Letters 12/3/2009

Revolution of consciousness. A kind, caring and cooperative world is not only possible, but is the only solution to the devastation at our doorstop. We must now step forward together and exercise our indomitable collective power. Now is the time for all good people to come to the aid of their global community. Pick an issue. Get involved. Bring a friend. You're in good company, and there's no shortage of crucial tasks.
Liam Watt
Saugerties, NY

Dear Editor,
This “Colleen” has got her “Irish” up to the sky after reading an editorial in the Daily Freeman of Monday, November 23.
Entitled “A Lot Off The Top” it addressed how area “do-gooders” are being “duped” into believing ALL qf their charitable donations are going to the specific intended cause.
What made it strike home was one particular paragraph, which I’ll address after the following explanation. A few weeks ago I received a call from a rather snippy person who implied she was a member of the Ulster County Sheriff’s Employees Association. Her conversation went as follows:
“Marian, we’re in particular need this year. Won’t you add ten dollars to your usual $25 donation?” I explained that while I understood the “need,” due to no longer working daily and exceptional physical needs, I couldn’t afford anywhere near $35. Evidently annoyed, she replied, “Well, we will just leave it at the $25. I’ll send a return envelope and you can just insert your check.” Before I could say anymore, she signed off without a “thank you.”
When the envelope arrived, feeling somewhat guilty, I wrote a check for ten dollars, with an explanation of my reduced circumstances.
Now, after reading the Freeman editorial, I demand my bucks back! After citing the fact that “there’s a new tool on the web site of the Office of the Attorney General where citizens can see where their potential donation would go”, the editor mentions that, “donors gave about $246,000 in three years to the Ulster County Sheriff’s Employees Association, but Stage Door Music Productions, Inc. again kept EIGHTY percent of the take.”
Like “happenings” involving the same telemarketing firm, included the “U.C. Corrections Officers Benevolent Association” and the “Ulster County Volunteer Firemen’s Association”.
The informative piece cautions “donor beware’ and asks readers to “Check it out on the computer at http://bartlett.oag.state.nv.us/pfs/i ndex.jsp
Indiginantly,
Marian Callaghan Umhey
Mt. Tremper, NY

Dear Editor,
Recently there was an upheaval at the Phoenicia local library. Our much appreciated head librarian was asked to leave. It was very uncomfortable and because the specifics were never made know, it created bad feelings. The fact of the matter is that the individuals who frequent the library the most were the ones to feel her loss the most keenly. For myself, it created one of those “How do I handle this” moments, which in turn led me ponder the significance of the library in my life, how I see my local library.
I would have to say that in reference to the above, for me the library is a gracious host offering me opportunities to enrich my evenings as well as broaden my horizons. I have always appreciated that the ladies who man our library are wonderfully warm and welcoming. They make going to the library a pleasure. Some of them are quite witty and so often I leave there laughing. That part of the library is a tonic.
But the enriching part of the library for me is found in the books. God Bless my mother who taught her family the value of a good book. I never travel without one and I require at least three by my bedside to feel secure. With the advent of the computer creating easy home access to the Mid Hudson Library Catalog, I feel like someone who can travel the world on a Concorde Jet! For that is in truth, what the library is all about to me. Traveling while never leaving my safe little home in the Catskills. I’ll give you an example.
This summer I had occasion to watch “Slumdog Millionaire” and because I had read the novel, Shantaram by David Gregory Roberts, I garnered so much pleasure from recognizing aspects of India's culture that I’m sure other viewers weren’t even picking up on. Heck! I’d been to India. Sure it was in a book, but I’ve been to Iceland through Arnaldur Indridason’s mysteries. My grandfather was in the British Cavalry in World War I, so give me a Charles Todd mystery and there I am driving in post war England, on rutted roads, on a rainy night, in a car that has no windows, during an era of political transition. I have come to learn more about this world’s political movements through literature since I first read Gone With the Wind as a teenager, giving me a cosmopolitan view of the world that allows me to put the dramas of a small town in perspective.
Lately, I’ve been checking out Alaska through Dana Stabenow’s mysteries, and recently I whitewater rafted while reading In the Heart of the Canyon by Elizabeth Hyde. And to come full circle, forty-six years later, I enjoyed The Widow of the South by Robert Hicks. American history, world history, a good mystery…you just can’t beat the library for time travel, for learning something you weren’t aware of while enjoying a good story. If I had had to pay for every book I have read in my life, it probably would mean I was a millionaire. So what it really means is that I get to live like a millionaire through my library.
Thank you for letting me expound on such a dear topic,
Meg Ampel
Phoenicia, NY

