I feel like my little town is shrinking, and getting older. Engagement at local events seems to be way down. The shrinking towns need to be honest with themselves and realize they may not be all that inviting to growth and do something about it — or give up and just become Dollar General and Stewart’s Land and not much else.
Community leaders and voters are in a state of denial on many issues that are driving loss of population. It’s really pretty simple: if people can’t find jobs that pay a living wage or housing they can afford, they move. And communities die. Raising taxes to cover loss of revenues exacerbates the problem. It creates a doom loop. With the rise of remote work, lower cost areas should be focused on attracting smart development of affordable housing.
Fort Ann’s 23.4 percent decrease in population is attributable entirely to the closure of the NYS Correctional Facility in Comstock. When you drive by the closed prison you begin to wonder what possible alternative use could that site be put to? The answer is that it is not a site that is readily adaptable to other uses. And the prison closure in Comstock is not unique. There are other NYS prisons that have been closed and those facilities sit there rotting away. The community that relied upon the facility for jobs, housing opportunities and municipal infrastructure are devastated.
I think that the State should be required ( just like the closure regulations for quarries, sand and gravel pits, solid waste sites...and other similar land uses ) to “restore” a closed prison site to a state that is compatible with its natural surroundings. The State should not be allowed to just walk away from a closed prison site and abandon it. The State should be required to remove and responsibly dispose of hazardous substances and remove the buildings....grade and replant the site and then offer financial incentives to industry, commerce or developers to consider re-use of the site. Such a plan could present opportunities for small towns like Fort Ann. The State’s “ bad habit” of just declaring a prison site closed, followed by devastating the community that relied on the prison for jobs and municipal infrastructure simply creates the problem for the local community and then the State simply ignores it .
1) both pos_tfnKKK and dam stec-ick said they would prevent prison closures.
ª if you are keeping score at home, they did not
ª not only that, they have done nothing to create jobs, or help those people not willing to move* get other jobs
* I seem to remember the guards could relocate to other jobs (so that decrease in population for Fort Ann could have moved other places
2) returning (restoring) to natural surroundings would be expensive (not saying it isn't the price to pay)... but I agree that at the very least more thought should go into this like:
ª Camp Gabriels (north of Saranac Lake) could be turned into housing for the foriegn workers who are needed to fill jobs {{o way we are arresting those people }}
ª what about a prison museum or living history site where people can see what life in prison is like - - - > a new job for prison guards
I am a big fan of Front Page... as are many others
Though I am oft critical or quick to point out things I disagree with there is one basic thing I believe makes this great (and I hope I am doing the same myself).
NEVER stop learning.
ª the more you know the more you see how things are connected ª the more you know the more you can see lies (from pos_tfnKKK, for example)
ª If you read many different things... you have a broad prospective to draw from and to connect the points on a graph (dots - as the saying kind of goes)
ª if you read (that is enough, because the willingly ignorant TAC0eaters clearly don’t read)
ª look at any republican and then look at the extreme of that extreme group and you will see why they have problems.. they have no reason to believe what they believe. Sure they will say because so and so said it (usually fox, oan, newsmax or some less than creditable source). But when pressed they have nothing.
Of course the bigger problem, the republicans who know better (and pos_tfnKKK is guilty of knowing better, but continuing a lie - - - in this interview, she endorses election lies {{https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYAjbqWp12o}} also included in the interview are other (typical gQp) racist and misogynist dog whistles)
I enjoy watching someone pull from as many sources as possible.. I do wish there were links to your sources at the end..
problem for those in rural communities.. the loss of the population comes from an important resource - - - > brains.
Zombies would starve to death in much of pos_tfnKKK distict.
If you live(d) in rural areas of NYS or the country and you happen to fall into a group that has a larger world view (educated, well-read, seek out facts) you are more likely to leave the area. You will want to leave where you can get a job that doesn't involve driving a snow plow (An important job, and not one that always means you are uneducated, but if you are a high school drop out.. you could do that)
As most know...You go to college and get an education.. you will likely seek a job elsewhere.
I have long contended that if politicians like pos_tfnKKK cared.. the solution is easy... move state and federal jobs to districts like NY21. With the internet there is no reason why the State or Federal job can't be in Schroon Lake. Be that of tax collection, accounting, social security, etc)
Instead of creating and/or moving jobs to her district pos_tfnKKK is cutting the jobs*
CAP’s analysis builds on the Budget Lab model, which suggests that a 50 percent decrease in IRS agents could result in $350 billion net forgone revenue over the 10-year budget window. Their analysis showed how, estimated another way, fewer IRS resources would lead to a substantial increase in noncompliance—net forgone revenue could rise by $2.4 trillion over 10 years.
a million here, a billion there, soon you are talking real money...and then it is trillion ($2.4 trillion to be exact) and now the United States is in the poor house.
