘social welfare organizations’ under section 501(c)(4).
“Not only are these tax-exempt organizations attractive to large contributors who want to keep their role secret; 501(c)(3) groups have an added benefit: Donors can deduct their gifts from their taxable income.”
Cloaked in licit darkness, behind-the scenes supporters of the Russian-Republican Party thus game the system in order to undermine it.
It’s critical to support Democratic Party candidates up and down the ballot, starting with the Biden-Harris ticket, and not overlooking our fine local congressional candidates: Pat Ryan, 18th CD; Mondaire Jones, 17th; and Josh Riley, 19th. Vote, contribute, knock on doors. Defeat the rattlesnake. Defeat the python. Our way of life is at stake.
William Weinstein
New Paltz
Planned genocide
Explanations of Israel’s arrogance as a reason it disregarded its own intelligence detailing the exact Hamas invasion, “Al-Aqsa Flood”, a year in advance (https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/30/world/middleeast/israel-hamas-attack-intelligence.html), does not account for the complete failure of every one of its formidable defenses on October 7 as follows:
In 2021, Israel completed a $3.5 billion high-tech border wall project, called “Operation Protective Edge,” consisting of a 40-mile long, heavy-duty steel-reinforced-concrete wall 30 feet high. Every few hundred feet in the wall are machine gun turrets about 40 feet tall.
Approximately 100 feet in front of that wall is a very strong 20-foot high, electrified welded-steel-fence interlaced with barbwire. In between these two imposing barriers are Israeli military personnel in heavy duty trucks/tanks patrolling the wall 24/7, surveillance towers operating with radar/cameras (able to see face close-ups six miles away) surveilling the entire Gaza Strip, including with night vision cameras and lasers detecting any movement that trigger alarms (https://www.timesofisrael.com/a-wall-of-iron-sensors-and-concrete-idf-completes-tunnel-busting-gaza-barrier/).
On the Israeli side of the wall are the military spotters, all female, located in command centers who get notified by this state-of-the-art surveillance technology with actual photos of any intruders along the 40-mile stretch of border wall. The spotters send the gathered intel to the soldiers who operate the heavy machine guns on top of the wall by remote control from inside a bunker on the ground. Included in this normally impenetrable defense arrangement, are a battery of 28 Apache helicopters, the most advanced attack helicopter in the world, capable of flying 200mph, firing 600 explosive 30mm machine gun rounds per minute, as well as 70 mm rockets and hellfire missiles. These helicopters could have been anywhere along the wall in five minutes of notification (https://www.forces.net/news/apache-everything-you-need-know-about-british-army-attack-helicopter). On top of that are the Israeli bombers, the same ones currently bombing civilians and children in Gaza, that once notified could have been anywhere along the border wall in less than five minutes. Yet, the ragtag pack of Hamas invaders small convoy of pick-ups, motorcycles, slow moving bulldozer and para-gliders were able to approach and breach Israel’s multi-billion dollar border wall in multiple places without any opposition from the powerful defenses of Operation Protective Edge and six to eight hours before any IDF arrived on the scene. Any one of Israel’s aforementioned weapons could have easily stopped Hamas cold on October 7 outside the wall in less than ten minutes. The facts speak for themselves, as it should be clear Israel obviously allowed Al Asqa to happen so it could have justification to annihilate Hamas and the Palestinians, as it currently doing unrelentlessly. Stop the planned genocide and arrest Netanyahu!
Steve Romine
Woodstock
Central Hudson’s proposed rate increase
Do we want: 1) affordable electricity rates OR 2) lucrative investment returns?
As both the mayor of New Paltz and a member of the NYS Pension Fund, I’m caught in a “cut off my nose to spite my face” situation with respect to Central Hudson wanting to raise rates 16.4% for electricity and 19% for gas.
I want to side with my constituents and advocate for no rate rise, but an increase in rates would benefit my own personal retirement fund and that of all the other elected officials, as well as state and local government employees and retirees and their beneficiaries.
As an elected official in NYS, I have contributed the maximum allowable 4.5% of my salary into our NYS Pension Fund. In my ninth year as mayor, my “contribution balance” stood at $15,233 on 2/29/24. My share represents a portion of our nationally-ranked Pension Fund’s more than $250 billion of investable assets.
Central Hudson is a wholly owned subsidiary of NY Stock Exchange traded Fortis (“FTS”). Our pension fund does better if Fortis does better. From the March 31, 2023 report:
• Fortis stock (“FTS”) represented approximately $20 million within our pension fund.
