43 Comments
User's avatar
User's avatar
Comment removed
Feb 17
Expand full comment
Dave Sawyer's avatar

Actually, every business and industry leader in NY21 has felt and thought the same, they just lack the courage to say it. In fact, hard working employees who have witnessed this first hand would agree with Mr. Gendebien especially since the quality hard working folks pay the price for the lazy incompetent dolts in our workforce. p.s., I thought admitting to be a pussy grabber would disqualify a candidate too.

Expand full comment
Edward Low's avatar

This is one of the things that I find frustrating about democrats (republicans too, but they are a lost cause)

Running from the facts seem to be a dem thing to do...

I agree with what you wrote and heard the same from business owners.. what I would add to it.. is sometimes there is no quality workers. I have heard that often business are hiring two people to do what a good worker could.. or going without

Imagine the cost to local businesses to hire an unqualified worker.. yet you still have to train them (for longer) and still have to let them go or they quit.. only to start that expensive process over and over..

Expand full comment
Upstate New Yorker's avatar

We need to stop expecting $30/hr quality from employees we're paying $15/hr or less.

Are there really no quality workers? Or just none willing to work for crap wages and no benefits. Quality workers are going to expect quality wages and benefits. Labor's a commodity like anything else. You get what you pay for.

I hasten add that dairy is a bit tougher, with it being harder to pay good wages since farmers' revenues are limited by absurd federal milk pricing. But what I say above about labor is try for every industry.

Expand full comment
Upstate New Yorker's avatar

Labor is like any other product. You get what you pay for. You can't cheap out on wages and benefits and then bemoan the quality of the labor you're getting.

There are few jobs that combined physical difficulty with low pay as much as agriculture. This is not entirely the farmers' fault, at least in dairy where their revenues are limited by federal milk pricing. But it's not the fault of their employees either.

We need to stop expecting $30/hr quality from people we're paying $15/hr or less and then attributing it to the "no one wants to work" b.s.

Expand full comment
Deborah Weiss's avatar

The Meet and Greet on February 23rd in Hudson Falls is actually being jointly hosted by the Washington, Warren and Saratoga Democratic Committees. However, we do expect many members of IndivisibleADK/Saratoga to attend as well. The Virtual Meet and Greet on Tuesday, tomorrow, Feb 18, at 6:30 PM is being hosted by Indivisible's Organizing Manager for NYS, Sarah Reeske. Come to one or come to both. Meet Blake Gendebien and learn why Blake will make an outstanding Congressman for CD NY-21

Expand full comment
Sandra M. Watson's avatar

Glad to hear there's a virtual option, TY

Expand full comment
Carol L. Clark's avatar

If it's a virtual meeting on the 18th, do you have the particulars? I have no car, can't get to GF without a huge taxi bill that I can't afford. So any info would be most welcome.

Thank you.

Expand full comment
mike parwana's avatar

“Do you live like an Afghan terrorist”?

It seems the Governor doesn’t know that the terrorists are not living in a cave in Afghanistan, they are running the country - and they are preventing women from getting healthcare.

A woman dies of pregnancy related causes every 2 hours in Afghanistan.

MAGA are the best comparison to Afghan terrorists.

Expand full comment
mike parwana's avatar

Woman dies in Afghanistan every 2 hours - not minutes.

Sorry for the error, but really, not very different.

I will edit above.

Expand full comment
Edward Low's avatar

part of the israel genocide that

just about all politicians support

Expand full comment
mike parwana's avatar

I’m struck by “stocks skid, Dow Down 12.”

12

In 1975 the Dow was around 802. So down 12 represented about a 1.5% drop.

Today the Dow is close to 44,000. That’s 54.7 times the Dow in 1975.

Federal minimum wage in 1975 was $2.10/hr. Today it is $7.25/hr. That is 3.45 times the wage in 1975.

Louisiana’s minimum wage is the federal wage of $7.25.

NY state minimum wage is $15.50. That’s 7.38 times the minimum wage of 1975.

NY is #16 in household income, #1 in per capita GDP.

LA is #48 in household income, #40 in per capita GDP.

Expand full comment
Edward Low's avatar

Interesting.... source?

