Help us keep bringing you the Adirondack information you value.
Email
Twitter
RSS
Facebook
Border Progress Looking Encouraging for November
The North Country Chamber of Commerce is welcoming indications that the U.S. will begin to allow vaccinated Canadians to drive across the northern land border on November 1st. That has been the date for beginning entry by international air travelers from Europe and elsewhere with proof of vaccination, leading to strong calls from the Chamber and others to include the Canadian land border.
“After more than eighteen months of unprecedented separation and frustration, there seems to be light at the end of the tunnel,” says Garry Douglas, Chamber President. “There are important details to be clarified by Homeland Security and by the CDC, but policy making is in play at last. After more than eighteen months of unprecedented separation in a vacuum of planning, we may finally be seeing light at the end of a long tunnel. The network of partners that has grown up around this challenge in both countries has been incredible and will be of lasting value. And we must thank our federal and state partners who have been determined all along the way and will continue to engage as this process continues, including Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik and the Northern Border Caucus in Congress, Assemblyman Billy Jones and Senator Dan Stec, among other active advocates.”
“We cannot replace two lost summers or the long impact on families and business, but if this goes forward as indicated, we can share Christmas and welcome our Canadian travelers at Plattsburgh International Airport in time for the upcoming winter travel season,” notes Douglas. “Most importantly, we will be able to at least start the long process of reconnecting.”
The Chamber is continuing to follow final elements of the emerging plan and will continue to advocate for reasonable standards and then for planning for subsequent phases of border normalization.
Related Stories
General inquiries about the Adirondack Almanack should be directed to editor
Oh, how wonderful! Vaccinated families and friends can finally cross the northern border and reunite after 19 months! Bravo!
And yet people can enter the US by the southern border by the tens of 1,000s without a negative Covid test or a vaccine. What a relief that Homeland Security and the CDC care about and prioritize all our safety and well being, right? But we will just ignore that minor issue and just pretend that isn’t really happening……yet it is.
What about the thousands of US citizens/residents in those border states that refuse to get a free vaccine? Should we ignore that??
Nice dodge.
You wouldn’t be singing that tune if tens of 1,000′ s of unvetted, unchecked, and unvaccinated migrants were flooding across our northern border of NY now, would you?
Of course not! – You bet, New Yorkers would be having a hissy fit!! But since we are personally removed from this humanitarian crisis, we can continue with the divisive narrative being spewed and blame our fellow Americans, instead of hold our Gov leaders accountable for doing NOTHING to stop it. No plans whatsoever. None. Oh, but we can all rest assured- our VP, Kamala has it all under control, doesn’t she?
So, Cut me a break with the vaccine deflection. The bottom line is: If we can secure our Northern border, we can secure our Southern border!
I agree with you completely ADK, with the following caveat. Where you say our government leaders are doing nothing to stop it, I’d say the government leaders we have today know exactly what they’re doing and it’s actually part of their overall plan.
You mentioned the vaccine, not me. Word your rants a little more carefully next time if you don’t want someone to inject some sense into it!
“What about the thousands of US citizens/residents in those border states that refuse to get a free “VACCINE”? …..So, I guess someone else hijacked your keyboard and wrote that and not you? You may want to reread your own words and “word your reply more carefully next time if you don’t want someone to inject some sense into it” before you hit “post comment”!
Funny how when you point the finger, three are pointing right back at you! Hate when that happens.
Typical fascist lie.
All people entering the US require a negative COVID test to be allowed in.
Given the estimated 600,000 Canadians in this country illegally, you’d think Stefanik and the other Trumpists would be demanding a wall on the northern border, not its opening. Hmm…
All people entering the US require a negative COVID test to be allowed in.
Huh??
https://nypost.com/2021/09/20/wh-defends-not-requiring-neg-covid-test-from-illegal-migrants/
No use talking sense to fascists.
Actually, IMO the fascists are the ones that want to get people fired from their jobs for choosing not to get the COVID vaccine.
JohnL, you fascist, you! 😉
Yeah, actually I’m a little jealous of you ADKr. Dana went straight to name calling with me while she thought enough of you to at least try some extremely weak arguments against your comments. Guess I’m not worthy.
