30 Comments

Your juvenile digs at Harvard are unwarranted, and detract from an otherwise solid piece.

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Apr 11, 2022Liked by Ken Tingley

I think we have to remember that Stefanik is playing chess. Her votes have nothing to do with her constituents. Her votes reflect what plays well on Fox, the national news and her future as vice/president. Then she can use her voting record to make points in the future. It's all a big game and no one cares. She will be voted in again because she is the big "R" on the ticket and Trump's buddy.

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author

I guess what I object to is the game itself. It should be about helping people and not helping yourself.

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Apr 11, 2022Liked by Ken Tingley

So miss your op eds in the Post Star.

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author

I’m still writing. Spread the word. Share the link.

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Apr 11, 2022Liked by Ken Tingley

As much as I absolutely DETEST anything Stefanie says, I'm afraid I have to agree with her on this one. The thought of agreeing with her is NAUSEATING, but here I am. After having spent a few years with an addict, I have to say, we don't need ANY more drugs easily available to people. While to many people, pot is nothing, and some are convinced it isn't addicting..........sure. You can be addicted to cigarettes, but not pot. We have had families in this area that have lost their kids because the driver of the car they were in was high, and drinking too. I have no doubt that back in the day the same thing was said about alcohol. What's going to be legalized next in the future? Maybe cocaine? Sound outlandish?? So didn't legalizing alcohol and pot at one time. We REALLY don't need another drug legalized. Ok, medical marijuana is fine. At least people can't get high and get behind the wheel of a car and possibly kill someone. I have no doubt many people will be laughing at this comment, but until you have lived with an addict, and gone down the "rehab road" with them, it really ISN'T funny.

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author

I certainly understand the sentiment. But the vote was to decriminalize use of pot. I think many people have argued the wreckage left by alcohol abuse is far worse than that left by pot.

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Yes, I've heard that too. Those are usually the ones who haven't any experience or exposure to the drug world. The rehab world gives a whole different glimpse that people just don't know about.

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author

That said, I’ve been involved with lot of projects at the newspaper and with opioids, but the general consensus is that marijuana is not addictive and not the same thing.

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Apr 11, 2022Liked by Ken Tingley

Yes, I know. I've heard that before too, until I went down the 'rehab road'. It would have surprised you to see the extent of addiction. Like I said, people get addicted to cigarettes. At Conifer Park, the saying was, ' a drug is a drug, is a drug'. People can get addicted to a lot of different things. I feel that we shouldn't keep adding even more drugs to the legal list. It would be great if people used it casually at a minimum, unfortunately the reality is the abusers just have one more thing to abuse.

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Having taught in Great Meadow Prison and worked for justice reform, I continually experience those who are in prison for long time for minor offenses (and those who commit great harm to many never go to jail--white collar crimes). The War on Drugs, those imprisoned for marijuana, the racial disparity in arresting and sentencing, the lack of programs both in prison and once someone gets out of prison all show the need for criminal justice reform. The Innocence Project, Prison Action Network work and many organizations are working for reform...and so is the bail reform bill which has been targeted for continual attack based on very few facts and mostly prejudice. Stefanik's statement are part of the continual and obsessive Republican script about soft on crime, defunding police, , pedophiles, left wing socialists...all attacks. The problem i think with legalizing marijuana is that it has become a big corporate industry, like corporate big farms, leaving out the small rural farmers and farmers of color. Gov. Hochul is trying to change that--giving small growers a bigger chance to get into the market which is always taken over by the big guys. so yes to small farmers, to hemp (which was in the past illegal because big corporations didn't want competition), to safe use of marijuana (protective legislation about amounts sold and strength), to good research, to supporting local farmers, to fairness and justice....

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author

Some good points from Bernice.

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Apr 11, 2022Liked by Ken Tingley

Did your expect any thing different shes a trumpet muppett

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author

The tone of her culture of fear about marijuana did surprise me.

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Apr 11, 2022Liked by Ken Tingley

knew before I read it. She would be against it, she get a big agenda ahead of her

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Apr 11, 2022Liked by Ken Tingley

I think marijuana should only be legal in medical instances and for research. I and I know some recovered addicts, feel it is a gateway drug. So I guess you’d find me in that ten percent. I think it should be decriminalized.

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Apr 11, 2022Liked by Ken Tingley

I forgot to say that marijuana shops are liklier to be found in poorer and Black neighborhoods.

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author

Many of the legal dispensaries are actually in upscale suburban neighborhoods so that is a bit of an urban legend.

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I really hope you write an article on the failure of NYS's leadership and how it has ruined this state and causing the mass exodus of higher income New Yorkers.

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author

I’ve only lived here 30 years but it doesn’t seem much different now then When I got here. I’ve lived in the south too and while the taxes are lower the schools aren’t ver good and services are worse. And the weather seems to be milder in NY than 30 years ago.

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Well with all the corruption in NYS government I bet you could write something very interesting on the subject

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author

I guess you missed the columns on Cuomo.

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I read so many on him I can't recall if I read the one you wrote, but there are so many more to choose from I figured you'd find numerous options and not just Cuomo. The NY Democrat machine has caused the majority of the mismanagement in this state let alone all of their corruption, it goes back for years....you could write a novel on all the material available.

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author

Sounds like you should write one.

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If I had the time you have I would, well it would make an interesting read but knowing what I know now if I did write one I'd probably come up missing ...funny how that happens I think they call it having a "Clinton" 😉

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author

And Silver.

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author

Etc, etc.

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Well the majority of this is happening in areas of the state where the wealthy reside i.e. NYC and Long Island and few other areas of the state. Maybe I'm up on it more then you but the numbers have been going up dramatically in the last 10 years and they are the ones who contribute more to the state by taxes and business ownership....so I take it that blindness to the issue is the way you choose to address it...well I guess if it were run by the other side you'd be more apt to a seek it out.

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author

No idea what you are referring to.

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Obviously.....if you really want to address issues in this state direct more time on the actual causes created by the NY Democrat leadership in Albany where the vast majority of the problems in this state have either been created or unaddressed for up-staters. We here are more affected by their corruption and poor policies then any of our national representatives.

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