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Here comes Michelle
Biden’s cognitive collapse is now in high gear. It never was about his age; but always about his deteriorating mental capacity. We all know people well into their eighties and even nineties who are still sharp as a tack and who could dance circles around our poor president. Even Obama’s White House medical consultant confirms the recent special counsel’s report about Biden’s very real cognitive decline while adding that Biden has “serious issues” and is getting “worse by the day.” I mean, who thinks a guy with the name of Abdel Fattah El-Sisi is the president of Mexico? And, who do you know that has recently claimed to have spoken to two dead world leaders, other than maybe the Long Island medium, Theresa Caputo?
This is hardly political at this point since even a CNN poll, surprisingly, says that 75% of Democratic voters don’t want Biden as their presidential candidate this November. And, as I’ve been saying for several months, Biden will NOT be running this November.
So, welcome Michelle! I didn’t think she’d surface till possibly the Democratic convention toward the end of August. But, Biden’s recent state of mind and continued decline (mind AND approval ratings) may push Michelle’s recognition up a bit to stop the bleeding in a Democratic party having an internal meltdown and panic attack.
She’s the logical choice since Democrats know they’d really be getting another term for Barack since everyone knows that Michelle brings zero political and business experience to the table. As Barack, Soros, Bill Gates and who knows what other rich liberals were pulling Biden’s and his administration’s strings for the past three-plus years, they would continue this puppeteering charade by pulling Michelle’s strings if she ever got into the White House.
Michelle’s their only chance because the Democratic bench of Newsom, Warren, Buttigieg, Harris, Pritzker, Whitmer, etc. is extremely weak and wouldn’t stand a prayer against Trump, or even Haley.
John N. Butz
Modena
Gap in the news about Winston Farm
News about Winston Farm in Saugerties grew scarce over the winter, especially after there was some possible discussion between the owners and Open Space. The gap in news has been too long, lest the importance of preserving the open area leave the public mind. Water quality and amount is a prime issue for public concern. The Town of Saugerties in the past errored in its decision not to purchase the area.
The second concern is the simple need for open areas of landscape near its over-commuting population centers. It’s a matter of keeping social sanity in a highly pressured world.
I ask only that the public and the truly public-interested officers of government support the maintenance of Winston Farm as an open, public landscape and use its collective intelligence to encourage the purchase of the total area.
Mary Ann Mays
Saugerties
Questionable ethics decision
In October 2022, Bennet Ratcliff publicly charged Kirk Ritchey and others on the Housing Oversight Task Force (HOTF) with “self-dealing.” The HOTF had been revising the town’s housing zoning law since June, 2021. In late 2022, Kirk helped to launch Woodstock’s Community Land Trust (the Woodstock Housing Alliance) which had been a recommendation of the Housing Committee. A key component in creating affordable housing, a community land trust receives and holds land forever and manages the building of housing on that land. No HOTF member hid their involvement.
In November 2023, the charge reached the town’s ethics board. The resulting inquiry found “…we are limiting our finding here to the “appearance” of a conflict of interest, not that you have acted with any personal or improper motive.” The ethics board was specific in ways that should give all of us pause. It said that this “includes situations in which a person’s ‘situation has the potential to undermine the impartiality of the person’ or ‘a personal interest sufficient to influence the objective’.” No one who puts in thousands of hours to help our community write and implement laws, create new programs or improve facilities for our residents does so with “impartiality.” To assert that town volunteers (and the organizations they are a part of) could benefit in an unknown future from decisions voted on today, a law they helped to write or a program they implemented, is a very slippery slope.
Ratcliff claims that the zoning revision is tainted and should be shelved. Two years of hard work by the HOTF volunteers, simply dismissed. This is his latest strategy to upend the zoning proposals and one in an ongoing litany of spurious charges made to various entities, targeting those he disagrees with. The ethics board takes its job seriously, but it is being used as a political tool. Its broad ruling raises the potential for the appearance of conflict for many committee members and is chilling.
Susan Goldman
Woodstock
Joe Biden will win re-election
Joe Biden will win re-election. Biden’s a winner. (Trump is a multilevel loser.)
President Biden won 77,061 write-in votes in the New Hampshire primary. He wasn’t even on the ballot. President Obama won only 49,080 in the 2012 New Hampshire primary and he was on the ballot. That’s a 57% increase, Biden vs. Obama. And RFK, Jr., the anti-vaxxer egotist, won only 435 write-in votes. (I owe this insight to Robert Hubbell’s excellent Today’s Edition Newsletter. Search for it on Substack, read it for free and then subscribe to it.)
President Biden has also won the Nevada primary with 89.3% of the vote (98,358) with, at time of writing, 88% of the votes counted. Marianne Williamson, another egotist like RFK, won 3,173 votes.
President Biden also won the South Carolina primary, with 96.2% of the vote (126,321). Marianne Williamson came in second, as noted by these figures: 2.1%/2,726. Dean Phillips: 1.7%/2,239.