Haha ..Right? So predictable- we could write the script. . Ever reprimand a kid when they can’t get their own way and the only comeback is “I HATE YOU!” with little clenched fists….??
So we can all agree then that it is very important to make sure everyone gets vaccinated no matter where they live, and it isn’t a plot to inject microchips into everyone or whatever the rightwingnut fever dream of the day is?
We can agree that both the northern and southern borders need to be secured. Using common sense, we can agree that taking the vaccine is good for most but is also a personal choice based on health, vulnerability, age, and whether someone has natural T-cell immunity because they already had and recovered from Covid…etc..
Making a blanket statement that because one decides not to take it, therefore, is a “rightwingnut” that embraces a fever dream or rejecting microchips as to the only reason why one may choose not to get it, is a rather shallow statement at best. You must be smarter than to fall for that broad brush being painted that all who are refusing to get it are all “right wing” which is what is being propagated against anyone who is refusing to get it, refusing to acknowledge that many people have a personal, valid reason, right? Surely, you aren’t falling for that political nonsense.
As proof of what ADKr says, I’m a certifiable RWN and I got the vaccine. I’m old and I’m not going to have more children. So, if this is a ‘mistake’, it will only affect me. I do, however, understand people not wanting to get the vaccine for any of a number or reasons, and am ABSOLUTELY AGAINST forcing anyone to get it. By forcing, I mean firing them if they don’t, not letting them travel, etc etc. Let’s not forget, this is basically just a more virulent strain of what happens every year…..the FLU!
I agree with ADKr on the most important issue of this thread, i.e. BOTH the Northern and Southern borders need to be secured. Do you agree with that Z?
I gotta say when I heard Jennifer psaki say that the illegals entering the US through the southern border, didnt plan on staying long my ears perked up! No need for covid testing because they dont plan on staying. At that point I became very suspicious of this current administration.
There’s no valid reason for not getting the COVID vaccine if you can, except for a very few legitimate medical reasons. Most people claiming a medical reason are liars. Those complaining about some immigrants not being vaccinated say that is bad, but if someone else doesn’t want to get vaccinated that is OK. The fact is that migrants are not responsible for the current surge according to the experts. Instead you can blame those refusing to get vaccinated and those refusing to follow other commonsense protocols like wearing masks. “…there is no epidemiological evidence that migrants at the U.S. southern border are driving the spread of the delta variant or earlier variants that cause COVID-19…” https://www.factcheck.org/2021/10/scicheck-migrants-not-responsible-for-latest-covid-19-surge/
So you’re NOT in favor of controlling the southern border. Thanks for clarifying that.
The root issue isn’t whether or not the migrants crossing the southern border are spreading or causing the delta variant. The root issue is the southern border is NOT secure, and those allowed in the country, (over 100k month) ARE NOT MANDATED to get the vaccine yet Americans are…..Explain that.
Apparently the reasoning, according to the current administration is that these migrants aren’t required to be vaccinated because they dont plan on staying in th US for very long? This logic leads me to ask, than why would you not allow unvaccinated canadians, or anybody for that matter to enter the US from the northern boarder if their intent was not to stay in the US for very long? Something doesn’t make sense to me. Thus my suspicion of this current White House administration. I sure hope this doesn’t make me a fascist
Of course you are not a fascist! And anyone with 1 eye can see there is a humanitarian crisis happening at the S border. . But you will be called a.fascist among other beauties if you choose to question or think for yourself and/or voice any contrary opinion than the political liberal narrative. It’s called intimidate to silence or conform. Just ignore the b.s. and exercise your right to speak out, regardless.
Those applying for permanent residency must be vaccinated, and the article is about the northern border and visiting Canadians are required to be vaccinated. Hey Adk Almanack editors, shouldn’t you be removing bigoted posts that have nothing to do with the subject of the article being discussed?