Dear Editor,
It's hard to envy Mike Hein, being Ulster County's first County Executive, and having to propose an executive budget during these hard economic times. As he has said, "...we must all learn to do more with less." The document assembled has too much emphasis on "with less" and not enough on "do more." Taking a blanket 25% out of the Contract Agency funding, which includes libraries, will only realize 0.05% savings of the overall budget but the libraries' share would only save 0.0065%. The result of this small savings means diminishing the quality of life for many citizens, doing a lot less for the neediest among us, and is certainly not cost effective.
Most of the support for public libraries in Ulster County does not come from the County Budget. What the County pays for is the service called the InfoPortal, that delivers valuable materials to everyone with a library card whether they use computers in a library, at home or at work. It is a model of consolidation and efficient use of tax payer money where rural, urban and suburban libraries can offer the same excellent information services regardless of town or district size. The InfoPortal is value packed with education, career counseling, Civil Service and vocational practice tests, English and Spanish literacy assistance for children, language learning including English for adults, grant and fund-raising assistance for nonprofit organizations, a premier collection of genealogy records and other resources. The cost of most of the products is shared by the Mid Hudson Library System and this budget cut will save far less than it is worth. A cut to the InfoPortal means less high quality resources for the people of Ulster County.
At a time when so many Americans are competing so hard for a share of so much less, now is not a time when Ulster County residents should sacrifice these important materials that will improve their ability to compete. Our Ulster County Legislators only have until November 23 to amend the Executive Budget and help our tax payers. I sincerely urge every citizen who cares about these matters to call the Legislators representing their towns. Please ask them not to cut library aid by 25%, from the 2009 level of $90,000 down to $67,500, because every dollar spent on libraries means so much to our citizens when we need it most.
Lynne Ridgeway, President
Ulster County Library Association

Dear Editor,
Congressman Maurice Hinchey has made a proposal that ought to give homeowners in the region pause. He has proposed to turn a large swathe of the Hudson Valley into a federal park. The transformation of a developed region into a national park is a relatively new idea. Like any regulation, it would be subject to ongoing modification. All regulations are. The Adirondack Park in upstate New York, a state park, has seen strict limitations on septic tank construction, and other development. Given that states' rights and the US Constitution are dead letters, there is nothing to prevent the evolution of a Hudson Valley federalization to eventually limit sale of homes, end use of firewood for heating, regulate construction of septic tanks, limit hunting, and make expensive requirements for insulation of homes, forcing the elderly and poor to give up their homes. The Democratic Party and their allied Republicrats have long said how much they love the poor, and long ensured that those they so love are forced to live in ugly, depraved inner cities. Congressman Hinchey is such an altruist. The citizens of the Adirondack Park, and many right here in the Catskill Park, live in permanent poverty because of the Demo-Republicrats' immense altruism. If you trust the federal government to put your economic interest in your home and job before the wide range of special and political interests that dominate Washington, you have nothing to fear from Congressman Hinchey's proposal. For the sane among us, Congressman Hinchey's proposal is a very, very frightening first step.
Mitchell Langbert
West Shokan, NY

Dear Editor,
As we approach the holiday season, I wanted to take a moment to send my personal best wishes to everyone for a happy, healthy and fun-filled holiday season, and also for a joyous New Year.
Warmest Regards,
Robert Parete
Ulster County Legislator

