Didi Barrett Thanks Columbia County

To the Editor,


As we enter the holiday season and look ahead to 2011, I want to take this moment to thank friends and neighbors in Dutchess and Columbia Counties for the extraordinary opportunity to run to represent them in the New York State Senate. I am honored by the 37,000 citizens who voted for me and I am inspired by the many hundreds of citizens who volunteered throughout the campaign. They gave extraordinary time, energy and financial support. They, too, wanted to see a more transparent, accountable and sensible state government.

No turnout figures or percentage of the vote begin to tell the stories of the people, young and old, that we connected with over these last nine months. I am very proud of the race we ran. We gave voice to many folks throughout this district who have felt ignored for way too long. We spoke passionately about the beautiful Hudson Valley and the need to find economic engines that attract sustainable jobs, protect our natural resources and farms, and celebrate the best of our region.

We traveled many times from one end of this incredibly diverse district to the other; we spent time in each of the 31 towns and three cities in the 41st State Senate district. We talked with residents about substantive issues and educated voters about the incumbent’s voting record, not his real estate.

For more than two decades, I have been an active member of the Millbrook community. I remain committed to public service and to this region. I look forward to continuing to work side by side with neighbors, community leaders and activists to make the Hudson Valley of the 21st century the best it can be for residents and visitors alike.

Thank you again,
Didi Barrett

What is the Matter with the United States?

To the editor,


What is the matter with the United States? We rank 37 in education and our medical care is not, as the Republicans claim, the best in the world but only the most expensive. Our trains run slower than most other countries and our bridges are falling apart.

I have been exchanging Christmas letters with on old collage friend, Bert Bakker, who lives in the Netherlands and have some thoughts to share. Bert recently took another trip through northern Europe after 20 years and had some observation. The stores had more goods and the people seemed better off. A second observation was there were not as many military planes flying around. Then he went past an air base and it was growing crops and had been rented out to farmers. What had changed was the USSR had collapsed and defense begets were cut. It was the old story of guns or butter.

Instead of funding our schools, building faster trains, building new bridges during the Bush administration we have spent a trillion on fighting in Iraq. We have the guns, but now we are short on butter.

Now, not one Republican voted for a measure to extend the Bush Tax Cuts to the middle class and even people with income of a million dollars. They want the tax cuts extended to multi-billionaires. And here I am a mere multi-thousandaire getting stuck with the taxes!

What happened to the GOP?\
 
Grant Langdon

Comments on the Fairness of the ZBA

I should like to second Bob's comments on the fairness of the ZBA in
the Copake Chronicle.I had the occasion to go before them on a
spurious complaint from the Zoning Enforcement Officer with which the
Building Inspector concurred. The ZBA rejected their complaints as out
of order, apologized to me for the inconvenience and I believe
reprimanded them both for forcing me to bring a case before trhe ZBA
with the considerable paper work time and photos required. Our
Community should be grateful that we have such intelligent, rational
and fair members of this Board.,

Leonard Ladin
West Copake