Letters 9/11/2008

Dear Editor,
As I sit here this morning, I glance at the calendar...Septermber 3, 2008...one day before the Onteora School District begins a new school year. I wonder and worry about our children and their education. The student population is down almost 200 students since June of this same year. Lower, even, than the predictions by the statisticians that the previous school board relied upon to help them come to some very difficult decisions.
As I continue to attend board meetings, your new school board, true to their promises, voted to defeat the 5-8 configuaration that was approved in 2007.
But, unfortunately, nothing has been under consideration to replace it.
Time is of the essence, as our marching band deteriorates and our sports teams struggle to field new members. Onteora doesn't have time to investigate new configurations for the next three years. By then, our cost per student will be around a whopping $30,000 per student with no relief in site. We will be supporting unnecessary and, mostly, unused facilities.
I am saddened by the wait and see game our district has chosen. Tough decisions are hard to make but for the sake of exemplary, someone has to make them.
Someone has to put emotions and fear of change aside and help our children grow and prosper in the 21st century.
Rita Vanacore
Shokan, NY

Dear Editor,
Several months ago I e-mailed Superintendent Ford requesting that the Onteora School District set up a blog on the school’s Web Page for the purpose of having open communication with district tax payers. At that time Superintendent Ford said that they didn’t have the personal to manage a blog.
At the August 19th School Board meeting the board asked for information about starting a blog. As reported Superintendent Ford said there were many legal obstacles of liability and risk. Ford received legal council on the matter and said there could be issues of anonymous or fake letters written on the blog. She went on to say that Onteora does have some protection from liable third lawsuits, but it would not shield us from suits by persons seeking anonymous commentators. The purpose of a blog is to encourage the free flow of information. In fact an anonymous posting could be a practical suggestion or point the way to a cost effective idea. It doesn’t have to have a name attached to it. Tax payers should be permitted to use the latest in technology to communicate with the school district and the board should move forward to set up a blog on the district’s Web Page. Ford went on to say that there have been cases where districts have been sued.
One of the board members should have thought to ask what districts were sued and what the outcome of the lawsuit was. It’s almost silly to think that some one would bring a law suit against the school because of a posting on the blog. Anyone posting an obnoxious posting on the blog would be making a serious mistake if anyone wanted to pursue a law suit. As we all know e-mails can be traced back to the writer so any posting on a blog could be traced back to the person that did the posting. There are thousands if not millions of blogs on the Internet. CNN has blogs and I don’t think they would maintain a blog if there was any real chance that it would do harm to their image. The New Paltz School District has a blog on its district Web Page so why not Onteora. The report didn’t mention any further discussion on the subject so one could assume that the school board was scared off and the idea of having a blog is gone.
Was the question regarding the blog for show or was the board sincere about setting up a blog? If the board is afraid to have a blog they should post their e mail address on the Districts Web Page. That’s unless they are afraid to hear from the tax payers. They already have their names posted on the Site in big red bold text. No way could anyone miss their names. Most tax payers are not very interested in names. They want to know how the board members are going to hold their taxes in line especially in the economical state that this Country is in. The law doesn’t require a public official to advertize their e mail address, but the law doesn’t say that they can’t. So, was the question regarding the blog for show? Was there no further discussion because the board was fearful of hearing from tax payers or were they really sincere about wanting a blog on the districts Web Page? We’ll see.
Bill Warnecke
Glenford, NY

