I met with DEC Commissioner Martens along with other members of the steering committee of Elected Officials to Protect New York for an hour and forty five minutes at his office in Albany. Mr. Martens stated that it was highly unlikely that the DEC would meet the November 29th deadline, which is good news. Unfortunately if a revision is made of the SGEIS, he is proposing that there would be no public comment period for that or any other cumulative health or socio-economics. We voiced dissatisfaction at that and brought forth the potential of litigation. On the brighter side, he did say that fracking was not a done deal in NY and that in the end he and Health Commissioner Shah might just say that fracking is not good for New York.

We also met with representative of some of the independent Democrats of the State Senate and were assured that their contingent would support a state law banning fracking if it is brought forth in the Senate. In past sessions bills passed in the Assembly have died in the GOP-controlled senate because GOP Leader Skelos has not allowed legislation to move forward to a vote. If the GOP loses control of the Senate, the Dems (currently there are two races up in the air and the pendulum could swing to the Dems) will bring a bill passed in the Assembly forward, and it looks as if the votes are there to pass it as there are even a couple of GOP members that might cross in support.

Also Matt Ryan, Mayor of Binghamton, was part of our contingent. I had an opportunity to speak with him about the court decision which struck down Binghamton's "Moratorium." Matt said that it was basically struck down based on technical reasons because Binghamton did not follow proper procedures. There were trying to cut corners to save time. The judge in his decision did speak favorably of Dryden and Middleton's laws.

Carl Chipman, Supervisor
Rochester

Read Carl Chipman's entry and learn what a true leader does. He researches the issue, ascertains the facts, thinks deeply about what he has learned, proceeds to action.

Mr. Chipman serves as a model for what a responsible elected official should be. He has spent enormous time and effort in an attempt to understand the facts as regards fracking. He has been at the forefront of an historic fight to preserve water resources in New York State. He has moved to action (locally) based on that extensive analysis.

Kudos Mr. Chipman!

Steven L. Fornal
Accord

Six of Ulster County's 20 towns live below the national average income poverty level. This at a time when the Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency spends $8.5 annually to enrich the township of Seneca Meadows (Seneca County) through host town benefits by shipping our 140,000-ton waste stream 250 miles to its landfill.

This scenario will get progressively more expensive as time goes on, and our towns will continue to lose, unless we act to stop it. So, how do we stop the cash drain to Seneca Meadows and direct it to one of our needy towns?

The process is well laid out in the 1991 Resolution No. 390, the original agreement between Ulster County and the RRA: Flow control as the first step and finally siting a county landfill is the answer.

While we quibble over taking the first step to waste stream sanity, joint venture Oneida-Herkimer's flow control-landfill program is so successful that it is generating a profit while we are considering raising our tipping fee from $80 to $100 to meet our expenses.

Faced with this scenario, it is disheartening to us to read that "flow control doesn't sit well with Legislator John R. Parete (D-Boiceville)" and that he thinks "flow control is the worst possible scenario." He should ask one of the six town supervisors who struggle to balance their budgets on peanuts, while Seneca Meadows swims in our cash, which is the worst-case scenario? Sorry, Legislator Parete, "poorly thought out" would be not to pass flow control.

We strongly urge the public hearings and the Ulster County Legislature to pass flow control and then to urge the environmental, energy and technology committee to immediately start to lay the groundwork to site the Ulster County landfill, to stem the cash drain to Seneca Meadows.

Charles Landi, Albert Teetsel Resource Recovery Agency
Kingston

After a national election that saw the president win again and his Democrats make gains in the Senate, but with the Republicans retaining control of the House, we have a system that's stuck, yet again.

Nearly half of all voters are unhappy, disgusted and cynical. Of course, that's to be expected with a winner-take-all system and a closely divided electorate (with an additional third of potential voters who still refuse to choose between the lesser of two evils).

Forty-seven percent of the voters in parts of Maurice Hinchey's old district are feeling unhappy and unrepresented all of a sudden. Some of the 47 percent who voted for Mitt Romney are refusing to respect the results of the election. Even those who Mitt called the "47 percent" are completely unrepresented despite claims to the contrary.

