Letters to the Editor Thursday, Oct. 22

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Vote Row C to save Conservative Party

It is election time, and it is very important to use your American citizen’s right to vote.
But also, it is imperative to vote the proper line. When you do vote we need to save the Conservative Party in the United States.
So when you do vote, it is imperative to vote for your candidate, whomever it is, vote on ROW C. The candidate gets the vote, but you are also saving the Conservative Party, or we all are doomed.
The alternative to this is liberalism that we will not survive. God bless the United States of America and God bless Donald Trump and vote row C.
Sandy “Rogo” Roginski
Amsterdam

Your vote can make a big difference

If you think your one vote doesn’t count, grab an 8-1/2 by 11-inch piece of paper. It seems to have virtually no thickness and almost no weight. But when you put together 500 sheets of paper, they weigh five pounds and have a total thickness of about two inches.
If you had 10,000 sheets of paper, the stack would weigh 100 pounds and would be over 3 feet tall.
If you had 100 million sheets of paper, the stack would weigh one million pounds and the stack would be over 33,333 feet high — higher than Mt. Everest.
So, when you think your one vote is not important, think of a sheet of paper.
When your vote is added to the votes of everyone else, either at the local, state or national level, it becomes part of a powerful message. Vote!
Victor Roberts
Burnt Hills

Don’t stop covid health protections

Schenectady is home to many scientists and engineers. We urge them and healthcare professionals to sign the John Snow Memorandum (https://www.johnsnowmemo.com/).
It objects to the Great Barrington Declaration to intentionally allow COVID-19 infection to spread by opening everything and abandoning public health measures, while supposedly protecting the vulnerable.
A statement in The Lancet calls letting COVID-19 run amok in the population “a dangerous fallacy unsupported by scientific evidence.”
Because natural immunity may be short-lived and durability of any vaccine unknown until time passes, such an action may drive COVID-19 to become endemic, extending suffering.
John Snow was a founder of epidemiology. He famously traced an epidemic of cholera in 1854 to a pump on Broad Street in London.
We who are trained in science must follow his legacy to alert the public to the danger of ignoring public health practices.
Uncontrolled infection might boost the economy, but at the expense of those of us who are vulnerable.
Thousands have signed.
Perhaps we can make a difference before it is too late.
Ricki and Larry Lewis
Glenville

Looking for fame? Be a Jesus person

Compared to religious people and atheists, faith people (Jesus believers) have an easy time becoming famous. For example, I know one fellow (me) who obtained fame by merely attaching Jesus hats to the top of his car and Jesus signs to the doors of his car and driving around.
When it comes to fame, Jesus believers have two things going for them. The first is uniqueness. Compared with atheists (57%) and religious people (42%), Jesus believers at a tiny fraction of a percent stick out in a crowd because of their rarity.
The second is visibility. Atheism says, “Move along, nothing to see here.” Religion says “I am private. I am none of your business.” Faith, in and in the person of, Jesus, says “Go tell everyone about Me, out in public!” If it’s fame you seek, you might want to give this Jesus stuff a shot. Just saying.
Joel Nelson
Schenectady

A vote for Joe Biden is a vote for science

To Trump supporters who have an open mind, I appeal to the right of your grandchildren to grow up in a more secure and life-giving world than that we have passed to them. Global warming gases in our atmosphere have increased 50% just since I began my career, making western forest fires so destructive, precipitation here more violent and the world a far more insecure, uninhabitable place.
People nearer the equator are emigrating to Europe and to our borders largely because of the impacts of climatic change on their water supply, forests, crops, fish and animals. Humanity’s life support systems are collapsing.
Yet, Mr. Trump denies the very existence of climate change. He is so beholden to fossil fuels that he forbids his agencies from using the words and is racing to open our Arctic to drilling. If for no other reason, on Nov. 3 cast a vote for science and for your grandchildren’s future.
Vote for Biden, who believes there is a climate crisis and who is committed to slowing its course. As Biden knows, the path to more, better paying jobs points in the same direction as fighting climate change. Trump never read that memo.
David Gibson
Ballston Lake

