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Governor Kathy Hochul recently signed redistricting legislation to create new districts for the 26 US House of Representatives in New York State, 63 State Senators, and 150 Assembly members. Redistricting is a process that occurs every ten years and follows the decennial US Census. The first elections for the new districts will be in June, when New York has a series of state and federal primaries, followed by the November 2022 general election.
Redistricting this year has changed things for the Adirondack Park in both subtle and substantial ways. Click here for a good interactive map of the current and new districts.
New York has an independent, bipartisan commission that takes the lead on redistricting. The ten-member panel has 5 Democrats and 5 Republicans. But they could not agree on one set of maps (big surprise), and each side published their own proposal. Since the Commission disagreed, the matter was sent to the Legislature. After Hochul signed the new districts into law, several lawsuits were filed to challenge the new maps, but prospects are dim that these legal options will be successful.
Three critical factors shaped the redistricting process in New York this year. This first was that New York’s population grew at a rate of 4.2% from 2010 to 2020, topping 20 million residents for the first time in the state’s history. While Upstate politicians like to talk about people leaving New York in droves, the opposite happened in recent years, and over 800,000 new New Yorkers put down roots. In 2020, New York State residents totaled 20,201,249, up from 19,378,102 in 2010, a gain of 823,147 new residents. The five counties in New York City posted the biggest gains, seeing 628,682 new residents.
While New York State gained over 800,000 people, the ten downstate counties gained some 828,352 new residents, exceeding the state’s overall growth. That means that in the 52 counties spread through Upstate New York, there was a total net loss of over 5,000 residents from 2010 to 2020. Beyond Upstate’s flat population is the fact that small cities in Upstate saw gains, such as Buffalo, Rochester, and the Capital District.
For the State Senate, downstate gained two seats among the 63 Senate districts, which would shift from Upstate. For the State Assembly, roughly six seats shifted from Upstate to Downstate.
The second major factor is that this was the first redistricting process in decades controlled by one party. In the past, such as 1990, 2000, and 2010, the Democrats controlled the State Assembly and the Republicans controlled the State Senate. The two houses agreed that the majority in each house would draw their districts, which, of course, favored their members and limited opportunities for the other party. Hence, the Ds maintained control in the Assembly, and the Rs controlled the Senate.
While each party held their own majorities in their respective chamber, they historically split seats for Congress. In this way, despite New York having far more enrolled Democrats than Republicans, there were always far more Republicans elected to Congress than their numbers would seem to warrant.
Like it or not, the third factor is that New York State got bluer. In 1996, there were 10.1 million registered voters: 4.7 million Democrats; 3 million Republicans; and, 2.05 million Independents. In 2021, there were 13.4 million registered voters: 6.75 million Democrats, 2.9 million Republicans; and, 3 million Independents. Democrats and Independents grew substantially, but Republican party enrollment has been flat for the last 25 years.
So, what does 2022 redistricting mean for the Adirondacks?
Let’s start with the State Senate. The Adirondack Park will now be cut between four Senate districts, but most of the park will be in two districts. The new 47th Senate District has Clinton, Essex, Hamilton, Warren, Washington counties, and parts of Saratoga and Fulton. As represented by 2020 voting patterns, this district got redder than the old 45th. Dan Stec from Queensbury has represented this district, and the fact that it’s now even more Republican than his old district will likely keep him in office for as far as the crow wants to fly. Stec lost Franklin County in this new district but gained Hamilton and parts of Fulton counties. Goodbye Tupper Lake, hello Great Sacandaga Reservoir.
The western half of the Adirondack Park is in a newly drawn 50th Senate District and has Franklin, St. Lawrence, Herkimer, and Lewis counties. This district, as represented by 2020 voting patterns, got redder than the old 47th. Patty Ritchie, from St. Lawrence County, has represented this district for years. Tiny parts of the southern Adirondack Park are also in the new 49th and the 51st districts, each represented by Republican incumbents and redder than their predecessors.