Cut me a break, Z…Are you that thin-skinned that you can’t handle a border discussion with those who disagree with your opinions/views that now you need to whine to the editors to cancel what offends you? The fact that there is an extreme difference on how the N and S borders are being handled should be a concern for every American citizen. You cannot cancel others voices just because they don’t toe ” your ” line and hold a different POV/opinion. Get a backbone and debate/discuss an issue like a grown man without name calling and crying out to silence your self perceived enemies which also happen to also be your neighbors and fellow citizens
Or just shut up and stay out of it. We are all free to speak. .
ADK resident says: “If we can secure our Northern border, we can secure our Southern border!”
> Tis true! I haven’t been following this ADK, the bit about…..
“tens of 1,000′ s of unvetted, unchecked, and unvaccinated migrants”
…..whom I suppose you assumed are coming across the Mexican border. Where did you hear this from? One thing is for sure, we sure do seem to be at odds with one another so far as how to go about this pandemic. Just yesterday I was up in Washington County, driving through Greenwich, and saw about two dozen protesters floating signs depicting slogans relative to their children going to school and having to wear masks. The ‘anti mask’ crowd….men, women, and some of their young children. As if the young kids really know the whole story! It ought to be against the law for children to be put on display in a public space to protest, unless they were properly educated on the matter as there are always two sides to a story, and one of those sides is going to be wrong. Besides….children should be taught to think for themselves, not be forced to believe what their oftentimes ignorant parents believe! It’s a sad affair indeed!
Angry white men and women upset because they’re being told their kids have to wear masks in school. They’re not thinking about the parents who are concerned about their own children who are not opposed to wearing masks in school, because, after all…who wants their child to come up with Covid? The protesters! It’s all about them, not other parents and their children. Plain and simple! I mean what else can it be!
“since we are personally removed from this humanitarian crisis, we can continue with the divisive narrative being spewed and blame our fellow Americans, instead of hold our Gov leaders accountable for doing NOTHING to stop it.”
> I’m not a Biden fan ADK, but hasn’t he, and the “way-out leftist” been trying to convince everyone to get vaccinated so as to maybe finally check the pandemic? Not that the vaccines are guaranteed but it sure seems to me that the numbers are way down due to a good chunk of the population getting “jabbed in the arm.” China is having an uptick in Covid, as well as other countries, and with so many people unvaccinated, or refusing to be vaccinated because God told them “No” or whatever their reason….i’m of the mind that we’re going to be stuck with Covid for a long time to come, and that things will probably get worse before they get better, especially if new variants spring up which is being predicted by scientist….not that we believe in science anyway.
O’ and did you hear the worst counties being affected with Covid in New York are those in the central & western sections of the state? There must be a reason for this. Hmmm!
I heard a most interesting take recently on this Covid matter, which indicated, that death by flu in general in the last year has dramatically decreased. The number of human beings that died just from the flu are way down, and they’re down because of what epidemiologists have been saying all along, that wearing masks will reduce exposure. May a supreme being come down to earth and instill rationality in those lacking it so as to save the rest of us. I’m not here trying to pick a fight ADK, I’m just saying! Which I have a right to do just like everyone else……so far we still have that right anyway.
Charlie I agree, keep the children out of it. I was recently In Concord New Hampshire.. The governor of NH had recently signed a bill that apparently addied some restrictions on Abortions in NH.While driving down Main St I saw a large, pro abortion crowd protesting in front of the State House. I’m cool with that, but then I saw children amongst the the protesters. I’m thinking, wow that’s kinda weird, who brings kids to a pro abortion protest? All were fully masked, but not observing the 6′ distance suggestion. No buggy for me, but what I did find really disturbing was some of these children carrying signs which read “my body my choice” (which I agree with BTW) and other such things! My thoughts, like yours, do these children really understand?
Agreed Drew. Kids shouldn’t be brought into these types of situations. They certainly can’t understand the nuances and ramifications for any of those subjects.
An aside here if I may. Maybe it wasn’t a pro-abortion rally. Maybe they were saying ‘my body my choice’ as a protest for the covid vaccine mandate. Glad to hear you agree with that.
