BULL

CAHILL AT COMMUNITY ACTION DINNER

The 2010 Annual Community Action Dinner proved once again to be the quintessential bi-partisan event of the year. Well, in Ulster County anyway.

I say this because, after all the really hard work of planning, purchasing, cooking and delivering the mass quantities of chicken, Beans, mashed potato and stuffing by the volunteers, we politicians and public servants step in and get to serve the 600+ seniors. Some of which come from as far as Shandaken, Lloyd and Ellenville.


Here is a clip of Assemblyman Kevin Cahill reflecting on this year's event as we were winding down the evening...



Very few of the candidates running this Tuesday missed the event. At some point it becomes tradition to mix it up at the Senior dinner. I've always liked the few hours that we all put down the armor and do something fun with the opposition. With only hours to go, that too will pass and it will be business as usual.

Kevin, it was nice to catch you for the final comments. Best wishes Tuesday.

You can find Kevin's and the rest of the Democratic ticket website links to the left. Take the time to check em out before Election Day.

FIREWORK

FULL YEAR SCHOOLING

Something we should consider here in New York State. Full year school sessions.

The Indianapolis School Board will vote on a proposal that would see year-round classes for pupils adopted in the city. I think this is something to watch.

If approved, pupils in Indianapolis would go to school in cycles of eight to 10 weeks, with between three to five weeks off in between, for the whole year.

The controversial idea would put them in the same position as a growing number of children in the U.S. who are going to school on 'balanced schedules'. 

The Daily Mail article I found stated that Indianapolis has been criticized for low standardized test scores and high rates of dropouts over the last few years.

Haven't we gone through some tough times in recent years with school districts in the region? With a minor increase of 20 days added to the curriculum, there wouldn't be any reason to cry about the time invested by administrative and teaching staff. So why aren't we having the same discussion here?

Thoughts?

MOTHER JONES: FOLLOW THE MONEY

HINCHEY TOUTS TECHCITY JOBS

SINGLE STREAM RECYCLING

Ulster County may be late to the "Single Steam" recycling world, but that may change. We are faced with the eminent dictates of the industry, in which I mean, the industry partners who purchase our raw materials will insist that the many types of recyclable materials be mixed together. 

I remember while on the Council, Bill Reynolds introduced us to a company that offered to collect City recyclables at the curb using special cans and scales. The concept of co-mingling was new to us and although we hesitated at that time, those who handle the materials have pretty much forced everyone to rethink trash.

In reading Adam Bosch's report on the advancement in recycling collection and the dilemma we face at the RRA, we Legislators realize we have a revenue issue on our hands. Two recycling companies in our region are already using single-stream collection and sorting. That doesn't mean they all are. 

Adam pointed out the studies that show recycling participation increases when single-stream is introduced. That's because people find it more convenient than sorting into multiple bins. And in many cases, they begin recycling items that once landed in the garbage can.

Only a few years ago, the City of Kingston asked residents to mix cans, glass and plastic at the curb. We saw participation jump a bit since the container issue had diminished. The mix of paper and cardboard into the same bin is what threw the Council when we discussed the alternative. With partially cleaned cans and bottles, the newspaper and cardboard were sure to turn to mush during the week it sat on the porch. I didnt know how the industry would utilize the old Freeman with marinara sauce on it.

If I recall, the former director of RRA asked that the city stop using the packer to mix the recyclables because the broken glass was embedded in the plastic soda bottles. Our DPW continued as we were against his wishes. In addition; I think we finally cut up the old aluminum trailers that had the separate compartments.

Another impediment to shifting to "Single Stream" whether in-house or outside means, is the city contract with our own CSEA membership. Any attempt to change waste collection would have to be either reopened or have to wait until the current contract expired. Change is always perceived as a threat to municipal workers because innovation is spurred by increasing costs. Another term for fewer employees. In the City's case, the limited workforce could be better used where they feel "under-muscled".  