The flip side is that while North Country Senate districts in and around the Adirondack Park got redder, there are new Senate districts across New York that got a lot bluer. From Buffalo to Rochester to Ithaca to Troy and Saratoga Springs, to the Hudson Valley and Long Island, newly drawn districts favors Democrats. Currently, in the State Senate there are 43 Democrats and 20 Republicans, but after the election in November, Democrats could have something like a 50-13 majority. With the looming reality of life in the endless political minority, long-time North Country State Senator Patty Ritchie from St. Lawrence County just announced she’s not running again.
What does it mean for the Adirondacks to have no members in the Senate majority? At one time, an Adirondack Senator named Ron Stafford sat in an ironclad majority and was Chairman of the Senate Finance committee for two decades and millions and millions of state dollars rained down on the Adirondacks and North Country. At that time, Republicans had such a grip on power that they’d turn off the heat in the offices of Democrat Senators. Those days are long gone.
The State Assembly picture is much the same. Right now, and there are some vacancies, Democrats hold a 106-44 majority. With new district lines that shifted with downstate population growth, Democrats could see a 115 to 35 advantage come November.
Currently, Billy Jones from Chateaugay, a Democratic Assembly member, saw his district get bluer as he retained Frankin and Clinton counties, while dropping eastern St. Lawrence in exchange for northern Essex County towns like North Elba, Wilmington, Keene and St. Armand. Goodbye Lake Ozonia, hello Cascades.
The remaining Assembly districts across the Adirondacks are all cut with Republican majorities. Matt Simpson, a Republican from Brant Lake in Warren County, and Robert Smullen, a Republican from Herkimer, will run in redrawn and even redder districts. Assembly redistricting around Upstate cities could mean that there will be more Upstate Democrats like Jones elected. A bigger, louder and prouder, caucus of Upstate Democrats in the Assembly majority could help to more effectively spotlight rural and Adirondack Park issues. Jones and Simpson can also duke it out to see who is the true Assembly rep of the High Peaks. For his part, Robert Smullen, whose current district was geographically incoherent, stretching from Mayfield to Massena, now has a compact district centered primarily on Hamilton and Herkimer counties.
While Republicans have decried a flawed and rigged redistricting process, they may also want to look at party registration trends in New York. In the last 25 years, Democrats in New York grew their party by over 2 million people, and they’re likely to break 7 million in enrollment by this November, while Republicans actually saw their ranks drop to under 3 million.
In Congress, New York lost one House seat through national reapportionment of the 435 Congressional seats based on the national population. So, redistricting in New York for Congress not only saw a reduction of seats from 27 to 26, but then also had to contend with downstate population growth, which was roughly the size of one Congressional district that shifted downstate. For the first time ever, Democrats unilaterally drew a new Congressional map and it seems that come November, New York could go from 19 Ds and 8 Rs to 22 Ds and 4 Rs.
The Adirondack Park and North Country are represented by Republican Elise Stefanik. This district got bigger geographically and redder politically. Rural areas south of the Mohawk River that had been represented by Democrats Anthony Delgado and Paul Tonko are now part of Stefanik’s district. While clipped on its western edge along Lake Ontario, Stefanik’s new district was redrawn to stretch south to include Oneida Lake, Schoharie County, and Rennselaer County.
Residents of Cobleskill went from Democrat Delgado to Republican Stefanik. On the flip side, Glens Falls and Queensbury switched from Republican Stefanik to Democrat Paul Tonko.
Across New York, from the State Assembly to State Senate to Congress, there were very few “competitive” districts newly drawn. Almost all districts were drawn to the benefit of one party or the other.
How this all plays out remains to be seen, but it seems that Democrats like Billy Jones will be working with an even bigger majority, while Republicans like Dan Stec, and whichever Republican takes Patty Ritchie’s place, and Matt Simpson and Robert Smullen, will be working within even smaller minorities.
