New York state sets the standards for what should be taught and how it should be taught. It defines the tests for evaluating the achieving of its goals. It provides guidance in the ever-changing teaching support through texts, changing methods of teaching and technology. The state process is flawed at every endeavor on its part. […]
Printed in the Poughkeesie Journal 2/2/2012: Valley Views Nothing is more fundamental to our democracy than the right to vote. The New York State Legislature should be commended for improvements made last year to both the absentee ballot application and the affidavit ballot envelope. While New York state has made improvements, other states around the […]
The Poughkeepsie Journal covered U.S. Rep. Nan Hayworth’s talk with business leaders (“Hayworth talks business with local leaders, Feb. 4). In the article the congresswoman stated the following: “If you look at the expenditures in the so-called stimulus — nearly a trillion dollars that have not had perceptible net benefits for the Hudson Valley.” She […]
At its January 24th meeting of the Dutchess County Legislature, the Republican majority once more confirmed its commitment to the dubious practice of gerrymandering the boundary lines of the legislative districts in which they will make their own bids for re-election.
January 21st marks the first anniversary of the unfortunate 5-4 “Citizens United vs. The Federal Elections Commission” decision of the Supreme Court that gave the rights of personhood to corporations and shifted more political power and influence to lobbyists and large corporations. This decision ranks among the worst decisions in the Court’s history. In “Citizens […]
Every so often in politics, a legislative body comes together and passes a good government reform – something that places the voters’ interest ahead of political gain. This happened in 2009, when the Dutchess County Legislature’s Democrats were joined by a Conservative and three Republicans in passing a law that created independent redistricting procedures for […]
In 2009, the Dutchess County Legislature, led by Democrats with bipartisan support, passed a law creating an independent redistricting process. There would have been equal representation from both parties, inherently promoting compromise. Instead of embracing this nonpartisan effort, on Dec. 7 the Republican supermajority repealed independent redistricting, moving us backward into an era of partisan […]
We object to Ron Ray’s letter, “Dems need a leader: Tyner, not Goldberg” (Dec. 4). Dutchess County Minority Leader Sandy Goldberg is an exemplary public servant, someone who has dedicated years of her life to representing her constituency, with no thought to herself or political expediency. Sandy has both reached across the aisle and stood […]
As we enter the holiday season and look ahead to 2011, I want to take this moment to thank friends and neighbors in the 41st Senate Districtfor the extraordinary opportunity to run to representthem in Albany. I am honored by the 37,000 citizens who voted for me andinspired by the many hundreds of citizens who […]
After every budget, the six Republican councilmen who control the Town of Poughkeepsie council praise themselves as fiscal conservatives fighting for the taxpayers. Yet every year our taxes go up. There are several reasons why our taxes went up (MTA taxes, state mandates, insurance costs, newly imposed unfunded charge-backs by our Republican County Legislators). These […]