(not out of doubt, but to investigate)

some of those numbers... would be worse for LA if put in the context of consumer costs in that time.

I am guessing NY (#16) is also much higher than LA (48) in spending, but ALSO in disposable income spending (if there is such a thing).

--- as in New Yorker are buying way more iPhones, automobiles and gold rings than LA

And sadly as NY pays IN more revenue then they get back and LA the opposite

Expand full comment
mike parwana's avatar

Simple google searches on “per capita gdp” “gdp by state” “per capita income by state” etc. Wikipedia has some nice charts.

In the past I’ve also done some comparisons of income vs taxation and it turns out that making more money while paying more taxes, on average, is a better situation than making less money and paying fewer taxes.

Certainly NY benefits from being a financial Capitol, but it also has a far larger population which brings the average down, while states that have extraction industries, like fossil fuel producers and refiners don’t do as well - an exception being Texas, sort of. While Texas has a larger economy it also has a larger population and falls far behind NY on most per capita comparisons.

You are absolutely correct about revenue collection and disbursements. Kentucky is a top collector of revenue but it hasn’t seemed to improve their per capita numbers, and with the recent storms will FEMA be there for them? Or is that shut down?

Expand full comment
Edward Low's avatar

I thought you might have a link....

One of the main problem with the Fed disbursement is the end game... To me it is much like Major League Baseball 'salary cap' The penalty for over spending goes to the poor teams.. with the assumption the poor teams will use it to buy better players (spoiler, they don't)

I have a friend who works in Economic Development in South Carolinia (another collector state. The state doesn't use the money to improve education or health care... they use much of it to recruit industry to their state.. a right to work state (which usually mean low wages)

The Economic Development does try to recruit jobs from China, India... BUT their main target is other states, like NYS which workers get more money because of the state's minimum wage rate

NYS: $13.75 ($28,000 a year)

SC: $7.25 ($15,080 a year)

of course with the state income tax for that (5.5%) is higher because the higher earning,

SC is lower: part because it is a smaller income also because it isn't until the income of $17,330 that the rate of 6.3% kicks in..

Bottom line we are subsidizing the SC department of Economic Development, so they can steal jobs from other states

Expand full comment
mike parwana's avatar

Exactly.

But I don’t have a good link to compare that sort of information,.

I do have a couple of links for gdp information that are useful.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_and_territories_by_GDP

https://www.statista.com/statistics/248063/per-capita-us-real-gross-domestic-product-gdp-by-state/

Expand full comment
Edward Low's avatar

Wow = DC, and we won't allow them to become a state....

Reminds me of those red states that not only contribute little to America, but they get two senators.. wielding too much power

population:

Wyoming: 584,057

South Dakota: 919,318

North Dakota: 783,926

Montana: 1.133 million

NYC: 8.258 million

DC: 678,972

Expand full comment
W Tucker's avatar

Mike, you supple a lot of numbers what is the correlation between them?

Expand full comment
Chriss's avatar

Outside of the large cities NYS is far from a liberal bastion. A few days ago Congresswoman Claudia Tenney-R-NY 24th CD representing the Finger Lakes region introduced a bill "Trump's Birthday and Flag Day Holiday Establishment Act" designating June 14th as a federal holiday. Sam Nordquist, a trans man who traveled from Minnesota, to meet people he met on social media, in upstate New York was tortured for more than a month before his death. Five people have been charged with his murder. I believe Ontario County is represented by Claudia Tenney. With all the hate spewed towards the LGBTQ community it was only a matter of time. Think this can only happen in red states?

Expand full comment
Dave Sawyer's avatar

Grover and Big Bird better watch our, seditious Tenney is coming after them.

Expand full comment
Carol L. Clark's avatar

Imagine, a national holiday for the most corrupt, pathological liar, racist, rapist, con man who's shafted everyone who ever came into contact... The mind boggles.

Note to married women who took their spouse's name but didn't change their maiden name on their voter ID - the U.S. House just passed by partisan vote the SAFE Act which will deny those women the right to vote. Their married status and declared name must match. If you didn't take your spouse's name, you aren't impacted so far. For those who need to update their voter ID, contact your local voter registration authorities for info and guidance.