The current US House of Representatives is controlled narrowly by Democrats, who face historic ill political winds where the party of the sitting President usually gets wiped out in Congressional mid-term elections. Redistricting maps that favor Democrats in New York also happened in Illinois, Colorado, Oregon, and California, to offset similar Republican moves in Texas, North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Kansas, Missouri, and Florida. Unlike the State Assembly and State Senate in New York, we won’t know the political control of the US House of Representatives until November.
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General inquiries about the Adirondack Almanack should be directed to editor
This seems quite relevant. The “Big Sort.” Americans are moving to places where they feel welcomed politically. https://www.npr.org/2022/02/18/1081295373/the-big-sort-americans-move-to-areas-political-alignment
Most of us are well aware that political radicalization can have negative effects, but few realize the broader implications. All roads are leading to populism, and when has populism ever resulted in long-term, sustainable policy? …Social welfare? …Infrastructure? …Conservation? …Certainly never in New York. It is a shame that the independent redistricting commission failed. Maybe we need more commissions to babysit those commissions that have failed. Consociationalism anyone?
Gotta love the one-sided political editorial pieces and promoted headlines of the ADK Almanac. You never have to guess where all of the authors stand- sorta like watching the View in digital print. Instead of calling it a “community” powered billboard, it really should be called The ADK Liberal Editorial Billboard with a dash of ADK local highlight and history.
Yet you keep coming back! What does that say about YOU?
Actually, it says a lot-
I respect freedom of speech/press even if I do not agree, and I do like and enjoy reading some of the articles posted here since I, too, am your tax-paying neighbor. So, yes I keep coming back!
Since this is a “community billboard”, it would just be nice to have ALL ADK residents’ viewpoints represented fairly, as well as promote articles/ideas from the ‘other’ side. Does not the ADKs promote diversity or is diversity just a convenient buzzword for accepted thought /worldviews for only those who run in a left of center lane and to hell with everyone else?
Fair question since not everyone who lives in the ADKS are liberal. AA may even get more subscribers.
ADKresident,
There are lurkers, subscribers, trolls, and PAYING subscribers. Who do you think AA pays more attention to?
Content costs money. I would venture a guess most readers here neither contribute cash nor articles for publication. I do not believe AA has an active policy of one-sided articles. The articles you see are simply the articles they receive. Submit some of your own and see!
Maybe when I retire, I shall pick up the pen (well, keyboard) and submit some. Its a thought!
Looking forward to it!
Dana, I am a PAYING subscriber not quite sure what “lurker” or “troll” mean. So I looked them up:
Trolls are people who leave intentionally provocative or offensive messages on the internet in order to get attention, cause trouble or upset someone.
A Lurker is a person who lurks, in particular a user of an internet message board or chat room who does not participate.
Plus, there are all the eyeballs that the advertisers are looking for and they pay for the privilege of accessing those eyeballs. So, anyone viewing the site helps pay for the site. This is why some sites (not this one) prioritize provocative content and headlines designed to get people riled up and waste time on the site commenting back and forth. The more eyeballs and the more time the more advertising dollars to be made.
Everybody, I correct myself. An observer does not make a lurker be. I usually choose to observe, but then upon venturing a comment, I often find a bad taste lurking in my mouth.
In junior high school we learned it’s good practice to read material from a variety of sources even if you’re not in agreement with the opinions expressed.
“Gotta love the one-sided political editorial pieces and promoted headlines of the ADK Almanac.”
So how is this article “one-sided” and why do you say the headline is “promoted?” I understand that facts are considered “liberal” now, but this article seems basically a factual recounting of the redistricting process currently underway.
Peter Bauer is a lightning rod. If he said ‘roses are red’, some people would find it an attack on their ideology.
Oh please, Boreas. That’s the problem with many liberals of today, as opposed to those of the past- a simple disagreement or dissenting criticism is now considered “an attack”. Surely, you know Peter was not ” attacked”. Just ridiculous.
ADKresident,
I was not speaking about you specifically – and if that’s how you interpreted it, I apologize.
