Letters to the editor, February 17 to 23

When freedom-lovers limit others’ freedom, and more

Posted 2/15/22

Don’t miss the show

The meetings of the Sullivan County Legislature are the best show in town.

Currently, the bad guys are winning, dominated by the chairman with his three …

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Letters to the editor, February 17 to 23

When freedom-lovers limit others’ freedom, and more

Posted

Don’t miss the show

The meetings of the Sullivan County Legislature are the best show in town.

Currently, the bad guys are winning, dominated by the chairman with his three legislative henchmen, the swing vote, one rebel and three minority legislators.

As I watched a recent meeting, I wished they were all still masked.

The chairman, as the comedic villain, repeatedly proclaimed his love to the swing vote and giggled with the county manager until a member of the public asked him to be quiet so that we could hear. His interest in the meetings had obviously diminished after the “wild and crazy guys” of Hatzolah Air finished their presentation on the $26 million facility they would like to build at the airport, although they may reconsider if they don’t get their 120-year lease. It’s true that the show would be better with a laugh track.

We listened soberly to the county manager’s plan to spend another $1.2 million of “unrestricted” COVID relief funds on the heating system for the college. At the end of the long morning, we watched the director of Community Services earnestly presenting her restructuring proposal to the newly appointed chairman of the Health and Human Services committee, who has consistently supported efforts to undermine, sell, or outsource our health and human services.

Since the start of the pandemic, she said, there’s been a 46.1 percent increase in helpline calls about mental health emergencies, a 38.4 percent increase in drug overdoses, and a 10-30 percent increase in violent crime.

Nobody wants to apply to be a social worker at Community Services because the salaries are so low.  Consequently, the county will award contracts to several out-of-county agencies.  The swing vote, who also is the full-time commissioner of planning for Orange County, nodded along (no conflict of interest there)!

Honestly, folks, it’s a must-watch.  All meetings are recorded live and easy to view through the Sullivan website. Just Google “Welcome to Sullivan County!”

Lise Kennedy

Neversink, NY

When freedom-lovers limit others’ freedom

For the last several years, I have witnessed incessant cries for unfettered freedom. Freedom to assemble without restraint, freedom to be crude, freedom to visit public places unmasked and unvaccinated.  

Suddenly it appears that those freedom-lovers have decided to attempt to restrict freedom. The freedom-loving crowd wants to severely limit  what books are available to children. They are particularly interested in restricting books by Black authors. Another favorite target are books that deal with LBGTQ+ issues.

These folks are calling our public schools “government schools” in an effort to malign the positive force of public education throughout this country’s history.

In one community in Tennessee, there has been a book-burning event. Please don’t let that happen in Pike County’s DVSD; in Endicott, NY or anywhere else in the United States of America!

Mary Jo Thomas

Endicott, NY

Sullivan County Legislature, show, freedom, book burning, Delaware Valley School District

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