President Biden has also steered congressional Democrats to a historic, gobsmacking victory over Republican incompetents by defeating the resolution to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. (Gobsmacking in that they smacked the Republican fifth columnists right in the gob!) They did this because people who love their country voted for sanity, including several Republicans. (If you live in the 18th Congressional District, be aware that Marc Molinaro voted yea. Yes, Congressman Molinaro is not merely a yes-man but actually a yea-man and was willing to exercise the terrible levers of impeachment for no reason other to curry favor with the Former Guy. Molinaro’s another future loser.)
And why shouldn’t Republicans go down to defeat? They’re led by flat-earther Mike Johnson. Error check: Mike Johnson is not a flat-earther! Informed sources report he believes the earth is roughly spherical. But he’s a Young Earth Creationist who believes the Earth is 6,000-12,000 years old and that dinosaurs were on Noah’s Ark. He represented a religious organization building a Noah’s Ark theme park in Kentucky as it attempted to siphon off state tax dollars to pay for this boondoggle. The park lost. Mike Johnson’s a loser. (Source: https://www.dailydot.com/debug/mike-johnson-noahs-ark-dinosaurs/) A house speaker needs a firmer grip on reality than Mike Johnson demonstrates. He lost the vote because he’s abandoned reality. MAGA Republicans will flame out because they shovel dirt on reality. (Perhaps dirt from digging up 6,000-year-old dinosaurs.)
Americans know nonsense when they see it. They don’t believe the Former Guy will seek to be dictator only for one day. They will vote to preserve democracy.
They will vote in droves for President Biden in November. He’s a winner. Trump is a loser.
William Weinstein
New Paltz
Would not lose sleep if the Ulster County IDA ceased to exist
For a decade, various pals and board colleagues have tried to bring attention to problems with the Ulster County IDA. We have collected a list of some of our resolutions, position statements, correspondence with developers, and letters to the paper. This link (http://tinyurl.com/bw5mad39) includes the list for those interested in reading them starting in December 2013 through January 2024.
Most recently, several of us were interviewed for NY Focus’ coverage on real estate tax breaks in Ulster County ( https://nysfocus.com/2024/02/08/real-estate-tax-breaks-ulster-county). In the article, I was quoted and said, “From 20,000 feet, their intentions are good, in that the role of the IDA is to figure out ways to encourage economic development and spur job creation but there are many unintended consequences…”
Mayor Tim Rogers
New Paltz
Biased or righteous
I have written many letters to the editor of HV1 about the Israeli/Hamas conflict. My detractors, John Butz, who says I am “anti-semitic” and have a “bias,” and George Civile, who says I am “anti-Israel,” have not addressed or disputed the majority of facts and issues I presented in my past letters, when I have rebutted mostly all of their claims, point by point with documentation.
So, I am moving on to another pressing issue. That issue is the coming election where the preservation of democracy is at stake from being derailed by ambitious fascists in the presidential race. In the past election, I voted for Joe Biden, not because I liked him so much, but to keep the Donald Trump clown out. I guess I have this bias against men who would rape women, who would surprise women by grabbing them by their crotch, who would refuse to pay hundreds of people for work completed, who would try to rig an election as in Georgia, whose motto is “Greed is Good,” who would scam college students with a fake university, who would pose as a Christian, but is really a greedy capitalist pig, who would bury their ex-wife on their golf course for financial reasons, who would bomb another country on their first day in office, who would lie constantly about almost everything, who would incite racism and violence, who would defraud their own family members out of inheritance money, who would sell out their country to Russia and Saudi Arabia, who is clearly a narcissistic psychopathic ignoramus, who sleeps with the poems of Adolph Hitler under their pillow and much more.
Does that make me anti-Trump, or biased against him if those statements accurately describes his behavior? It has nothing to do with bias and everything to with his actions and obvious lack of integrity.
The letters I have written about Israel’s documented crimes of genocide against Palestinians do not make me anti-semitic or biased, but righteous as Psalm 11:5 and Ephesians 5:11 affirms. That all being said, I will be voting for RFK Jr. in the coming election, based on his courageousness for addressing controversial issues, his intelligence and knowledge that leaves other candidates in the dust, especially Trump who couldn’t light a candle next to him. RFK Jr. is a very competent individual who for 40 years fought against giant corporations like Monsanto and the vaccine companies, and fought for the environment and won many times. The sad fact is both Biden and Trump, for different reasons, are both becoming increasingly incompetent, yet even so, Biden cannot beat the Trump train in the election. If you want to beat Trump, vote for RFK Jr. Our democracy and the survival of our species depends on it!
Steve Romine
Woodstock
Evading the issue
From Woodstock’s Employment Practices Compliance Handbook, “A comprehensive complaint procedure has been developed to address any complaints received from employees and non-employees. They should immediately report any perceived violation of this policy to the town supervisor. Generally, investigation of a complaint will be conducted by someone appointed by the town supervisor.”
