Ken, even though I don't agree with you ideologically on a lot of things, I enjoy your newsletter. I think it's pretty good.
Let me add this. You're always talking about the decline of the legacy media. This newsletter, The Front Page, is the new media. If I read your newsletter, that's less incentive I have to read the Post Star. I like the fact that people can respond immediately to your newsletter and have a conversation. I see you are adding additional reporters. This is the future, the Post Star is the past.
Yes, but you're providing an alternate to the Post Star. Maybe someday you'll start running ads. Maybe you'll start charging for a content. But as a entrepreneur, you'll figure out the new media environment. Just as many thousands of other people are doing the same thing. What is the business model that can support good reporting?
New York newspaper associations fiddle while Rome burns. They seem to only exist for awards contests (that they charge money to enter) and to keep the jobs of their directors. Where are they with all of the newspapers going out of business? Why aren’t they swooping in and helping? Where’s the advocacy for these small papers? It seems like evil Google is doing more to help newspapers than these state press groups.
Correction: there are 8 candidates running for county supervisor in Queensbury, 4 Republicans (Nate Etu, Brad Magowan, Brady Stark, Mike Wild) one of whom is also running on the Conservative Party line ( Mike Wild) and one who is also running on in independent Team Queensbury line, 1 Conservative who is one of 2 very rare Conservative candidates who are actual registered Conservative Party members (Jim Dobkowski, Travis Whitehead is the other but he’s running for town board against Tim McNulty), 2 Democrats endorsed by the Queensbury and Warren County Democratic Committees (Robin Larkin, Mike Parwana), and 1 Democrat who is also running on the Conservative Party line (Dave Strainer).
The Glens Falls and Queensbury Democratic committees passed resolutions this year to deny any candidate an endorsement if they were to run on another constituted party line - in Warren County those are the Republican and Conservative parties. The resolution attempts to provide clarity to voters about who and what candidates and parties represent.
We have a problem with voters who are disengaged with the process. They say “politicians are all the same”, that “there’s no difference between the 2 major parties.” When Democrats run on the same party line as Dan Stec, Elise Stefanik, and Donald Trump it reinforces that impression.
But there are very clear differences between the Democratic and Conservative Parties. Democrats believe in the Equal Rights Amendment, a woman’s Constitutional right to make her own health decisions. The Conservative Party platform stands firmly against those basic women’s rights, and their platform is dotted with a number of planks that are uncomfortably aligned with views of nationalists and bigots. Think Carl Paladino, who did very well on the Conservative Party line.
The members of the Democratic Committees in Queensbury and Glens Falls stand firmly and voted resoundingly in opposition to those sorts of Conservative Party principles. If you are a voter in Queensbury the endorsed Democratic candidates are Carl Faltotico for judge; Carrie Black for county clerk; Robin Larkin and Michael Parwana for county supervisor; Suzanne Blood, John Goralski, and Dale Nemer for library board.
Mike, you say the Equal Rights Amendment and a woman’s right to make her own health decisions is the differences between the Democratic and Conservative Parties. For local government candidates how will this difference in beliefs affect the day-to-day operation or the problems of local government? Will this difference in beliefs stabilize local taxes, help make local communities a safe or a more enjoyable area to live in? I do not see the relativeness of this difference at a local level of government, care to show me how it relates?
When you say a woman’s right to make her own health decisions are you referring to abortion?
You say the Conservative Parties platform is dotted with a number of planks that are uncomfortably aligned with views of nationalists and bigots. Care to connect the dots and planks?
There may be one area where all politicians are the same, they believe their solution to the problem is the correct and only one, but we all do at one time or another.
A perspective and mindset that denies 51% of the population the dignity of full recognition affects our whole community. When women and minorities are not valued for their ability to offer varied perspectives and fully participate in building the economies and communities that best serve all of our people.
I’ll give a specific example: Claudia Braymer, the only supervisor under the age of 60 and a woman (and an attorney) has been, to my knowledge, the only member of the BOS to challenge the Emergency Order declared to keep certain immigrants out of Warren County. Do not think that the local minority community did not notice how supervisors reacted and do not believe that the Emergency Order did not pain many of them. That emergency order did not stabilize taxes, make communities safer, or make anyone but bigots happier.
