BONUS: Stefanik is running and it is going to be an ugly and evil campaign
Essay urges Adirondack residents to embrace electric; Woerner tackles sports gambling
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Rep. Elise Stefanik is absolutely running for governor and it is going to be a cruel, evil and abusive campaign that will leave the entire state disgusted.
It will be her legacy.
Unless of course she wins.
Forget about mud-slinging, this will be a daily dip in the cesspool.
If you want a preview, check out “Elise Stefanik for Governor of New York 2026.” It’s important that you note “New York” is spelled out because there is also a Facebook page titled “Elise Stefanik for Governor of NY 2026” and another titled “Elise Stefanik for NY governor 2026.”
This is the 24-hour Elise network.
But there is no policy debate, no ideas for health care or getting Canadian tourists back. There is nothing but a steady stream of hateful, evil and disturbing memes with little factual reality. Some cross the line into blatant racism.
Memes can be cute and clever and entertaining while packing a political punch, but this isn’t that.
There is one meme that shows a Nazi symbol on the side of a donkey (the mascot for the Democrats) with this description of the Dems: “Socialism, Anti-America, Anti-Jews/Israel, pro-eugenics, pro-hate and modern day Nazi Party.”
There is another meme that depicts Barack and Michelle Obama as apes.
Another quotes Fox News commentator Jesse Watters: “The sooner Americans admit to themselves that Democrats are COMMUNISTS, the sooner we can begin repairing the damage they have done.”
There is another from the Conservative Women of America that reads, “How stupid are we? We allow our government to flood our nation with Muslims, give them welfare for life (with multiple wives), and then tell us that we must not offend them ‘or we will go to prison.’ Islamic immigration has destroyed every country in Europe, and it will destroy both Canada and the US. Are we so stupid that we’ll stand by and watch this happen to our country?”
These memes — campaign ads? — make the “Taxin’ Tedra” ads about her opponent in 2018 look almost quaint.
Naturally, the Stefanik campaign will say it has nothing to do with these Facebook pages.
The Capitol Pressroom reported late last month that an independent expenditure committee with plans to back a gubernatorial bid from Stefanik was registered with the state Board of Elections.
It’s called “Strong and Safe New York Inc.” and was registered by Richard St. Paul of White Plains, N.Y. Super PACs are forbidden from coordinating with Stefanik’s campaign, but they can raise unlimited funds to support her and mislead voters if they choose.
Thank you Supreme Court for the 2010 Citizens United decision.
Stefanik launched her own political action committee to support local Republican candidates as a way “to build the groundwork for 2026,” according to The Capital Pressroom, but with $13 million in cash to start the campaign — she can probably raise a lot more — she will be well funded.
The New York Post reported this weekend that Stefanik is assembling an all-star team of political operatives. Axios reported that longtime Stefanik aide Alex DeGrasse will be the chief strategist and financial officer for the campaign. DeGrasse has a long history as an attack dog for Stefanik. Expect that to start as soon as Wednesday.
Axios reported the Stefanik team believes New York is moving further to the right and that Stefanik’s high-profile crusade against anti-semitism at elite universities will help her with the Jewish vote in New York City.
Since President Trump got more votes in New York — 3.5 million — than any GOP candidate since Ronald Reagan in 1988, Stefanik’s people also believe that makes her competitive.
Republicans also expect a backlash against Democrats if socialist Zohran Mamdani is elected New York City mayor tonight because Gov. Kathy Hochul endorsed him.
Are you worried yet?
This may be the opening salvo from Trump acolytes to take control of New York and eliminate any resistance to President Trump’s authoritarian plans.
Crazy? Maybe not.
We all should be worried, especially if the people posting these memes are our neighbors.
Electric in Adirondacks
Pete Nelson says he has over 300,000 miles of electric vehicle driving under his belt in his essay in The Adirondack Explorer.
Nelson, who describes himself as a writer, researcher and teacher, is active in all sorts of Adirondack issues and organizations. In his essay, he pleads for his fellow Adirondack residents to embrace electric vehicles, including school buses.
Consider this idea from Nelson:
The most important task is to lift the veil of ignorance and fear around EVs. If I ran Adirondack transportation, the state would have a traveling caravan of EVs that people could learn about and drive for extended periods of time. Mentors would be available to assist and answer questions. A subsidized EV rental system would be implemented across the park: pick one up at Frontier Town, say, and drive it for pennies on the dollar. All government vehicles would be EVs, including shuttles. People need to see EVs, try them, use them and discover how much better they are.