Actually charlie dr Fauci and others have been all over the place on the effectiveness of wearing a mask
JohnL says: “I’d say the government leaders we have today know exactly what they’re doing and it’s actually part of their overall plan.”
And what might that plan be JohnL?
“Actually, IMO the fascists are the ones that want to get people fired from their jobs for choosing not to get the COVID vaccine.”
I thought I heard that hospitals, and major corporations, including some of the airlines, are insisting their employees get vaccinated…or lose their jobs. Why? It’s not political that’s for sure. It’s because they’re concerned about their patients & their customers…. even if it is just because they have their bottom line in mind, which is their lifeblood. Evidently these CEO’s know we have a Covid problem contrary to what some may think. We can buck heads until death swarms over, and still-logic will not sink in. Some things are as plain as day to see yet you’ll never convince everyone. Very strange the blindness that has overcome even those who have 20/20 vision!
JohnL says: “I do, however, understand people not wanting to get the vaccine for any of a number or reasons, and am ABSOLUTELY AGAINST forcing anyone to get it. By forcing, I mean firing them if they don’t, not letting them travel, etc etc.”
> I understand some of the thinking behind refusing to get a vaccine JohnL. I was always anti-vaccine…until Covid came along, I got my shot (it took me a while to do so) & I don’t regret it. It just made sense to me! (I still will not get a flu shot.) Part of the problem with much of this debate with vaccinations is, it was turned into a political tool, and guess who started it…mister former ex-prez King Divider himself. The bigger problem is, and which is very evident these past some years of late…. as I always say, people cannot think for themselves and so they fall for the lies. Gullible guppies! This is as evident as the mercury rising….is a major reason why all of the division between us!
To this I shall agree “This is as evident as the mercury rising….is a major reason why all of the division between us!”
All of the rest of your statements are debatable or at least can be in a respectable manner with open minds, sharing facts without the added emotion. Yet, when one side points the finger at the other stating they are the blind ones, (such as you just did) labeling those with either alternative and/or additional views (which in their minds are just a legit as the views you hold in your mind) and placing them into racial categories while calling names, then all decent, reasonable and sound debate goes out the window.
What else can be expected other than division, right Charlie?
Again Charlie I say…..seriously?? President Trump started using COVID as a political tool? You’ve got to be kidding me. We can argue about how COVID started. I have my opinion, and I’m guessing you do too. What is pretty much ‘settled science’ is that COVID was used as a political tool from the very beginning to bring down President Trump. And, as history unfolded, apparently it worked. The only thing you and I apparently agree on is that President Trump is responsible for an unprecedented quick and effective vaccine, which you say is the savior in this epidemic and should be forced on everyone. So, let’s give him a collective…..THANK YOU!
P.S. What are you going to do if they force a flu shot for everyone, including you?
“You must be smarter than to fall for that broad brush being painted that all who are refusing to get it are all “right wing” which is what is being propagated against anyone who is refusing to get it.”
Not all “right wing” No ADK, but most certainly the majority of….by far, which in itself has its implications, and why so much of the hostilities. There’s no making light of the matter, especially when so many are being affected by this pandemic we’re in, not just in getting sick, but in lost wages, business folding, poverty rising, etc, etc… Nope, not a laughing matter, and nothing to be making light of as I say.
Charlie said …..”tens of 1,000′ s of unvetted, unchecked, and unvaccinated migrants whom I suppose you assumed are coming across the Mexican border. Where did you hear this from?” Seriously Charlie?? You haven’t seen the pictures of the 100’s and 1000’s of people coming across the border this past year?? And, being released into this country?? Of course you haven’t. CNN and CBS/NBC, etc don’t show them and apparently they’re the only ‘news’ you watch. Suggestion: Check out some ‘alternative’ news sources and compare to your regular reading/viewing. That might help with some of the other statements you made too.
I saw on the ABC news a while back, looked like thousands of what they say were Haitian refugees (I cant verify their nationality) huddled under a bridge in texas for days! Then they were all gone? Where did they go? It looked pretty bad as far as a covid cluster unless they were fully vaccinated
Hi Drew. Respectfully, a covid cluster is missing the point. They are here ILLEGALLY. They shouldn’t be here. Period.