I’m not going to detail all of the planks of the CON party but they stand for things like making English the national language - and if you have even a cursory understanding of NY state history you will understand our various Native American and Dutch influences, but worse, there are hundreds of languages spoken in this state. It is a bigoted idea.
And there is the nonsense about building a wall on the southern border - I’m not hearing a lot of people pointing to Israel on how walls work lately. So those are a couple of dots.
I reject your assertion that “all politicians are the same, their solution to the problem is the correct and only one.” I don’t believe that at all. I believe there are many ways to approach and resolve any problem and that in most things there are unexpected consequences to any approach, so resolving problems should be incremental with regular follow-up to make sure the resolution is working as expected.
Mike. the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) is a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution designed to guarantee equal legal rights for all American citizens regardless of sex. Some how you have lumped minorities into the equation.
How would the influx of immigrant’s effect local Social Services and where would you house them?
Why is it a bigoted idea to have a national language? Would not one language make it easier to comminate and resolve issues?
If not a wall, how would you secure the border?
You may reject my assertion that “all politicians are the same, their solution to the problem is the correct and only one.” Yet you confirm it when you write later to Ken Tingley, in your experience the current BOS is often not interested in finding consensus. solutions, rather, they go with a plan that garners a majority vote. What they do not believe that the solution they just voted for is the correct one?
Care to explain what you mean by “consensus”?
You missed the question. When you say a woman’s right to make her own health decisions are you referring to abortion?
Mike is how you will work within a group of people to develop and decide on proposals with the goal of acceptance by all people, by telling them their questions are a waste of your time?
I get the feeling when you are unwilling or unable to answer the question you do what all politicians do. Look for the door, change the subject, demonize the opposition, or simply the question is a waste of their time.
When you ask 6 questions in succession about a wide range of topics and one of your questions I’d on the definition of a word, like Bill Clinton pondering what the definition of is is, it is clear you are simply using questions as means to find disagreement - and, frankly, to make me waste a lot of time playing marionette to you.
That isn’t productive and I’m not playing your game.
If you don’t want to vote for me, don’t vote for me.
I had the pleasure recently of meeting David Strainer. He seems like a very nice guy. His ideas are always good from the sound of it and attending the meetings sounds like dedication to me. I hope everyone votes for him. God bless him.
I, however, hope Mike Parwana gets voted in because he is a Democrat. I didn’t realize Mr. Strainer was a Conservative. Mike Parwana article enlightened me. Very informative.
Stainer carried petitions to get on the Democratic line, but he is not endorsed by the Democratic Party. Because he chose to run on the Conservative Party line he could not be endorsed.
My comment to him during the endorsement meeting was that I wished he would choose not to run on the CON line so that I could vote to endorse him. He chose to reject my endorsement vote.
Thank you, Ken, for calling attention to another attack on free speech with the removal of books from the Little Liberty Library, which provides donated banned books to readers. This is not to be taken lightly - fascism begins by banning ideas and free expression.
I am supporting Mike Parwana and Robin Larkin for Supervisor at Large positions. That being said I hope Strainer also gets on but my priority votes go to: Parwana--- for his creativity, high energy, get things done approach, for his support on environmental issues and his excellent listening skills and to Larkin for her sensitivity, considered, reflectiveness and intelligence and also because it is important to have a strong woman on the Board. perhaps you could also interview them before the election.Lisa Adamson Lake George
I like to think that my approach is less about shaking things up and more about providing approaches, points of view, and insights that are often ignored or dismissed.
The “shaking things up” part happens when those with the majority point of view are unwilling to consider their ideas may not be the best.
In my experience the current BOS is often not interested in finding consensus solutions, rather, they go with a plan that garners a majority vote. I find that sort of “problem solving” to be unsatisfying. It’s a win or lose perspective.
To my mind the best solutions to problems are ones where everyone’s core values are protected, consensus.
Very excited about a Henke column. That is what I miss about the current newspaper - hometown news.
Ken, even though I don't agree with you ideologically on a lot of things, I enjoy your newsletter. I think it's pretty good.
Let me add this. You're always talking about the decline of the legacy media. This newsletter, The Front Page, is the new media. If I read your newsletter, that's less incentive I have to read the Post Star. I like the fact that people can respond immediately to your newsletter and have a conversation. I see you are adding additional reporters. This is the future, the Post Star is the past.
The Front Page is still a public service at this point.