Charter supporters leave out major costs

Now that the charter change people have flooded the city with their propaganda, let’s talk real dollars.
They’ve stated they’re going to save taxpayers tons of money. This is the same untruth they used in the previous three attempts to destroy a governmental system that has created our great city.
In their misnamed Common Sense flyer, they list costs associated with a city manager system, but they “forgot” to reveal: Assistant city manager, $135,000; Internal audit contract, $75,000; Two support staff, $140,000; Search firm and costs to find a city manager, $35,000; and, Managers to replace four Deputies, $476,000. Plus there will be transition costs for two committees for attorneys, staff, and support of at least $100,000.
They claim they’re going to save money by firing the day-to-day operating managers of city departments; claiming that a city manager can do the work of four commissioners and five deputies; roughly 18,000 hours yearly. Can’t be done.
They also forgot to tell you that only 13 of the 62 cities in New York state have a city manager, and four of them were recently fired. (Watertown, Ogdensburg, Batavia and Long Beach)
Remember what your mother told you about promises from strangers: Beware!
Joe Dalton
Saratoga Springs

Tedisco looks into nursing home deaths

It was refreshing to learn there is bi-partisan legislation to address governmental decisions regarding the devastating numbers of deaths in nursing homes from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The bill is shared by state Sen. Jim Tedisco (Republican), and Assemblyman Ron Kim (Democrat) of Queens, and calls for an investigation by an independent commission (with subpoena power). I heard the senator mention this was not about partisan politics, but rather about providing closure to the families impacted by this, and he is 100% right.
Think for a moment about having a loved one in a nursing home. Many of us have been there. Even without a pandemic, there is always constant anxiety about whether they are receiving good care. But few things are more heartbreaking than not being able to visit your parent or grandparent for months, and then receiving the news they’ve succumbed to COVID-19. And then hiding facts from those who mourn is the definition of cruel.
A special thanks to Sen. Tedisco and Assemblyman Kim for acting on behalf of grieving families. This is another reason why I’ve always been proud to support Sen. Tedisco over the years and why he has my support on Election Day.
Jackie Fiore
Schenectady

Tedisco stands up for his constituents

Sen. Jim Tedisco is a true leader who is not afraid to stand up for New Yorkers. Last year, Sen. Tedisco stood up for us when the DMV wanted to charge motorists up to $45 for new license plates that we did not need. Thankfully, he was able to shine a light on this “highway heist” and got the DMV to back down on this issue.
Now, the governor has ignored the public’s call to release the real numbers of nursing home COVID-19 related deaths. Rather than just letting it go and hoping the situation won’t happen again, Sen. Tedisco continues to doggedly fight for transparency for the loved ones of those who lost their lives and is keeping the pressure on to get this information. As we prepare for a possible second wave, we must learn what worked and what didn’t, so we don’t lose more loved ones to this vicious virus. I know Jim Tedisco won’t let this go and that’s an example of why he is beloved by so many.
Vote for Jim Tedisco for Senate on Election Day, as he stands for us.
Kathleen Young
Clifton Park

Walsh is accessible when there is need

We all had questions and concerns when our state shut down in March, and as a small business owner, I feared what it meant for my livelihood and the future of my business.
As the reopening process began, I had just as many questions. Fortunately, I knew just who to turn to, my Assemblywoman (and client), Mary Beth Walsh. No matter the time of day or question at hand, Mary Beth did all that she could to help me navigate the complex reopening process. Throughout the course of the pandemic, she has helped several other local businesses with their questions and to prepare for a safe reopening. She delivered hand sanitizer, posted frequent updates on social media and most importantly was accessible to those who needed it in our community.
Nicole Wilson
Ballston Lake