Dear Editor,
Our family's business had a recent experience that reinforced my feeling that Ulster County's change to an executive form of government (a) was the right decision and (b) we elected the right person to lead it: Mike Hein. At Rocking Horse Ranch Resort, we have just completed a substantial investment in expansion including "Big Splash" our indoor water park. As everyone is aware, construction rarely goes as planned. We were about ready to open Big Splash Saturday, October 24 but were lacking a critical, big circulation pump and final approval by Department of Health Officials.
The Department of Health had come earlier in the week, but could not do the approval without the missing pump. They returned on Friday at 4 p.m. With 400 guests in the house, we were still awaiting expedited delivery of the big pump. The pump arrived after the DOH Officials left. I called the County Executive's Office and explained the situation.
The County Executive personally returned my call on Friday night and directed the Department of Health staff to return on Saturday morning after we installed the pump late Friday night. This extra measure of effort and service by our County's Officials at the direction of County Executive Hein ensured that our weekend guests were able to enjoy the new water park as promised.
In these difficult economic times it took fortitude to expand our business. It is important that we have a business friendly administration that understands Ulster County is not just a Monday through Friday operation, but like its residents and businesses runs 24/7.
County Executive Hein "gets it." He and his staff understand how to help the business sector in Ulster County grow without compromising safety. I want to thank Mr. Hein and the Officials at the Ulster County Dept. of Health for their cooperation and patience in getting our new facility up and operating safely for the enjoyment of our guests.
Steven Turk, President
Rocking Horse Ranch Resort
Highland, NY

Dear Editor,
There is only one thing in Babette Kiesel's letter that I am sure is wrong: there was no venom whatsoever intended in my unfortunately cross-eyed DiSclafani sketch. So far as I can tell, he's a nice, smart fellow who made a good, competent Town Supervisor... after a few early goofs.
Here's what happened: my vicious slave-driving boss, The Editor, sent me a batch of photos. "Draw them," he commanded. So, of course, I did. Had I a choice? I did notice that Mr. DiSclafani came out rather cross-eyed, but the picture he sent look a bit cross-eyed to me. As I was not being paid extra for this extra work, it never occurred to me to do it over.
"Can we make him less cross-eyed?" asked The Editor. "Go ahead," I cheekily replied. You get what you pay for.
Gus Murphy
New Thermos, NY

Dear Editor,
Recently, a Federal Judge ruled that the Army Corps of Engineers is at fault for shoddy oversight of the Mississippi River - Gulf Outlet, which led to the flooding of New Orleans Lower 9 th. Ward and St. Bernard Parish.
A year before Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans the Army Corps of Engineers asked for $105 million for flood programs in New Orleans, but it was carved back to $40 million. Instead, Bush and his Republican controlled Congress agreed to a $286.4 billion pork-filled highway bill which included a $231 million bridge for a small, uninhabited Alaskan island.
“Mitigation” programs are measures taken in advance to minimize the damage done by natural disasters and is a crucial part of the strategy to save lives. Since 2001, federal disaster programs developed over many years have been slashed. FEMA was deliberately downsized as part of Bush’s agenda to reduce the role of government. After the Department of Homeland Security was created, FEMA’s mitigation budgets for New Orleans were slashed even though it was known to be one of the top three catastrophic disasters facing this country.
In 2004, Pleasant Mann, a 16 year FEMA veteran, warned Congress: “Over the past 3 1/2 years, FEMA has gone from being a model agency to being one where funds are being misspent, employees morale has fallen, and our nation’s emergency management capability is being eroded. Our professional staff are being systematically replaced by politically connected novices and contractors.”
Inexperienced cronies were installed to head FEMA, and ensured the slow federal response. The catastrophic disaster in New Orleans wasn’t the fault of the Army Corps of Engineers or FEMA. The devastation was the result of four years of deliberate Republican policy and budget choices that favor ideology and partisan loyalty at the expense of competence.
Jim O'Leary
Delhi, NY