Expand full comment
Tanya Goldstein's avatar

That is important information to get out there!! I hope they put that on the little postcards the Board of Elections sends out too!

Expand full comment
Carol L. Clark's avatar

I don't know about local authorities. I do know that some local authorities in very red districts don't feel obligated to inform Democratic voters - if they'll throw out mail in ballots, deny voters the right to vote for any reason, exploit laws that criminalize offering a drink of water or ride to the polls or depositing others' legitimate ballots in ballot boxes, who says they'd inform local women of the wrong color or party of their duty to make sure all their docs match? Or even publicize this new voter suppression move. It's not yet taken up by the Senate so it's not law yet but it's important to know that this is happening.

This issue should be brought up before Indivisible and word should be spread through the community. I am housebound so I'm limited in what I can do. Just sending a head's up.

Expand full comment
bernice mennis's avatar

The hatred, violence, hypocrisy and use of power of Landry follows the Trump/lMusk/Maga script of lies and hate. The "right to life" has become the right to prosecute, threaten death ..to anyone who literally tries to save lives, speaks truth, and fight for justice, democracy and the rights of all. ..it's a poison unleashed on our country and it is catching... Thank you for your words, Ken, and Hochul's words, and, really what all of us must do to stop the poison. As for Blake, I heard the interview where his words from twelve years ago were repeated by Republicans and where he answered very thoughtfully. Many farmers and construction leaders and hotel folk have spoken to me about how the immigrant workers were always on time, worked hard, and comprised most of their labor. They said what was true...that immigrants have been really contributed to and made for our good economy.... I think of Trump's vicious lies about immigrants, his pardoning the violent insurrectionists at the Capitol, about the white racists and anti-semites and proud boys and white supremacists, of Stefanik's total loyalty to him, her votes against bills that have helped our state (and never said she vetoed them) . I cannot understand how any good person--any local or good Republican or democrat-- could support their actions...Thank you again, Ken...

Expand full comment
Trying's avatar

Hochul's administration maintains the Donald J. Trump New York State Park in Westchester and Putnam counties in honor of that criminal sexual pervert and insurrectionist enemy of the Constitution. The park was foisted on New York by Trump illegally and its continued maintainance is in violation of the New York State Constitution. It is an insult to the moral integrity of all decent New Yorkers. Hochul is not saying "drop dead" loud enough.

Expand full comment
Bob's avatar

It appears that some Canadian tourists are telling the Adirondacks to ‘drop dead.’ This from the TU:

"ROOST CEO Dan Kelleher said the agency is “receiving feedback that many Canadian travelers have opted to change or cancel their U.S. travel plans.” That’s created some fear in the hospitality industry about what might lie ahead."

The North Country may be in for some difficult times, given the Trump Regime’s antipathy towards protecting the environment, its plans to decimate Medicaid, and its natural ability to anger neighboring allies.

Expand full comment
Ken Tingley's avatar

I saw that article as well and wonder how much Adirondack tourism will be affected.

Expand full comment
Edward Low's avatar

hmpy trmpedo is turning America into the image I have of Texas.. When I travel out west twice a year -- I AVOID Texas.

I am sure there are lots of nice people who aren't ignorant.. but when you see how abbott runs the state... you think they are

If I was Canadian I would not want to go to that trmpedo country

Expand full comment
Carol L. Clark's avatar

Imagine the loss of economic vitality for the local businesses of Canadians refuse to vacation here and along the border all across the country. But think of the far right presence in our neck of the woods and how some of those people's jobs will be in jeopardy.

Expand full comment
Edward Low's avatar

Add this to the media miss representing Canadians.. Yes they are boo-ing DURING the National Anthem.. but not the anthem, they are boo-ing hmpy trmPEDO and his policies

Expand full comment
Dave Sawyer's avatar

Mr. Glendebiens comments are what every business has felt and thought but lack the courage to say.

Expand full comment
Chriss's avatar

Ken, unelected President Musk firing so many federal workers I wonder if Joseph and the WWII museum will have similar firings.

Expand full comment
Ken Tingley's avatar

It is a private nonprofit- and doing quite well - with no government funding. So no worries there. He does know many at National Park Service who are quite worried and seeing impact on historic sites.

