30 Comments

Thank you for giving Paula Collins the time she deserves

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Poverty- eliminate the depraved NYS minimum wage laws- everybody will have a job to learn a skill, and advance in life. Just was in Ireland- no minimum wage laws- zero- everybody has a job if able.

Also, Ireland requires all students to obtain a high school diploma by age 18- if not obtained the student is confined to a state learning center to complete the hight school requirement. We need some changes. (Native Northern New Yorker)

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Very interesting, especially about Ireland.

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I've only heard that proposition from the very far right wing elites. We've already seen the reappearance of child labor. If there are no minimum wage laws, there will be no enforcement to even pay workers. So we return to "the company store" and those Depression Era shacks provided to those lucky enough to find a job? No thank you.

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The St Lawrence Seaway Region may be nice. Potsdam and Canton look like they are doing okay. Ogdensburg and Massena not doing so well. St Lawrence County, the largest county in the State, geographically speaking, is struggling when it comes to housing, affordable housing. Yet here and there we see new nice houses and small developments. Folks at the other end of my road have an inground swimming pool. Kind of amazing.

There are also almost twice as many Food Pantries as there are Libraries. Even the Libraries are struggling for funding.

For a long time I have thought that the only way the 21st will see Stefanik replaced will be with another Republican. This still may be true. But the Democrats, Independents, and Republicans who want different representation need to get out and vote for Collins in numbers great enough to show the DNC that we are here and deserve some support. We cannot turn the 21st Blue, not with Republicans being two for every one Democrat, but we can turn the 21st a little purple.

Let's do it and do it again in two years. Let's play the long game.

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Gillebrand was our Representative before her appointment to the Senate.

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What District are you in?

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Why do you ask?

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Ken's article and my reply were about the 21st Congressional District and I don't remember Gillibrand being our Representative in Congress. So I thought maybe you were from another District. Was she in our State Legislature? I forget.

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She represented, I think, then the 20th District from 2007 to 2009. Largely the same territory as today's 21st with some differences. Warren, Washington Counties plus others.

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Gillibrand represented Glens Falls in the 20th District, but not in North Country.

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While Glens Falls was in Gillibrand's district, it ran south rather than north like the current district we are in.

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There is poverty in Queensbury and GF too, but we benefit from a strong retail base that keeps prices a bit lower than in much of the district, and we have a steadier job market than much of the region so wages are a bit better on the low end.

But Qby & GF are better off than much of the region - which has been controlled by Republicans for decades. Republicans ALWAYS fight against higher minimum wage and universal health care which are 2 ways to immediately address poverty.

In Warren and Washington counties Republican supervisors are pushing to increase the sales tax which chips away at modest gains people at the low end of the wage scale have made in recent years due to a hard fought effort by Democrats to increase the minimum wage over the last few years.

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Oct 9
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Universal healthcare eliminates one major risk for the self employed as well as eliminating the risk that politicians will impose arbitrary requirements on what should be a basic human right. And it would eliminate the problem of having to choose between work and healthcare.

Thanks for pointing out that benefit of universal healthcare - unleashing entreprenuership!

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I expect Collins to get around 40% of the vote in November. Maybe 42%.

That would be a win. That would show that Stefanik, with all of her money is vulnerable.

I suspect she would start looking for her next job.

If Collins tops 42% Stefanik will be very afraid.

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Vote for Paula Collins!!

Wouldn’t it be terrific if she won!!

Terrific for the North Country!!

Diane Collins (related in spirit)

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Thank you, Ken. I was there and liked her clear articulation of issues, especially about climate change, the continual disasters that were predicted years ago and are intensifying, and are still denied by many Republican "leaders" who call the climate crisis "a hoax." Now Trump and Vance and Marjory Taylor Greene are using the suffering of people to intensify their lies and conspiracy theories about Biden and Democrats and about how Fema money is going to migrants and not to red states ...a cacophony of lies to rouse hate rather than to help. Fortunately a few Republican Governors of states suffering are trying to counteract the lies, to talk about the incredible quick response by the Biden administration. How close do we all have to be to recognize real danger for earth and democracy. Not a question of Republican or Democrat but purposeful targeted lies as against "daring" to tell what is true.

It was really good to hear Paula listen to people and to speak what is true

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I wish I had been there. I was at the Town Hall meeting pushing for Prop.1😊

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Never give up! Hope is a wonderful feeling to have!!

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I remember Stefanik's first run when she said she'd "only run for 5 terms." That should have been a red flag as to just how entitled she is. She had Boehner pick her district and help finance her first run and yet her sights were already set on a path to the White House, perhaps as the first female Rresident. After all, she cut her political teeth in the Bush White House as an aide with various portfolios. She may have hit that glass ceiling when Kevin McCarthy was ousted and Mike Johnson, an unknown, was elected. And she tried like crazy for a few years buttering up Trump to be his V.P. nomination.

I'm hoping for a Democratic majority in the House. We need adult leadership there that won't play chicken with the nation's credit rating now that China is heading up a challenge to the U.S. dollar as the world's standard. I'll vote for Colllins and hope for the future. The sooner we've seen the last of Stefanik as our "representative", the better off and safer we'll be in this gloriously beautiful landscape.

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I'm grateful to hear about Collins. It gives this Independent voter a choice!

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I was at the Springsteen presentation as well. I found it really insightful and well done. I loved the many tidbits I didn’t know. By the way, UPH is such a wonderful venue. I’ve enjoyed every event I’ve attended. 👍🏻

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I learned a lot... And I know a lot about Springsteen.

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I'm not in Paula Collins district - but did donate to her campaign.

I'm in South Central NY - have a Repub Repres at the moment - hoping (and voting) that the Democrat wins in Nov.

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Thank you so much, Maggie Frazier! Much appreciated!

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Thank you for being there, Ken. It's always good to see journalists in the crowd.

This race is definitely a long shot. But you lose 100% of the shots you don't take.

We only lose when we quit trying.

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Ken, well done with the optimism & thanks for giving Paula some visibility! I visited a link on the Post Star web page today entitled "Go to our 2024 election page and learn more about the local races and issues you care most about!" I'm led to a "FOX News" look alike page with national election clickbait and essentially nothing substantive on local elections of concern. While I applaud substack and what it offers for community communication & education, it does not fill the gap... as yet. Somehow the readership diversity & accessibility & visibility needs to get on par or better than what we had with newsprint. I'm not sure how to get there but I will remain optimistic - there are a lot of brilliant young minds out there! Without effective & honest local community communication tools we will continue to grow more stupid. Perhaps that is what the powers to be really desire, but I will not play their game.

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Elise is a Trumpy juggernaut. Ive seen a lot more Harris and Collins signs up here in Johnsburg though than I ever saw Biden signs in 2020. I mean its not even close. That gives me a little hope, but I still am fatalistic and I expect Trump will win the electoral college while losing the popular vote, because our election system rewards the low information voter and rat-f**king over actual issues that help working people.

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Also Nebraska is up there in the top 5 Springsteen albums IMO. People dont appreciate that album because it lacks the bombast of Born to Run and the like but for me much of the stadium-ready rock is tedious. Nebraska has great story-telling Dylanesque songwriting and Bruce shows how much he can do with just a guitar and harmonica. Atlantic City is a favorite cover tune for folk and bluegrass artists who “get” that kind of music.

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I was surprised when I listened to it again and like much of Springsteen's music you are compelling to keep listening.

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