Certainly, if you read AA as much as you say, you can’t disagree with my statement. Some of the most personal, vitriolic comments I have read in AA are in reply to either Peter’s articles or David Gibson’s articles. If people can’t dispute the facts, they attack the writer or AA – it is much easier. But indeed, everyone has a right to post here.
AA is responsible for their editorial content. Are they responsible to write rebuttals as well? If they did, would those rebuttals be considered genuine? From what I have seen, AA would not turn down any factual rebuttal that would be submitted. I like to see opposing views as well.
No problem, Boreas.
A “Community Billboard” should represent everyone in the community is all I’m saying. No, they don’t have to write a “rebuttal”- that is unrealistic, imo. Surely you remember the days when journalists reported news and you couldn’t tell what personal views they held.. Now, because those days are gone, a variety of writers that bring different perspectives would be ideal to any news source (unless specified as representing 1 group) but no one seems to want to take that risk as agendas are pushed instead of facts.
As Dana pointed out, those that pay, get the biggest megaphone. And that runs across the board in all media outlets anymore.
Fair question. This article about “redistricting” legislation by Hochul can also be considered gerrymandering to give Dems an edge in upcoming elections because they see they are in trouble in 2022 across the board. This is an article justifying what she did . Although factual, very one sided in intent.
And I mean the weekly promoted headlines, not this one in particular..
As Dana mentioned above, until AA receives an article with an opposing view, it will remain one-sided. It shouldn’t take long to get an article with a view opposing Mr. Bauer’s. It isn’t difficult to submit articles.
I don’t care much for gerrymandering myself, but in our representative democracy, any redistricting is essentially considered gerrymandering by the opposing party. It isn’t limited to NYS or any one party. Voting rights and voting accessibility is another topic that needs to be addressed if we want to address fairness in our politics.
It can be as simple as every week when highlighted articles around the ADKs are chosen, you add both sides to include all voices.
Yes, gerrymandering is a political tool on both sides everywhere, no debate there! It should be acknowledged and addressed.
ADKresident,
I agree – they kinda do that quarterly in Adirondack Explorer with the “Yes/No” column. But the format of the print magazine allows that more easily than this particular format. This format is more linear, so one POV will necessarily be first. Perhaps the website format can be changed to please more readers – I don’t know.
But perhaps what could be done differently is to treat the content published with appropriate TOPIC headlines – ie. “Political”, “Opinion”, “Outdoors”, “Home”, “Business”, etc., that would include links to any opposing/rebuttal articles. I do not know what is and isn’t possible with the format on this site.
Thank you Peter for the detailed explanation, review of changes, and analysis.
There it is ! That little gratuitous touch of misogyny ! Sort of like “watching the View in digital print” What a joke ! I can’t wait until uppity women take over the world. Meanwhile keep all these great articles, environmental, political, cultural, recipes ! coming !
Well, Joan Grabe, its kinda hard to be a misogynist when you are a woman who 100% supports women in leadership. Right?
I do not criticize the View because they are women; I criticize the View because of the substance of its content , or better yet, lack of.
A woman can be a misogynist – we are still trying to stand up right after centuries of patriarchy. Some of that nonsense has to have been absorbed by us on our life’s journey.The women on the View are entertainers – they are not women “leaders “. I enjoy your musings on the forum.
Here’s a suggestion for Republicans. Instead of constantly whining about the fact that most people are voting against their candidates and ideas, and then trying to change the rules to prevent people from voting, why not come up with some candidates and ideas that people like?
Do you actually suggest candidates represent constituent’s desires and needs?
Don’t worry Z. R’s will be coming up with lots of candidates and ideas in November 2022. We’ll see how that goes shortly.
P.S. Anyone who thinks providing identification to vote is unreasonable or ‘preventing people from voting’ has something nefarious in mind.
“Anyone who thinks providing identification to vote is unreasonable or ‘preventing people from voting’ has something nefarious in mind.”
Lots of people who have the right to vote have difficulty obtaining a government ID. When there is almost no voter fraud to begin with everyone knows exactly what putting hurdles in the path of voters is about–preventing the “wrong kind” of people from voting. It’s creating a modern poll tax.
