We have Lost the AAA Rating on our Bonds that Will Cost Us All

In the local area there is a problem of how the Republican Party plays polices.  It is a bigger National problem. Mr. McConnell has publicly vowed to make Obama a one term President. It is fair to call him anti-Obama because the Republican has not even settled on a presidential candidate. The two most powerful Republican politicians are anti-Obama. I believe it is fair to say both are from an area of the country that has a history of racial tension.  Mr. Boehner lunched an attack on the health insurance care reform labeling it Obama Care. They refuse to allow the government to bargain with the drug makers and keep pushing for the repeal of “Obama Care.”   Their continued attack on our President, that they do not respect, has resulted in the election of many anti-Obama Tea Party Representatives. They demanded no new taxes. Their song is we don’t have a taxing problem we have a spending problem. Now we have lost the AAA rating on our bonds that will cost us all.  The problem given for the drop in the rating is the loss of a clear path forward. Washington is broken and if we are to fix thing we need a President that is allowed to lead. The Republicans should respect our President. Obama is well educated, dedicated, and very able. He is black and has been a unifying force for much, but not all, of the County.

Grant Langdon

We need a County Manager

I am cheered by a possible good thing happening at the County level. Yes, that's Columbia County, the Republican-run County you live in. Next week the County Board of Supervisors may vote (full BOS Board Meeting on Aug 10th) on a recommendation from the County Government Committee to move forward to establish an appointed County Manager as the executive officer. This move will set up a central management for the cumbersome County government which should assure some efficiencies and coherence to county operations. Columbia County is currently one of only 9 counties in NY State that have no centralized management, most of them, recently including Greene and Ulster Counties, having made the change. Here, management by multi-committee works slowly and often to cross purposes. The part-time Supervisors are hard pressed to oversee the details of daily management of departments. Germantown Supervisor, Roy Brown, has led a combined group of Supervisors and community leaders who have done the research on the issue, discussed the pros & cons and have come up with the recommendation. You can see their findings on the County website : www.columbiacountyny.com

If you want more information, work your way through the findings. It's a little redundant in their effort to cover all bases and opinions, but their conclusion is that "We need a County Manager."

Those proposing the change are optimistic about the vote next week. The most often asked question is "won't it just be an increased cost that results in no savings?". The study says no, the savings and efficiencies will more than make up for the cost of a manager and any staff. They have set up a list of qualifications for the office that are encouraging, but the change, if voted for, will need constant attention by the public to see that its promise is achieved. This is a step into the 21st Century for the county. One question still to be asked: "Will it be possible for someone to get a County job without changing his/her voter registration to the Republican Party?" This is the state of things right now. Will it change? Keep tuned.

Kay Abraham 

Happy to See a Revaluation of my Home

I would be happy to see a revaluation of my home. It's been a while since I saw the appraisal on my house as my husband takes care of the paperwork here, but I do remember whenever the appraisal was done it added about 600 SF to my house and called my one car detached garage a two car attached.

Terrie Schmearer

An Affront to the American People

The debt ceiling compromise is an affront to the American people who overwhelmingly supported a balanced approach of both tax cuts andtax increases to bring the federal budget into balance. But Gibson and the GOPparty have vigorously protected the assets of the top 2% of the wealthiestpeople in our country rather than bring federal budgets into balance byresponsibly increasing tax revenues along with spending cuts. The cost of theBush cuts to the federal treasury has been estimated to be $1.3 trillion, $1.3trillion of which could have been a significant down payment to reduce thenational debt and pay for 2 unfunded wars. The only way the Obamaadministration felt that they could prevent a catastrophic default was to agreeto a deal that contains no tax increases. But without tax increases, the cuts to essential governmental programsthat protect the American dream will be far more drastic than would otherwisebe necessary.

As Thom Hartmann has said, “Lost amid all the demagogue andarguing regarding the debt/deficit, what's lost is the fact is it's really anargument that pits tax cuts and wars vs. the social safety net.  And it's tax cuts and wars that havegotten us into this mess, not Medicare, Medicaid, or Social Security.” 

ShirleyRipullone

Instead Being of Assistance – A Ticket

Instead Being of Assistance – A Ticket
A few weeks ago my niece and a friend were driving to our home in Copake from Great Barrington at approximately 11 pm at night. The GPS in their car was directing them. The GPS guided them a bit off track as they were looking for our road.

They saw no police car or any other cars on the road and they had no cell phone service to call us for directions.

As they made the left hand turn onto what they thought was our road the police car followed the young women’s car with no headlights on or flashing lights for approximately  ½ a mile.  The police then put on their lights and stopped my niece and friend on the dark dirt road.  The first policemen approached the car and said they were speeding.  The two college age young woman said they were lost and looking for our house. Then a second officer got out of the car with his flashlight and started shining it on everything in the back seat as well as the two young women. 

When they asked why they didn't put on their lights - the officers said they were going too fast and couldn’t catch them - as far as I know police cars can drive fast when they need to  especially going down Rt 7 and turning left onto what is consider by the Town of Copake to be a private road.

Instead of helping them to find their way or lend any assistance  they gave the driver a speeding ticket for going 47 in a 30. It is not possible to be going that speed in the dark to make a left turn.

Why would they follow them with no lights on? How would the girls know it was the police? Why would they not assist these two young women to find our home? They were so scared and confused.

 In further research these officers were not even from our area. 

Copake promotes itself as the land of rural charm and wants people to visit and enjoy the area. This is not a way to promote our community.

I hope that in the future the police that patrol our area will be more helpful.

Linda Senk
Copake, New York

Place the Local Police on the Ballot

Mr. Sachs:

I read the last issue of your blog and had to write a letter to the editor. The incompetence of the local Republican administration in Copake never fails to amaze me.  Each day they show two important things. They came into office with no experience and have proven that they don’t know how to learn from their mistakes. I find it strange that this town never had any money trouble till Crowley took over?  And we have had nothing but bankruptcy problems since these guys took office. Placing an electrician in charge of the budget turned out to be a brilliant idea. Keeping him there was equally brilliant.

I am begging anyone who is willing to listen to reason to place the local police on the ballot this November. It is one of the only ways we can get out of this financial corner that incompetence has placed on us.

John Decker