• Our pension fund held over $382 million in Royal Bank of Canada and Bank of Montreal stocks and bonds. (Owning a combined +$3.1 billion of Fortis shares, these banks are its two largest institutional shareholders.)
We may have additional exposure to Fortis via index funds, fund of funds, and within portfolios managed by individual hedge fund managers, but those underlying securities are not listed within the pension fund’s annual report.
Central Hudson has asked NYS regulators for permission to increase customers’ utility rates, arguing that it needs a return on equity of at least 9.2%, or they may risk falling below the credit metrics of credit rating agencies. This could increase their cost to borrow and negatively impact their shareholders, including me and all the other pension fund members in New York State.
At my home in 2023, I paid Central Hudson $6,162.24 for electricity. On average, we used 2,971 kWh per month. My house has one meter and we also have a separate accessory dwelling unit (ADU) where we pay for the tenant’s electricity. We have some electric mini splits, however, we primarily use oil for heat and hot water. Our oil cost alone was $2,573.59 in 2023. Increasing my Central Hudson electric bill by 16.4% would add over $1,000, so that expense would jump to $7,172.85.
Central Hudson has stated that “typical” households use only 660 kWH per month so their increase of 16.4% would only be $30.12 per month, or $361.44 per year.
The municipal water bill at my house, including the ADU, was $293.73 for all of 2023. That means my for-profit electric service costs 21 times more ($293.73 * 21 = +$6,162.24) than our collectively-owned non-profit municipal water service.
Running a municipal water system isn’t cheap. New Paltz buys most of our pre-treated water from the NYC DEP. For the last 21 years the cost to buy water from the DEP’s Ashokan Reservoir via the Catskill Aqueduct has risen 358%, or 7.5% annualized. A NYSHIP health insurance family plan costs $40,405 per employee and in 2015 it was $21,706. Additionally, New Paltz recently upgraded to a state-of-the-art $5.5 million water filtration system at our treatment plant that was funded with long-term debt that is being paid down by our local ratepayers.
What if the Village of New Paltz raised drinking water rates and contended we were doing so to improve our credit rating to save on the cost of debt service to benefit our ratepayers? Central Hudson/Fortis seems primarily focused on serving their shareholders. We only have ratepayers but they have both ratepayers and shareholders.
On Fortis’ website they proudly proclaim they are “regulated, low risk and diversified!” That is great for me and others in our pension fund.
But should I feel down if my electricity costs go up by $1,000? Or should I breathe a sigh of relief because this increased expense would be offset by improved returns for my retirement investments?
How do NYS regulators wrap their heads around whether to approve Central Hudson’s proposed rate increase if it could impact their own retirement investments and the retirement investments of the elected officials who appointed them to review Central Hudson/Fortis’ proposed increase?
As mayor, I am opposed to this rate increase knowing that it supports my retirement investments but harms my neighbors who are not in the NYS Pension Fund.
Mayor Tim Rogers
New Paltz
Cease fire = Hamas victory
Cheryl Marie Qamar, Ford Nagel and Steve Romine are just the most recent writers with a nonchalant callousness towards Israel. They believe that Israel’s ONLY goal is and has been the total destruction of the Palestinian people with no acknowledgement of the true goal of exterminating the Hamas animals.
In the pursuit of Hamas, the sad consequence is the number of collateral lives lost, in large part due to Hamas’s never ending cowardly behavior of using civilians as human shields. As Steve Romine has mentioned in the past, Gaza and the West Bank are extremely densely populated, leaving Hamas no choice but to “mingle” among civilians. However, the reality is that there are also many rural areas which Hamas could have used for their military operations, yet they intentionally and deliberately chose to set up shop in hospitals, schools, businesses and other public places so that they could use the civilians as human shields.
If it was Israel’s SOLE intention of killing as many Palestinians as possible, by now there would be hardly any civilians left because the IDF would have been roaming every village and neighborhood, killing everyone in sight … and without giving any warnings of their next intended target areas. Also, the IDF would not be allowing any aid, whatsoever, to ever reach the affected areas. This would be real genocide, identical to the genocide committed by the Nazis against the Jews.
The recent killing of 7 aid workers was an admitted error by Israel. As a result, Israel fired two IDF officers and reprimanded others for their involvement in this sad mistake. If this was an intentional act, why would Israel bother to take this action against their own?