Here you go: “Many also claim that these laws impose little burden because everyone has the requisite ID — but the reality is that millions of Americans don’t, and they are disproportionately people of color.” https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/new-voter-suppression
Honestly Z, you can’t possibly be serious. Then you’re saying that all those people that don’t have ID’s can’t work, drive, cash checks, go to a concert or do about a gazillion other things in this modern day society. Check out this article. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/24-things-that-require-a-photo-id
Again, you’ve got to be kidding me. Like I said, anyone wanting to allow voting without ID wants to cheat. Pretty obvious, especially with this past years 2 million or so illegals flooding into the country.
I’m referencing actual studies done by well-respected sources, not hooey from rightwing scandal rags known for its anti-immigration editorial positions.
Surely, JohnL, you must’ve missed the depth of validity in this statement:
“Because in some people’s mind, that means well, you’re going to have to Xerox or photocopy your ID to send it in to prove you are who you are. Well, there are a whole lot of people, especially people who live in rural communities, who don’t… there’s no Kinkos, there’s no OfficeMax near them….Of course people have to prove who they are but ‘not in a way that makes it almost impossible for them to prove who they are…”…VP Kamala Harris
That says it all.
Hello all, I am halfway through my second beer, had it is making my imagination run wild about voting with no ID. I am imagining filling a bus with people who I pay to vote for Donald Trump, and than hauling them around to as many voting places as possible. Please tell me this would not be possible!
I’m only on my 1st glass of wine, but it would not only be possible BO, it would almost certainly be probable. But, the greater probability would be that the ‘bus people’ would be hauled around voting for a democrat. Very astute!
Stone cold Peggy says get id to vote so your Republican body can be properly buried.
So Z, are saying that those things in the ‘rightwing scandal rag’ that I provided DON’T need a valid ID? Applying for welfare, food stamps, buying beer, rent a room, applying for a fishing license, cashing a check etc, etc, etc?? You really are living in a dream world. Bottom Line, the basic requirements to vote are: You must be a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years of age, a resident of the voting district in which you are voting, and registered to vote. AND….. PROVE IT! Pretty clear and straightforward.
As for your ‘well respected sources’, they’re the ones with the agenda.
Bottom line is there is no voter fraud that would tip an election. Do you believe Trump’s Big Lie?
Actually, Zephyr, it’s a bigger stretch to believe that Biden got the most votes ‘ever’ in political history, even surpassing Obama by millions. A man with obvious signs of dementia, cannot finish sentences coherently, and rarely left his basement, and when he did, could not even fill a high school auditorium with people.
That narrative, I find is much harder to believe than having a corrupt system and/or stolen election.
What? Honestly Z, you don’t believe that the guy with early stages of dimentia that spent 6 months in his basement with a few drive in, masked campaign events that drew tens of people got more votes than the 1st black President? Do you?
Absolutely!! And now, they (you) want to make the ‘temporary’ changes that allowed that ‘steal’ legal in perpetuity.
Thanks for clarifying. I’m done arguing with people who don’t believe in facts.
And did not the pandemic expose the hypocrisy of it all?
The same politicians pushing/mandating vaccines & proof of vaccination for all ‘or else’, are the very same ones stating it’s impossible/oppression for some to get a proof of ID in order to vote because of the shade of the pigments in their skin.
Once again, their true political motives are exposed as it has nothing to do with ‘people’s rights’ and everything to do with keeping their seat of power and/or lining their pockets. I really do not know what it will take for people to see how these politicians conveniently talk out of both sides of their mouths when it benefits them or when their seats of power are jeopardized, as It cannot get any more obvious than the past year.
Are we saying here that voter ID is the ONLY part of the voter repression debate here?? After all, every teenager knows how to get a fake ID. But when I finally get my legal ID – on election day I find out I have been removed from the voter roll!