On December 29, 2023, a complaint was sent to Supervisor McKenna “requesting required action regarding conduct of Zoning Board of Appeals chairman Gordon Wemp specifically.” Yet over a week later on January 9, according to HV1, supervisor Bill McKenna said there was an email complaining about Wemp’s alleged behavior, but no official charge. Bill, why wasn’t there any official charge. It seems that based upon the employment handbook, the onus was on you to start the investigation. Was your delay deliberate?
Howard Harris
Woodstock
What do we care about these days?
What do we care about these days? Is our concern merely the depth of snow to shovel off our sidewalks, akin to how we measure the depth of our empathy? Where will we dine next weekend, a choice as transient as our fleeting thoughts for those who’ve dined in the trenches? Who are we at odds with at work, compared to those who faced natural enemies on battlefields? How much will it cost us at the supermarket, a triviality when weighed against the price of human life in war?
In February 2007, I wrote about the grim tally in Iraq — 3,131 dead, 32,544 wounded. The U.S. mill for making soldiers relentless and unyielding. What becomes of these men and women after their service? We sent 250,000 troops to Iraq, and now they walk among us, their battles unseen but ever present. How do we welcome them back into the fold of society? Have we learned to reverse the training that taught them to kill? What do we owe them for their sacrifices that leadership often leaves unacknowledged as veterans hospitals close their doors?
The depth of their physical, psychic and spiritual pain is a chasm too profound for many to fathom. History has shown us the price of our indifference: after the Vietnam war, the scars were deep and lasting. Yet, do we look away, distracted by trivialities, waiting for others to guide us in moral quandaries?
We cannot escape the social consequences or the financial cost of using human life as currency in wars that profit a few. The wealthy reap the rewards of war, while the masses pay with the souls of their children, lost to suicide and depression. Over 100,000 Vietnam veterans have taken their own lives since their return — a statistic that should haunt us. The ranks of the homeless swell with veterans from Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan. Addiction, domestic violence and crime are rampant in the aftermath of these conflicts.
But let’s consider an alternative perspective. It’s easy to point fingers at the government or the wealthy elite. Still, what about our collective responsibility? Have we, as a society, done enough to understand and support our veterans? We must ask ourselves: are we doing our part in aiding their reintegration, or are we bystanders in their struggle?
In the words of Plato, “Only the dead have seen the end of war.” But for those who return, the war often continues within. It’s time we acknowledge this ongoing battle and commit to being part of their healing journey. Only then can we hope to stop fueling our cars, our lives and our future with what rightly can be called ‘blood money.’
Larry Winters
New Paltz
Painful anniversary — February 24
February 24 will be a painful reminder of the horrific Russian invasion, assault and ongoing atrocities levied on Ukraine and its people by Putin and his imperialistic lust for power. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, 2022, at 5 a.m., when Russia launched missile attacks on many Ukrainian cities. The invasion was the largest attack on a European country since World War II. This invasion was an escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War that actually began in 2014. The 2014 annexation of Crimea by Russia was a clear violation of international law and Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Prior to the 2022 invasion, there had been eight years of conflict in eastern Ukraine between Ukrainian government forces and Russia-backed separatists. These military atrocities against innocent civilians have been shockingly evident to the world, especially with the images coming out from Bucha, and have caused worldwide condemnation.
As members of The Ukrainian National Women’s League of America, a Ukrainian American national organization established in New York City in 1925, our mandates are to preserve and educate about our culture, our ancestral history, our national identity and to advocate for Ukraine’s right to be a free, self-governing and democratic nation. As active community members of Dutchess and Ulster counties, we are writing on behalf of our Hudson Valley Ukrainian diaspora.
The Ukrainians in Ukraine and we, as Ukrainian Americans, are so very thankful for the outpouring of support from around the world and especially the many-faceted aid from the United States. However, the longer this war continues, the more difficult it is to maintain Ukraine’s defenses. Ukrainian troops are now being forced to ration their ammunition on the winter frontlines as Russia presses on. Understanding that the chances of a quick replenishment of weaponry are diminishing because of other world conflicts, Russia has stepped up its efforts to inflict maximum damage to the infrastructure and citizenry of Ukraine.
Ukrainians, as former prisoners of Soviet control, deeply understand that sacrificing Ukraine to Russia, as some have suggested, will only further whet Putin’s power appetite and, with the support of his allies in the Middle East and the East, will eventually lead to a broader power grab.
We are urgently asking for the help of our fellow Americans to pressure our elected officials, through letters, emails or calls, to continue to support bipartisan agreement to approve crucial aid to Ukraine. Helping Ukraine now is not only morally required but also a matter of national security for our home, the United States.