What about peace talks? Hamas refuses to become meaningfully involved, but instead only makes outlandish demands. How many hostages are even still alive? What’s in it for Hamas to return all remaining hostages and agree to a cease fire? And how long would a cease fire last until we’re back to square one? To do all this, Hamas would instantly lose all their leverage.
And, again, why are all the cease fire advocates continuing to refuse to address how a cease fire hands Hamas a victory, as it would give Hamas a chance to regroup, rebuild and continue plans for endless future attacks upon Israel? Why is there no concern or consideration for Israel’s future survival?
John N. Butz
Modena
The Earth is whole, why aren’t we?
The mosaic of my contemplations emerges, each piece a shard of thought reflecting the complex whole of my perspective. From a height akin to the astronauts’ gaze upon Gaia, the Earth presents itself not as a fractured landscape of nations but as a cohesive, living entity. Yet, descending into the realm of human constructs, the image distorts into a jigsaw of political divisions, where hopes are misplaced in institutions unable to nurture our deepest aspirations.
In America, we have mistaken our survival for a journey of isolation, distancing ourselves from the global village, clinging tightly to what we possess, blind to the possibilities of what we could share. This isolation is orchestrated by a cacophony of emotionally stunted politicians, the raucous offspring of an unholy union between money and confusion. Their rhetoric, amplified by the contortions of well-funded legal minds, ensures that the ancient caste systems, dividing the wealthy from the poor, remain as entrenched as ever.
The unwelcome advent of the pandemic has served as a stark teacher, laying bare the fallacies of our disconnection. With every life it claims, it underscores our shared vulnerability, delivering a grim lesson on the folly of our divisiveness. It knows no borders and recognizes no political affiliations, mocking our illusions of separation with a virulence that spans the globe. Our refusal to acknowledge our interconnectedness and to see ourselves as part of a larger whole threatens to be our undoing, our collective hubris paving the path to extinction.
The emotionally juvenile politicians likened to unruly children lost without direction navigating a world without moral guidance. The paths they tread are lit only by the flickering neon of power and greed, the once hallowed halls of education and spirituality now silent, their teachings on virtue and morality drowned out by the incessant din of the digital age. Decisions are made not with contemplation but with the impulsive click of a button; our connections to one another are superficial, transient, and lost in the ether of cyberspace.
Yet, from the chaos, a glimmer of understanding, as if the Earth itself beckons to its antibodies, rallying them in defense against the disease of domination. Protests and revolts, from the heart of black communities to the streets of Russia and the steps of the Capitol, manifest as the immune response of a body politic in distress, a collective attempt to purge the toxins of tyranny and injustice.
Trust, that delicate filament binding us, demands the currency of truth and the luxury of time to flourish. In our rush for immediacy, our debates and decisions compressed into the span of a heartbeat, we lose sight of the essence of our shared humanity. The virus, in its blind, unyielding hunger, understands what we have forgotten: in the grand tapestry of existence, every thread is intertwined, every life connected. Ultimately, it is not through division but through unity, not through segregation but through solidarity, that we may find our salvation, our path back to the garden from which we have strayed.
Larry Winters
New Paltz
A perspective
Obijiski, a co-chair of Town of Ulstercitizens.org, also found [Town of Ulster Supervisor ] Quigley has respect for residents who raise concerns. “He really embraced the voice of citizens in this town, seeking their advice and counsel before acting,” he said. It would be nice if the same could be said about our supervisor when he finally retires.
Howard Harris
Woodstock
Soaring to new heights
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush — and a bird in the bush is worth two in the sky.
Sparrow
Phoenicia
Congratulations to the cast and crew of Guys and Dolls!
Another high school musical season has come and gone. I caught as many productions as possible — the only one I saw more than once was New Paltz High School’s production of Guys and Dolls! Such incredible talent on that stage! Marla May and Peter as Sarah and Sky, brought so much emotion to their characters. Ana and Finn as Adaleide and Nathan brought so much humor and heart to the stage. Those hotbox girls! Incredible choreography! Congratulations to Nancy Owen on leading a stellar cast from NYC to Havana and beyond!
Anita Stephanos
Marlboro
Sick of it all
I used to go to the demonstrations in New Paltz “to get my fair share of abuse” and show support for the state of Israel and condemn the sick death cultism of Hamas.