Dear Editor,
When the 55 wise men gathered in Philadelphia during the hot summer of 1787 to draft a Constitution, an issue arose as what should be the qualifications for a citizen to run for Congress or the Senate. Some Delegates thought Congressmen and Senators should not be adjudicated criminals and should be able to read and write. Hamilton and Madison being practical wise men believed it would be difficult to muster popular support for the Constitution in the 13 Colonies if a sizable portion of the population was legally not eligible to run for the Congress and be elected to the Senate. Senators were not chosen by popular vote until after the ratification of the Seventeenth Amendment in 1913. From 1787 until 1913 Senators were chosen by the legislatures of the several states and were sent to the Senate to protect the rights of the states.
It emerged that the only qualifications to be a Congressman as set forth in Article One Section 2 was that: "No person shall be a Representative who shall not have attained to the age of twenty five years and been seven Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State in which he shall be chosen."
Under Article One, Section 3, for choosing Senators, the age was raised to 30 and residency was raised to nine years.
That is the way it has been for the last 222 years. To gain a fuller appreciation of the issues, see the Federalist Papers number 21, 52 and 57 written by Hamilton and Madison.
The British every so often would empty their prisons, put the convicts on prison ships and deliver them to the Colonies. Accordingly many citizens had criminal records. Some may have been justly convicted and some may not have been justly convicted under the British Criminal Justice system. Compulsory Education seems to have corrected the read and write issue but today a convicted criminal, who cannot even vote for his or her candidacy, can run for Congress and serve. Some of the high profile members of Congress who fit into this format are Mario Biaggi who was convicted in the Brooklyn Navy Yard scandals, Alcee L. Hastings who had Articles of Impeachment filed against him and was convicted in the Senate trial and removed from the Judiciary. But to this day he is still serving in the Congress, and there are many others.
It is submitted that the Constitution should be amended to add a qualification that a candidate for Congress or the Senate may not be an adjudicated criminal.
It seems pretty simple: If you do not want crooks in Washington writing laws that control our lives, do no elect them and send them there in the first place.
H. Clark Bell
Woodstock, NY

Dear Editor,
The letter of November 19, 2009 by Mescal Hornbeck, decrying the disgraceful "standoff" on health care insurance reform is totally erroneous. The writer takes individuals, groups and duly elected politicians to task for constitutionally exercising free speech, freedom of assembly and freedom in the legislative process. Ms Hornbeck, as usua,l fails to tell us the person(s) or group(s) who have 'paid" for the disruption at town hall meetings. I will offer that George Soros, a Greek British National did offer his entire fortune if G.W. Bush would be defeated. How intrusive is that? How much money did Mr Soros filter into our political process through "501"? Who cares?
Ms Hornbeck does however paint the private and for profit insurance companies along with HMO's as having pumped in billions of dollars to, "defeat our hopes". "They have promoted lies and negative ideas about Universal Health Care". Millions go to "out" elected officials in Washington as in "outing" someone's life style. You don't really want to go there, do you Ms Hornbeck? That has nothing to do with the debate, or any debate for that matter.
As a well traveled retiree with much foreign duty I can inform you that our present health care system ("non system" as you refer to it) is second to none in the world. Ms Hornbeck's complaint that American employee benefits cause unfairness in the market place should generate much personal adoration and sympathy with American workers.
I invite you, Ms Hornbeck to observe the figures for and against this crazy health plan that was launched in 1937. Social Security, Da! Health Plan, Nyet! In fact Clinton's numbers for Health Care was higher than the present promoter's. Tell us who the "partisan monster" is and who the
Americans acting like sheep instead of people with minds are. How many personal insults throughout your letter will persuade all or most of us to support Universal Health Care in America?
Have we factored in the illegal immigrant numbers or the new legal immigrants following Universal Health Care. Both bills will be signed into law simultaneously. Then late that night Social Security will be signed for those folks and next day as in 1937 those of age will get SS checks.
Can we live with one who refuses a simple request to display a Birth Cerificate as we all do many times in our life. Label this remark what you will; "unfair", "foul ball" "political" "racist" but it's a fact.
How about a new real debate; Civil or Military trial for the "Mutants"? I smell a "celebratory" incident or other distraction no matter the security.
Glenn T. Anderson
Olivebridge, NY