The County on the other hand, has to decide, do we accept the diminished revenue or upgrade the system to accommodate the wishes of the emerging industry? Either way, it affects our bottom line. Expect to hear more about the financial mess at UCRRA in weeks to come. Good luck interim director Charlie Whitaker.

Thank you Adam Bosch for the background.

STENY HOYER STUMPS FOR HINCHEY

HILLSIDE MANOR
KINGSTON, NY

HYDRO FRACKING 101

JAMES NORTHRUP
Former Oil & Gas Producer

RECRUIT CENTER SHOULD BE KINGSTON DPW

Freeman reporter Kyle Wind did a detailed report on the possibility of the Kingston school district investing in additional land in the near future. Notably; the almost vacant Army Reserve Center on Flatbush Avenue is being looked at for storage.

As noted in the article: The district currently leases warehouse space at 918 Ulster Ave. in the town of Ulster, and voters in February 2009 approved a five-year extension of that arrangement, with the rental price being lowered from $5.50 to $4 per square foot, creating a $187,480 savings over the life of the lease.

Board President James Shaughnessy said the district will explore buying the building from the federal government now that the facility is moving operations to Saugerties and suspects they might sell it to the school district cheap.

My suggestion? I think the City of Kingston should consider purchasing the property and moving the DPW operations to the site. The postage Stamp piece of property on Prince Street is congestive and the current buildings are in need of repair. Why not relocate to a more conducive location with room to expand?

All the offices could be at ground level and the front lawn could be morphed into visitor parking. The options are limitless. Once out of the old space, the city could offer the old lot for any number of businesses that need room to grow. Thus, putting it back on the tax rolls. [commercial rate]

I mentioned this to the Mayor when the word got out about the Saugerties development. There was some grumbling at the time about too far off into the future, but here it is. The time is now. We haven't done the repairs on the current buildings that we discussed back then. So, let's jump at it before the overextended school board decides to pursue the purchase.


Thanks Kyle for getting this out there.

THE REASON TO VOTE IS CLEAR!

ITS ALWAYS GREENER...

It's always greener on the other side of the fence. For Ulster County Republican Legislators; the classic metaphor is correct.

With all that we could be debating to make life better for Ulster residents, the body decided to dive into what is green and what standard to use when deciding the level of greenness. Yes, I really did type that.


The Republicans, after two months of committee discussions on the green Products Legislation, came out during caucus with the sudden worry that there might be a slight increase in the cost of purchasing "Green" cleansers and non-VOC paints and solvents. 


I just shake my head in dismay when I hear about the sudden care about costs when the same group overspent millions during the Jail Construction Project. Facing a 0% increase in the 2011 budget and having no other issues to hype up, our possible "green products" legislation will linger in committee until who knows when. This could be a signal of what's to come during the budget process.

Meanwhile, almost half of the products the County departments use are "green" according to Green Seal standards, the largest environmental certifier in the country.


It was well established prior to the meeting by Rob Parete, D-Stone Ridge, that the cost impact would be very minimal. When compared to using paints and coatings without chemical compounds that can affect the environment and human health, I'd jump on the chance to dictate a purchasing change. Understand that we would still permit the departments to deplete their current stock of what they had rather than replace it.

I thank Michael Novinson for his report in the Record.

http://www.greenseal.org/

McDONALDS COMMERCIAL

FUTURE OF GOLDEN HILL

Only a few days ago the Freeman ran a piece on the impending report regarding the Golden Hill Nursing Home. Reporter Patricia Doxsey mentioned the 100 plus supporters of the facility that crowded the 6th floor chamber of the Legislature. It was a repeat performance of the meeting attendance prior.

The Legislature is facing a fairly neglected facility and a short list of achievable options to either save the structure or walk away from County run Nursing Care all-together.

The county taxpayers subsidized the operation with 1% of the annual budget. Leaving the fiscal mark on the budget fairly negligible. So the cost to the taxpayers to maintain nursing care at Golden Hill is not the issue. What is a concern is the outdated structure and the requirements by the state to keep it operational.Those will be some significant dollars.