Dear Editor,
I I am writing on behalf of Patrick Burkhardt physical education teacher at Onteora High School and coach to the girl's track and field team and cross country team. Mr. Burkhardt has been reassigned to work with elementary school children at Phoenicia Elementary, and his new schedule would not allow him to continue to coach the high school student athletes. What a terrible loss that would be. I am writing to you from the perspective of a parent whose own daughter worked closely with Patrick Burkhardt, and as an educator. I have been teaching at the college level for over twenty years, and know the difference between educators who do their jobs, and those who make a difference. Patrick Burkhardt has made a difference in the lives of hundreds of high
school students, and he should be allowed to continue to do so. His commitment and self sacrifice should be rewarded and encouraged. I knew Mr. Burkhardt when he was getting his degree in SUNY Cortland. He'd attend classes, do homework, then drive back down to Boiceville to coach his athletes. He lived in his car practically. but he never missed a meet or a workout. He has a gift with the female athletes, a rare thing to find. He knew the delicate balance between pushing and being supportive. He was a second father to my daughter, She has a roving and involved father, but Mr. Burkhardt spent so much time with the kids that he took on that paternal role as well. As a mother I was confident that my daughter would be taken care of.
Mr. Burkhardt is a man of substance and values. He taught his athletes discipline, perseverance and self respect. I personally know so many student athletes who went through his program and have been molded in a positive way through his tutelage. The kids who were
taunted in school who suddenly found some respect on the track, the kids who were talented, but had no discipline and direction. the ones who had no clue that they can be part of something bigger than themselves, a team As the students matured, I have seen them incorporate the things they learned into their lives. Some like my daughter Paloma Krakower (‘05) were able to benefit greatly by being awarded athletic scholarships to Division 1 schools.
Track and field is a passion, being successful in the sport requires skill, training and a real understanding of the sport, not everyone has these components. If you look at the trophy cases in the Onteora halls you will see how successful and decorated this program has been over the years. The sacrifice required to produce those results is something that needs to be acknowledged. The running camps, the endless meets, competing on the weekends, sometimes till the wee hours of the morning; the injuries. Highly successful sports programs don't replace their coaches. You have such a program at Onteora, be proud of it, protect it.
In the end, it's about the students and serving them well. Track and Cross Country teaches the students about character, self worth, selflessness and sportsmanship. It keeps at risk kids involved in a healthy sport. and breaks down the strict social strata that high school imposes on students. The track and cross country teams were family to each other. The parents were family to each other. It is indeed a rare opportunity that you have to serve your students well. Our daughter has graduated from Onteora and is on the next phase of her life, but for the sake of the kids who will benefit from this program, award them the best opportunity they can have to be really successful by giving them someone who will lead them to themselves and the values that matter. Expose them to Patrick Burkhardt.
Julia Santos-Solomon
Woodstock, NY

Dear Editor,
I am writing on behalf of Patrick Burkhardt physical education teacher at Onteora High School and coach to the gjrl's track and field team and cross country team. I graduated from Onteora in 2005, and I can honestly say that Patrick Burkhardt was the person that had the most positive impact on my high school and middle school experiences. I was a member of the cross-country and track team for all six years that I was at Onteora. Those precious years I can undoubtedly say have shaped me into the person that I am today; and for that I thank Patrick Burkhardt. He was an irreplaceable figure in regards to both my athletic and personal development. He taught me the values of hard work, dedication, teamwork, sportsmanship, and self confidence. I experienced great success in my running career at Onteora. I broke multiple school records, and I still hold the MHAL league record in the 400m. I was the reigning MHAL champion in the 4QOm for four years and the 800m champion for three years. The girl'steam was MHAL champions all six years that I ran, not to mention three years prior to my arrival. I was named the league MVP my junior and senior years. I was a Sectional champion, t qualified every year for the state championships in both cross country and track, and I was a NY state champion my sophomore year in the 400m. I also received numerous scholarathlete and sportsmanship awards both at the league and state level. Throughout all of this I had several people at my side; my parents, my teammates, and my coach. However I consider Patrick Burkhardt to be more than a coach; he is my mentor, my friend, and my family. The love and respect that I have for this man cannot be contested.
Growing up I had a lot of issues with self confidence and was constantly unaware or. unwilling to see my many strengths and accomplishments. Mr. Burkhardt was always there to open my eyes and work with me to see the true person that I am. He also opened my eyes to the broader communities. There are so many people in the world that have not received the blessings that I have and yet still appreciate everything that they do have. Thanks to Mr. Burkhardt my teammates and I have become more educated, and compassionate towards the Special Olympics community. He has dedicated himself towards loving and caring for these athletes. He is a man with a kind soul that has organized numerous runs and contributed countless hours towards supporting both athletes and non-athletes with special needs. He has great morals and has taught his athletes the same. For that reason alone he is a great teacher, but I also know that he is a great high school teacher.
For many kids, high school is a time of difficulty and self-doubt. I know for a fact that gym class is not most kids' favorite; it alienates people and makes them do things that they are not comfortable doing. However, Patrick Burkhardt is a great physical education teacher. I attended his class my senior year. He tries to instill in his students the same values that he instills in his athletes, hard work, perseverance, and effort. Not everyone has the same talents, but Mr. Burkhardt is not one to leave anyone out. He makes a conscious effort to try and include all his students no matter what their strengths or weaknesses are. The same is true in regards to the cross country and track teams. They are amongst the few sports in the school that do not turn students away who want to participate. There are no try-outs, cuts; everyone is welcome. Instead of making students doubt their abilities, they become active members of the team. Their presence strengthens the team as a whole. They are just as important as that of the number one star. The track and cross country team is not just an athletic team, it is a family. The friendships that I have made amongst my teammates are irreplaceable. I expect some will last a lifetime. As teammates we work together, we have fun together, we care for each other, but most importantly we grow up together. My teammates were like my brothers and sisters, while Patrick Burkhardt assumed the role of a surrogate father.
Patrick Burkhardt created the environment under which so many of us thrived. He encouraged us to always do our best, but to have fun doing It. For this reason I think that removing Patrick Burkhardt as a coach will be harmful to the student-athletes at Onteora. He has built that team over the years and turned them into one of the most successful athletic programs at Onteora. By removing him you are truly taking away from these young athletes, and shouldn't they be the main focus? Mr. Burkhardt will most likely be replaced by a teacher who has little or no knowledge of the sport thus harming the future success of the program and the potential athletic careers of these young men and women. It was because of my success through the Onteora track and cross country programs that I was able to receive an athletic scholarship to the University of Richmond, a Division I school, to further my running career. Several of my old teammates are also competing at the collegiate level. This is the result of our positive and lucrative experiences at Onteora. ! beg that you don't take away that opportunity for future students. Patrick Burkhardt is a great man who has dedicated himself to enhancing the high school experience of many students and I implore you to do the same.
Paloma Krakower
Woodstock, NY