Charlie, I just saw on the news that a large majority of the american black, and latino population have yet to get vaccinated??
Yes, that is absolutely true, Drew- – along with many healthcare workers (this time last year they were the heroes), police, pilots, soldiers in the military, including Navy Seals .(which are of ALL skin colors)
But the MSM is only claiming its “those white, mostly ignorant Trump supporters.”, like a bunch of trained parrots. These days, it’s not what the media reports, its what they purposely fail to report. I remember when cherry-picked news only happened in Communist countries. But now, our news media is big $$, (like big pharma) Bought and paid for by political and social activists spouting division and hate between races, genders and now using vaccinations, expecting people still take the bait because they know it works. Divided we fall.
“…yet to be vaccinated??”??
Is this a requirement of political asylum-seekers, and NOT US citizens in high-risk jobs? Are you considering (gasp) FORCING them to be vaccinated?? Perhaps they could be given the CHOICE as US citizens have – termination or weekly testing? People seem very intend on leaving out the second option. Why? Inconvenience? I would expect most illegal aliens would jump at the chance of being vaccinated for free, if it didn’t mean immediate expulsion back to what they are trying to escape – the sword over their head.
People hunkering under a bridge to stay alive aren’t killing people across the country with their illusions of total freedom from civic responsibility. It is US citizens that are both spreading the virus and allowing the virus to spread and mutate. You help control it with vaccination programs, not documents. Focusing on the borders is pointing the finger away from ourselves. Perhaps another reason to try to get 3rd World countries vaccinated as quickly as possible??
“Yet, when one side points the finger at the other stating they are the blind ones, (such as you just did)…”
I call things as they are ADK! And if I have even an inkling that I’m wrong I’d be the first to fess up!
That’s fine, Charlie. You are free to have an opinion but “how you see it”, doesn’t mean its factual. Where you fail in expressing it, is your downright hostility towards those who are also ” free to have one”, yet differ from yours. Selective tolerance is another word for hypocrisy. Just saying.
Have a great day! Sincerely.
JohnL says: :We can argue about how COVID started. I have my opinion, and I’m guessing you do too….”
> I have no idea how it started JohnL!
“What is pretty much ‘settled science’ is that COVID was used as a political tool from the very beginning to bring down President Trump.”
> He brought himself down thank the powers that be. He just didn’t have it in him to act stately even for just a few weeks before the election.
“effective vaccine, which you say is the savior in this epidemic and should be forced on everyone.”
> I did not say this.
“P.S. What are you going to do if they force a flu shot for everyone, including you?”
> If it benefits the collective whole I will comply, because, after all….it’s not just about me.
Drew P Weiner says: “I was recently In Concord New Hampshire.. The governor of NH had recently signed a bill that apparently added some restrictions on Abortions in NH.”
Abortion! There’s another hot item! I hear the same people say over and over, “You can’t tell me what to put into my own body, it’s my body,” yet they’ll tell a woman, “You don’t have a right to have an abortion on your own body.” It’s all a bunch of sheet! These people, when it comes to abortion…they try to make it sound like women want to get abortions. Women don’t want abortions! When they get abortions that’s a very hard decision on their part. It’s their decision. You can be anti-abortion but still support the woman’s right to make that choice on her own, and which most intelligent people believe. Myself, and like all pro-choice people I know, we don’t believe we have the right to tell someone else what to do with their own lives and body, and neither should these old white republican men, and women because of their religious beliefs, or whatever their reason is. Especially when they’re saying nobody has the right to tell them they have to put a shot in their arm. They shouldn’t have the right to tell a woman she cannot have an abortion! And if they’re going to do that, then they’d better lay out a lot of money for these poor women that have to support these kids once they’re born and they’re living in poverty. If you’re going to tell some young girl who was raped, “you gotta have that kid, and once you have that kid and you’re seventeen years old and you can’t find a job, we’re not gonna give you enough money to support that kid…” That’s just wrong!
