Something Like ‘Green New Deal’ Essential, But Impact On Personal Freedom Worrisome The Big Idea of the Green New Deal, now widely supported among Democrats, is to deal aggressively at once with the twin crises of climate justice and social justice. The Green New Deal (GND) seeks to combine the progressive goals raised by Bernie Sanders in the 2016 election (single-payer healthcare, free college tuition, taxing the rich, and breaking up big banks) with a wholesale public infrastructure program for…
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Opinion - Page 238
From The Heart Of Ohio New Home, New History When we left Cooperstown to move to Ohio, a good friend told us in no uncertain terms that we would never know the history of our Ohio community as well as we know the history of Cooperstown and its environs. And while we would most heartily concur with this assessment, during our relatively short time in Ohio we feel we have managed to add to our knowledge of Knox County in…
County Board Committee Adjusts Policy To Affirm Public, Press Have Rights Regarding the county Board of Representatives’ policy, “Use of Photographic and Recording Devices At County Meetings,” the stated goal – “to allow meetings to be conducted in an orderly manner” – was never objectionable. Two aspects of the policy were: One, that reporters need to “sign in” (i.e., register with a local government to do their job) and, two, if failing to do so would be “excluded” from board…
INTERVIEW WITH DR. GERALD BENJAMIN WHAT’S THE MATTER WITH UPSTATE? It all began with a technological breakthrough – in Syracuse. Air conditioning. Air conditioning used to be very expensive. Installation as well as maintenance were something not everyone could afford. However today, according to Coolest Gadgets the best AC units won’t break the bank anymore. Its development by General Electric in that central New York city opened the way for the industrial development of the South and Southwest, and the…
Until Available 24/7, Renewable Energy Not Ready For Prime Time The Otsego County Chamber board and president deserve a heartfelt “thank you” for having the vision and courage to host the “Energy Summit” Thursday, Jan. 31, at The Otesaga. Speakers from New York and Pennsylvania talked about fossil fuels and renewables, including biomass, ethanol, electric cars, wind, solar and geo-thermal. At the end of the day, it was clear that, although promising for the future, renewables are not currently capable…
On Energy Future, State Must Pick Right Side Of Scale To the Editor: My letter relates to previous submissions regarding energy development, specifically Dick Downey’s letter from the Jan. 31-Feb. 1 editions. Mr. Downey brings forward two frustrating points. The first is that Climate Change may not be real or related to human activity, and the second that renewable energy is viable only with state support. I will start with Mr. Downey’s view on climate change, and his contention that…
Plea To Biological Field Station: End Pesticide Use To the Editor: Five years ago, CVS Pharmacy Corp., as a healthcare-product provider, made the costly but ethical decision to discontinue the sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products. Cheers to them! With springtime approaching, I am reminded by the CVS example of applied ethics of the decades-long silence by the SUNY Oneonta Biological Field Station on West Lake Road, regarding the use of pesticides and herbicides on the Leatherstocking Golf…
EDITORIAL County Rep. Kennedy Right To Seek Faulty Policy’s End State Law ‘Silent’ On Issue – So Stick To What Law Does Say The end of what is, at best, an anomaly, may be in sight. County Rep. Meg Kennedy, C-Mount Vision, says she plans to ask the Administration Committee she chairs to remove two extralegal clauses from a policy it passed last month: “Use of Photographic Equipment and Recording Devices at County Meetings.” The complete policy appears in the…
From The Heart Of Ohio A Tale Of Three Books – At Once .Lately we have taken on a project that we not only do not like very much, but also would not recommend, namely reading more than one book at a time. Although the he-we would often be reading more than one book, we have never been a fan of doing so. However, due to an interesting set of circumstances, we found ourselves doing just that. Not long…
EDITORIAL LESSONS FROM OTSEGO CHAMBER EARTH SUMMIT No, We Can’t Save World Alone; Yes, We Can Embrace Opportunity The debate around here has appeared to be all about energy. Listening to 19 content-rich, tightly packed presentations – 15 minutes, 15 minutes, 15 minutes – at the Otsego County Chamber of Commerce’s “Energy Summit: Infrastructure & Economy,” Thursday, Jan. 31, at The Otesaga, you’d have come to a different conclusion. The discussion’s all about jobs. Energy is the means. Which can…