Dear Editor,
Julie McQuain, who has been listed as a public relations spokesperson for Save the Mountain on their press releases, criticized Senator Bonacic last week, alleging that he has been an unquestioning booster of developers who doesn’t want to hear alternate views from his constituents. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Senator Bonacic has worked long and hard to hear and respond to his constituents and has remained neutral on the Belleayre Resort proposal throughout its historically long environmental review process. Ms. McQuain seeks to minimize the Senator’s efforts to meet the needs of all his constituents and his efforts to seek balance between environmental protection and economic development. Her charges are unfair and her arguments are unfounded.
She speaks of “unprecedented high elevation commercial construction.” But high elevation construction has been rampant in Hunter and Windham during the last decade. There is not only precedent for such development, but over there, it has gone on without a single complaint from any Save the Mountain folks, despite the fact that those two areas are also in the Catskill Park and also in the New York City Watershed. The fact that no Save the Mountain person has complained about Greene County development makes it appear their concern is less about the environment than it is about NIMBYism.
Ms. McQuain says that constructing the Belleayre Resort outlined in last year’s Agreement in Principle with the State will degrade irreplaceable assets. In fact, 80% of the property in Shandaken is already forever wild or undevelopable by virtue of the fact that the State and the City of New York already own it. Those “assets” will not be touched or degraded in any way and in fact, the holdings will be expanded by another 1,200 plus acres when the State acquires our Big Indian property.
The alternatives Ms. McQuain proposes include the Solar Energy Consortium in Kingston. But the fact that she wants people from Shandaken and Middletown to drive cars back and forth to Kingston each day to work belies her concern for “sustainability.”
She also suggests building the Catskill Interpretive Center and expanding the Belleayre Ski Center, both of which will bring day-trippers who do absolutely nothing for the local hotel owners here.
Ms. McQuain says the public/private partnership between the State and the Crossroads Developers would likely only benefit the investors. But neither Ms. McQuain nor any of her Save the Mountain colleagues have complained about an identical public/private partnership at Gore Mountain Ski Center, or about the public/private partnerships in Sullivan County that built the Bethel Performing Arts Center and will now restore several major hotels and golf courses there. In fact, she lauds the public/private partnerships at the Solar Energy Consortium without pointing out that private sector investors will benefit from those transactions. The fact is, public/private partnerships do in fact, benefit taxpayers. Ms. McQuain and her colleagues know that because some supporters of Save the Mountain are in fact, major real estate developers. So again, this concern seems to be more about NIMBYism than about real economic issues.
Finally, Ms. McQuain refers to a report issued by the former Comptroller – a report dated August 2006, before the AIP was even considered. It is no longer valid because it relates to a project that is no longer under consideration. In fact, even Mr. Hevesi foreshadows the agreement we now have when he says: “Opponents believe the entire project represents a danger to Catskill Park and to the constitutionally protected Catskill Forest Preserve, but they have offered to compromise if the developer is willing to adhere to a more environmentally sensitive plan using only the Wildacres site.”
Crossroads Ventures did compromise. We did agree to “adhere to a more environmentally sensitive plan using only the Wildacres site.” The State of New York, City of New York, Natural Resources Defense Council, New York Public Interest Research Group, Catskill Center for Conservation and Development, Riverkeeper, Theodore Gordon Flyfishers, Trout Unlimited and Zen Environmental Studies Institute all signed the compromise agreement that Hevesi urged.
We are now working through a 157 page scoping document for a Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement on the compromise plan. It is this process of compromise and study that Senator Bonacic supports. We think the vast majority of his constituents would agree that this is a reasonable position for a Senator to take and that the radical approach of Ms. McQuain and the Save the Mountain gang is not reasonable at this time.
Joan Lawrence-Bauer
Crossroads Ventures, LLC
Mt. Tremper, NY