Additionally, in many instances, the building does not meet health codes, lacking handicapped accessible toilet rooms and resident exam/treatment rooms. What is ironic is the anemic funding the county gets from the state pretty much amplifies the problems we face today.


The article pointed out: In August, the county issued a request for proposals for “alternatives to the operation of the Golden Hill Health Care Center, including, but not limited to, enhanced services partnerships and/or acquisition.”


Walter Frey (R Saugerties) was quoted: “It’s worse than what I thought. I couldn’t believe the county Legislature hasn’t done the capital projects,”  He went on to say that, since 1998, the county has made only minor capital improvements at Golden Hill, including the installation of a $117,000 copper silver ionization system after two residents contracted Legionnaire’s disease.


In an emailed response to Ms Doxsey, Robert Parete said:

I'd like to clarify a statement made by Walter Frey.  Since 1998, Ulster County has spent over $5 Million in capital projects and improvements at the facility.  Here is a list of improvements.

YEAR	PROJECT	COST	CAPITAL PROJECT #
1998	Water Waste Screen Project	$49K	0206-96
1998	Kitchen Renovation/Dishroom Expansion	$1.55M	0214-98
2002	Facility Roof Replacement	$1.7M	02530-02
2002/2003	Entrance Walkway	$53K
2004	Emergency Egress	$150K
2004	Heat Exchanger Replacement	$150K
2004	Chiller Replacement	$90K
2005	Sanitary Sewer Main Repair	$1M	0277-05
2006	Central Elevator	$110K
2008/2009	Cooling Tower	$99K
2010	Copper Silver Ionization System	$105K

As it turns out, much more has been spent in maintenance at Golden Hill than was reported and maybe just overlooked by the current Health Committee Chairman. Who knows really, but it doesn't change the fact that although it doesn't amount to complete renovation status, work has been done to maintain the facility.

Incidentally, the League of Women Voters decided to address the Legislature before our monthly meeting just this past Tuesday and informed us of their conclusion to divest ourselves of the Nursing business...knowing full well that a Blue Ribbon panel is coming in with their final report next month. Their reasoning for the pre-emptive announcement..."Well, we've been working on this for four years so we're going first." Nice.

 A comment on FreemanOnline summed it up best when they said: "One of the reasons Golden Hill is in a deficit is because they are reimbursed by the State in 1983 dollars. If a new facility is built, it will be reimbursed in current dollars." Very few people outside of the committee knew this. Almost all of the funding provided by the County for either renovations or new construction would be refunded by the state. Amazing tidbit of information.


Another person said: "The $3 million that the County subsidizes the shortfall only costs the average property tax payer about $10 for the whole year, less than a dollar a month. Private nursing homes are FOR PROFIT first, care is MAYBE second. They get to hand pick most of their residents, so the ones with the most $$$ or require the least care is who gets picked first. They only have to take a small percentage of the rest. Golden Hill excepts everyone and care comes first."


Most of us who are up close and engaged in the funding and level of care at Golden Hill, know the options are limited, but worthy of review. the LWV should have waited until the commission was done. End of story.

GOO GOO DOLLS: UPAC OCTOBER 20

I was impressed with their performance this Wednesday.Until I saw that they were coming to UPAC, I hadnt thought much about their recording history, so I checked out YouTube and the P2P programs and found hits I knew but didnt realize who did them. There must be a dozen chart toppers from these guys.

The evening opened with the Spill Canvas, (above) a younger band out of South Dakota. They did well as you'd expect if you were opening for a popular band on the tour. Keep in mind, I was relegated to my i4 for these pictures which don't translate well at a concert. (below signing programs)

The Goo Goo Dolls did not disappoint. Their repertoire jumped from their smash hits to early favorites with a sprinkling of new numbers from the their latest release Something For the Rest Of Us. Rzeznik and Takac still play off each other well on stage although the sound guys have to clean up the vocals a bit. 