Expand full comment
Chriss's avatar

Good news. At least the federal government can't erase history (at least not there). I've read some personal accounts of National Park Service employees losing their "dream" jobs. Their enthusiasm for the Parks and other historical sites are amazing and they sure don't become "rich" (monetarily speaking) in their chosen career.

Expand full comment
mike parwana's avatar

If I was working at the Women’s History National Historical Park I’d brush off my resume.

Expand full comment
Carol L. Clark's avatar

What Musk always complained about unelected agency federal workers and now rummages through federal records. Of course, his bottom line has swelled ever since Trump was installed this time. But what he and his team of boys are doing is nothing less than vandalism. Going into computer records, editing code...what are they editing in and out? Where are the Democrats and Chuck Schumer on this? We need bang on the door outrage from the Democrats.

Expand full comment
Edward Low's avatar

problem with Democrats.. they run from office

instead of FOR office

Gendebien is back tracking what he said.... when what he said is worse today than it was back then.

Just about every business has a 'help wanted' sign out front. That sign isn't there just because there aren't enough workers (and Joe Biden got unemployment down to 4%), it's there because there are few QUALIFIED workers.

Ask any business (as I do from time to time) and that is the problem.. Ask any repair shop.. if they can find a qualified worker.

Pay attention to every retail store you go in.. ever notice there is a different cashier every two weeks... that is because either the people hired can't handle the job.. or they don't want to do the work.

If you are going to let lying gQped republicans force you into apologizing.. you aren’t running for office.... far far from it.

- - ? now I would add one more: don't talk the gQped talk, talk facts. (i.e. if you call someone a fascist and you know you are right... don't back away, when someone questions it, go on the offensive, succinctly explain what fascism is, then say if you are for that I am not against you, I am for America).

Don’t get mired in explaining to people policy and explanation is lost on them

... move forward

Expand full comment
Edward Low's avatar

I am wonder if you have proposed the same questions for dan stec-ick to: Gendebien

That seems fair.. though I have to say I do wonder...

ª he hasn't been responding to questions on his FaceBook page

ª he has no policy on his website

ª posting pictures of him. his family or hanging out with democrats..

I have been reading Paula Collins' substack https://paulaforny.substack.com/ @paulaforny

And there are some interesting insights into the Democrat party.. one the experts that hold the purse strings tell candidates how they should run (and how has that worked out)

the first thing they tell candidates I guess is not to put policy anywhere.

If you want polling from the Dems, you have to pay (sounds like making money is more important than winning)

They don't walk the walk... as in they are worried about a candidate who looks like n21.. but never notice that the republican who has one the last five times was nothing like them... unless they were lying, private school, harvard grad millionaires like pos_tfnKKK

Democrats don't seem to notice or look at the democrats who win in the North Country.. you know Billy Jones (https://www.facebook.com/D.BillyJones)

Nearly every picture or post is non-partisan.. he travels around and visites fire departments, volunteer organizations and businesses..

Gendebien:

https://blakegendebienforcongress.com/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61570535124774

Expand full comment
Gray Stephens's avatar

Seems to me that if this medical doctor has" arrest warrants in all 50 states", she needs to start learning some Laws of the Land....

Expand full comment
Tanya Goldstein's avatar

I doubt that part is true!

Expand full comment
@truthyone's avatar

Mr. Tingley,

You really missed the most important point about the 'In Person Only - No Zoom Allowed' event at The Chapman Museum: The Fact That it is available 'In Person Only' during the worst Flu season in 20 years, 5 years into the ongoing Covid pandemic, during dangerous Winter weather. Like most non-profit organizations, The Chapman receives taxpayer subsidies in many different ways, but refuses to allow more people to participate from the convenience and safety of their homes. Almost everyone is now carrying a smartphone, and all that is needed is to press 4 buttons and Live-Stream a small meeting FOR FREE. Please wake up Mr. Tingley, this is 2025 and not 1965. Please stop missing the most relevant point: 'In Person Only' Events are now an undeniable threat to public safety, and exclude the majority of taxpayers who ultimately pay for these events.

Expand full comment
Upstate New Yorker's avatar

Gov. Hochul is not telling Louisiana to drop dead. She's trying to keep the doctor alive.

Expand full comment