President Trump goes low with Hillary Clinton video

Don’t give EPA, GE pass on Hudson River cleanup

Dear Editor, People are drawn to the Hudson River as place for fun and business.

This is evidenced by the Shadows Marina, restaurant and related Bonura properties along the Poughkeepsie waterfront, where a press conference was recently hosted by Dutchess County Executive Molinaro. Joining the county executive at this event were state representatives who said that further progress and the health of citizens are in jeopardy because of unsubstantiated claims by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that General Electric’s cleanup of PCBs will achieve its mandated results. Each of the event’s speakers, strongly linked the Hudson with the region’s prosperity. Business, government and environmental leaders and citizens have come together to call on EPA to state unequivocally that the cleanup to date “is not protective of the environment and public health.” This would pave the way for additional remediation and a bright future for the Hudson Valley’s numerous constituencies.

Ned Sullivan President, Scenic Hudson

Poughkeepsie, N.Y.

GOP health care plan gives money to wealthy

Dear Editor, I am writing on behalf of the millions of Americans whose health care depends on the meager system we have now, which is Obamacare.

It seems to me that Republicans are hell-bent to basically steal the money from medicare and Obamacare and use it to fill their pockets for a future tax cut plan that will take money from the middle class and the poor and put it in the pockets of the super wealthy. Millionaires don’t need tax cuts at the expense of the very lives of the poor, elderly and disabled. I personally am very insulted that Republicans use my taxpayer money to waste our time so they can to find new ways to scheme and con the general public. All they do is deceive the innocent public out of their healthcare.

Franc Palaia Rhinebeck, N.Y.

Rep. Faso, protect climate by protecting public lands

Dear Editor, I was very happy to receive a letter from U.S. Rep. John Faso, R-Kinderhook, informing me of a proposal to address climate change by creating a bipartisan National Climate Solutions Commission to review economically viable public and private actions or policies. But I am concerned about the “economically viable” language.

President Trump’s 2018 budget includes “budget balancing” tricks that will open our public lands to oil drilling. For example, The House Budget Committee 2018 budget resolution includes a veiled attempt to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, one of America’s most remote wilderness areas.

Remember the Bridge to Nowhere? This is an equally expensive and potentially catastrophic project that will cost taxpayers millions. It will also simultaneously destroy an ecosystem that is home to dozens of wildlife species and the Gwichen people, another indigenous people that the Unites States plans to strip of their sacred ancestors’ lands.

So, while I am encouraged by Faso’s role in accepting the science of climate change, a very real action that he can take right now is to see that all the stealth attacks on our climate protectors, like the Arctic, are protected from congressional budget grabs.

Let’s encourage Faso to take a leadership role in addressing climate change by voting to remove all exploitation of our public lands from the federal budget. Kristin Brown New Paltz, N.Y. Dear Editor, Just when I think Donald Trump could not stoop any lower, he does with the release of a video that depicts him hitting Hillary Clinton with a golf shot.

He can’t offer a cogent argument discussing her philosophy which informs her policy positions because he is too ignorant and dangerously uninformed. So he continues to go low.

As Eleanor Roosevelt said, “Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.”

I offer an additional category, tiny minds are cruel and shallow. Nancy Guski Red Hook, N.Y.

Historical Kingston is fast becoming Hysterical Kingston

Dear Editor, On taking a new route through Kingston last evening, I was shocked at the state of the roads. This morning I read that millions are being sought to bring a “Show Boat” venue from Illinois.

Are there no local builders who can be put locals to work building a similar boat? Kingston has a long history of barge building.

Also, I am shocked at the idea of giving proposed builders from other areas millions in tax breaks. If they can’t afford the taxes, they can’t afford the project. How can we forget the IBM fiasco and that the taxpayers money lost there. Even if these tax breaks are called “grants,” it is the taxpayer who pays.

Sadly, beautiful “Historical” Kingston is becoming hysterical Kingston. William C. Clogston

Hurley, N.Y.