Your Views: Letters to the Editor, 12/5

Tenney voted no for Infrastructure Bill

April 5, 1987. A day that will live in infamy if you live in the Mohawk Valley. On that date, the Schoharie Creek Bridge on the Thruway collapsed killing 10 people after a spring noted for high floods and considerable snowmelt. And six days later a large section of the upstream Mill Point Bridge collapsed.

I'm remembering this because we witnessed President Biden sign a historic bipartisan infrastructure bill that includes $40 billion of new funding for bridge repair, replacement and rehabilitation, which is the single largest dedicated bridge investment since the construction of the interstate highway system.

The tragedies in April 1987 would never have happened if this bill had been on the table at that time. And we can only guess at the number of bridges that are catastrophes waiting to happen which will now be saved by this landmark legislation.

Now listen up, readers and voters in the Mohawk Valley. Claudia Tenney, our Representative in the House voted against the Infrastructure Bill. And here is her rationale (a direct quote): "...there is so much in this Infrastructure bill about making sure that we're talking about equity. We're talking about racism in infrastructure..."

Vote her out in 2022.

Judy Jerome,

New Hartford

Thank you Utica Comets, Upper Mohawk Valley Auditorium Authority

As I look back to Veterans Day 2021, I want to thank the Utica Comets staff, the Utica Comets hockey team, the Upper Mohawk Valley Auditorium Authority, and all the fans for the support of all veterans, Gold Star families and our active military.

On Nov. 11, the Upper Mohawk Valley Auditorium Authority proclaimed the plaza in front of the Adirondack Bank Center at the Utica Memorial Auditorium as Veterans Plaza, in honor of the sacrifices made by veterans of all American wars, who protected the freedoms that we all share today and every day.

They also renamed the street in front of Veterans Plaza as Gold Star Way in honor of the families who have had loved ones in the military killed in America’s wars. The painting of the crosswalks in purple and white, standing for Purple Heart recipients, in honor of our military men and women wounded while protecting our freedoms.

The dedication of the new flagpoles flying the Honor and Remember flag and the National Purple Heart Flag, the on-ice veterans tributes, the passing of our American flag in the stands and the presentation of a service dog to a veteran-in-need gave the true meaning of support and patriotism.

There are not enough words to say how much all this meant to all veterans and their families.

Joe Fraccola,

Commander, CNY Chapter 490 Military Order of the Purple Heart

Vote yes to Career and Technical Education programs at Proctor

On Tuesday, Dec. 7, we will have a once in a lifetime opportunity to re-establish our own on-site Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs at Proctor High School with much needed permanent improvements on site for a quality education for all our students.

I hope that you will join me in voting yes to support this wonderful vocational program at Proctor High School.

We have one of the most diverse school districts in Upstate New York and the districts proposed vocational education program is comprehensive and offers training in trades that expand a student’s options to secure a good-paying job after high school and pursue that field as a lifelong career, or go on to college.

Let’s give our students these options right in their own high school like many of us have had in years past and at the same time save Utica taxpayer money. It’s a win-win situation.

It’s my hope that our community will continue to support our Proctor students and keep our area’s legacy of strong vocational education intact.

So again, your vote does count, so please vote yes on Dec. 7. Your child/grandchild’s education depends on it.

Jim Zecca,

Utica

The rich do not pay fair share of taxes

There is a message that was lost in the coverage of the recent trial of the local business owners of Dippin’ Donuts.

I don’t have an opinion about the propriety of the guilty verdict. I do not condone tax evasion, and all citizens have a responsibility to their community and their country to pay appropriate taxes. However, we currently have a system that is fraught with inequity and unfairness.

When millionaires and billionaires, such as Democrat Jeff Bezos of Amazon or Republican Mr. Trump, can find ways to avoid paying any income tax whatsoever it provides an incentive and a faux justification for other citizens to attempt to avoid tax responsibilities.

These tax dollars are used to promote our military, fix our highways and bridges, potentially build or repair a border wall, maintain our airports and provide necessary services. When we have a tax system that allows super-wealthy individuals to avoid contributing to society, the pool of money available to provide for efficient government and services that benefit all of us is reduced. This results in the rest of us paying more taxes to make up for the wealthy people who don’t pay their fair share. This also encourages regular folks to try to cheat the system. Although I do not agree with tax evasion, I empathize with the owners of Dippin’ Donuts.

Peter W. Antonowicz,

Ava

Why does Tenney oppose Biden’s Build Back Better plan?

It’s disappointing to hear U.S. Rep Claudia Tenney referring to the Green New Deal when asked about her opposition to the climate fighting policies in President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better plan (U.S. Rep. Claudia Tenney weighs in on elections, spending bill vote, O-D, Nov. 7). Why is Tenney discussing a nearly 4-year old resolution instead of directly answering questions about the programs in the Build Back Better plan that are designed to stop climate change from ravaging our planet?

23% of our country’s carbon emissions come from manufacturing. The Build Back Better plan includes $4 billion for new technologies that will reduce emissions at industrial plants.

29% of our country’s carbon output comes from the transportation sector. The Build Back Better plan will replace the US Postal service’s 165,000 vehicle fleet with electric vehicles, provide funds to local school districts to replace their gas-guzzling buses with electric ones and increase federal subsidies for individuals looking to purchase electric vehicles.

Does Rep Claudia Tenney not know these facts? Does she think her constituents don’t deserve to hear why she opposes these particular programs? Central New York deserves better answers than that.

Jim Scannell,

‪Utica

This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Letters to the Editor for Dec. 5, 2021