Yes, but you're providing an alternate to the Post Star. Maybe someday you'll start running ads. Maybe you'll start charging for a content. But as a entrepreneur, you'll figure out the new media environment. Just as many thousands of other people are doing the same thing. What is the business model that can support good reporting?
New York newspaper associations fiddle while Rome burns. They seem to only exist for awards contests (that they charge money to enter) and to keep the jobs of their directors. Where are they with all of the newspapers going out of business? Why aren’t they swooping in and helping? Where’s the advocacy for these small papers? It seems like evil Google is doing more to help newspapers than these state press groups.
Actually Publishers Association has done great work lobbying lawmakers on newspaper and free speech issues.
Perhaps. I was thinking of a different association.
Correction: there are 8 candidates running for county supervisor in Queensbury, 4 Republicans (Nate Etu, Brad Magowan, Brady Stark, Mike Wild) one of whom is also running on the Conservative Party line ( Mike Wild) and one who is also running on in independent Team Queensbury line, 1 Conservative who is one of 2 very rare Conservative candidates who are actual registered Conservative Party members (Jim Dobkowski, Travis Whitehead is the other but he’s running for town board against Tim McNulty), 2 Democrats endorsed by the Queensbury and Warren County Democratic Committees (Robin Larkin, Mike Parwana), and 1 Democrat who is also running on the Conservative Party line (Dave Strainer).
The Glens Falls and Queensbury Democratic committees passed resolutions this year to deny any candidate an endorsement if they were to run on another constituted party line - in Warren County those are the Republican and Conservative parties. The resolution attempts to provide clarity to voters about who and what candidates and parties represent.
We have a problem with voters who are disengaged with the process. They say “politicians are all the same”, that “there’s no difference between the 2 major parties.” When Democrats run on the same party line as Dan Stec, Elise Stefanik, and Donald Trump it reinforces that impression.
But there are very clear differences between the Democratic and Conservative Parties. Democrats believe in the Equal Rights Amendment, a woman’s Constitutional right to make her own health decisions. The Conservative Party platform stands firmly against those basic women’s rights, and their platform is dotted with a number of planks that are uncomfortably aligned with views of nationalists and bigots. Think Carl Paladino, who did very well on the Conservative Party line.
The members of the Democratic Committees in Queensbury and Glens Falls stand firmly and voted resoundingly in opposition to those sorts of Conservative Party principles. If you are a voter in Queensbury the endorsed Democratic candidates are Carl Faltotico for judge; Carrie Black for county clerk; Robin Larkin and Michael Parwana for county supervisor; Suzanne Blood, John Goralski, and Dale Nemer for library board.
Very, very enlightening article! Glad you wrote it.
Mike, you say the Equal Rights Amendment and a woman’s right to make her own health decisions is the differences between the Democratic and Conservative Parties. For local government candidates how will this difference in beliefs affect the day-to-day operation or the problems of local government? Will this difference in beliefs stabilize local taxes, help make local communities a safe or a more enjoyable area to live in? I do not see the relativeness of this difference at a local level of government, care to show me how it relates?
When you say a woman’s right to make her own health decisions are you referring to abortion?
The following link is some interesting reading about the Equal Rights Amendment https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equal_Rights_Amendment
You say the Conservative Parties platform is dotted with a number of planks that are uncomfortably aligned with views of nationalists and bigots. Care to connect the dots and planks?
There may be one area where all politicians are the same, they believe their solution to the problem is the correct and only one, but we all do at one time or another.
A perspective and mindset that denies 51% of the population the dignity of full recognition affects our whole community. When women and minorities are not valued for their ability to offer varied perspectives and fully participate in building the economies and communities that best serve all of our people.
I’ll give a specific example: Claudia Braymer, the only supervisor under the age of 60 and a woman (and an attorney) has been, to my knowledge, the only member of the BOS to challenge the Emergency Order declared to keep certain immigrants out of Warren County. Do not think that the local minority community did not notice how supervisors reacted and do not believe that the Emergency Order did not pain many of them. That emergency order did not stabilize taxes, make communities safer, or make anyone but bigots happier.
I’m not going to detail all of the planks of the CON party but they stand for things like making English the national language - and if you have even a cursory understanding of NY state history you will understand our various Native American and Dutch influences, but worse, there are hundreds of languages spoken in this state. It is a bigoted idea.