Regarding Medicaid cuts, you know who in NY21 will be hurt most by the Medicaid cuts? All the rural white men working blue collar jobs, with payment in cash, under the table - no taxes, no social security, no retirement savings. You know, the ones who voted for this because they didn’t believe in government.
They (and their families) have been using Medicaid for health care…. The so-called “big beautiful bill” will force these men to work “on the books” and pay income and social security taxes. They’re going to have to pay for health care (for themselves and for their families) and when their hospitals start closing, they’re going to pay even more. Some are going to die.
They fu$ked around and now they’re going to find out.
Sadly there will be a ton of collateral damage. People who saw this coming and voted against it are going to be impacted too. Maybe us. Reminding us all that the government isn’t the enemy. The government is US - taking care of each other, taking care of our communities and taking care of our nation. Together. THAT is what our government is.
Senator Gillibrand's statistical projections of the tens of thousands of NYers North of Syracuse who will lose jobs, medical coverage, food stamps, etc. remind me of the old NEW YORKER cartoon of the psychiatric patient getting off the couch with a gun in his hand, saying: "You've helped me a lot, Doc, but now you know too much." We North Countryers have historically voted for GOP traitors like Stefanik, Tenney, etc. who always stab us in the back.
Nationwide, that's the pattern of MAGA voters who, like in West Virginia, will soon have all the coal they can eat. The 1000 Sackets Harbor marchers who demonstrated against hometown boy Tom Homan may be a sign that we're tired of being played for suckers.
Elise Stefanik has become a most accomplished liar or at least acquired the ability to do so without shame. She ran her first two campaigns on taking away healthcare from her constituents. It’s no surprise she can vote to do the same now without reservation.
MAGA seems to be about making life nasty, short and brutish.
Thanks for posting the T-U article as accessible. A long brewing situation, and no easy solution. I take particular issue with Tedisco's comment about Democratic control of NY being the problem. So typical of a republican to blame the opposing party. The Republican plan has for decades been to slowly skim money off the states in order to fund their tax breaks, while telling us it's to encourage states to pick up the tab. With what money? Our taxes all go to the Federal government, who doles out less and less to us.
The GOP has become increasingly obstructionist even as their obstructionism erodes the economies and liveability of our rural communities. The worse things become seemingly the angrier and more divisive they become in order to engage their voters. But the anger solves no problems, like providing health care to all which would provide a tremendous boost to the very small businesses in rural communities, for example. Tedisco, Stec, Stefanik, Trump…they solve no serious problems for us. Trump even advocated that people leave N.Y.
The TU story downplayed the increase in diversity of Halfmoon or Clifton park as being small, “only” a change of 94% white to 92% white. But flip that. It was a change from 6% non white to 8% non white. That is a 33% INCREASE in diversity. And that translates to significant changes in a community, from what foods might be available in a grocery store, to a more diverse school classroom and school sports teams or band members, to a greater chance you will see diverse people at a town meeting or running for public office. It is enough of an increase that it is noticeable in people’s ordinary lives.
Thank you, Ken, for the facts, as opposed to the lies....Zeldin bragged about the dismantling of regulations protecting air, water, and acid rain coming from the Midwest, , not regulating pollution, pesticides, or PFAS, in our drinking water, stopping the incentivizing of green energy in Biden's bills. basically selling our earth to fossil fuels and to the highest bidders and privatizing public land. Hard to believe that Trump and many Maga are denying our climate crisis, despite all evidence of drought, floods, wildfire, tornadoes, and record heat. No FEMA to aid, no NOAA to predict dangerous weather conditions. A "wonderful bill if you don't care about our environment or your children and grandchildren, or the birds, insects, flowers, beauty.....
I feel like my little town is shrinking, and getting older. Engagement at local events seems to be way down. The shrinking towns need to be honest with themselves and realize they may not be all that inviting to growth and do something about it — or give up and just become Dollar General and Stewart’s Land and not much else.
Community leaders and voters are in a state of denial on many issues that are driving loss of population. It’s really pretty simple: if people can’t find jobs that pay a living wage or housing they can afford, they move. And communities die. Raising taxes to cover loss of revenues exacerbates the problem. It creates a doom loop. With the rise of remote work, lower cost areas should be focused on attracting smart development of affordable housing.
