Comment Archives: stories: News & Opinion: Feedback
Re: “Feedback 4/24”
Charter Schools and Public Scools:
It seems that everyone wants more Charter Schools instead of Public Scools. In my opinion it's not a real solution to the growing problem of education in the RCSD. It's more of an opportunity for organizations like Charter Schools to profit in the name of "providing better educational opportunities," for urban children. Let's cut the smoke screen and face the facts. A large part of urban parents are too young to be parents, they have not had a good example to draw from within their own lives, and they expect RCSD Teachers to not only teach their children but raise them as we'll. And when that doesn't happen it's the claim that Teachers don't care. We need better Schools in the City. Well until the Community stands up and takes responsibility for not braking the unfortunate cycle, things aren't going to get better. We need support Public Education not try to replace it. And we need to support our hard working Teachers.
Re: “Feedback 4/24”
The success of food trucks is in direct proportion to the population of the market area.
Population:
LA - 3,800,000
Philly - 1,500,000
Boston - 610,000
New York - 8,200,000
Toronto - 2,600,000
Rochester - 210,000
Next question?
Re: “Feedback 3/27”
Kenyatta Dacosta - Please provide backup for your claim that , "Twelve million Germans were worked to death or killed outright years after first registering and then surrendering their firearms.”
By the way, you should know, although it’s obvious you don’t, that gun confiscation and control was imposed on Germany by the Weimar government in 1919 via the, “Regulations on Weapons Ownership", which declared that "all firearms, as well as all kinds of firearms ammunition, are to be surrendered immediately”. This confiscation was reinforced in 1920 when the “Law on the Disarmament of the People” took effect and clarified that confiscation was to be applied to military-type weapons possessed by ex-soldiers.
In 1928 Germany enacted the “Law on Firearms and Ammunition” which relaxed gun restrictions and put into effect a firearm licensing system which revoked the 1919 “Regulations”.
In 1938, five years after taking power, and far from confiscating weapons as today’s NeoCons are so fond of claiming, the Nazis introduced firearm and ammunitiuon gun regulation legislation which LIBERALIZED the 1928 law and exempted Nazi party members, government workers and other categories of “Good Germans” (i.e. non-Jews) from many of the previous restrictions. (NOTE: the famous quote attributed to Hitler by the NRA types, “This year will go down in history! For the first time, a civilized nation has full gun registration! Our streets will be safer, our police more efficient, and the world will follow our lead into the future!” is a fake.)
Thus, far from disarming a helpless nation, Hitler was ensuring that his followers would be heavily armed to “protect society”. Kind of like what Wayne LaPierre and the NRA has in mind.
Re: “Feedback 3/20”
I'm still not convinced that man has any significant effect on global climate but I do agree with much of what John Kastner has written. I have lived and worked in China and still travel there on occasion and it is very easy to see the health problems and destruction caused by fossil fueled activities. Renewable energy sources as we know them are not practical to replace hydrocarbons and nuclear at this time. We need to get away from hydrocarbons and there are some things we can do. Instead of wasting our precious federal budget on failed battery and electric car technology and subsidizing expensive inefficient solar and wind projects, we should start a “Manhattan” project for developing fusion technology. Fusion technology could directly replace existing plants and plug right into our existing grid system. Another policy that would directly address John's concern would be to eliminate busing students almost entirely. John and I were neighbors in the city and my siblings and I walked to 39 school (K-7) and Edison Tech. (8-12). John and his siblings walked to a local Catholic school and then Edison Tech. We saved energy and the exercise was good for us. Unfortunately educational policy today seems to think buildings teach students poorly and not the staff in them or the behavior of the students so we move students and don't fix the problems.
DeVillo McCann, Greece
Re: “Feedback 3/20”
ROSE (O'NEILL) O'KEEFE
I know how you feel. Last year the D&C ran an article about a local homeowner who lived in a," cottage-style home with shutters and a water break wall painted shamrock green. At water’s edge is a three-foot-tall hand-painted carved wood leprechaun with red hair holding two wrenches and a can of Guinness beer. No doubt a proud Irish family lives in this home..."