Dear Editor;
The members of the "Blow-Up The Mountain Gang" (BUTMG) a/k/a Crossroads Ventures, a/k/a "Partners for Profit" continue to litter our mailboxes with their totally deceptive, self-serving propaganda about their goals and motives in pursuing their project to destroy forests and mountaintops. I have no idea who the "second homeowner from Long Island" is (that they refer to), nor do I understand his/her alleged statement that "everyone here who wants a job already has one" and that "people here are not really looking to better themselves." That is such an absurdity that I think that BUTMG's publicity people created a self-serving fictitious character to try and distract people from the real issue - their greed, perfidy, and wanton destruction of the forest. There is no area of the world where people do not seek to better themselves and where everybody has the job that they want. That person's statement, whether real or fictitious, is as irrelevant to the issue as is the litany of schools and programs they cite which have nothing to do with them.
Contrary to BUTMG's assertions, the best way to enhance the local economy, a goal and desire that we all share, is to create jobs and business opportunities on the main streets of Pine Hill, Fleischmanns, Phoenicia, etc. As my friend Barbara Claudy wisely pointed out, there is a great need to revitalize these areas to what they were when we were kids here and the hotels were flourishing. What specific "attractions" other than tubing in Phoenicia, will the self-described altruistic concierges of BUTMG's hotels be directing their guests to? I believe that in my six decades of life I have been to as many resorts as has the author of their propaganda. The people who leave resorts (and forsake their attractions) are minimal and tend to go to see natural attractions (ie. Carlsbad Caverns, Kaaterskill Falls, Niagara Falls), amusement areas and cultural enclaves such as Woodstock. Resort goers overwhelmingly stay on resorts. Period.
The business infrastructure that is necessary must be in the valleys and not on isolated mountaintops, especially on blown-up mountaintops which we should be preserving and protecting for future generations.
To imply that BUTMG's resorts are connected in any way with colleges' culinary arts, hotel management or building trades, etc. is an outright fabrication. These colleges and programs are completely independent of BUTMG, derive no benefit from them, were there long before this perfidious group existed and will be there long after they are gone. They do not attest to job longevity.
BUTMG, why can't you just tell the truth? If you have nothing to hide, hide nothing. Why obfuscate? We can handle the truth. Can you? Can you guarantee that whatever jobs your resort may create will not go to illegal aliens, who send their money to other countries for their families? Can you insure that a very high percentage of the jobs will go to local residents who tend to spend and invest in our local economy? I suspect not.
Howard Mandell
Pine Hill, NY

Dear Editor,
Recently the Partners for Progress sent out insulting flyer showing photographs that they said represented our neighborhoods with falling down houses and dump-like property stating that we live like slobs; I do not feel that that is an honest representation of me or my neighbors or surrounding communities and I felt badly when I saw it.
The signs that read; “Belleayre; our economic engine” is a slogan I happen to agree with, but if one looks past the sign and the website, Partners for Progress are not about supporting the State-run-family-ski-mountain-Belleayre, they are about supporting the Crossroads-mega-development-Belleayre. The millions of dollars proposed to be given by NY State to the Crossroads-mega-development-Belleayre, will not help expand the State-run-family-ski-mountain-Belleayre, our economic engine, but will be put into boring ski trails and expensive chair lifts that lead to the Crossroads-mega-development-Belleayre; I feel like that is not supporting our economic engine, but Crossroads economic engine.
The last flyer takes the cake; it gives a budget list of job opportunities as well as payroll numbers, just as if it was taken out of an actual budget … In a meeting with Paul Rakov, the former Press Representative for Crossroads, in Fall 2007 at the Woodstock Democratic Club, Mr. Rakov went thru all these numbers and great job opportunities to then finally state that none of their financial-job-reports mattered because Crossroads was not even going to be managing the final resort, that a chain would be running the resort, and the new management would decide the pay-scale and jobs needed. Crossroads is hoping for a successful hotel to take over the project; what are their pay scales and job titles?
Mr. Rakov also said that all the construction jobs would be union jobs and the workers would travel from Newburgh and Poughkeepsie and would stay in local inns and motels during the week and we should all be happy for the additional business of people driving in, buying gas, drinking in bars and staying in local lodges.
So this last flyer is enticing and looks financially beneficial to all of us, but in the end, remember that the Crossroads developers will not be deciding what jobs or what salaries will be offered; the actual owner-operator-corporation will make those financial decisions. Is it worth our communities taking that chance? Let’s join forces and push for NY State to put money into State-run-family-ski-mountain-Belleayre so we can all enjoy the benefits by expanding and developing the Cathedral Glen trail and further enhancing State-run-family-ski-mountain-Belleayre and get the development off the top of the mountain to protect our view-shed and storm water run-off.
Jennifer Benusis,
Arkville, NY

