Letters to the Editor Thursday, March 23 – Six, from readers in Rotterdam, Schenectady, Scotia, elsewhere

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Rotterdam citizens deserve full story

I found Mr. Godlewski’s comments at the last Rotterdam Town Board meeting and in his March 15 letter (“Via Port settlement was fair to both sides,”)  regarding Rotterdam’s settlement agreement with Via Port — and his annoyance over a concerned citizen questioning that agreement — quite interesting.
The concerned citizen, Ms. Torrosian, has asked the Town Board repeatedly since the settlement what counteroffers may have been discussed during negotiations. Town leaders refuse to give Ms. Torrosian a direct answer.
Remember that the current Town Board terminated the lease agreement with Via Port last August based on legal advice, pronouncing the deal jurisdictionally defective, void, and unenforceable.
Mr. Godlewski stated emphatically that Rotterdam would lose in court against Via Port, following his disclaimer that he is not a lawyer.
It is also noteworthy that the $1 million deposit mentioned in Mr. Godlewski’s letter was not local taxpayer money, but federal ARPA monies given to the town, which was returned. Rotterdam taxpayers did not get back $750,000 as part of the negotiated settlement agreement as claimed, but instead paid $250,000 to Via Port (figures rounded).
I commend Ms. Torrosian for her dogged persistence in seeking to learn what was discussed behind closed doors on behalf of Rotterdam’s taxpayers relevant to the final settlement.
It is easy for politicians to spend taxpayers’ money on a settlement and call it a win.
Mr. Godlewski finished his letter saying, “enough is enough,” but perhaps it was too much to Ms. Torrosian’s point.
Frank Natalie
Rotterdam

Trump will return to rescue nation

I want to take the time to thank The Gazette for publishing all the Trump hater stories.
It makes me glad to know after being out of office for years now, he still has the power to rent space for free.
He is going back to the White House. He is not going to jail.
The Democrats have destroyed the country. But his first day back in office, he will make them regret the abuse they did to this country. They know it’s coming. Buy stock in Samsonite luggage. As soon as he wins. there will be a huge exodus from D.C.
Anthony Wassil
Schenectady

Stefanik’s loyalty to Trump is misplaced

In response to Tyler A. McNeil’s March 20 article (“Stefanik decries possible indictment of former president,”) on Elise Stefanik.
Again, Ms. Stefanik shows that she is more concerned with her own political agenda than at least waiting to see if an indictment is even handed down.
In the long run, she cares nothing about the people she serves. She stated, “Knowing they cannot beat President Trump at the ballot box, the Radical Left will now follow the lead of Socialist dictators.”
Uh — he was beaten at the ballot box, but if memory serves me, Ms. Stefanik believes that Trump did win.
The Manhattan DA is investigating Trump for falsifying business records in the first degree with the intent to commit another crime or to aid or conceal another crime — in this instance a violation of strict campaign finance laws.
It makes me wonder, if the name of the person being investigated was Smith or Jones and was a Democrat, what her reaction would be then.
In my opinion, Trump would like nothing better than to become the autocrat of the United States. He is doing the same thing he did in the 2020 election, making statements about things that are not yet true to stir the Trump loyalists.
Stefanik has encouraged protest if and when Trump is arrested. Way to go! That’s right, let’s have another Jan. 6.
How about worrying about the people you represent and what they need?
Deborah Bender
Schoharie

Why is Schoharie still paying law firm

This taxpayer has a question for the Schoharie County Board of Supervisors.
At the August 2022 county board meeting, our leaders retreated behind the curtain for an executive session.
When they returned, they had agreed to hire Lamont Engineers at a cost of $194,000.
The supervisors claimed Lamont Engineers was retained to file the paperwork needed to free up millions of dollars for work already completed on the Streambank Blunder.
They also stated that the county has been paying the Wladis Law Firm to handle much of the work Lamont Engineers will be picking up.
So now for my question: Why are we still paying the Wladis Law Firm thousands of dollars every month? When will this massive waste of taxpayers’ money end?
Jerry Fiore
Summit

Law should apply equally to Trump

After realizing that they have no legal defense for the criminal activity of our former president, Republicans have resorted to what they do best when trying to explain Trump’s actions  — which means ramping up the name calling and nonsense.
Since Trump announced that he may be arrested in Manhattan for using campaign funds for personal use, the GOP spin doctors have been in full attack mode — suggesting that Trump is being unfairly targeted in New York, Georgia and Arizona for myriad crimes involving campaign contributions and interference in the last election.
Interestingly, none have said that Trump was innocent of the charges against him. Their only argument is that as a former president, he shouldn’t be prosecuted for doing things that would put any normal American in prison.
They use slogans like “woke” or “socialist democrat agenda.” But what they’re really saying is that there is a separate standard of justice for them and for the rest of us who pay our taxes, obey our laws and don’t pay 100 grand to porn stars to cover up a marital affair.
I’m sorry, but I prefer the style of government where everyone is treated equally under the law regardless of our wealth or social status.
If the former president and his pals don’t like it, maybe they should all go elsewhere where the government shares their beliefs. I think either Russia or China would be a great fit.
John Angilletta
Scotia

Gazette needs to be more balanced

I am a lifelong Republican, and I am disgusted with the one-way slant of The Gazette. It’s at least 10-1 in favor of radical/woke Democrats. It seems that every other editorial is either from the L.A. Times, or the St. Louis Post Dispatch.
Your so-called columnists are no better. First, we were subjected to a John Figliozzi, and now we have an Andrew Waite on the loose.
While they are not radical Democrats, they are definitely left of center, and are big proponents of groupthink. My question to the editors is this: How long do we have to “Waite” until we get our “Fizzy?”
I have been a loyal subscriber for over ten years, and I can’t recall ever seeing a conservative columnist from your newspaper.
These are dangerous times for our country. We are perceived as being weak, due to our non-response to international crises. We are the laughing stock of the world, (as well as the piggy bank of the world.)
The disaster in Afghanistan, allowing a Chinese spy balloon to traverse the entire United States, the non-response to Russia’s downing of our drone is something that never would have happened under Reagan or Trump.
Yet, what are our military leaders concerned about? Pronouns and skin color!
This paper needs a good columnist to call out our government when they aren’t serving the people, both Republican and Democrat, and must be as unbiased as possible.
Ken Truman
Albany

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The Gazette will not tolerate name-calling; profanity, threats; accusations of racism, mental illness or intoxication; spreading of false or misleading information; libel or other inappropriate language in any form, and readers may not make any such comments about or directly to specific individuals.
Readers who violate the policy will be warned and then banned.

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Categories: Letters to the Editor, Opinion, Opinion, Rotterdam, Schenectady, Scotia Glenville