Gutless politicians refuse to stand up
Jeanie Bunnecke’s Feb. 25 letter to the editor, (“We must protect checks and balances,”) is right on. This administration or some semblance of it is working hard to become a dictatorship as soon as possible. It only took Hitler 56 days to become dictator. Trump is on his way.
How anyone who is supposed to be an American can agree to what is happening is only a sad joke. It is a shame that our supposed elected officials didn’t and don’t respond for us and their families on us losing our liberties is a sin. As I see it, they are gutless and afraid of losing their position and supposed power, Democrats and Republicans alike.
It is a shame that they won’t stand up for what is right and just.
Richard Moran
Scotia
Chip-and-seal plan will cause harm
We strongly oppose the town’s proposed plans to apply “chip and seal” road coverings to Texas Hill Road and Apple Tree Lane in Hillsdale.
Our cattle graze the fields running down from Texas Hill Road.
We are concerned that the tar used in chip-and-seal would leach into the rainwater that drains into our fields and increase road runoff, polluting our farm’s streams and potentially our well water, too.
There are safety as well as environmental reasons to keep these roads as they are. Chip-and-seal will encourage cars and trucks to drive faster — unsafe on a road where there are many walkers.
It is completely unnecessary to “improve” the road to speed up the traffic. Texas Hill Road is not a through road and it’s only users are its residents.
Without a meaningful public hearing to allow residents to voice their views, we do not feel that Hillsdale’s elected officials are listening to residents’ concerns. We cannot understand why they are pressing ahead with a proposal to which the vast majority object.
We are concerned this is yet one more step towards paving the entire road network of Hillsdale, a town whose beauty depends on preserving exactly these rural features.
Texas Hill Road and Appletree Lane should remain dirt roads for all Hillsdale residents to enjoy.
Sam and Vanessa Johnson
Hillsdale
Trump 2.0 is in early mental meltdown
I hope we don’t have to wait for the autopsy of Trump 2.0 to realize that what is happening in and out of Washington, D.C. is clearly the early stages of a psychopathic meltdown by the principals involved.
Earl F. Spencer
Canajoharie
Trump-Zelenskyy was front-page news
I am concerned that The Gazette’s March 1 edition did not lead with the story of Trump’s meeting with Zelenskyy, a meeting which could presage a whole new world order. Instead, “Trump, Vance scold Zelenskyy in heated clash” was relegated to page A2.
Trump’s statement that Zelenskyy can, “come back when he is ready for peace,” reminds me of Neville Chamberlain’s statement that he had achieved “peace for our time” after he signed the Munich Agreement ceding the Sudetenland to Hitler.
In terms of territorial ambitions, Putin is the Hitler of our time and Ukraine is the Sudetenland, and we must unite with all democracies to ensure that Putin’s goals are unrealized.
Holly Hawkes
Burnt Hills
Pastor’s words serve as warning for us all
First it was the immigrants. Then it was the LGBTQ community and Black Americans, women and the disabled. Then the federal workers. Now our allies.
In 1946, German Martin Niemoller, a Lutheran pastor, wrote what many refer to as a confessional poem. His writing currently appears on the wall of the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.
In today’s turbulent times, his words might now serve as an ominous warning for us all:
“First They Came,” by Pastor Martin Niemoller:
“First they came for the Socialists and I did not speak out because I was not a Socialist.
“Then they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist.
“Then they came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew.
“Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak for me.”
If you do not think these actions being played out in Washington right now will not at some point affect each one of us, please think again.
This is not the time for apathy. All of us who believe in freedom and democracy and human decency need to speak out now before it’s too late. And we’re left to write our own confessional.
Cheryl A. Weinstein
Glenville
Be watchful of trends in agriculture industry
Marlene Kennedy’s article, (“Troubling trends in American farming”,) in the Feb. 27 Gazette underscores the volatility of the agricultural sector in our nation and state.
Inclusion of USDA data stipulates the success of large farms with million-dollar-plus annual sales and the growth of Chapter 12 bankruptcy filings by small farm operations.
In Albany County, there are about 350 active farms; there are about 30,500 active farms throughout our state.
Other newspaper articles indicate global warming is adversely affecting food production, that emergencies are increasing homeless demand for food, that families’ purchasing power of food is decreasing, and that tariffs will affect prices.
Even though farmers’ markets improve the availability of local food supplies and increase farmers’ revenues, there is a need for greater public-private investment to improve agricultural production.
The gradual growth of community-supported agriculture (CSA) activities throughout county agricultural districts indicates a successful private investment by families with economic benefits for farmers.
I think the expansion of public-private investment of money into CSA contracts and consumer agreements by school districts, senior citizen centers, neighborhood food pantries and families will benefit the purchase of seeds, plants and supplies for the upcoming season by farmers.
Of course, county agriculture and farmland preservation boards and agriculture district farmers need to consider investment of state government resources to enhance the CSA program to produce food supplies for our neighbors.
Michael McGlynn
Watervliet
