36 Comments
User's avatar
Al Bellenchia's avatar

Keep shining the light, Ken.

“Once a government is committed to the principle of silencing the voice of opposition, it has only one way to go, and that is down the path of increasingly repressive measures, until it becomes a source of terror to all its citizens and creates a country where everyone lives in fear.” - Harry S. Truman

Expand full comment
Irene Baldwin's avatar

Those Medicaid cuts are going to have a huge impact here. More than a third of rural New Yorkers are on Medicaid and our federally qualified health centers also receive Medicaid funding.

Expand full comment
Ken Tingley's avatar

As well most of the red states including here in Louisiana where they depend on it a lot.

Expand full comment
Bob Dillon's avatar

They are already complaining, Mike Johnson is going to get slaughtered next election cycle. I'm selling a large amount my IRA portfolio tomorrow to have cash on the sidelines as I see no possibility that the Trump policies are going to work in the near term and add international unrest now while the rest of the world is watching his Putin loving strategy. My bet China and North Korea are already salivating at the spoils. VANCE OUTRIGHT LIED!!

Expand full comment
Richard's avatar

...the "conundrum" for the MAGA/Republican "base" is: how to [and why?!] continue to support someone who not only does not give a hoot about you, and never did- and never will; but, furthermore, someone whose policies are directly against your [and this country's- and the world's] best interests [how many of you have already been fired?] / -will you ever wake up and maybe even: save not only yourselves, but all of us (i.e. the country- and the world) when you do? / "he" does not exist without you..

Expand full comment
Kevin Robbins's avatar

I’d be a little concerned if I was a Republican congress member. Trump promised the moon, or at least cheaper eggs. What many people are getting is a pink slip. They shouldn’t be surprised, I suppose. The catchphrase for his show was, “you’re fired.”

Thanks to their legislative efforts their constituents are either well-armed or capable of being. Rising prices, a lost job, lost government benefits and the disappointment in their “savior” might be a perfect storm.

Better decide soon if they represent billionaires or the common folk.

Expand full comment
Beth Ann Fitzgerald's avatar

I filed a complaint against Bill VanNess with the ethics board about 4 years ago now.

After I spoke only one person acknowledged my effort and obvious distress.

I had to go to a mediator, as did VanNess.

The law was on my side, and I *won*, but later found out through someone involved in Warren County that it was a big joke and all the good old boys thought it was funny and said things about me to each other. I don't care what they think, but it showed me who these people really are.

Taught me a big lesson about these people and how they cover for each other.

Expand full comment
Ken Tingley's avatar

Make no mistake about it, the good ole boy network still exists as well as political patronage. VanNess left his seat on the board shortly after the lawfirm vote and was given a cushy job with Board of Elections. I think he was paid something like $75,000 a year and he just recently reetired.

Expand full comment
mike parwana's avatar

The idea that DOGE is trying to save taxpayer money by cancelling contracts is preposterous, and, given the actual evidence, any legitimate news source should be reporting it as “purportedly an attempt to save taxpayer money.”

Journalists fail us (again and again) in reporting the words that liars say without making clear that they have long records of making false statements without correcting the record.

Expand full comment
Ken Tingley's avatar

Good point. We (they?) keep getting trapped in our old-fashioned desire to be fair and not look partisan rather than bluntly reporting the facts.

Expand full comment
Wendy Aronson's avatar

Authoritarian regimes and dictatorships share the same playbook. Madeleine Albright chronicled it in her book Fascism, A Warning. Stifling the free press is cardinal. Restricting access of journalists who disagree is a primary strategy. Trump/Musk, Steven Miller, and the six "conservative" (what a misnomer!) Supremes have already succeeded in transforming the world's leading democracy. In my view, we are already lost. They have total control, and do whatever they like without restraints. Our government no longer exists to protect us. Instead, money for the billionaires drives it. Be very afraid.

Expand full comment
Ken Tingley's avatar

Owning the courts is a plus, especially the Supreme Court which blocked the starting foreign aid last night.

Expand full comment
Wendy Aronson's avatar

Yup. That's the point at which I realized that we are already a dictatorship. President/Musk = King. No guardrails. The Supremes are impotent shadows.

Expand full comment
Judith Tully's avatar

Thank you Ken for writing about Queensbury Ethics. This practice has gone on long enough. At the beginning of the week, I called the Board and left a message . That same day, I received two not just one phone call. To my surprise, after writing a letter, I received an acknowledgment. I hope others who live in Ward 4 and read your posts do the same.

Expand full comment
Ken Tingley's avatar

They acknowledged only three or four people had called or written. That is not enough. They have to be buried in email and calls to notice, not because it is political, but because what they are doing is WRONG!

Expand full comment
Ren Tall's avatar

The fact that the Russia Collision Hoax was perpetuated by the msm tells you all you need to know about the legacy White House press. Time for some actual reporters to cover the Whitehouse.

You should do a piece revealing the connection between HRC and the dossier.

Expand full comment
Ken Tingley's avatar

Hoax! Did you read ANY of the Mueller report. It was no hoax.