What a great idea. Why isn’t Sen. Dan Stec championing that idea instead of bellyaching that electric buses won’t work?
Here is the entire essay:
Gambling problems
When casinos were first being proposed around the state, there was concern about the effects they might have on local communities.
There was concern casinos would bring more crime, drug use and gambling addiction.
There wasn’t nearly the concern when sports gambling was passed into law in 2022.
There is now.
Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner, who chairs the Committee on Racing and Wagering in the Assembly, co-chaired a hearing last week on problem gambling.
Albany Times Union reporter Dan Clark reported in his “Capital Confidential” column that since sports betting was instituted problem gambling has increased dramatically every year since 2022.
Unfortunately, the politicians have no will to fix the problem when sports betting brings in over $1 billion in revenue to the state.
Clark reported that Woerner said she is not opposed to gambling, but she is concerned.
“But when the state legalizes an activity and derives more than $1 billion in tax revenue from it, I think we have a responsibility to ask whether we have done enough to regulate an activity that can cause addiction and harm to New Yorkers,” she said last week.”
She told Clark that New York didn’t develop guardrails to address a potential rise in problem gambling. That may now be on the table.
It should do that as soon as possible.
Trump interview
Norah O’Donnell’s interview with President Trump on 60 Minutes Sunday night gave new meaning to the larceny being perpetrated on the American people as he continually talked over her and ignored her questions.
At one point, Trump claimed that everyone is rich because of him and when O’Donnell tried to point out not everyone is invested in the stock market, she was dismissed.
New York Times columnist David French summed up Trump’s view of himself as accurately as we may ever get:
“It’s as if he had reversed the old saying “It’s not the crime; it’s the cover-up” into something entirely new. If there is no cover-up, then there must not have been a crime.
If there is a word that describes the second Trump administration, it’s brazen. While I certainly hold open the possibility that dark deeds are being done in secret, one thing that is remarkable is how open and obvious he is with his self-dealing.”
Newspaper debt
When people talk about the demise of newspapers, they often blame digital news, or reporting bias as the ultimate culprit.
But the real reason for many newspaper companies problems is debt.
Investing in other newspapers put Lee Enterprises and Gannett in debt.
It was reported by the Poynter Institute this week that Gannett’s debt had fallen below $1 billion for the first time since 2019. Of course, it had to make significant cuts to get there.
The Poynter Institute reported Gannett ended its third quarter with a loss of $39.2 million, a far worse performance than last year when it lost $19.7 million in the third quarter.
Car cuts
Last year, the state of Michigan voted for Donald Trump and his view of America.
This week, General Motors announced plans to lay off more than 3,000 workers as it reduces electric vehicle production.
The New York Times reported, “The layoffs are a response to an expected drop in sales of electric cars and trucks after Congress and President Trump ended, on Sept. 30, a $7,500 federal tax credit for the purchase and lease of new electric vehicles.”
G.M. sells more battery-powered cars in the United States than any other manufacturer except Tesla.
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.
Bringing the name calling, picture labels and "cutesy" slogans underlines how little Stefanik has to offer and highlights her willingness to sell her soul to the devil for money. It became apparent long ago that she sees Trump as THE way to achieve her goals, despite his failure to keep promises to her. The Republican party will throw obscene amounts of money at this election while showing the American people that money trumps reason, food insecurity, health insurance premiums, education, the Arts and the rule of law. Trump wants her as Governor as she will be the ultimate Stepford wife who delivers the PARDON he desires so he does not have to pay Stormy Daniels, nor Jean Carroll nor the victims of his fraud, nor New York State....as ordered by the court. We need to see accountability and Stefanik will deliver more corruption on behalf of Donald Trump as she wipes the slate clean in exchange for the governorship. They will stop at nothing. We, the voters of New York, must uphold the rule of law while making sure that the victims receive what is rightfully theirs.
They put the Nazi symbol on the wrong political animal symbol. These days the Republicans have evolved into that symbol, and I am speaking as a former Republican. She and her ilk who have taken it over are the reason I left the party and am now a Registered Democrat.