Dear Editor,
It was inspiring to hear Senator Kennedy speak at the Democratic Convention and hear him say resoundingly that Universal Health Care was his goal. That is how important it has been to him and many millions but has not been obtained because of the billions of dollars of our money spent in false propaganda to the public and lavish gifts to lawmakers to keep the private health care industry flourishing. Our gullibility and their greed are the reasons for our broken, very costly and wasteful health care system. If you believe that the following conditions should be changed for the sake of the health and welfare of this country call your Congressmen and ask that they support and advocate for bill HR 676. This bill is called Improved Medicare For All. Congressman Conyers presents it. Call toll free 1-866-338-1015.
Forty-seven million people are uniunsured. They are mostly working people who cannot afford the cost which has risen 73 percent since 2000. The result is physically and economically catastrophic. Here we spend twice as much as any other country on earth for health care and some get none.
The health care insurance cost to the "for profit" insurers includes 30 cents for every health care dollar going for paperwork, marketing and profits. The profits include gargantuan sums to administrators, such as the $122.7 million for The United Health Group's CEO in 2005. The salary could insure 34,000 people. Medicare operated with 3 percent overhead compared to 15 percent to 35 percent for private companies. The World Health Organization ranks us 37th down the line for health care system performance.
We lose more babies in the first year of life than are lost in 25 other countries. Prematurity is higher here and could be reduced if prenatal care were available to all.
The many insurers (1,000 plus) can decide what doctors, what hospitals and even what procedures we will get! Taxes are inflated because of the health care benefits for employees.
Ours is system that needs fixing and can be fixed if we get together. The HEALTH CARE NOW organization is spearheading a real push for change. They are at 339 Lafayetter Street, NY, NY. Call Art Richter in Kingston for more information: 338-9009.
Mescal Hornbeck
Woodstock, NY

Dear Editor,
I've just sent the following web-note to the senior producers of the News Hour with Jim Lehrer. Will also contact Bill Moyers's producers. We have a truly alarming situation showing its face in the streets outside the RNC, and a national-media blackout on it. I hope you will contact whatever media outlets you can and push this issue.
Fine and good - the New Hour is offering its usual "alternative" to network
and cable news. But where's the coverage of what the police are doing outside the RNC? Would it have been ignored in Chicago in 1968 outside the DNC? oops! It WASN'T ignored.
I remember Chicago '68 --I was a mere teenager then --and the front-page,
top-of-the-hour coverage given to protests that turned violent when police arrested demonstrators. Do you?
As a sometime member of the press myself, I am shocked (though alas not surprised) that mainstream media -- especially the News Hour as a somewhat
less biased source -- is not covering the warrantless arrests and brutal treatment of even fellow reporters and camerapersons, not to mention peaceful demonstrators who are within bounds and within their constitutional rights. People are being tased, twisted and then denied medical treatment by police; police are seen on video smiling smugly as they arrest Amy Goodman for covering the convention; a bus which demonstrates COMPOSTING and other low-energy-consumption means of living has been seized, with violent treatment of its occupants (including the worms), despite its bearing registration and violating no laws.
It is not an overreaction to call this by its name, one we would apply to such treatment by police or military in any other country in the world: Fascism. It is YOUR DUTY to report it to the American public. When will you break what appears to be a conspiracy of silence?
Danielle Woerner
Shokan, NY