Dear Editor,
The mail brought a survey form put out by the National Research Survey of Senior Voters put out by the Christian Seniors Association!
The mentality that causes the small minority of Muslims to kill those they feel do not obey Allah can be found in America. There are groups of those who consider themselves as being the true Christians who are opposed to the fact that the Human Rights of the homosexual minority in this country are being recognized. They oppose what they call Socialism even though they have no good explanation what they mean. They oppose sex education and abortion even though it is doubly clear that sex education is vital in preventing pregnancy. They limit queries abut abortion to just one aspect of it and lump it all together as "Killing Babies." They blame same sex marriage for the disintegration of family life. No one ever talks much about the way marriages turn out when homosexual persons play heterosexual roles because of social pressure. There are so many more Christians in this country who are and always have been good Americans, good citizens, and really genuine Christians who must shudder at the political emergence of religion that has come about with the advent of the Bush regime. We have been for so many years a country where Churches weren't interfered with by the government and where governmental action wasn't controlled by a religious sect that it seems incomprehensible that this has been lost sight of by many. I suppose there was a real outcry when the Sunday blue laws were erased and women obtained the right to vote from some churches. There are some sects in this country who don't believe in educating women. And at this time one huge church , the Southern Baptist, decided that women should be subservient to men and cannot serve as Deacons, Pastors and Chaplns in the armed service. So Jimmy Carter severed his ties with it. We need more Jimmy Carters.
Mescal Hornbeck
Woodstock, NY

Dear Editor,
"I kill because you kill. You and he and all of you torture, therefore I torture. I killed him because you would have killed me if I had not. Such is the grammar of our time. It follows from this that the spring of actions is not housed in the human conscience but in the relationship that is formed between it and other people. We do not commit evil because we have destroyed God in ourselves, but because God and even Satan are unimportant if a deed is sanctioned by another man." - Witold Gombrowicz, 1904-1969, Polish author, diary, 1953.
How many millions of people has our military killed since the Second World War, all sanctioned by out presidents? In the Far East, Middle East, Africa and the Carribean, the people we have killed have all been non-white. Perpetual war and look how it has improved the world and our security is really tight and cozy, isn't it? Our drone aircraft kill women and children in Afghanistan. The Muslim army officer murders 13 people at Fort Hood.
Robert Jacobson
Mt. Tremper, NY

Dear Editor,
With grateful hearts extend our sincere thanks for all the loving support
we received during a very difficult time.
We would like to thank all who gave prayer, sent food, made phone calls, sent cards, provided child care, made a donation to the ALS Center, or stopped by to offer your condolences. Bruce was not only our son, father, grandfather, brother and uncle, he was also a soldier, officer, fireman and all around man of the
community. The pain of his loss is great but all the love, caring and compassion received from all of you has made it a little easier to bear.
Your acts of kindness will never be forgotten.
A huge thank you to the: ulster County Sheriff’s Dept., Town of Shandaken Police Dept., the E. B. Gormley Funeral Home, Willcare, Millennium, Island X-9 SeaBees, Phoenicia VFW & American Legion, Phoenicia Fire Dist., Big Indian & Pine Hill Fire Depts., Shandaken Highway Dept., and the Catamount Restaurant (Tracy Lynch).
A special “Thank You” to: Joe Steyer, Frank Falutico, Tom Lattin, Wally & Lori Fulford, Fred Holland, George Neher, Jimmy McGrath, Mark Wilsey & Gene Gormley, Rev. Ralph Darmstadt, Dr. Lippert & Dr. Miller, Yvonne, Jean & Missy. Your caring and compassion will live in our hearts forever.
We apologize to anyone we may have missed, please know you will always be in our hearts. God Bless You All
The Family of Bruce Story:
Linda, Marshall, Valarie & Children
Chad, Lynnie & Children,
Kristi & Lisa

Dear Editor,
Come one, come all to the Phoenicia Library's festive yuletide party! This fun annual gathering will take place on Saturday, December 12, from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.at the library on Main Street, Phoenicia. Eat, drink and be merry, and enjoy a performance by Uncle Rock at 1:30. Santa Claus will be there, holiday stories will be read aloud, and holiday crafting for all ages will be offered. Hope to see you there!
Holly George-Warren
Phoenicia Library Board