And there is the nonsense about building a wall on the southern border - I’m not hearing a lot of people pointing to Israel on how walls work lately. So those are a couple of dots.
I reject your assertion that “all politicians are the same, their solution to the problem is the correct and only one.” I don’t believe that at all. I believe there are many ways to approach and resolve any problem and that in most things there are unexpected consequences to any approach, so resolving problems should be incremental with regular follow-up to make sure the resolution is working as expected.
Mike. the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) is a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution designed to guarantee equal legal rights for all American citizens regardless of sex. Some how you have lumped minorities into the equation.
How would the influx of immigrant’s effect local Social Services and where would you house them?
Why is it a bigoted idea to have a national language? Would not one language make it easier to comminate and resolve issues?
If not a wall, how would you secure the border?
You may reject my assertion that “all politicians are the same, their solution to the problem is the correct and only one.” Yet you confirm it when you write later to Ken Tingley, in your experience the current BOS is often not interested in finding consensus. solutions, rather, they go with a plan that garners a majority vote. What they do not believe that the solution they just voted for is the correct one?
Care to explain what you mean by “consensus”?
You missed the question. When you say a woman’s right to make her own health decisions are you referring to abortion?
If you don’t understand what consensus is I’m wasting my time answering your questions. I get the feeling you’d rather just argue.
Mike is how you will work within a group of people to develop and decide on proposals with the goal of acceptance by all people, by telling them their questions are a waste of your time?
I get the feeling when you are unwilling or unable to answer the question you do what all politicians do. Look for the door, change the subject, demonize the opposition, or simply the question is a waste of their time.
When you ask 6 questions in succession about a wide range of topics and one of your questions I’d on the definition of a word, like Bill Clinton pondering what the definition of is is, it is clear you are simply using questions as means to find disagreement - and, frankly, to make me waste a lot of time playing marionette to you.
That isn’t productive and I’m not playing your game.
If you don’t want to vote for me, don’t vote for me.
Yes, I corrected that.
Hooray! Bob Henke was just about the only column in the Monday Post Star sports section to which I looked forward.
I had the pleasure recently of meeting David Strainer. He seems like a very nice guy. His ideas are always good from the sound of it and attending the meetings sounds like dedication to me. I hope everyone votes for him. God bless him.
I voted for Mr. Parwana who i hope wins. He is a Democrat. I misspoke before.
I, however, hope Mike Parwana gets voted in because he is a Democrat. I didn’t realize Mr. Strainer was a Conservative. Mike Parwana article enlightened me. Very informative.
Strainer is endorsed by Democrats and Conservatives.
No.
Stainer carried petitions to get on the Democratic line, but he is not endorsed by the Democratic Party. Because he chose to run on the Conservative Party line he could not be endorsed.
My comment to him during the endorsement meeting was that I wished he would choose not to run on the CON line so that I could vote to endorse him. He chose to reject my endorsement vote.
Yahoo!!!!Bob Henke🤗. His columns have been missed.
Thank you, Ken, for calling attention to another attack on free speech with the removal of books from the Little Liberty Library, which provides donated banned books to readers. This is not to be taken lightly - fascism begins by banning ideas and free expression.
Thanks for bringing back Bob Henke. How about doing the same with Forest Hartley's American Gothic column?
I am supporting Mike Parwana and Robin Larkin for Supervisor at Large positions. That being said I hope Strainer also gets on but my priority votes go to: Parwana--- for his creativity, high energy, get things done approach, for his support on environmental issues and his excellent listening skills and to Larkin for her sensitivity, considered, reflectiveness and intelligence and also because it is important to have a strong woman on the Board. perhaps you could also interview them before the election.Lisa Adamson Lake George
Parwana would certainly shake things up!
I like to think that my approach is less about shaking things up and more about providing approaches, points of view, and insights that are often ignored or dismissed.
The “shaking things up” part happens when those with the majority point of view are unwilling to consider their ideas may not be the best.
In my experience the current BOS is often not interested in finding consensus solutions, rather, they go with a plan that garners a majority vote. I find that sort of “problem solving” to be unsatisfying. It’s a win or lose perspective.
To my mind the best solutions to problems are ones where everyone’s core values are protected, consensus.
As I said, you would “shake” things up. I hope I get a chance to see it.
Ken I would wage many people vote for Trump for that very same reason, that he would shake things up.
thank your this thought, Ken. He has strong values so the shake up has good promise.