Mary Panchyshyn, President, Branch 95
Maria Cade, Vice President, Branch 95
Marianna Zajac, UNWLA Honorary President
On behalf of the members of The Ukrainian National Women’s League of America, Branch 95
Do it for the buzz it gives the red hats
[NUCKIN FUTZ RIDES AGAIN…] “The former guy” has made it clear once again that [he] presidents must be awarded total immunity from prosecution for their actions in the White House — even if those actions “cross the line.”“A president of the United States must have full immunity, without which it would be impossible for him/her to properly function. Any mistake, even if well intended, would be met with almost certain indictment by the opposing party at term end,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post, writing in all capital letters a couple of weeks back.
Before three judges for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, one of Trump’s attorneys claimed that — “under their interpretation of the law — the president would “have to be speedily impeached and convicted” before a criminal prosecution could occur — “even if the crime in question was something like using S.E.A.L. Team Six to assassinate a political rival.”
“THE PERPETRATOR FAILS THE TEST” — Would I trust him with my dog? FDR and Nixon both defended their pet dogs. I can’t envision the orange spoiled brat toddler having anything to do with a dog besides kicking it out of his way. TFG is the one president known to have never had any pet animals. “Would I trust him with my dog?” rhymes with “Would I hit him with a log?”
Trump is a solipsistic narcissist and a bloviating buffoon. He is also ethically challenged, a habitual liar, a pugilistic provocateur, an expert propagandist, and his only Raison d’être in life is: What is in for me? I know, I’m preaching to the choir. Yes, we all know what a monster Trump is. This is no secret and we have heard it at least a thousand-and-one times.
We must be clear, coherent and pull no punches. America and the world are on a precipice. If he’s allowed back into the oval office, there will be IMHO a tragic decline of our moral values as well as our national psyche. We will be the “United Snakes” of America with a lot of HELP from his followers, if he is reelected.
Neil Jarmel
West Hurley
If
Considering it all:
• If you are a veteran, you cannot vote for Trump.
He denigrated John McCain, mocked his frail arm and said he was less of a hero because he was captured! That should be enough, especially for those VFW/VVA vets who served, who saluted the MIA/POW flags and support our disabled combat veterans! His insensitive and nasty comments about Gold Star families, his fake bone spurs and his not wanting severely disabled vets in photo ops. Vets cannot vote for Trump!
• If you are a relative of a physically disabled person, you cannot vote for Trump!
He not only mocked a disabled war hero in John McCain by physically imitating his disabled arm, but mocked a disabled reporter by imitating his irregular arm movements. That alone, if you have an ounce of understanding about people with disabilities and know someone with a physical or mental handicap, is more than enough to not vote for Trump!
• If you are a woman, you cannot vote for Trump!
His nasty derogatory sexist comments about women’s weight, looks, attractiveness and intelligence should prohibit considering him as president.
• If you are a parent or grandparent, you cannot vote for Trump!
You cannot hold Trump up as a good example for children. Can you explain to an overweight child about his calling women “fat,” disgusting,” “not my type,” etc? Can you explain Trump being convicted of rape and assault of a woman? Can you sit a child down and explain what Trump said: “She was married. I moved on her very heavily. I moved on her like a bitch” or “You can do anything. Grab ’em by the pussy. You can do anything.”
• If you are a business owner, contractor or worker, you cannot vote for Trump!
Trump has a documented history, for decades, of cheating contractors and their hard-working employees by not paying for contractually agreed upon completed work on his buildings and casinos! He mocks these contractors and forces many of them to accept less money or to use his lawyers to drag contractor’s lawsuits on and on! If you won a business and you are an honest employer and believe in getting paid for services rendered, then you cannot vote for Trump!
• If you are a devout Christian/Evangelical, you cannot vote for Trump!
Do you explain his “pussy” comments, his paying off a porn star for sex while married, not being able to quote any biblical references, cheating contractors, demeaning comments about women and mocking and slandering disabled people and veterans and Gold Star families, promoting a violent attack on democracy, etc. as part of your all-forgiving mentality or just a general self deception of what a moral and ethical human is ?!
There are many other reasons, like if you truly care about our country, if you care about the rule of law, if you are historically intelligent enough to understand that January 6 was not acceptable, if you know moral and right behavior from immoral and wrong behavior, then please enough with: “I like Trump’s policies, he’s one of us, he cares about us, he’s a real patriot, he loves Jesus,” etc., etc.
Lastly, I’m not a Biden fan. We deserve better than Trump and Biden!
Think!
Ron Stonitsch
New Paltz
Killing spree
Meat is murder, and fish is manslaughter.
Sparrow
Phoenicia
Marc Molinaro, where do you stand?
As potential moderate and liberal Republican House of Representative’s voices fall increasingly silent, the extreme MAGA pro Trump contingent tightens its grip on policy decisions of the House of Representatives, and ultimately on the policies and the direction of, our country.
Marc Molinaro, as our representative in the 19th district, a swing House of Representative’s district, which voted for a Democrat for president; we ask that you embrace, and stand up for, common-sense policies.