Tedisco works hard and cares about us

The Capital Region and the residents of Clifton Park have a tremendous champion who fights for them in Sen. Jim Tedisco.
When voters approved the town of Clifton Park’s purchase of a new 37-acre town center public park, Sen. Tedisco secured a $250,000 state grant to return tax dollars back to the 49th Senate District and help us safeguard this beautiful forested area for generations to come.
Sen. Tedisco passed legislation to transfer control over the popular Kinns Road Park to the town and ensure it will forever be protected.
He has been a strong voice for public safety and encourages positive interactions between law enforcement and young people. That’s why every year, Sen. Tedisco has sponsored his Safe Summer Bike Helmet Program to incentivize kids to wear their bike helmets by providing them with a coupon for a free ice cream cone and free bike helmets for children who don’t have them.
During this pandemic, Sen. Tedisco has been all over Clifton Park and the district helping our struggling small businesses by providing them with PPEs and hand sanitizer.
Senator Tedisco is a dedicated, hard-working and caring public servant who I am proud to support.
Amy Standaert
Clifton Park
The writer is a Clifton Park town councilwoman.

No normal person could vote for Trump

How on Earth can people vote for Trump? He misinformed us during his entire presidency, culminating in the biggest and most dangerous lie of all, that he has successfully managed the pandemic and that the virus is disappearing.
Trump’s lack of leadership has devastated the economy which will take a long time to recover. His divisive rhetoric has led to racial unrest, pitting one group against another, thinking he can scare white people and suburban moms to vote for him to protect themselves.
Except for hypocritical, anti-abortion crazy evangelicals, white supremacists and their sympathizers, Fox-only listeners and members of QAnon who believe in conspiracy theories, no normal American should even consider voting for Trump.
To what extent will Trump cheat to try to win the election? He has falsely stated that mail-in ballots are rife with fraud and will prematurely announce victory should he lead on Election Day prior to those mail-in ballots being counted. Trump’s team has assembled a cadre of lawyers to then claim fraud and halt the mail-in ballot count. Then you have the complicit GOP, also desperate to hold onto power. Trump needs the presidency to avoid myriad criminal prosecutions. Remember, he only cares about himself.
Raymond Harris
Glenville

Santabarbara is a friend to cops, vets

As a retired police officer from the Amsterdam Police Department I am supporting Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara in the upcoming election. The work he does for our city speaks for itself. When he first got into office, he took on the monumental task of rebuilding our outdated sewers and now he’s moved on to getting our lead service lines replaced and was able to secure funding to refurbish our water tanks.
If that doesn’t speak to how much he works for our city, he also helped bring us needed funding to complete our Mohawk Valley Gateway Overlook Bridge project and helped bring us another $10 million from the state for our downtown revitalization projects.
Most of all, the reason I’m voting for Angelo is because he cares about law enforcement and our veterans. He himself served in the military and he’s passed good legislation that’s helping returning veterans when they get home. Angelo has never let politics get in the way of doing the right thing. We need more people like him in Albany.
Bob Scott
Amsterdam

Republicans: Hold your nose, vote blue

I grew up as an upstate Republican under Eisenhower, a man I admired. Nixon’s crimes and Reagan’s second term brought questions about the party. When they picked G.W. Bush as their best man in 2000, I was done.
Many upstaters vote the party for generations. But today’s GOP is NOT that of your dad or grandad.
Through a well-planned strategy of often-overlooked primaries and threats, a shadow group of billionaires like the Koches have morphed it into a far-right Conservative Party.
If you wonder why the federal government is in such turmoil, remember that conservatives believe it should exist only to provide military protection, and everything else should be done by private businesses. They want state governments to do regulation, because the states lack the manpower and finances to keep a lid on shady practices. They are also easier to influence.
Ongoing attacks on the post office, FBI, CDC, EPA and other oversight agencies are no coincidence, and they have found Trump to be a useful idiot, as was Bush earlier. His appointment of nincompoops is on purpose. Most of you are Republicans, not conservatives. Hold your nose, vote blue this time, and take your once-great party back.
Bill Shaw
Ballston Spa