The brutal behaviors of the IDF and the abuses heaped upon the innocents in Gaza and the West Bank, as well as the self righteousness of the far right in Israel, disgust me.
It was kinda funny how, with my Israeli flag shirt, that I was treated horribly by some rabid Palestinian supporters but interestingly when I crossed the street it appeared that, in addition to being foulmouthed, the pro-Israel demonstrators were unwilling to discuss anything other than blind support for whatever Israel does! The pro-Palestinian demonstrators, at least, had some intellectual capability to have a give and take, whereas the pro-Israel types seemed not capable of thinking or talking rationally! Embarrassing for those of us who believe in Israel’s survival!
On a local New Paltz note, I spoke with supervisor Neil Bettez about finding out who is responsible for taking down the barriers on 299 when the flood water recedes and it appeared from talking to police chief Rob Lucchesi and Neil that no one knows and there is no procedural agreement!
According to someone I spoke with at Ulster County, the staff are back at the garage and not on duty till the next day, 10 to 14 hours later perhaps!
This lack of responsibility and of direct lines of communication impacts all of us who have to take detours when, in point of fact, the road may be perfectly safe and drivable!
Like a Seinfeld episode, they know how to put up barriers but not how and when to take them down!
Also, sincerely glad to hear Mr. Romine survived a horrible car accident, but it reminds me of an old news story when Tommy Johns (NY Yankee) kid fell off a balcony and landed on a car roof. Tommy also attributed his sons survival to a higher power. Come on!!
Ironically, pages in to the Daily News, there was an article on a kid in Harlem who fell multiple stories and suffered a painful death.
My point is, like the annoying baseball players and all these Evangelicals who attribute minor and major issues to divine intervention, please just cut it out!
I’m so sick of baseball players PDR’s (public displays of religion) and anyone who believes that higher powers are making your life better is wrong.
The world is filled with too many children suffering horribly to support a delusional belief that divine intervention in someone’s just missing an accident, getting a double, passing a test, getting a job, etc. etc., is anything else but, just plainly, the simple and complicated ups and downs of life!
Notice the ballplayers who lose their religiosity when they don’t get a hit in five games!
Ron Stonitsch
New Paltz
New Paltz high School rocks the boat with Guys and Dolls
I don’t know where to start! I was blown away by New Paltz High School’s production of Guys and Dolls! Man can those kids sing, dance and act! From heartfelt songs such as “I’ll Know,” performed by Marla May Feeney and Peter Dillehay to the humorous “Sue Me” performed by Ana Kirsch and Finn Lochard, this production had it all. And the show stopping “Sit Down You’re Rocking the Boat” led by Nicholas Kutzin! These students will definitely be on Broadway someday. I can’t wait to tell people: “I saw them at New Paltz High School back in the day!”
Riley Simmons
Highland
Keep the Pike Plan canopies
Demolishing the Uptown Kingston Pike Plan canopies is a ridiculous idea. The facades without the Pike Plan look like every other town’s business district. The Pike Plan is unique and noteworthy for visitors to Kingston. The roll-down awnings are not attractive. Let’s vote on it. Having the 9-0 Democratic Council vote on this would be a travesty. The council may be afraid of the lawsuits mentioned in the Freeman.
But keep this in mind. You and many of us feel bad about the demolition and loss of the old post office on Broadway. If the council demolishes the Pike Plan, you and the council will forever be remembered for your illogical destruction of Uptown Kingston’s noteworthy charm. Please reconsider this unpopular proposal and keep the Pike Plan canopies.
Ralph Mitchell
Kingston
Higher education needs more state funding
My name is Bethany Adler. I am a student at SUNY New Paltz and member of NYPIRG on my campus. On “Higher Education Day” we went to Albany to advocate for crucial funding that is supporting our futures. Everyone knows that college is becoming more expensive, but your ears might ring when I tell by how much. Since 2011, Both SUNY and CUNY tuition has jumped by an estimated 42%! Funding for Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) remains flat, without the necessary expansions to match the needs of today’s student body. Funding to Bundy Aid is cut. Our SED programs for students with disabilities are cut. Lastly, most opportunity program budgets are cut. Which includes programs such as EOP that support first-generation students in opening new doors of opportunity.
