BONUS: Stefanik goes after Saratoga Springs school district
Stec proposes reinstating prison guards; more protests in North Country
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Instead of pursuing world peace at the United Nations, Rep. Elise Stefanik has decided to save the Saratoga Springs school district from the plague of transgender students and athletes, even though there is no evidence there are any of either.
The Gazette in Schenectady reported this week that Stefanik turned in the Saratoga Spring City School District to the Department of Education.
She essentially threw a local school district under the school bus in a desperate attempt to get the attention of President Donald Trump.
It was Stefanik's way of screaming from the rooftops "Look at me Donald, I'm still Ultra-MAGA!"
In a letter to the Secretary of Education Linda McMahon - you know, the woman who earned her education chops promoting professional wrestling - Stefanik wrote:
My understanding of Republican philosophy was it believed education decisions should be in the hands of parents and teachers locally, not from the Department of Education in Washington, D.C., but Stefanik apparently believes otherwise.
"Due to this blatant violation of federal law, I am requesting that the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights open a formal investigation into this matter to hold the SSCSD Board of Education accountable under federal law and protect our young women and girls in sports,” Stefanik wrote in her letter. “I look forward to working together to enforce President Donald Trump’s agenda and hold educational institutions and governing bodies like the Saratoga Springs City School District Board of Education accountable.”
I can't help but wonder where Stefanik was in protecting our youth a few weeks ago when several children disappeared from Sacket's Harbor after the government took them to another state to be deported.
The one bright spot is that the Trump administration has cut 2,000 jobs from the Department of Education so it might take awhile to address Stefanik's letter.
Trump's Feb. 5 order calls for taking away all federal funding to schools which don't abide by his orders.
Stefanik's letter made it sound like she might ask for the death penalty to board members - or worse.
The Gazette reported the Saratoga school board pushed back, saying the district is in compliance with all applicable laws and adheres to all state guidelines around prohibiting discrimination.
The key words there are "state guidelines."
The Saratoga City Board of Education voted 7-1-1 on March 27 in favor of the resolution with one against and one abstention.
“The Saratoga Springs City School District remains committed to fostering a safe, inclusive, and respectful learning environment for every student,” the statement reads. “We are confident that our district’s policies are fully in compliance with New York State law.”
The Gazette also reported that back in January, the Niskayuna school district released a letter to parents reaffirming its commitment to its transgender policies. There was no criticism from Stefanik then, but she was also preparing for her gig at the United Nations.
The Times Union reported the Saratoga Springs district did not share if transgender athletes participated on any of its 94 teams.
Rehiring prison guards
In the wake of Gov. Kathy Hochul's decision to fire 2,000 corrections officers who went on a wildcat strike, state Sen. Dan Stec and Assemblyman Scott Gray of Watertown have proposed a bill to have them reinstated.
North Country Public Radio reports that "the legislation would give the correction officers a `grace period' until July 1 to return to work without retribution."
Considering that the guards walked off the job in concern for their safety, the bill is worth considering, but perhaps it should be part of a larger attempt to make the state prison system more about "corrections" than punishment.
It is clear that a career in prisons is not high on the list of most young people, despite the high pay scale, so the guards fired are needed.
More protests
North Country Public Radio reported this week that more than 100 people packed a park in Saranac Lake as part of protests against the Trump administration's actions.
On Saturday, there were also protests in Malone, Plattsburgh and Potsdam.
NCPR reported the Potsdam rally had over 250 in attendance.
Bottle bill
One of things that has been difficult to accept during my time in New Orleans is how dirty the city is.
Trash, bottles and cans are regularly discarded on the sidewalks and streets.
There is no bottle bill in Louisiana, but there is a homeless problem and pan- handling is seen all over the city. A simple 5-cent bottle deposit would give those cans and bottles value and would probably make a big dent in the litter problem.
The New York Legislature is currently trying to address increasing the deposit on bottles and cans to make the redemption business more viable.
New York should not go backwards. It should pass an updated bottle bill.
"The Bottle Bill is the most effective litter reduction policy that we have in New York state,” Earthjustice policy advocate Liz Moran told the Times Union. “It’s common sense that we should now expand this law — it’s been successful, it’s demonstrated its worth, it’s easy and simple in how it works.”
Case dismissed
Two years ago, the nonprofit news outlet Mississippi Today won a Pulitzer Prize for an investigative series describing how Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant directed millions of dollars in state welfare funds to projects that helped friends and family, including NFL quarterback Brett Favre.
It was a great example of investigative reporting by a small nonprofit news outlet.
But the governor later sued, alleging that Mississippi Today’s CEO, the reporter and editor defamed him in public comments.
After hearing about this frivolous lawsuit, I made a donation to Mississippi Today.
That case was finally dismissed last week and Mississippi Today does not have to worry about revealing confidential sources it used to report the problem.
Unfortunately, the governor has vowed to appeal.
So I made another donation to Mississippi Today.
The Nieman Foundation wrote, "this is a major victory, one that shines a spotlight on what is happening in local media across the country. Some of the best accountability reporting is being done today by local nonprofit newsrooms—from Mississippi Today and its sister publication Verite News in New Orleans to VT Digger in Vermont and the Texas Tribune. But the threats are growing, from local officials and also a federal government animated by President Trump’s fierce anti-media rhetoric. Press freedom and legal organizations are rallying to meet the challenge—and have scored some notable successes."
Support local journalists and your local media outlet, including those practicing the craft on Substack.
Great quote
From Editor & Publisher on Monday there was this great quote, especially appropriate after a weekend of protests:
"A newspaper is not just for reporting the news—it’s to make people mad enough to do something about it."
-Mark Twain
Ken Tingley spent more than four decades working in small community newspapers in upstate New York. Since retirement in 2020 he has written three books and is currently adapting his second book "The Last American Newspaper" into a play. He currently lives in Queensbury, N.Y.
I hope that the Saratoga Springs City School District tells Stefanik "see you in court", as the Governor of Maine, Janet Mills, told Trump a few weeks ago.
She's worried about trans athletes?
Meanwhile I had a conversation with a lady who had grew up in Harlem. Her father was very recently detained and held for a half an hour by ICE. All because he is brown skinned. Her familys lineage native american and black. He was born here in America. No criminal record or anything.
So glad we get our trans athlete problem under control.