Walsh always ready to serve constituents

March 17 was my last day of work before filing for my unemployment benefits. After that point in time, I waited like so many other New Yorkers for that first check.
At the end of April, I still had not been able to get much in the way of answers from the Department of Labor, despite their trying to help me.
On April 29, I reached out to Assemblywoman Mary Beth Walsh and heard back within a couple of hours. I communicated with Mary Beth and her staff over the course of the next few weeks as I attempted to sort out any issues there may have been with the information I submitted to the state.
Mary Beth’s office checked in with me often and followed up with their contact at the Department of Labor regularly for cases like mine and hundreds of others. By mid-May, I received the bank card I had been waiting for. Thanks to the assistance of my Assemblywoman I was fortunate enough to receive the benefits I was owed within a month of first contacting her.
Assemblywoman Mary Beth Walsh is a dedicated public servant and is always ready to serve her constituents.
Catherine Sibley
Mechanicville

Tedisco does what’s right for the people

On March 21 my business, Exhale Massage Therapy in Glenville, was forced to close because of COVID-19. Weeks went by and there was no word from unemployment. However, my bills didn’t stop coming in. I was becoming scared about how I was going to continue paying my bills and save my business. After eight weeks of hearing nothing from unemployment, I decided to contact Sen. Jim Tedisco for help because I didn’t know where else to turn.
The very next day, Sen. Tedisco called me back and asked for all my information. The next day someone from unemployment finally contacted me thanks to Senator Tedisco’s intervention.
The fact that Sen. Tedisco contacted me almost immediately to help me save my business was an incredible relief. The fact that he cared about me and my business meant the world to me and was extremely touching.
I don’t know how anyone could be on the fence about voting for Sen. Tedisco. It’s clear from my personal experience that to Sen.  Tedisco it doesn’t matter whether you’re a Democrat, Republican or independent, it’s about him helping and doing what’s right for the community.
Jenelle Schummer-Collins
Glenville

Many reasons to vote for Trump again

This is my reason for voting for President Trump, again. All the claims of the wrongdoing by the socialist democrats have been proven wrong. For starters, everything that they accuse Trump of doing, they did, or are doing. It’s their style. Turning a blind eye to all the riots, lootings, burnings, murders, of citizens and police is more than shameful, it is treasonous.
When the moderators and reporters refuse to ask the hard questions of Joe Biden about him, and his son Hunter, about the millions made from China and Ukraine, well if that isn’t wrong, what is? You the people have given up your freedoms to a dictator like Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who has committed malfeces of government. Look it up. That is my reason for voting for Trump.
Albert Marvell
Scotia

Biden, Dems would do more damage

Nancy Pelosi is reworking federal law to allow more presidential health-related removal from office.
It’s frightening enough to think of the damage Joe Biden would bring to this country, but it’s absolutely terrifying to think of President Harris with acting Vice President Pelosi. Even worse would be the likely elevation of AOC to the VP slot.
Be very mindful that no country, no government can ever assure everyone will be satisfied, and that the left will ignore this time-tested truth, but will maintain their being in power is better for everyone.
The vast majority of cities with budget problems, rising crime issues and bad race relations are controlled by the left. When have their public policies ever been shown to work for more than a few years?
Be careful what you vote for, the wolf is in sheep’s clothing.
Francis Van Staveren
Glenville

Voter survey needed to be more diverse

I wish I was surprised at the lack of balance in the survey of voters (“In their words”) in the Oct. 18 Sunday Gazette, but It was predictable.
Nineteen out of 22 surveyed were white people. Twelve white men, one Hispanic man, and one Black man.  Seven white women, and one Asian woman.  Eight for Biden, 10 for Trump, three undecided, one not telling. All from very white, rural, suburban and small town communities. I hope there will be another article of the same length, surveying 14 women and eight men from Albany, Schenectady and Troy, consisting of three white people, and 19 people of color. This article presents this area’s voters far too narrowly and gives a very lopsided view of the Capital Region. There are so many misperceptions and inaccurate information in most media. I hope The Gazette will balance this survey by adding a broader, more equal one that represents more, if not most of us.
Terri Roben
Glenville