Not only is this disappointing but also lacks good sense. Education has fueled our economy, advanced our society, helped people out of poverty and much more. Education has improved so many aspects of our lives which should make education a priority for the government. However, clearly it is necessary that we students, educators, parents and US citizens continue to advocate for the funding that helps provide equal opportunity to education. My education is sacred to me, and without these programs I could not be here, so I will fight for them for myself and my peers. Hence, I am calling on Governor Hochul to support this funding for SUNY and CUNY, so we can become your future doctors, lawyers, engineers, researchers, teachers and more.
Bethany Adler
New Paltz
The home care workforce shortage
New York is facing a serious shortage of home care workers. Twenty-five percent of New Yorkers will be 60 or older by 2030, and about one million of us will likely need home care by 2035. So why is our governor proposing to cut home care worker pay and gut a popular home care program?
The answer is that Governor Hochul wants to find short-term budget savings. Home care workers and recipients eligible for Medicaid are an easy target. But there’s a better way to save taxpayer dollars. Instead of cutting worker pay and making those who need home care suffer, the governor could implement the Home Care Savings & Reinvestment Act.
This bill, which has a lot of support in the state legislature, would phase out the private insurance companies that, since 2013, manage long-term home care for the state. Instead of pouring our tax dollars into the coffers of insurance companies, the state could save literally billions of dollars and set up a more efficient “managed fee-for-service” program that has succeeded in other states.
In 2021, these insurance companies made over $720 million in profit. That doesn’t count the bloated executive pay and administrative overhead that all of us taxpayers hand them. It is an outrage, and it’s time to realize this is a Cuomo-era experiment that has failed. The intention was the save the state money while providing good care. Neither objective has been met, so please tell the governor it’s time to pull the plug.
If enough people speak up now, while the budget is being finalized, we have a chance to stop these short-sighted cuts and at the same time get a jump on a more fiscally sound approach. Call the governor’s office and insist that she invest in care, not profits.
Michael Solow
Kingston
Sunflower’s new non discount program
Having written a complaint directly to Sunflower regarding their new non-discount for seniors and not receiving a response, I will voice my opinion here.
In order to get a senior discount I now have to shop on specific days and limited hours. As a senior, I have depended on the 10% discount due to living on a small social security budget in order to offset their often higher prices and rising costs for just about everything. I also try to shop locally for everything. However, it is apparent that loyalty to our small local businesses is of no concern to some local business owners.
I will now shop in Kingston at Mother Earth’s who does offer a discount for their shoppers with no restriction as to when one has to shop. It seems as if Sunflower is actively trying to lose customers and I think they are succeeding.
Hariet Hunter
Woodstock
Bring historic Uptown Kingston back
I salute Mayor Noble and Common Council president Shaut for their plan to take down the controversial Pike Plan. All over America there are rows of historic 19th-century commercial buildings in revived urban centers that have not been compromised with canopies suggestive of the “Old West” that the Pike Plan has saddled Kingston with for decades. By removing the canopies, people will be able to see the buildings individually as they were designed by their architects and as they can only be seen today in historic photos. The 19th-century streetscape, a significant element in Kingston’s unique complex of historic architecture, will be restored. Building owners anxious to shield shoppers from the elements can attach reel-out awnings as you can also see in the historic photos. Otherwise, shoppers can shield themselves with umbrellas as they do in almost every other similar city in America that values its history.
Lowell Thing
Kingston
Access to the ballot is fundamental to a free society
The right to petition for an independent candidate to be on the ballot for president is constitutionally protected by the First Amendment: The ultimate check on government corruption. But that check fails when our choices are limited to a single duopoly.
This is why we have ballot access laws permitting candidates, with the courage to challenge the duopoly controlling our options, to seek a place on the ballot and compete in an election. Promoting healthy competition is a sign of a healthy society, tending to make candidates more responsive to the needs of their constituents.
Indeed, the more voices participating in our elections, the healthier our society, as explained by the Supreme Court:
“All political ideas cannot and should not be channeled into the programs of our two major parties. History has amply proved the virtue of political activity by minority, dissident groups, which innumerable times have been in the vanguard of democratic thought and whose programs were ultimately accepted … The absence of such voices would be a symptom of grave illness in our society” (Sweezy v. New Hampshire, 354 U. S. 234, 354 U. S. 250-251).
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is running for president as an independent candidate and his supporters will be out on the streets for a six-week period beginning April 16 with petitions, asking our neighbors to sign. Signing doesn’t mean you support Mr. Kennedy. It does mean you support democracy and a free society.
Andi Novick
Rhinebeck
Join the family! 