Dear Editor,
The Republican convention was postponed in order to "Protect the People" of New Orleans from the hurricane, which you may remember were protected only from looting while others died during Katrina. Not this time. As the people of New Orleans were evacuated, (in order to cover for the V.P. choice story and GW's speech), the Republican convention was postponed, and during the New Orleans evacuation, the police were getting ready for the bigger danger.... the citizens of the U.S., protesting against the horrendous government of the past 8 years.
The convention, held in Minnesota, was getting ready for the demonstrations. Their police force was armed with rubber bullets, tazers and AR 15s, in order to protect the Republicans from the press. Their orders were to keep all demonstrations from being documented. The videographers were kept far from any demonstrations, but worse than that.... they were arrested. Amy Goodman displayed her full ID and they ripped it off of her neck and then cuffed her.
A reporter from the Post shouted out in his defense, "Stop, stop... I'm a Republican". Many of the media,as well as the demonstrators that were arrested, were done so violently, some bloodied up. Since this story has not been covered by the media, I have no idea how many American citizens and how many press members were brutally arrested, but what I do know is if we don't stop this take-over of our beloved Constitution, we are sure to be living in a very different country, and, a very different environment, which has already been severely damaged. We simply can't sit still anymore. We MUST do more than vote.
Obama must win by a huge margin in order to override any voting machine manipulations. We must do everything we can to make this happen, including calling upon the press to cover this story, as well as exposing actual information about the candidates positions.
Please remember, Democracy is NOT a spectator sport.
Jill Paperno
Glenford, NY

Dear Editor,
I haven’t participated in efforts to impeach Bush, because the numbers aren’t there. For Democrats to start a fight they can’t win, would be costly politically for the party and financially costly for taxpayers.
Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi has said: “I ruled out impeachment
before the election in terms of priority for the new Congress. Impeachment is always on the table, depending on the behavior of the President of the United States. I said impeachment was off the table, for the following reasons. Our country has serious problems, some of it springing from this president’s backward-looking policies. Pursuing impeachment would have further divided the country, which is not a good idea, right now.”
Pelosi believed that the country had significantly higher priorities for Congress to address, which included the minimum wage, the cost of college, and benefits for veterans from the wars in Iraq and
Afghanistan.
House Democrats have worked to challenge Republicans, but Senate Democrats appear to have caved on issues like the war and FISA. However, the rules of the Senate and the House are very different. In the House, the power rests with Pelosi, who sets the agenda. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid needs 60 votes to get anything accomplished.
Those 60 votes are hard to achieve, because the Republicans in the
Senate are guarding the gate for their president. They have perpetuated the war in Iraq on behalf of Bush. Republicans recognize that forcing Bush to veto bills pertaining to Iraq or FISA would be very damaging to their Party.
With Obama as president, the Senate Republicans will no longer need to guard the gate and it’s anticipated that the Senate could enjoy much more bipartisanship.
Jim O’Leary
Delhi, NY

Dear Editor,
I am a person of 69 years of age who has never complained about the way politics has been run, at least not the way I'm doing it now. At home with my family or friends yes, but not in writing. But the
article I happened to read last week in the new double Summer Edition of Newsweek caught my eye and I feel your readers should know about this also. The article read "Mrs McCain, San Diego County Would Like A Word." According to the article, Mrs McCain, a multi millionaire, owns several pieces of property around the country. This one piece of land in La Jolla, Calif. is a nice three or four story condo, which her aunt lives in and which for the past four years (not months) but years she has not paid taxes on. Now let’s imagine that were you or I, lowly middle class people, do you think we could get away with not paying our property taxes for that long without a penalty, or far worse, default? I think not.The San Diego treasurer/
tax collector stated that a 1.5% penalty is usually assessed for each month of unpaid taxes. So let’s see, Mrs McCain's trust came forward and paid the entire four years, a total of $6,744.42. Now if you didn't know, her taxes on this condo, in La Jolla, Calif. were a mere $1742.00 a year, the total, times four years should come out to $6,968.00. I must assume the penalties were taken away and she got a discount for paying a lump sum. Wouldn't that be nice for all those who had their home forclosed for non-payment?
Oh, one more thing, she also was in arrears for five or six months of this year, but again the trust paid the $1742.00 in full. I cannot end here in good faith without mentioning that one of the reasons I left Long Island was because my taxes on a piece of land, where I could hear my neighbors sneeze, a 60x100 lot were in excess of $10,000.00 a year and going up. How, I ask you, can property in the sunshine state of America stay at $1742.00 dollars a year for five years in a row, without some sort of increase, or is this what they call a politicians PERK.
Peter G. Polis
Shokan, NY