Republicans: Pick decency over party

Dear Fellow Republicans. Let’s let the Dems have this one. Recall how embarrassed we were when this boldfaced huckster won the primaries? Yes, we are Republicans, but we are not swindlers, using bankruptcy at every turn to avoid paying our creditors.
How can our businesses survive if this becomes the norm? There comes a time when we must decide between our party and integrity. We can’t let a lying, cheating, draft-dodging, tax-evading bully be the flag bearer for America, for the world to see and for our children to emulate. We are better than this.
If we did the things he does, we couldn’t sleep. So, let’s let the Dems have this one. Biden wants to help the lower- and middle class. Guess what. That is when the wealthy will prosper the most, too. Let decency and prosperity prevail.
Lawrence Penna
Glenville

Liz Joy will be an independent voice

I support Liz Joy for Congress. The NY-20th needs an independent representative, not a lap dog like Paul Tonko, who voted with Pelosi 99% of the time. The NY-20th needs Liz Joy because she would never be involved in a sham impeachment with no evidence of “High Crimes and Misdemeanors” as the Constitution requires. But Tonko voted to impeach even though it was just a cheap political trick. The NY-20th needs Liz Joy because she supports replacing outdated trade agreements in order to help New York’s and America’s economy. Tonko voted against Pelosi only when he voted against the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement — something good for America. Liz Joy would always Back the Blue. She would never go off half-cocked like Tonko did back in July before he had the facts just to score cheap political points at the expense of our police. Ninety percent of Liz Joy’s support is by folks right here. Tonko depends on outside, big money PACs. Liz has the support of the New York State Troopers PBA, Albany County Sheriff’s Union, Schenectady PBA and others.
Rob Dickson
Clifton Park

Charter change not prudent for Spa City

In Saratoga Springs, voters are facing a referendum on our city charter. In the middle of a pandemic, this is not a prudent move. The city finances are in dire straits as there was no SPAC or race track this summer. We are a tourist economy, sales taxes and room taxes were significantly off and we need to be very conservative in expenditures.
The transition costs of dismantling our commission form of government and constructing manager/mayor/wards is unknown.
Last time this city manager was addressed, Commissioner of Accounts John Franck, CPA, was on LOOK TV, debated at the library and established that the financial information put forward was lacking in substance, clarity and was unrealistic.
The transition costs were being estimated by some at $500,000 to $750,000. This current iteration is more expensive and creates a ward system. The federal government is having difficulty passing a stimulus for small businesses, the state may be cutting school aid 20% and Saratoga County is embroiled in a covid overtime debacle.
The city of Saratoga Springs seems like an isle of calm in a sea of chaos. Vote no on charter change.
Hank Kuczynski
Saratoga Springs
The writer is a former deputy mayor.

Base your vote on facts, not emotions

I support and defend an individual’s right to vote.
That said, emotional and ill-informed choices, although personally satisfying, do not serve the common good.
I offer a compilation of real life outcomes should you vote Democratic:
Abortion-on-demand paid for by the federal government. Eliminating cash bail decreasing your safety. Giving free healthcare and education to non-citizens. Losing jobs overseas and trade agreements hurting the economy. Implementing drastic, irrational changes in energy policy, devastating the economy. Proposed tax policies decreasing your disposable income. Long-term structural attacks on the Constitution. No governmental support for school choice for your children.
This election result is a generational one. Feelings and ignorance should not be used to adjudicate this important decision.
The president’s manner and communication methods could be better, but focus on his deeds not his words. Overcoming tremendous obstacles (impeachment, tech and media bias, covid), he has performed remarkably well.
Earlier I said emotional and ill-informed choices were not beneficial.
Martin Luther King, Jr. said: “Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.”
Please vote carefully.
John Myers
Schenectady

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