Expand full comment
Maggie's avatar

Oh good grief - STILLLLLL??? How about adding "her emails"? It is telling when the whatabout consists of something from 9 years ago! AND something that was bogus.

Expand full comment
Tanya Goldstein's avatar

Don’t forget Benghazi!! They might be able to get a little more mileage out of that too!

Expand full comment
Ken Tingley's avatar

All nine investigations. GOP invented weaponizing politics.

Expand full comment
Susan Andrews's avatar

The trolls crave feedings 24/7…Please don’t take the bait…today or any day. It sucks the energy out of this room…which gives them their sociopathic “hit” like an addictive drug. Let them find it on the Black Market

Congrats to Wendy and Bernice for being 2 of 8 letter authors whose writings made it into the recent Post Star paper and digital pages 📩. Keep on keeping on!

Expand full comment
Gary P Schmitt's avatar

It is obvious that there is a conflict of interest. Power is addictive, and these people will create even more conflict as they gobble up more power.There are so many silent voices, including the Chamber of Commerce, leaders in profit and non-profit organizations, and lots of citizens who aren’t even aware of this power grab.

They will go as far as you let them, like a dog on a leash. It’s time to yank on the leash.

Get them on the record now. Show up at meetings so that not only are we seeing what they are doing, but we will do something about it.

Expand full comment
Anonymous's avatar

Did you ever attend a Republican Committee meeting as a "proxy". If so, was there a "conflict of interest" because of your position with a local news organization ?

Expand full comment
Patricia Ryan Brouwer's avatar

Speaking of conflicts - I would enjoy seeing an article from you on how Elise Stefanik, who has yet to be confirmed, sat in on Trump’s cabinet meeting on Wednesday as the ambassador to the UN. This was the day after she voted yes on Trump’s budget resolution as a US Congresswoman. The Republicans are withholding the confirmation to keep her vote where the republicans hold a slim majority.

While that manipulation is underway, it’s preventing Hochul from announcing a date for the special election in NY-21.

Expand full comment
Carol L. Clark's avatar

Altogether a great post, Ken. BTW, Stefanik voted for the House GOP budget bill nearly killing Medicaid, threatening 72 million people's lives, and, then cutting $230 billion in SNAP benefits as well as student debt. I understand about the student debt issue - these guys want an ignorant population, not an educated one. So perhaps we should rename the GOP and call it the "gimme party."

The most gob-smacking sight at the end of the vote was the group prayer in the well of the house thanking God for this bill. One could look all year for reference that God approves afflicting and starving the poor to feed the rich and never find it. So, this isn't worship of God or Jesus or anything holy, except for white male privilege and the patriarchy which also doesn't take account of the Second Commandment. Hmmm.

Expand full comment
Ken Tingley's avatar

Not to mention separation of church and state.

Expand full comment
Bob's avatar
Feb 27Edited

And speaking of our inexorable decent into American carnage under the Trump Regime, this from NBC News:

"A Food and Drug Administration vaccine advisory committee meeting scheduled for March to select the strains to be included in next season’s flu shot has been canceled, a panel member said Wednesday. The cancellation comes as the United States is in the midst of a particularly severe flu season. So far, 86 children and 19,000 adults have died this season, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention."

For many years, I’ve received my flu vaccine in the fall and have managed to avoid getting the flu. It looks less and less likely we’ll be able to get the vaccine this year.

Expand full comment
Ken Tingley's avatar

I have had the same experience. Flu vaccine works.

Expand full comment
Judith E. Smullen's avatar

In response to your articles on the conflict of interest within the Queensbury Town Board, I have sent the following to each of the members, edited for the recipient. Though I no longer live in Glens Falls, I still have family and friends in the area, as well as a vested interest in the success of the community, SUNY Adirondack in particular, so I felt free to offer my response:

As one who grew up in Glens Falls/Queensbury, of which I am very proud, I am heartbroken to follow the story of the unethical politization of the Queensbury Town Board, now confronted with a clear conflict of interest in the person of Mr. McNulty’s serving both as Board member and head of the Warren County Republican Committee.

My father, former Queensbury Town Council member, town historian, founding President of ACC (now SUNY Adirondack), and life-long Republican, would be aghast at such a blatant lack of honesty and integrity.

Mr. McNulty is betraying his oath of office, his constituents, and his party.

Sadly, such hypocrisy and childishness seem to be becoming the norm in his once proud party. I am grateful that Mr Metivier seems committed to honorable public service.

It is past time for Mr. McNulty to resign from one — or both — of these conflicting positions and do the right thing for Queensbury and for the Warren County Republican Committee.

Most sincerely,

Judith Eisenhart Smullen

Expand full comment
Ken Tingley's avatar

Bravo!!! Well said.

Expand full comment
Susan Weber's avatar

Thanks for this interesting background. Do you think the Republicans are emboldened in their unethical behavior by the MAGA wrecking crew in DC that never saw a problem withconflicts of interest???

Expand full comment
Ken Tingley's avatar

Not necessarily. I think they have always operated this way locally so this is business as usual.

Expand full comment