Marc Molinaro, as a Republican house voice, can’t you stand up for a well crafted, conservative leaning border control and security bill, crafted largely by tough-minded Senate Republican James Lankford?
Marc Molinaro, as a Republican voice, can’t you stand up for aid to our democratic ally, Ukraine, in its hour of need?
Marc Molinaro, do you really want to join MAGA Republicans in voting to impeach Alejandro Mayorkas in the face of there NOT being any showing of “high crimes or misdemeanors”?
Marc Molinaro, do you really want to join MAGA Republicans in voting to impeach Joe Biden in the face of there NOT being any showing of “high crimes or misdemeanors?
Please Marc, stand up to Trump!
Please Marc, stand up to Putin!
Please Marc, grow a backbone!
Voters and Citizens of the 19th District, and of the country, need you to act with WISDOM and INTEGRITY in this critical time.
Mel Sadownick
West Hurley
Last week’s HV1 Woodstock page
Thank you for your continued coverage of newsworthy events happening in Woodstock. That said, I am left scratching my head over the treatment historic ethics violations were given in this week’s paper regarding “Very Woodstock”
I have been here 25 years and a subscriber and or reader of your papers for all of them.
I have never seen a story about two ethics reports involving a sitting Woodstock Town board member and a chair of a town board appointed task force in any of your papers going back 25 years. It is an extremely rare occurrence and a really big deal.
Not exactly “Very Woodstock.”
Nick Henderson’s story unfortunately appears to not fully gauge the importance of these two extremely serious events by printing a ramble from Bill McKenna that is clearly defensive and by not tracking down Laura Ricci who is the subject of one of the violations. He also misses his chance to ask the supervisor if he knows why both ethics letters addressed to the town board were never in fact delivered to the whole board and to also ask if he will be following up with the ethics board letter recommending the whole town board and supervisor receive ethics training.
As I said, this is a big deal.
I believe Woodstock residents actually care about good government and sound ethics. My guess is, given the choice, most Woodstockers would opt for an ethical town government, as opposed to an unethical one.
Michael Veitch
Woodstock
Acrimony and disruption in Woodstock
I have been dismayed in the 13 years I have lived in Woodstock to see community discourse becoming more and more acrimonious. Before I moved here, the town struggled over building the Woodstock Commons development with the leadership of RUPCO. The echoes were still bouncing off the mountains when I joined the planning board in 2012.
But it’s been getting worse and worse. Pessimism and cynicism about government, as David Brooks pointed out recently in The Atlantic (1/31/24), have taken over our political lives at all levels. This has allowed pied pipers — authoritarians and would-be authoritarians, from Donald Trump to the leaders of Hungary and Belarus — to find enough followers to create serious mischief. Even Woodstock, the famous town of peace and love, has become a microcosm of the current political polarity. First Woodstock Commons, then the library. There have always been disgruntled citizens, but not to this extent. Now a group led by town board member Bennet Ratcliff is attacking the supervisor, other town board members and numerous volunteers, including the undersigned, who have had the gall to try to improve longstanding weaknesses in our physical and legal infrastructure.
Small towns depend on volunteers to provide leadership in many roles that are unelected and unpaid. Without volunteers, we can’t survive. No one, elected or volunteer, is infallible, but we are honestly doing our best.
The current political climate in Woodstock breaks my heart.
Judith Kerman
Woodstock
Response to last week’s article on Woodstock’s ethics board ruling
Woodstock Housing Alliance (WHA) is a community land trust, a nonprofit 501(c)3 whose mission is to create permanently affordable homes, fitting the character and scale of rural towns, and to help end housing insecurity for our region’s year-round residents. WHA’s board of directors, including me, and advisory board members volunteer our time and expertise. WHA currently has no paid staff and pays vendors for services such as bookkeeping, IT and legal counsel.
I began volunteering for Woodstock in 2016 and since then have chaired the Comprehensive Plan Committee, co-chaired the Housing Committee, and co-chaired the Housing Oversight Task Force. During work on the comprehensive plan, in every firehouse meeting, focus group, community meeting and survey, residents prioritized affordable housing, to allow an economically and culturally diverse community to continue to live in Woodstock. The Housing Committee incubated such ideas as the Family of Woodstock HomeShare program and recommended development of a local community land trust (CLT), a model in which communities set land in trust for affordable housing, working with other housing organizations.
A small group founded Woodstock Housing Alliance because we thought a CLT would be a perfect fit for Woodstock. Albany, Columbia County and other communities already have or are launching CLTs, and the model is part of Ulster County’s housing strategy.