Depending on the racial and/or socioeconomic demographics of your voting place, you may wait in line for a couple minutes, or most of the workday! What is being done about that? If mail-in voting used in a handful of states is not the answer, I am waiting to hear a better alternative from anyone. Certainly increasing the numbers of convenient polling places makes the most sense, but never seems to happen. Why is that?? Who is to benefit by keeping citizens in line all day to vote? If I had to wait in line for 4+ hours – taking time off work – I doubt I would vote. Perhaps a federal holiday to vote?? That doesn’t do much for the service industry employees or small businesses that typically must work on federal holidays.
Gerrymandering is just one of many ways to rig an election and distort the electorate and election results. What we need is serious election reform, but that is going to involve Congress working together – so may as well try to piss up a rope.
Of course not! And we can start with the blatant lie that was told to Congress that voting machines used in many states were not connected to the internet while millions nationwide watched on TV in ‘real time’ as the votes were being tallied. How do you think the networks were receiving the data, by osmosis? What kind of idiots do they think the American people are ?
Voting is not rocket science- we can put a man on the moon decades ago, yet not come up with a solution to have a free/fair election? Of course we can- if not for the politics!
Voting, itself, is just another tool in their shed that they need to have on hand so they can pull it out when needed. After all, If they actually solved the voting issues, what will they have to run on in order to divide the people? The one thing our politicians fear: a UNITED States and people coming together! And I’m so done with it.
Of all of the comments barragging my inbox, this one I found to be the most insightful: “After all, If they actually solved the voting issues, what will they have to run on in order to divide the people?”
In my initial comment, I dropped the exotic and snobby-sounding term “consociationalism”, but the above formulation is much more erudite. If we are truly so serious, as our politics would seem to suggest, about redressing the extreme social ills that divide our nation–most of which now revolve around minority representation–then why are we all so content with majoritarianism? …I.e., as per Zephyr and Boreas, we could endlessly push for the seemingly unattainable and shifting goal of equal opportunity for minorities and women vis-a-vis voting, economics, healthcare, infrastructure–and I’m not saying that this is not an admirable goal–but why leave it up to chance, to the shifting tides of every political cycle? …Certainly, this accomplishes the goal of furnishing the disparate political bases with rallying cries for the ever-perpetual battle cycle of political war; but in the end nothing is fulfilled other than our own insatiable appetites for self-righteousness.
All of this is a long-winded way of saying: if we want minority representation, then adopt a Dutch or Bosnian model and legislate it–not the means, but legislate the ends. Further, if we want minority representation in civil society, e.g., media or corporate structures, then mandate it. Not only would this remove the high-horse, political vitriol from the equation–allyship would not be a virtuous “choice’, but an accepted reality–but it would do one better and actually engender fairness for all demographics, since it would be deliberate and well-scrutinized as opposed to the whiplash of the impetuous and impromptu tug-of-war that benefits no one except opportunistic politicians and pundits.
Democrats are in the vast majority in New York State–53% to 28% for Republicans (19% Independent). “In the last 25 years, Democrats in New York grew their party by over 2 million people, and they’re likely to break 7 million in enrollment by this November, while Republicans actually saw their ranks drop to under 3 million.” The rightwingnuts are the minority in New York on the way to extinction.
Thanks for stating that D’s are in the ‘vast majority’ politicallly in New York State. That would explain why this state is so incredibly well run and fiscally sound, and why everyone wants to move here. Oh wait! Over 300,000 people left New York state in the past year alone. And it also might explain why so many people on this forum complain about the leadership (?) coming out of Albany. Thanks Z, I love it when you make my point.
P.S. Actually I would love to see 100% D’s in New York. Then they (you) wouldn’t have anyone to blame your poor management on.
You made the whole thing worth reading. Thanks for hanging in there.
Always fun to follow conservatives struggle to participate in a political discussion…😎
Oh yes! It’s always fun to receive the condescending comments too when you tow the line, even just a tad right of center. Such good times & kind neighbors, indeed. Thx, Todd! 🙂
ADKresident says: “A “Community Billboard” should represent everyone in the community…………no one seems to want to take that risk as agendas are pushed instead of facts.”