Fort Ann’s 23.4 percent decrease in population is attributable entirely to the closure of the NYS Correctional Facility in Comstock. When you drive by the closed prison you begin to wonder what possible alternative use could that site be put to? The answer is that it is not a site that is readily adaptable to other uses. And the prison closure in Comstock is not unique. There are other NYS prisons that have been closed and those facilities sit there rotting away. The community that relied upon the facility for jobs, housing opportunities and municipal infrastructure are devastated.
I think that the State should be required ( just like the closure regulations for quarries, sand and gravel pits, solid waste sites...and other similar land uses ) to “restore” a closed prison site to a state that is compatible with its natural surroundings. The State should not be allowed to just walk away from a closed prison site and abandon it. The State should be required to remove and responsibly dispose of hazardous substances and remove the buildings....grade and replant the site and then offer financial incentives to industry, commerce or developers to consider re-use of the site. Such a plan could present opportunities for small towns like Fort Ann. The State’s “ bad habit” of just declaring a prison site closed, followed by devastating the community that relied on the prison for jobs and municipal infrastructure simply creates the problem for the local community and then the State simply ignores it .
This is irresponsible.
interesting:
1) both pos_tfnKKK and dam stec-ick said they would prevent prison closures.
ª if you are keeping score at home, they did not
ª not only that, they have done nothing to create jobs, or help those people not willing to move* get other jobs
* I seem to remember the guards could relocate to other jobs (so that decrease in population for Fort Ann could have moved other places
2) returning (restoring) to natural surroundings would be expensive (not saying it isn't the price to pay)... but I agree that at the very least more thought should go into this like:
ª Camp Gabriels (north of Saranac Lake) could be turned into housing for the foriegn workers who are needed to fill jobs {{o way we are arresting those people }}
ª what about a prison museum or living history site where people can see what life in prison is like - - - > a new job for prison guards
As I said above, I believe the Fort Ann stats are based on 2020 census before the prison closure.
I believe the stats are based on the 2020 census so that would be before the prison closure.
I am a big fan of Front Page... as are many others
Though I am oft critical or quick to point out things I disagree with there is one basic thing I believe makes this great (and I hope I am doing the same myself).
NEVER stop learning.
ª the more you know the more you see how things are connected ª the more you know the more you can see lies (from pos_tfnKKK, for example)
ª If you read many different things... you have a broad prospective to draw from and to connect the points on a graph (dots - as the saying kind of goes)
ª if you read (that is enough, because the willingly ignorant TAC0eaters clearly don’t read)
ª look at any republican and then look at the extreme of that extreme group and you will see why they have problems.. they have no reason to believe what they believe. Sure they will say because so and so said it (usually fox, oan, newsmax or some less than creditable source). But when pressed they have nothing.
Of course the bigger problem, the republicans who know better (and pos_tfnKKK is guilty of knowing better, but continuing a lie - - - in this interview, she endorses election lies {{https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYAjbqWp12o}} also included in the interview are other (typical gQp) racist and misogynist dog whistles)
I enjoy watching someone pull from as many sources as possible.. I do wish there were links to your sources at the end..
a big
BIG
problem for those in rural communities.. the loss of the population comes from an important resource - - - > brains.
Zombies would starve to death in much of pos_tfnKKK distict.
If you live(d) in rural areas of NYS or the country and you happen to fall into a group that has a larger world view (educated, well-read, seek out facts) you are more likely to leave the area. You will want to leave where you can get a job that doesn't involve driving a snow plow (An important job, and not one that always means you are uneducated, but if you are a high school drop out.. you could do that)
As most know...You go to college and get an education.. you will likely seek a job elsewhere.
I have long contended that if politicians like pos_tfnKKK cared.. the solution is easy... move state and federal jobs to districts like NY21. With the internet there is no reason why the State or Federal job can't be in Schroon Lake. Be that of tax collection, accounting, social security, etc)
Instead of creating and/or moving jobs to her district pos_tfnKKK is cutting the jobs*
* cutting the very jobs to ensure revenue collection (https://www.americanprogress.org/article/the-fiscal-impact-of-irs-staffing-cuts/)
"
CAP’s analysis builds on the Budget Lab model, which suggests that a 50 percent decrease in IRS agents could result in $350 billion net forgone revenue over the 10-year budget window. Their analysis showed how, estimated another way, fewer IRS resources would lead to a substantial increase in noncompliance—net forgone revenue could rise by $2.4 trillion over 10 years.
