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State quarantine law goes too far
Early last year, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Department of Health issued regulation 10 NYCRR 2.13, which allowed the state to issue a quarantine or isolation order for anyone suspected of being sick.
This regulation gives the state unfettered discretion to detain anyone, regardless of age, for a period of time to be determined by the state.
There was no way to prove you weren’t sick and no way to get out.
Attorney Bobbie Ann Cox sued the governor pro bono, using Sen. George Borello and several other assemblymen as plaintiffs, stating that the state breached the separation of powers tenet and the executive branch has no authority to make such a regulation, which is really a law.
In July of 2022, state Supreme Court Justice Ronald Ploetz ruled that the regulation had no due process protections, the governor can’t make law, and ruled it unconstitutional, null and void.
On March 11, just hours before the expiration to file an appeal, state Attorney General Letitia James filed to overturn the original ruling. Arguments are scheduled for this September.
Most people don’t know this has been going on, but everyone should be aware of it. If overturned, this regulation will be back in force, and you or a loved one could be accused of being ill and confined to your residence or a place of the state’s choosing, aka, containment camp, with no due process or means to free yourself.
Jim Shear
Glenville
Now is the time to prevent skin cancer
It’s time for outdoor workers to take action against skin cancer.
Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States, and the most preventable. One in five Americans will get skin cancer in their lifetime.
Men are more likely than women to get skin cancer. Men tend to spend more time outdoors, as they are more likely to work outside.
If you work outdoors, a sun safety checklist can save your life. First on the checklist, start your morning by checking the UV Index to plan work activities around the most intense hours of the day and limiting sun exposure between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Cover up exposed areas of your skin from top to bottom with wide-brimmed hats, bandanas, long sleeves, and pants. Use SPF 15 sunscreen on any exposed skin, including ears, and re-apply every two hours. Wear 100% UVA and UVB rated sunglasses to protect your eyes.
Consider each location and increase shade on the job site.
Bring portable shade to your work site. Put tabletop activities under an EZ up tent and take breaks in the shade.
Sun safety is easy and will improve your health. Cancer Prevention in Action (CPiA) is working with outdoor workforce employers to help prevent skin cancer in our communities. You can find us at www.takeactionaginstcancer.com and on Facebook @ Take Action Against Cancer.
Victoria Pickett
Amsterdam
The writer is a Community Health Educator at Cancer Prevention in Action of Fulton, Montgomery & Schenectady Counties.
Stefanik is fighting for constituents
I was happy to hear that following Congresswoman Elise Stefanik’s advocacy to drop the Northern Border vaccine mandate, Homeland Security has finally cleared the border of the mandate.
Congresswoman Stefanik is getting real results for New Yorkers while in Congress.
Authoritarian COVID-19 travel restrictions have been devastating for Upstate New York and North Country families and our economy.
It is shameful that it has taken this long for the Biden administration to act.
For more than two years, President Biden and Democrats in Congress have ignored families and our needs.
Congresswoman Stefanik is fulfilling her promise to the families of the North Country to deliver assistance and hear our concerns because families fuel the economy.
Congresswoman Stefanik is continuing work for the economy and hard working Americans. I am proud that Congresswoman Stefanik is taking the lead and working to listen to the voices of her constituents because we fuel this economy.
The dropping of the mandate will boost tourism and the economy of the district greatly.
The congresswoman has been fighting hard for us in Washington, which is why we need to keep her there.
Joe Emanuele
Amsterdam
Categories: Letters to the Editor, Opinion, Opinion, Scotia Glenville
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MR Emanuele Elise Stefanik is an election denier who supported Trumps Jan 6th attempted coup and continues to do so. Let’s get the facts straight. Im sure little Stevie Rhodes and his fellow non oath keepers don’t believe she’s ” working for them but reality sometimes hurts. Traitors belong in jail.
I can’t prove it, of course, but I swear Elise Stefanik writes these letters herself (or a member of her staff does) and she seeks out a friend to send it into the Gazette.
Christophe, may I suggest you write a retort based on the theme of your first sentence.
In the past I have exposed here in this forum letter writers with undisclosed political or commercial connections, trying to do just that: surreptitiously promote their interests. It only requires a little searching on the internet.
Two incidents that come to mind came immediately after the great Texas power meltdown a couple years ago when a couple “energy” people tried to cast blame on the failure of wind turbines for the failure of their grid. Why here? I have no idea but they sure wanted to deflect attention from the frailties and incompetence of their power grid. They were easily exposed as working in PR (IIRC) for the industry.
