Letters to the Editor for Friday, Nov. 15

PHOTOGRAPHER: Letters to the Editor

Tonko out of touch with family issues

Paul Tonko has been mooching off the public since 1976. He lives a pampered life and can’t relate to upstate families. Tonko’s out of touch with the realities of family life.

Tonko has never put a child on the bus for the first day of school. He’s never rushed a child to urgent care in the middle of the night or taught a child how to stand up to a bully.

He’s never worried for the safety of a young daughter using the girls’ locker room or girls’ bathroom, because boys are allowed to enter.

In fact, Tonko thinks it’s OK for biological males to use the girls’ bathroom. He ignores cases of kindergarten girls being raped in bathrooms. Tonko’s policy protects criminals and endangers girls.

While upstate families worry about finding stable employment and raising children in a culture hostile to families, Tonko worries about what lapel pin to wear at the next Washington, D.C., cocktail party: rainbow or pink for abortion? What a tough life he has.

Tonko can’t relate to parents’ concerns and doesn’t care about upstate families. As a mom, I want to vote for someone who understands my concerns. That’s why I’m voting for Liz Lemery-Joy.

Jennifer Richards

Burnt Hills

Much appreciative of veterans’ photos

I wish to thank The Daily Gazette for printing on Nov. 11 all the pictures of the veterans. I am especially thankful for a picture of my father and me. He died in Normandy in 1944 and I am a disabled veteran. So if only on paper and my heart, “We’re back together again.”

Joe Druzba

Schenectady

Joining CCA will help cut costs, emissions

I’m writing in support of the city of Schenectady joining the Capital District MEGA Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) for cleaner and cost-effective energy for residents.

As a local volunteer for the Capital District CCA steering committee, I’ve learned that joining with our neighboring communities in the MEGA CCA can provide the greatest benefits for energy cost savings and reduction of carbon emissions.

By joining with the MEGA Aggregation which is already at over 40,000 households, Schenectady residents would have significantly greater benefits than going it alone.

A CCA enables communities to link together to get affordable, wholesale, “green” electricity for all of its residents and small businesses. This allows us to have a say in where our energy supply comes from. Together, we can choose a much higher percentage of renewable energy.

When the majority of residents are plugged into renewable energy, it has a tremendous effect on reducing carbon emissions. Cutting carbon emissions on a grand scale makes CCA one of the most impactful actions we as citizens can do to combat climate change.

CCA is a program authorized by the state Public Service Commission and supported by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA).

Pamela Buono

Schenectady