Letters to the Editor

Councilman Opposed Train Station, But Supported Local Company Getting the Work

In a city that is struggling in so many areas: decaying streets; crumbling sidewalks; a failing infrastructure; high taxes; a daily rise of crime; and lack of services, I believe these are the things we should be focusing on. With the yearly intake of nearly $20 million from the casino the city of Niagara Falls leadership should be concentrating on the things that would affect the everyday lives of families in Niagara Falls. I believe the new train station will be a beautiful building, but I also believe this project will be another burden on the taxpayers for many years to come. As an elected official I have to look at how my vote will affect the families of Niagara Falls today, tomorrow and in the future. With that in mind, and with a clear conscience, I could not vote to support the train station project.

I knew this project, however, would be approved, regardless, by the majority on the council. With that said, I am glad a local Niagara Falls company has been picked for this project. That is why I voted "yes" for Scrufari Construction Company to get this contract.

Glenn Choolokian, Council Member, City of Niagara Falls

I read your paper just about every week. (My friend goes to Niagara Falls, NY., almost weekly.) You sure like to dig up dirt - but it makes interesting reading. We don't have those kind of problems on this side of the Niagara River. As far as using human waste (s--t) for fertilizer, the Niagara Region has been doing it for years.

It's not like we have 450,000 residents using the farmer's fields as open outhouses. Just like "Quasar" it goes through extensive treating.

As a Green Party supporter I would like to express my disappointment with the reporting and the characterizations of the Green Party and their candidate, Howie Hawkins, in your April 15th edition.

First and foremost, I object to the comparisons of the Greens' ideas to the totalitarian Soviet Union. The Green Party is generally left of the American Democrats and the Republicans while remaining right of the many fractured Socialists parties. Greens believe in grassroots democracy, local control, and participation in the political systems of many nations around the world that usually have quality of life and standard of living rankings higher than the United States.

In America it is the Democrats and Republicans who are the authoritarians with their dual bi-partisan support of the poorly named Patriot Act, the NDAA, NSA spying, their bi-partisan disproportionate global military spending and their oppressive global adventures. The Greens propose to fund a progressive social and infrastructureagenda mostly by defunding and dismantling the military police state. An authoritarian party would never dream of doing that.

If anything is fascist in America today, it is not ideas from the Greens but Obamacare, the merger of State and corporation. The State funnels mandated for-profit customers - under threat of penalty - to healthcare corporations and into a fragmented array of unequal services. The Greens support a universal single-payer national healthcare system. The current Obamacare still leaves out 30 million Americans.

Greens also support a $15 per hour living wage. The idea being that a full-time working adult should be able to pay for basic living expenses by working. This dignity obtained through working would allow many to come off programs like food stamps. The idea in your article that the living wage would crush business is simply false.

All you have to do is look to Australia where the Green Party originated and where the minimum wage exceeds $15/hour, the Big Mac still costs under $6 and the business community does just fine. When people can earn enough money with dignity through working they can then go out and spend it. In my view workers need to get paid enough to live or there is no real incentive to work at all.