Mr. Emanuele thinks the well-being of her constituents is uppermost in Rep. Stefanik’s decision making process. He is wrong. She is one of the hardline Republicans demanding future spending cuts that would likely necessitate reductions in SS, Medicare benefits, and many other programs helping everyday American citizens. The only emotion dominating her thinking is overweening ambition, no matter the price lower and middle class Americans might have to pay. Why does her side consistently demand no new taxes, often lowering them for those least in need of more income? Do they not realize that the enormous gap between the haves and have-nots is a cause of social instability, crime, and a push toward autocracy? Are they aware of the disastrous consequences that would follow a default on the part of the federal government?
“This week, amid tense negotiations between President Joe Biden and House Republicans over raising the debt limit, Fitch Ratings placed its AAA credit rating for the United States on a negative watch—and it once again highlighted the dreaded b-word. “The brinkmanship over the debt ceiling, failure of the U.S. authorities to meaningfully tackle medium-term fiscal challenges that will lead to rising budget deficits and a growing debt burden signal downside risks to U.S. creditworthiness,” the agency said. Fitch warned that, if default occurred, affected securities could be downgraded to a D, with other Treasury bills downgraded to a CCC or C.
‘The United States, the leader of the global economy and the holder of the world’s reserve currency, could be in a situation where enough uncertainty over our fiscal challenges warrants a credit downgrade,’ Snyderman said. ‘The markets prefer certainty. They don’t like uncertainty, and they don’t like fear.'”
Keep in mind that raising the debt ceiling gives the government the funds necessary to pay debt already incurred. Legislating a new budget designed to eliminate deficits could be achieved by closing loopholes, fully funding the I.R.S. and raising taxes, perhaps considering a wealth tax, on those most able to pay. Of course, every effort should be made to cut waste from the budget but with lobbyists empowered by Citizens United this is very difficult.
Remember the cost of borrowing for the federal government would rise dramatically if default occurs. We, the taxpayers, would face higher taxes and economic depression.
Vote progressive. Vote for representatives not in the pockets of the billionaires but who work and represent the vast majority of lower and middle income Americans.
In most newspapers, letter writers with possible “conflicts of interest” are noted. Either the Gazette legitimately doesn’t have the resources to do the 5 minute search I did, or they just don’t care:
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Tuesday, April 11, 2023
Montgomery County Republican Chair Joe Emanuele
“As the Chairman of Montgomery County’s GOP, I am honored to endorse Congresswoman Elise Stefanik for re-election in 2024. When Elise gained Montgomery County, many of us could not hold in our excitement to have our Congresswoman serving at the highest level of government to represent our growing county. The voters of Montgomery County were loud and clear last election, voting overwhelmingly for her across the county, and even in the Democrat City of Amsterdam where Elise’s victory was a sign of new hope for Republicans! It is my mission to ensure Congresswoman Elise Stefanik is re-elected to continue her work leading our country to a better future.”
eliseforcongress com/2023/04/11/elise-stefanik-announces-re-election-in-ny21-to-save-america/
ChuckD excellent catch. I guess they want to make sure they keep the Gazette’s endorsement in the next election. Lord knows she doesn’t have any other pressing matters to deal with like immigration or the debt ceiling but she sure is skilled at planting compliments
Thanks, ChuckD.
Why didn’t Mr. Emanuel identify himself when he wrote the letter to the editor? As the head of the GOP Committee in Amsterdam, he is hardly an ordinary citizen singing the praises of Elise Stefanik. Don’t readers have a right to know that? Maybe Mark Mahoney, editor of the editorial page, will notify future letter writers who have an obvious bias or are closely associated with a political candidate to identify themselves. It’s only fair that readers know that.
And, as chairman of the Amsterdam GOP, Emanuele ought to use proper grammar when addressing the public. Democrat is a noun, as in “Hillary Clinton is a Democrat.” Democratic is an adjective, as in “the heavily Democratic city of Amsterdam.”
For the simple-minded reason we also hear so many declare ‘America is not a democracy! It’s a republic!’. They can’t even bring themselves to utter the D-word. The “Democrat party” has that bit of bile with it they need.
How pathetic is that?
By definition, a republic is a representative form of government that is ruled according to a charter, or constitution, and a democracy is a government that is ruled according to the will of the majority. We are a Republic. FACT.
Annie, that’s only a half-fact. America is a republic *run as a democracy*.
The only ones making the half-baked claim you are, are the Christian white nationalists try to subvert what the American people want.
Dream on, Annie.