The Democrats, and finally the Republicans, too, appealed solely to the "middle class" and only a relatively small number of the "lower 47 percent" supported either major party candidate. Most of them didn't bother to vote at all, particularly since no one was speaking to their interests, again despite the claims to the contrary.

With so many people dissatisfied and alienated from the two-party system, and with so little talent in the leadership of these parties, isn't it time to accept that two parties are not enough? The U.S. is one of the few remaining two-party systems and is no longer a "model of democracy" to any other country. (The Electoral College certainly hasn't been duplicated anywhere!) A few million voters swing back and forth between the two parties every two years, and our overall situation, and dissatisfaction, just gets worse. Here in New York, too, the same god awful mess is all that's on offer, with another divided and uncertain state Senate and a governor with a "party identity" problem.

Let's accept that we can learn a thing or two from other countries' political systems. Just about all of the countries that have changed their governing systems in the last 20 years — and there are dozens in every part of the world — have adopted multi-party proportional elections for their legislatures and absolute majority votes for their executives. They have higher voter participation, turnout and satisfaction than the U.S. Generally they have two large centrist parties and one, two, three or more smaller parties of the left and right. With proportionality, everyone who votes gets some representation, unlike the current system that often leaves 47 percent out in the cold. Requiring an absolute majority in a presidential or gubernatorial election has the obvious advantages of allowing several voices to compete and the ultimate winner will have won a majority mandate.

We should be able to do more than issue empty exhortations to "Get Out and Vote" when there is no contest or when there are no good choices. Maybe some of the millions of New Yorkers and tens of millions of Americans who don't regularly vote will take interest in minor parties and find themselves at polling stations. Maybe those minor parties can advance fresh ideas and reduce the friction between the two existing parties. They may be the 47 percenters who can renew the democratic institutions of this state and country and help us find a way out of our current impasse.

Pete Healey
New Paltz

Why have there been no public hearings on one of the most important legislative events of our lifetimes? We mean the proposed amendment of the New York Constitution to allow full scale casino gambling. The amendment requires two legislative votes and then a referendum. The first vote took place out of the public eye and without debate or community input in an all-night session. It is no secret that the gambling industry poured millions upon millions of dollars in contributions to legislators in the hope of securing a positive vote. They got it, the first vote was affirmative.

Now it's time and past time to bring this issue out into the light of day. Legislators can't be allowed to decide, unchallenged, that casinos build the economy. Let the people of New York hear the other side, that casinos suck money out of the pockets of citizens and into the hands of casino owners like a vacuum cleaner. So what if the State gets a cut of this virtual theft? Let's confront the fact that entering into a compact with a predatory industry is completely contrary to the State's duty to safeguard the well-being of the people. Let's discuss the mess that will have to be cleaned up all around the casinos. Will the State help with the increased crime, bankruptcy, and social services needed to ease the devastation of families, all of which research has shown follows in the wake of casinos? Will the State help local businesses which are shut down by the in-house casino restaurants and mall-like stores? Or will it leave all this up to municipalities and counties? Either way, it will hurt people, cost money, and suck cash out of the economy.

Let's at the very least have a public discussion before we take this terrible step.

Lanny Walter, Naomi Rothberg, Susan Puretz, Arnie Lieber, Mark Knaust
Executive Committee of No Saugerties Casino

We all are aware of the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy, in and around NY City, Long Island, Staten Island, and the Jersey Shore. Many residents of these areas are facing extreme hardship, due to the loss of their homes, personal belongings, or business. Some of them may be relatives, or friends of yours.

At our last meeting on November 12th the Ellenville Elks decided we will hold a benefit Roast Beef Dinner on December 15th at our Lodge in Napanoch. There will be three seatings, starting at 4 p.m., 5:15 p.m., and one at 6:30 p.m. We've also asked other Elk Lodges in the area to join us in holding some type of fundraiser to aid those in need.

In order to determine how much food to prepare for this dinner, it is requested, if planning to attend, you contact the Lodge at 647-8001, or me at 647-8912, prior to December 12th, along with seating time request.

Hoping the residents of the area respond to this dinner.

Bill Mitchell, Secretary BPOE 1971
Napanoch