Dear Editor,
The way the Republican Party displayed themselves at their convention was appalling. The speakers that bashed their challenger in the way that they did should hang their heads in disgrace. It would be hard to believe that most Americans, Republicans or not, wanted to hear speaker after speaker be so mean-spirited and unfair. Speakers stood there with a big smile on their faces while ridiculing their challenger. The convention was nothing but divisive politics at its best. Of course everyone clapped and went crazy at the convention, but that was all for show. If they didn’t they might have been escorted out of the building because they didn’t show support for all those insensitive speakers. They said nothing of substance, offered nothing of how they were going to fix the financial problems that millions face today. We didn’t hear anything about how they were going to fix the healthcare crisis in our country, high unemployment or the high cost of prescriptions.
I found it offensive when with the nation watching a speaker mocked, and dismissed the real work that their opponent did helping real people in south side Chicago. I found it offensive because what the speaker said offended thousands of people that work so hard every day in this country helping others that desperately need help.
Young adults getting near the voting age must have thought is this what politics is all about? Is this the way that we compare one candidate to another? After watching the Republican convention is it any wonder that many don’t take advantage of their privilege to vote.
Bill Warnecke
Glenford, NY

Dear Editor,
Alaska started as Seward's Folly. Now it is McCain's Folly.
Alaska has a population of some 670,000 people. Sarah Palin has served as Governor for some 18 months and before that as a mayor of a small town of Wasilla with a population of about 9,000. That is it for experience - no foreign policy, no national issues, zip. It is as if Sarah is saying I ran a corner street deli for about 18 months and this has qualified me to be CEO of Wal-Mart International.
Sarah is a far right conservative. She is anti abortion, anti gay, anti lesbian, anti civil union, pro creationist and would push for the appointment to the Supreme Court of Justices who would repeal Roe vs. Wade.

Are these issues and an agenda Hillary supporters can embrace?
If McCain is elected he would be 72 years old with a history of cancer. Sarah would be a heart beat away.
Does America really need a person who appears to be a marijuana smoking, gun totting Annie Oakley from one of the smallest states in the union with no significant experience calling the shots with world leaders?
If you look at the issues that count, the answer is clear - Sorry Sarah, no sale.
H Clark Bell
Former GOP Assemblyman
Woodstock, NY

Dear Editor,
Recently at an election convention an individual that has lead our communities in good and bad times has mocked the grassroots efforts that many of us have made as community organizers.
Many of us have witnessed this direct disrespect to the millions of people that spend so much of their time and energy giving back to the community in order for us to have a better quality of life. The countless individuals who want to make a difference, those who are concerned about social inequities, and are interested in community solutions and empowering people were made fun of and belittled by this former Mayor who quit his presidential candidacy in shame.
Without community organizers there would not have been; The American Civil Rights movement, the anti-war movements, the Chicano movement, the feminist movement, and the gay rights movement. Community organizers have leveraged billions of dollars in public- and private-sector investment; expanded and improved city services; prevented industrial plant closings; secured fair-share hiring agreements from public- and private-sector employers; cleaned-up toxic waste dumps in low-income communities; organized public and private housing tenants; improved the climate, operation and performance of neighborhood schools; and built or rehabilitated thousands of affordable housing units. I truly believe that this is nothing to laugh at.
Conservatives, Liberals, Republicans and Democrats, I ask you to speak to your friends and relatives about their decision of which team that they are going to pick for our next cycle of leadership in the next election. I will not tell you whom to vote for, but I am asking for you to vote. The blood, sweat and tears that many of us community organizers have given in the past are at risk. Understand that if we do not make change, nothing will change.
Damon A. Finch
Newburgh, NY