I contacted the reporter and editor on the story to point out that, as an Irish-American, I could tell them that shamrock green paint slapped everywhere and a three foot leprechaun holding a can of beer is tasteless and embarrassing schlock, not the sign of a "proud Irish family". I further commented that while the paper had previously and vociferously opposed those who perpetuated stereotypes against blacks or women or Hispanics, on St. Patrick's Day it was apparently just good, clean fun to run a story featuring demeaning and stereotypical images of those from Ireland.
Needless to say I didn’t receive a response.
Re: “Feedback 3/13”
Troll Whisperer - But we all know that when you point out that the Republicans are being hypocrites you get two responses:
1) Things were different when the GOP did it, or
2) pointing out that the GOP did the same thing is just an attempt to justify what the Democrats did.
I also find it amusing that so far 5 people have indicated a "dislike" to my statement that it's the role of the courts to determine constitutionality. Looks like some people don't really believe in THAT particular aspect of our constitutional process.
Re: “Feedback 3/13”
@MJN, don't you remember Sam Palermo's and the right wing's outrage at the Reagan, Bush I and Bush II recess appointments? Or just 10 years ago, the Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld/Rice/Powell lying to us getting us into a ruinous war? Or their other war criminal behavior thereafter? Me, neither.
Re: “Feedback 3/13”
Sam Palermo - Some day some Rightist will have to explain whether there is ANY action which Obama has taken which they don't claim to be unconstitutional.
But luckily for America, the Framers left that determination up to the courts and not in the hands of panderin g politicians or uneducated members of the public. The Obama administration is appealing the decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit relating to his recess appointments . Until that appeal process is completed and a final decision rendered by the Supreme Court (or the lower court decision allowed to stand by the SC refusing to hear an appeal) Obama is not required to remove his appointees.
The rule of law is alive and well in America !
Re: “Feedback 2/13”
Luc de Nord - Auroras appear in the north, never in the east. And the Saturady displays never made it south of cental Canada.
Re: “Feedback 2/13”
Hey, nothing to do with any of the topics above, but did anyone else see the aurora on Saturday night? From 7 - 8 before the clouds rolled in, saw it due East from a light-unpolluted part of Webster. No luck finding any mention in the regular news. Anyone else see or hear about it?
Re: “Feedback 2/13”
Troll Whisperer - j.a.m.'s headline is found in the same newspaper that carries stories about Newtown being a government plot, and stories about Obama turning the US over to the UN, and of his being a Muslim, a communist, a fascist and being born in Kenya.
Re: “Feedback 2/13”
@j.a.m.: Where exactly is that headline?
Re: “Feedback 2/13”
Headline: "Meteor strikes Russia; Liberals blame global warming and law-abiding gun owners"
Re: “Feedback 2/13”
@bernstein -- LOL. In case you haven't noticed, rational people have been voting with their feet for at least a generation.
I gather you intend to be the last one out. I'd remind you to switch off the lights, but by that time New York State probably will have outlawed all forms of energy.
Re: “Feedback 2/13”
yo - j.a.m.
You sound very progressive - if you hate NY so much, you'll probably like Mississippi - no "union goons" as you call them, not many labor laws to speak of, few workers' rights - sounds like your version of paradise. And they're really business friendly - they would let them pay less then minimum wage if the nasty feds would let them get away with it.
If you agree to move down there , I will pay your one-way bus fare. Think about it and get back to me.
Re: “Feedback 2/13”
@bernstein @TOPEL: What hampers a "strong and sustained economic recovery" in the former-Empire State is an ideology that ties up employers with red tape and union goons, while giving free rein to Luddite ignoramuses whose only goal is to stifle innovation and emerging industries.