I suppose you don’t listen to public radio do you ADK?
“gerrymandering to give Dems an edge in upcoming elections because they see they are in trouble in 2022 across the board.”
Gerrymandering should be illegal period! We’re all in trouble ADK! Especially so if the Tories take over. Already they’re banning books, they’re suppressing voters, making it harder for them to vote, they want God to form us into a nation similar to what our ancestors fled from hundreds of years ago. They shout “My body my choice” yet they’re all for taking that same right away from women. An insurrection to them is a party that got a little got out of hand. They support sub-humans who tell a nation to drink disinfectant so as to be rid of Covid-19………………… Yep, we’re in trouble alright.
“The two houses agreed that the majority in each house would draw their districts, which, of course, favored their members and limited opportunities for the other party. Hence, the Ds maintained control in the Assembly, and the Rs controlled the Senate.”
When we start limiting diversity in the election process we’re doomed to fail. Both parties are a threat to our democracy though I will say the democrats tend to lean towards a lighter shade of pale….and even that is not good enough anymore evidently. If there’s gonna be change for the better for all, not just a select few, not just for extremist kooks who can’t get past themselves or God or guns….. then there’s no hope for any of us no matter which stripe it is we wear.
ADKresident says: “it’s a bigger stretch to believe that Biden got the most votes ‘ever’ in political history, even surpassing Obama by millions.’
That thinking is only because of your partisan slant ADK, nothing less. Like being stuck in small room with no figuring how to get out. After 3-plus years of ‘wee’ Trump it is not a big stretch at all that Biden got so many votes. What is really freaky is that 70 million voted for the idiot-in-chief, that less-than-a-human, and I don’t say that as a partisan jab! I’m not a Biden fan, and I can see how easy it would be to not like him, but Trump! Please! I don’t believe for a second ‘the big lie’ ADK, and I consider myself a perceptive being, I can detect a falsehood on a dime. We can go on and on with this and get nowhere, but the fact of the matter is at least 70 million Americans are delusional at best if they think “their man” is going to save us, or this 250 year-old experiment we call America; not that they even care about such, which I highly doubt is the case. I think it’s more about their God, whom they can never prove exists, or millionaire entertainers passing a ball around in a field, or their wallets or purses, or trying to get taxpayer dollars to fund the private education of their children……
“The one thing our politicians fear: a UNITED States and people coming together! And I’m so done with it.”
This is about the most sensible thing I’ve heard you say in this thread ADK! It seems to me that we’re our own worst enemies and who is it that got us this way? Who are the ones dividing us? You say you’re “so done with it” yet you seem to support the very ones who are pro at this division. I mean after all, who is it whom wishes to build bridges, whom walls? There’s a peace sign, and then there’s the hate signs, which seem to be propping up everywhere, which coincides with all of the turbulence the world over, not just this supposed ‘great nation’ of ours! The math is simple ADK, and the colors are written all over the walls. It’s whom we choose to believe even if we’re wrong and in denial about it! Some of us are very much aware of who’s who and what’s what, others…….they’ll never get it.
Your comments just make me want to sing God Bless America!!
Thank you, Charlie for reminding me how much I love this country, despite it’s many problems that weighs on us all. I needed to remember how appreciative I am of my freedom to express my beliefs, faith and values, even if you mock, hate, and disregard as foolish.
Curious: If you despise this “250 yr experiment”, why stay? Perhaps, you could put your $$ where your mouth is and leave for a better country in your eyes?
Wow Charlie!! Just WOW! I’m speechless. JohnL out.
Somebody tell me. How many of those new residents of downstate that helped to show “growth” in NYS population are illegals that were flown in, in the middle of the night to Westchester, then spread out to unsuspecting neighborhoods? Just wondering.
Great article. Thank you. Sadly, none of the current reps have done anything to help our beautiful park. In fact, I’ve never heard Stefanik ever even mention the park.