For generations, volunteers have worked in towns like Woodstock for the betterment of the community. To function, small towns depend on such volunteerism. However, one current Woodstock Town Board member has for several years been trying to convince citizens that our local institutions are illegitimate and that some local elected leaders and volunteers, including me, are dishonest. In spite of this, in the November 2023 local elections, 70 percent of our town voted for the incumbents, the supervisor and a town board member. Most Woodstockers refused the pessimism and cynicism purveyed by one or two other town board members and a small group of their followers. As David Brooks recently pointed out, history shows progress happens when leaders convey a plausible vision of the common good, based on aligned values and leading to collective action.
Kirk Ritchey
Woodstock
10,000
Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) said today (2/8) on CNBC, that the birth rate and the illegal immigration rate have about reached parity now, at 10,000 per day.
But for all of recorded time (aka recorded science history, less than 200 years) female births slightly exceed male births. That is not what I think we are importing as the porous borders, north, south and both oceans, are now allowing in. I see far more men in those lines waiting to be ‘processed’ by our border patrol. What is the future result of having far more men than women in a country?
The Chinese now have this sex mismatch problem, a result of the one-child policy they had for decades. With males vastly preferred as ‘The One’, parents often choose abortion for female babies in the womb. It is now very hard on a lot of Chinese men to meet a woman.
Making life harder for men is a prescription for making them take actions that are not good for humanity, in my opinion. Vermont just legalized prostitution. Hey, I am just a Liberal, but this doesn’t feel like a good solution for society.
Paul Raymond
New Paltz
Critical wetland protection
Have your voice heard in protecting New York’s important wetlands.
Provide input to help the DEC develop new regulations that will modernize protections of wetlands and ensure the long-term health of these vital ecosystems.
Comments can be submitted by February 19, 2024 via email to WetlandRegulatoryComments@dec.ny.gov.
Under New York’s 2022 Freshwater Wetlands Act, DEC’s jurisdiction is limited to wetlands that are equal to or greater than 12.4 acres (and certain wetlands of unusual local importance) and identified on the State Freshwater Wetlands Map. The new legislation will eliminate the map requirement beginning in 2025 and in 2028 DEC’s jurisdiction will expand to wetlands as small as 7.4 acres.
Freshwater wetlands are lands and submerged lands, commonly called marshes, swamps, sloughs, bogs and flats that support aquatic or semi-aquatic vegetation.
The reforms will allow DEC to protect over one-million acres of critically important freshwater wetlands that are currently unmapped and thousands of additional acres of smaller wetlands.
Countless water features in our woods, as small as 1/10 an acre, can and do play a vital role in recharging the aquifers that supply our wells and help maintain a sustainable water table.
Local knowledge, including local Indigenous knowledge, is needed to help develop criteria for “wetlands of unusual importance” including identifying significant flooding, rare animals, vernal pools, of local and regional significance.
Please pass this info on to all concerned parties and stakeholders.
Comments can be submitted by February 19, 2024 via email to WetlandRegulatoryComments@dec.ny.gov (subject: “ANPR Freshwater Wetlands Protection”) or sent to Bureau of Ecosystem Health, Freshwater Wetlands Unit, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233-4756.
Glenn Kreisberg
on behalf of the Overlook Mountain Center Board of Directors
Woodstock
Save Woodstock
Governor Hochul’s 2023 New York Housing Compact, with its goal of 800,000 new homes across NYS in the next ten years, has met with resistance in the NY state legislature and some local municipalities. Hochul’s aggressive plan for housing expansion is based primarily on relaxing municipal zoning codes with “upzoning,” that is with extreme density increases in zoning laws to allow more housing. She also enacted mandates to override municipal zoning regulations with developers when necessary. The lack of support for her housing policy currently is in anticipation of the upcoming elections this year. Communities in the suburbs and NYC area have rallied for “local control, not Hochul control.”
New York City and its suburbs was the major focus of this housing expansion and to a lesser degree, the Hudson Valley. The Ulster County Housing Initiative focuses on housing expansion through upzoning local zoning codes, such as in Woodstock where it has met with stiff resistance. What might have seemed like a good idea to some initially, and though likely well-intended, this process has proven to destroy the town’s zoning law, developed over time based on sound principles of good community planning, as described by the American Planning Association. Woodstock’s zoning law has been proven to protect our environment and natural resources, define our physical identity as a town and safeguard our quality of life.
There are many reasons for the housing shortage. The causes, and most especially the lack of affordable housing, date back to the 2008 housing bubble burst and the following lack of a housing workforce, lack of supply chains, the pandemic shut down and significantly throughout, the poor economy. Altering zoning laws with density increases is an attempt at a “quick fix” that has unintended consequences. In no way does it involve sound planning principles and it can backfire.
For more information about these proposed zoning changes in Woodstock, go to save woodstock.org or request an information packet on the proposed zoning changes. Learn specifically how they would affect Woodstock and the excellent reasons to save the Woodstock zoning law.
