Letters to the Editor for Friday, May 10

I agree with your recent editorial concerning the “Lemonade Law” being considered by the state Legislature. I feel that you could have gone even farther with your comments.

The law, which is merely a publicity stunt by local lawmakers, is ridiculous to the extreme.

After the furor last year over the kid’s lemonade stand being shut down, no public official or agency would risk the media scrutiny to take action like this again.

What I would like to know is why can our Legislature pass meaningless legislation like this so easily and not be able to enact any ethics reform, taxpayer relief or campaign finance legislation?

Perhaps if the legislators and state officials now in prison for corruption had operated an illegal lemonade stand, we could have stopped them years earlier.

Why has there never been any ethics or campaign finance reform in our state? Lord knows we need it.

The governor and party leaders have been able to raise obscene amounts of cash over the years without ever having to reveal who is attending the $5,000-a-plate fundraising dinners. When several of the ethics panels that Gov. Andrew Cuomo set up got too close to revealing the names of his donors, he simply disbanded the panels. The only way we ever get answers is when the politicians and officials are indicted and sent to prison, as was the case in the “Buffalo Billion” scandal.

Do us all a favor, senators and assemblymen, skip the theatrics and do something for a change. 

So far, the real lemons in this whole affair are you.

John Angilletta

Scotia

 

 

In the April 30 Gazette article interviewing Niskayuna’s Board of Education candidates, I was shocked to read that a former school board member, Patricia Lanotte, is seeking re-election.

Lanotte resigned her school board seat in July 2017 with two years left on her second term, costing taxpayers $17,000 to hold a special election to replace her. 

Besides the fact, it’s well documented her first term was marked by incredible divisiveness, politics and poor decision making.

Lanotte takes no responsibility for her resignation or the aftermath and offers no explanation. 

And she not only wants her seat back, but she’s now very critical of our school district administration and Board of Education on issues such as the budget, staffing, and progress in addressing students’ mental health and wellness. 

However, previously, Lanotte supported hiring our superintendent and business official and voted favorably to adopt budgets and other initiatives alongside most of our current board members.  Yet since quitting two short years ago, Lanotte is painting them all as incompetent and hurting our kids. Really? Divisiveness, here we go again.

The ship has sailed Ms. Lanotte. It’s time for new ideas, especially in these challenging times. I’m urging Niskayuna residents to cast their votes for other candidates on May 21.

Fortunately we have some very smart and skilled candidates to choose from to help keep our school district moving forward in a positive direction. We can do much better. Vote Backus, Jansson and Tully.

Stephen Benton

Niskayuna

 

 

Enough on belittling and calling names. President Trump been president starting on three years. 

Get over it, media and Democrats. He pulled off the biggest political upset in American politics — the reason being he wasn’t a politician. Instead, he listened to the middle-income and near-poverty people. That is why he carried more than 30 states.

Herbert Thorne

Schenectady