It’s okay to have your beliefs, and I respect people that agree to disagree, but if you’re going to be hypocritical…no! I don’t want to listen to you. These people should be saying, “I’m against abortion which means I also have to be against your right to not get vaccinated. If I can tell somebody what to do with their body for the greater good, then I can tell you what to do with your body for the greater good” yet they don’t do that!
These politicians that are telling people that it’s okay not to get vaccinated…I’d wager that every single one of them are vaccinated, so they’re being hypocritical there! My understanding is that Trump himself is vaccinated! Yet you won’t hear him come out and say that to his flock will you? A political move!
Supposedly the republicans and the conservatives are against government overreach, but now they’re doing the same thing by saying, as a private business you can’t mandate vaccines, you can’t mandate masks. That’s the same thing, they’re being hypocritical. If Home Depot demands that to work there you have to have a vaccine, or to come in there you have to have a mask, that’s their right. That’s what the republicans supposedly believe in, your right to do what you want with your own property, and now they’re going against that. The hypocrisy is so glaring! Don’t get me going!
Geez Charlie, I didn’t mean to get you going , or engage you in an abortion debate. I was just agreeing with your position on keeping the children on the sidelines during these protests. That was quite the rant!
I wonder what would be the debate if Home Depot’s policy was that if any pregnant employee was ever to have an abortion, then that employee would be terminated. Would that be their right as a private corporation?
“Seriously Charlie?? You haven’t seen the pictures of the 100’s and 1000’s of people coming across the border this past year??………… ”
“You haven’t seen the pictures of the 100’s and 1000’s of people coming across the border this past year?? And, being released into this country??”
> I don’t own a television JohnL, that’s one of the reasons why I’m so smart. And no I haven’t seen the pictures, or did not dwell on them if I did see any of them. Evidently, if thousands of people are trying to cross the border there must be a reason. Are we talking about those reasons? About what we can do to resolve these matters? And sure…there can be problems allowing so many of them in. But there are far worse problems I assure you which don’t seem to be on the collective radar.
Do we query the reasons why they want to come here? Nope! Let’s just build a wall and keep them out! Or let’s keep them out because their skin color is different than ours. We’re all immigrants JohnL, and if you ask me….we’re all one big family and we should be trying to help each other out if we could. This divisive nature in too many of us just has to go….if it is we desire to make it a better planet for those generations yet to be.
“They are here ILLEGALLY. They shouldn’t be here. Period.”
Yep! Just flush them down the drain and forget about them hey!
Drew P Weiner says: “I just saw on the news that a large majority of the american black, and latino population have yet to get vaccinated??”
> Yes, I knew this Drew. They’re skeptical too which could be something to do with their religion, but especially, I believe, it has something to do with their mistrust in our government, which our government brought on themselves! I also read a report that said more of them are starting to ‘come around’ and are getting vaccinated.
ADKresident says: “These days, it’s not what the media reports, its what they purposely fail to report.”
> And who are we to believe ADK? You say one thing I say another. Who’s right? The news I listen to, with a very open mind, has reported all, or most, of what has been said here, but there are those other media outlets that are, as ADK says….purposely failing to report. We trust who we wish to trust it’s as simple as that…even if we are being lied to, or but getting a fragment of the whole, or half truths only.
“your downright hostility towards those who are also ” free to have one”, yet differ from yours.”
Downright hostile? Maybe a little over- passionate on matters, but not that ADK. You’re reading me wrong which I have come to expect. You have a great day also! I really mean that!
“Perhaps another reason to try to get 3rd World countries vaccinated as quickly as possible??”
> The major reason to get 3rd world countries vaccinated Boreas is so that we put a check on variants which can be more deadly, and which some scientist are expecting, and which will be spread over the world and have negative consequences for possibly the whole human race….even on those who are vaccinated. We’re not having a rational discussion on these matters we’re just ego-clashing…i’m right you’re wrong! You’ll never get through to certain people that’s for sure. I mean just look at the anger, the divisiveness, over things that should be as clear as day….if there was but common sense.
On this discussion thread, I’m out of here. Nothing more to be said. Everybody is dug in and the tripwire and claymores have been placed. Nobody getting through here today.