Pat Jackson
Woodstock
Experts texperts III
I once wrote it would be wise to be aware of our own ignorance and prejudice (as well as those of the sources we cite to support our views) when forming an opinion on an issue. This is especially true when the issue is as important as genocide. With this in view, I present the following: Regarding Steve Romine’s consternation over my refusal to agree with his experts: In an interview with one of them, Craig Mokhiber (former senior director of the New York Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights) Philippe Mottaz, Swiss journalist and founder of the Geneva Observer, challenged Mokhiber’s definition of genocide by stating: “But experts I talked to disagree with you on the genocide question. In its response, [to charges of genocide against Israel] OHCHR (Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the leading UN entity on human rights stated that) “the definition of genocide under international law is narrow and very specific. It requires proof of intent to destroy, as such, a protected group, in whole or in part — in short, to destroy people purely because of who they are. That type of investigation needs to be undertaken by a competent court, and even then, it can take years. It is a determination that is especially difficult in the midst of hostilities.” (Geneva Observer November 9, 2023). With this in view, apparently, the OHCHR is not as impressed with Steve’s experts as Steve is and thinks everyone should be. It also suggests that Steve’s judgment of Israel being guilty of genocide is premature to say the least.
Another question Mottaz asked Steve’s expert, indicates that Mokhiber has actually been accused of anti-Israel bias and contradicts Steve’s claim that his experts are above reproach in declaring Israel guilty of genocide: To wit: “Do you agree that a review of your tweets can lead to the conclusion that you have what your critics call a clear anti-Israel bias?” Mokhiber responded that they could if they merely read the tweets but not his other writings. (To which I reply: Maybe. But maybe not.) Coming soon: Steve and the Balfour declaration.
George Civile
Gardiner
Prioritizing principles over kids’ well-being
In the recent 2023-2024 New York State Budget, our incumbent Assemblymember Sarahana Shrestha missed her first opportunity to align her spending priorities with the needs of her constituents. In her obsessive focus on national, DSA-centric ideologies, she voted against funding healthy school meals for over 347,000 students in 1,200 schools, despite the significant child poverty rates in Ulster and Dutchess counties. Why?
Approximately one in five children in these counties, both Dutchess and Ulster, rely on SNAP benefits, highlighting the urgent need for support. Shrestha consistently prioritizes her principles and empty rhetoric over addressing the real needs of her constituents. And now that our children, who depend on nutritious meals for their health and growth, are facing the consequences, her performance is even more disappointing.
Let’s focus on our communities and our kids’ well-being rather than reciting DSA talking points all the time.
Sarah Stone
Hurley
Shame on you both
Two of the Ulster County legislators have been criticized by the chair of the legislature for sending out what amounts to their own personal opinion on the letterhead of the county legislature. The two legislators are terribly mistaken to act in this fashion. Why? Because it would put forward to the public the incorrect notion that the entire legislature agreed with the sentiments expressed in a letter written on the legislatures’ letterhead. It’s just plain misleading.
No, you say? A legislator trying to be misleading? Can’t be. Well, it is true — very similar to the statement in the movie Casablanca expressing abhorrence that there is gambling going on in Rick’s Place. Once again, they are caught up in their own importance.
The two members who wrote the letter, minority leader Kevin Roberts and member Joe Maloney, need to stand on their own two feet with their opinions and write their own letters on their own personal letterhead instead of trying to mislead the public with the legislature’s letterhead — hoping that the public will believe that the entirety of that body is behind their sentiments. The public expects better than this by the two gentlemen.
Chair Peter Criswell is correct in calling them out. Stand on your own two feet when you have a personal opinion, instead of running for the cover of the larger body. It looks terrible. Shame on you both.
Rick Jones
Kerhonkson
We are the world
Approximately 40 years ago, there were huge events to work on remedies to the AIDS crisis and worldwide starvation. Here we are in 2024 with our issues of the day. Hmmm, of course, there are still those issues plus so many others staring us in the face. With regard to the conflicts/wars (headline and otherwise) — genuine, honest discussion and dialogue should never be forgotten or relegated to being a distant consideration. Root causes of these wars need to be seriously addressed with a recognition of the need to care for humanity and the environment. When the global south continues to be devastated by the climate emergency and measures by developed nations to assist those regions might be held suspect, what can the average person do? And who could not welcome those migrants searching for safety, a better life for their children, and work? The gun violence in our society can sometimes cause us to throw up our hands in frustration. But, dare we honestly consider the roots of this malady? Over 50 years ago some group sang: “You say you want a revolution.” Might this human revolution begin or continue in the hearts and, importantly, actions of each person. Disagreements will happen and mistakes will be made; however, keep our eyes on the prize. Imagine the world that most would like to see and act each day, in big and small ways, to move in that direction. Let young and not-so-young join together, with mutual respect and a common goal. And, remember to contact those who represent us in the decision-making bodies of government (on all levels).
Certainly, our collective humanity knows how to save life and how to destroy life. With courage and hope, each of us can help save lives.