Re: “Feedback 2/13”
"Keep America free! Free to choose what we do with our own bodies and free to choose our associations!"
Free to work for nothing -volunteer for everything.
Please help Charles and David Koch remain on their yachts, while we work three jobs!!!!!
Re: “Feedback 2/13”
Mr. Bertolone writes with an "upstanding moral" tone about the rights of workers and at will employment being an evil system. How convenient to point out slavery as it's basis, as anyone who may disagree , could be called a "Racist" as many do that disagree with our President. Does his morality include the freedom to choose who we associate with, and what we do with our own bodies? Using "laws" that are all enforced by government guns, to force someone to retain an employee is immoral! But what does he care, since he is involved in Law Enforcement and can take the moral high ground as the one wielding the government gun that would be pointed at employers, if his proposal were adopted. Keep America free! Free to choose what we do with our own bodies and free to choose our associations!
Re: “Feedback 2/13”
Mr. DeLoye:
With regard to supplying a head count of supporters, I cannot give you verifiable figures for the simple reason that we have been prevented from participating in a fair election. However, there is ample evidence that we command considerable support. For example, on January 10th we publicly announced a press conference at which Arild Remmereit was to speak and we made no attempt to selecte the people who attended. There was standing room only for the 225 people who showed up and it was obvious to all that a substantial majority of those present were opposed to the RPO Board. Maestro Remmereit received an enthusiastic standing ovation and as speaker after speaker made points in his favor, the spontaneous applause was ample proof that an overwhelming majority of those in the room felt that we were representing their opinions. In essence, our position was endorsed by a voice vote!
A further indication of our strong following was at the annual meeting of members held on January 23rd in Hatch Hall. Severa times during this meeting, there was an opportunity for the members to express their pleasure or displeasure at what they heard and once again, there was no doubt that the supporters of our position far outnumbered those who approved of the Board's actions.
I draw your attention, by the way, to the fact that the Board didn't announce Remmereit's firing until the day AFTER the annual meeting. Some interesting conclusions can be drawn from this which are beyond the scope of our current discussion.
With regard to representative democracy, you say that we know that the RPO board was elected by a majority of the ballots cast by eligible voters. I think that any fair-minded person would conclude that the election you refer to was far from fair. First of all, the ballot contained only names of nominees chosen by the board's Governance Committee which meant that the membership had no chance to vote for people that supported our position. Even if a substantial majority had chosen to express disapproval by leaving their ballot blank, it would have had no effect on the outcome. The Board's candidates had to win! There is a striking resemblance of this situation to that of "elections" held in countries ruled by dictators!
So you might ask why we didn't put up our own candidates. The answer to this is very simple. The deadline for submitting alternate candidates is fixed by the bylaws at October 31st. Our desire to submit an alternative slate arose only after Remmereit's contract was summariarly terminated and this didn't occur until November 28th, well past the deadline.
The only thing that the RPO Community Supporters group is asking is to be able to face the membership with a fair election in which there is a competing slate of candidates. Such an election would be a referendum on the current board's actions and qualifications to lead. I am quite certain that if this occurred, we would win by an overwhelming majority. It escapes me why the current leadership is so stridently opposed to holding a new election in which competing visions for the RPO can be submitted to the membership for a fair vote. This is really all that we are asking!
You say any information I can provide that sheds light on the validity of our claim to represent anyone other than ourselves will be most welcome. I take it that you're saying that we represent no one but ourselves. If this is what you mean, all I have to do is to find one person who claims we represent him or her and you should be satisfied. I feel confident that we can do much, much better than that and I'm confident that in a fair election, we would come up with a substantial majority of members who would vote to make a significant change in the current RPO Board. Why can't we try?
Re: “Feedback 5/1”
Fascinating chart correlating voting patterns and gun violence shows that Obama supporters, not the NRA, are overwhelmingly responsible for the latter.
http://rare.us/story/dems-love-guns-no-really-stop-laughing/