Dear Editor,
I am not a member of a political party, nor do I intend to become one. I retired from The Community Corrections Program in 1999, and since then have been acting as a citizen activist. Over the past nine years I have attended hundreds of legislative meetings and have served on a number of legislative committees. My sole objective has been to change some of the more costly and ill advised practices to be found in the Ulster County criminal justice system.
Prior to the decision to build the jail several State studies had made recommendations that, if followed, would have limited the size of the monstrosity we wound up building. Needless to say those suggestions were ignored.
In addition to the suggestions regarding the jail, there were other recommendations that would have reduced the operating costs for the criminal justice system in general. These too were ignored.
Since taking over as administrator, Michael Hein has put some of these initiatives into place. The most significant of which was the consolidation of Alternative Sentencing and The Community Corrections Program under the Probation Dept.
Prior to this consolidation the administrative costs for supervising community service offenders had reached 16 dollars per offender, per hour. That is an awful lot of tax dollars going for minimally motivated criminals to perform low priority work. Similar to Alternative Sentencing, the running costs for the Community Corrections Program reached a point that it became cheaper to incarcerate the offender than provide them with an alternative. What began as nominal costs for these programs had grown to absurdity. For whatever reason (and none, I believe in the interest of the taxpayer) the recommendation to consolidate these programs were ignored until Hein became Administrator.
That is why I will be voting for Michael Hein this November, and why I am urging you to do the same.
The first Executive will set the stage for governing the County for the next 2 to 3 decades. We need an experienced executive that will be able to contain, if not reduce spending. Someone who will foster economic growth without forcing that particular growth on the citizenry of a locality that might not want it. Someone who will be able to muster the forces of Federal and State funding streams so that our county doesn't fall even further behind our neighboring counties.
To date, the only thing that I've read about Bernardo is that he was successful at business. However, being able to run a business is no guarantee of being able to run a county. Suggesting that having an expertise in business automatically translates into having an expertise in government is like saying being successful as a General qualifies you to be an Admiral. Government is not like business. Government does not even resemble business.
We cannot afford to elect someone with the hope that he will pick things up along the way. We need someone who knows the ropes already. Someone with the conviction to cut costs and the experience to stick with that conviction and not get conned by bureaucratic double talk.
In closing ,I would like to take this opportunity to make note of my disappointment with the new Republican leadership. I cannot, for the life of me, understand why they decided to go outside their party and support a virtual novice for such an important position as Executive. There are at least 6 veteran Republicans serving on the legislature right now that are heads and shoulders above Bernardo in governmental experience and would have made excellent candidates for Executive.
Thomas P Kadgen
Shokan, NY

DDear Editor,
The Phil and Babs Mansfield family and friends would like to gratefully acknowledge the help from this community on behalf of their son, Killian, who enjoyed a benefit gathering this past weekend at the residence of Dusty and Bill Stack to help support this household in a time of need. We profoundly thank the following for their time, effort and resources. Here is a list in alphabetical order:
Local Businesses and Restaurants: Adams Fairacre Farms, Bank of America, Best Party Rental, Blue Mountain Bistro (Bistro-to-Go), E & S Discount Beverages (Route 28), Gallo's Nursery, Hannaford Supermarket (Ulster Avenue), Hickory BBQ, La Bella Pasta, Maria's Bazaar, Millie Delgado (Millie's Home Cooking), New World Home Cooking, Threads of Time, Wal-Mart Corp., Woodstock Meats, Woodstock Times.
Musicians: Amy Fradon and John Barbaro, Dorranine Scofield, John Berenzy, Jon Coghill (Los Chigones), John Wirtz, Katies Jeannotte (Car Travelers), Katie and Ralph and Lucia Legnini (1/2 Ralph and Ralph), Robert B. Warren (Uncle Rock), Scott Healy, T. G. Vanini, Wil Wright with Jonas Finkel, and Kieran Prasch Ward and Elan.
A special thanks for friends who donated their time: Dinal Neals, Jim Sofranko, John Wirtz, Katie Legnini, Millie Delgado, Shirley Wiley, Tammy Alvarado and the crew of Mountain Gardens Landscaping.
Any continuing donations may be made to The New Hope Fund, Bank of America, Route 28, Shokan, NY 12481: for the benefit of Killian Mansfield.
Carol Stack
Boiceville, NY

Dear Editor,
As I am sure many of you are aware that, the leadership of the County is concerned for the well-being of our citizenry in this upcoming winter and particularly how people are going to be able to keep their homes heated and a roof over their head during these times of sharp increases in gas costs, rents, heating fuel, and food. A work group, Ulster County Winter Watch, has been established by the County Administrator, and I have taken responsibility to chair the committee to address food issues.
Our primary goal will be to keep the shelves of each of the County's 30 food pantries as well stocked as possible. I believe that in order to be successful, each community will have to make a commitment to help its local pantries. If each of the major institutions in a town will do a food drive on a rotating basis, we will have a continuous flow of new donated food items throughout the winter for each pantry. We are asking each business, each school, each local government, each church group, and any civic organizations that are willing, to plan to conduct a food drive during the months from October through March.
I am also reaching out to the County's growers to see if they would be willing to donate a portion of their harvest to be shared with the food pantries. We are studying the resources available to process this food so that it can either be frozen, or kept in coolers, so that the produce will be usable throughout the winter. If you have any resources to help with this portion of the effort, freezer space, coolers, produce, or are willing to help with processing, please contact me by email at mberg@familyofwoodstockinc.org or by phone at 845 331 7080 x 103..
They say that hard times bring out the best in us. This is going to be a difficult winter. As a community we will only get through it, neighbor helping neighbor.
Thank you for your help.
Michael Berg
Chair, Winter Watch Food Committee
Director, Family of Woodstock
Kingston, NY