Terence Lover
Woodstock
The big game
The Big Game over
bragging rights have now begun
time to pay ad costs
Patrick Hammer, Jr,
Saugerties
Candidate vs pro-Hamas Shrestha
Last night I attended new candidate Gabi Madden’s announcement event in Kingston and spoke to her and her campaign manager about getting her on the record supporting Israel, especially in light of her Dem-Socialist opponent’s virulent opposition to Israel.
I explained to them that the Ulster County Jewish Federation (UC JFED) is a 501 c3 and can’t endorse a candidate or engage in “politics,” but that many in our kollel would support her if she came out pro-Israel.
I hope to be engaging the campaign manager to move this along — and to do so, I am representing that there is now a Hudson Valley Supporting Israel Coalition.
1. Because the 103rd NYS Assembly district is in both Dutchess and Ulster Counties and
2. It’s not affiliated with JFEDs
3. There will be petitions coming out soon so Gabi Madden can legally get on the Dem primary ballot to start the process.
Wanna join me in this?
No meetings, no fees, only energy to get Sarahana Shrestha out in the Dem primary (June) and then in November.
Harv Hilowitz
Stone Ridge
Biden for president
Not that the world isn’t giving us enough to worry about day by dire day, but like many, I’m worrying about November 5, 2024, as well.
President Biden is losing support among various blocs, including those made anxious by his verbal slip-ups — most recently evidenced Friday, when at a press conference designed to defend himself against the special counsel’s seemingly politically motivated description of him the day before as “a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory,” the president reinforced that perception with another gaffe.
But there’s another bloc whose distancing from Biden worries me even more — one that, if I weren’t so convinced of Donald Trump’s danger to the country, I would more fully sympathize with: those who condemn Biden’s support of Israel and its policy on Gaza.
Thank goodness, that support seems to finally be weakening, and a cease-fire may be somewhere in the works.
Not to fully excuse Joe Biden, but there are always byzantine and potentially catastrophic geopolitical concerns that you and I aren’t privy to. Still, enough is enough. No — Netanyahu is a monster, and “enough” is not yet in his sights and has already been far, far too much.
But despite my revulsion and heartache over Gaza, I’m pleading with Democrats and Independents to not let this blot on Biden’s record sway you to not vote — or worse, to vote for Trump. I won’t bother to make the case against the ex-president; his prejudices, his policies, his public and criminal records — his life — are well-known and speak for themselves. And I hope they speak to you, loud and clear.
There has never been an infallible president, Joe Biden certainly included. There have been egregious ones, but Trump would outdo them all this time around, and undo democracy itself. Please: Vote for Joe Biden.
Tom Cherwin
Saugerties
Addressing hate in HV1 letters to the editor
While reading Mr. Romine’s letter last week, I recalled the opening two lines of Dara Horn’s book People Love Dead Jews: People love dead Jews. Living Jews, not so much. Not to “gang up on” Mr. Romine — he is not alone in his proclamation Israel briefly had his sympathy on October 7 until they responded. Since Israel retaliated, arms have opened and embraced the demonization and dehumanization of Israelis as they have Jews for millennia. As we continue to exploit the word “genocide,” to the point of meaninglessness, let’s keep a few basic truths in mind:
1. Hamas started this war on October 7 by raping, killing and taking civilians hostage, including children. This is a war crime.
2. People of Gaza are paying a horrific price. The crisis there could have been avoided if both Israel and Gaza had humane leadership. Hamas uses their population as human shields. Ghazi Hamad said himself on TV October 24, 2023, “Will we have to pay a price? Yes, and we are ready to pay it. We are called a nation of martyrs, and we are proud to sacrifice martyrs.”
3. Mr. Romine mentions Israel failed to defend itself October 7. True. Look what happened when their guard was let down. Palestinians are taught from a young age their land was stolen from them, the Holocaust never happened, terrorizing and murdering Jews is to be celebrated. It is understandable why they are violent toward Israel instead of open to peace. For most, it is simply never presented as an option.
4. Zionism is “an ideology that supports the development and protection of the State of Israel as a Jewish state.” (Wikipedia). There is nothing about it calling for the destruction of any other state, violence or ethnic cleansing. That’s Hamas’s mission.
Denying these facts is deceitful and dangerous. Anti-Semitic and Islamophobic acts increased since the start of this war. If we made space for empathy, compassion,and most importantly, truth, instead of perpetuating polarizing narratives, benefitting no one but the corrupt leaders driving this war and the age-old idea Jews are to blame for everything bad, we wouldn’t be where we are today.
Some people are more interested in yelling, bullying and destroying than they are in creating a real, lasting peace in the Middle East. For the majority who believe in reconciliation and peace between Israelis and Palestinians, the following organizations unite both nations in those efforts:
Sulha Peace Project (https://www.sulhapeaceproject.com/en), Parents Circle — Families Forum (https://parentscirclefriends.org) and Women Wage Peace (https://www.womenwagepeace.org.il/en/).
Sarah Stone
Hurley
Join the family! 