"
https://www.americanprogress.org/article/the-fiscal-impact-of-irs-staffing-cuts/
=======
a million here, a billion there, soon you are talking real money...and then it is trillion ($2.4 trillion to be exact) and now the United States is in the poor house.
I hope they didn’t spend too much on that Pew study. I could have told them that for free!
Regarding Medicaid cuts, you know who in NY21 will be hurt most by the Medicaid cuts? All the rural white men working blue collar jobs, with payment in cash, under the table - no taxes, no social security, no retirement savings. You know, the ones who voted for this because they didn’t believe in government.
They (and their families) have been using Medicaid for health care…. The so-called “big beautiful bill” will force these men to work “on the books” and pay income and social security taxes. They’re going to have to pay for health care (for themselves and for their families) and when their hospitals start closing, they’re going to pay even more. Some are going to die.
They fu$ked around and now they’re going to find out.
Sadly there will be a ton of collateral damage. People who saw this coming and voted against it are going to be impacted too. Maybe us. Reminding us all that the government isn’t the enemy. The government is US - taking care of each other, taking care of our communities and taking care of our nation. Together. THAT is what our government is.
here is something, if it wasn't true.. it would be a comedy
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/homeland-security-official-on-the-trump-administrations-immigration-policy-changes
Amna Nawaz speaks with Tricia McLaughli, assistant secretary for public affairs for the Department of Homeland Security...
The amazing thing is how TcLaughli lies so much with such big lies that Ms. Nawaz is dumbfounded.
Senator Gillibrand's statistical projections of the tens of thousands of NYers North of Syracuse who will lose jobs, medical coverage, food stamps, etc. remind me of the old NEW YORKER cartoon of the psychiatric patient getting off the couch with a gun in his hand, saying: "You've helped me a lot, Doc, but now you know too much." We North Countryers have historically voted for GOP traitors like Stefanik, Tenney, etc. who always stab us in the back.
Nationwide, that's the pattern of MAGA voters who, like in West Virginia, will soon have all the coal they can eat. The 1000 Sackets Harbor marchers who demonstrated against hometown boy Tom Homan may be a sign that we're tired of being played for suckers.
Elise Stefanik has become a most accomplished liar or at least acquired the ability to do so without shame. She ran her first two campaigns on taking away healthcare from her constituents. It’s no surprise she can vote to do the same now without reservation.
MAGA seems to be about making life nasty, short and brutish.
https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/budget-bill-raises-alarm-rural-hospitals-20372271.php
Thanks for posting the T-U article as accessible. A long brewing situation, and no easy solution. I take particular issue with Tedisco's comment about Democratic control of NY being the problem. So typical of a republican to blame the opposing party. The Republican plan has for decades been to slowly skim money off the states in order to fund their tax breaks, while telling us it's to encourage states to pick up the tab. With what money? Our taxes all go to the Federal government, who doles out less and less to us.
The GOP has become increasingly obstructionist even as their obstructionism erodes the economies and liveability of our rural communities. The worse things become seemingly the angrier and more divisive they become in order to engage their voters. But the anger solves no problems, like providing health care to all which would provide a tremendous boost to the very small businesses in rural communities, for example. Tedisco, Stec, Stefanik, Trump…they solve no serious problems for us. Trump even advocated that people leave N.Y.
The TU story downplayed the increase in diversity of Halfmoon or Clifton park as being small, “only” a change of 94% white to 92% white. But flip that. It was a change from 6% non white to 8% non white. That is a 33% INCREASE in diversity. And that translates to significant changes in a community, from what foods might be available in a grocery store, to a more diverse school classroom and school sports teams or band members, to a greater chance you will see diverse people at a town meeting or running for public office. It is enough of an increase that it is noticeable in people’s ordinary lives.
That's the thing about statistics. You can make them dance to any tune you are playing.
Thanks for the info on N.Y. from the TU.
Thank you, Ken, for the facts, as opposed to the lies....Zeldin bragged about the dismantling of regulations protecting air, water, and acid rain coming from the Midwest, , not regulating pollution, pesticides, or PFAS, in our drinking water, stopping the incentivizing of green energy in Biden's bills. basically selling our earth to fossil fuels and to the highest bidders and privatizing public land. Hard to believe that Trump and many Maga are denying our climate crisis, despite all evidence of drought, floods, wildfire, tornadoes, and record heat. No FEMA to aid, no NOAA to predict dangerous weather conditions. A "wonderful bill if you don't care about our environment or your children and grandchildren, or the birds, insects, flowers, beauty.....