I tweeted just before the band came out that I found the packed audience to be diverse in age; Youngsters and Parents, but noticeably lacking in non-white fans. Perhaps just the genre?  Anyway, UPAC once again proved to be a venue that continues to bring great talent to Kingston while increasing the much needed tourism and sales tax revenue for the city. Thank you Chris Silva and company.

THE BILLIONAIRE BAILOUT

I get such a kick out of the Republicans claiming the super wealthy need the continued tax break they have enjoyed for so many years. Evidence shows that every dollar they dont pay in, goes right to their bank accounts; not back into some imagined re-investment into our US economy.


Did you think they would run out and buy another super yacht? They already have three. It looks like the middle class has totally succumbed to the noise machine resembling a modern version of Stockholm Syndrome. Advocating policies that would undermine their very economical survival means the brainwashing of our working class has been successful.


One year of tax break repeal for the top 3% would clean up our little debt problem. Maybe closing the loophole for corporations that send needed jobs offshore could be a good start. Limiting foreign money invested in our US Chamber to non-political use could be another discussion. None of these are permitted in our public discourse. So forget it.


95% of those who pay Federal taxes got a tax break last year. The sad news is most of us earning less than $250K/year will be asked to pay a lower percentage again this year. Sorry kids.


If corporations were as powerful during this country's founding, America would be a very different place. The cartoon above isn't that far off.

PICK & CHOSE WHICH LAWS TO ENFORCE

The New York Times had this in their recent edition regarding the California Prop 19 vote:

Attorney General Eric Holder says the federal government will enforce its marijuana laws in California even if voters next month make the state the first in the nation to legalize the drug. 

The Justice Department strongly opposes California's Proposition 19 and remains firmly committed to enforcing the federal Controlled Substances Act in all states, Holder wrote in a letter to former chiefs of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. 
The Associated Press obtained a copy of the letter, dated Wednesday.

"We will vigorously enforce the CSA against those individuals and organizations that possess, manufacture or distribute marijuana for recreational use, even if such activities are permitted under state law," Holder wrote. 

So we are to understand that the Federal Government is prepared to enforce their Federal Laws in California if the state decides not to, at the same time the Federal Government blocks Arizona Law Enforcement when that state decides to enforce the Federal Laws for them?

Just checkin.

KINGSTON SECTION 8: FAIL

 

This is someone's life. Sitting in a pile of someone's lawn. Bagged by my brother and I in a matter of a few hours. It didn't have to end this way.

Unfortunately the City of Kingston's Section 8 program decided they weren't paying for the month that the tenant was scheduled for eviction. Having been told that the client was served with an eviction notice with the potential to squat on the property until the end of the month, they informed us that they wouldn't pay anything toward October.

This forced us to use the service provided by our county Sheriff's Department to extract the tenant from the apartment. The loss at this point: $3,500. The damage inside the apartment is anything but a shocker considering we know what to expect after a Section 8 client is evicted. Had we been forced to use outside contractors, the additional expenses would increase dramatically. 

Looking at the picture above, you wouldn't think there was anything wrong on the inside. Which always prompts the question from friends of mine, why would you want to be a landlord? Isn't it a big hassle? Well, yes it is, if you don't screen your applicants well. A good resource for landlords is the website designed just for that purpose. www.kingstonlandlordsupport.org is managed by the Sheriff's Department and keeps track of those undesirables with a chronic eviction history.

This tenant was accepted by request from someone we thought was a friend. Lets just say, he's off the Christmas Card list. Incidentally, her young adult kids were at the house when we started the clean-out. They promptly collected a few of their own belongings and headed for the door, giving their mom the one finger salute on the way out. Since they were still in bed when we entered the apartment, they had no intention on leaving or least of all packing valuables just in case. They really didn't believe this day would come.

The tenant sat amongst her belongings until someone from DSS showed up and picked her and her cats up. Even then, the fella didn't want her & the animals in the car but what was he to do?

I will be looking into avenues to better arm landlords in the future. This abuse from the systems we fund through our tax dollars should really be held more accountable for who they accept as clients. We should have the ability to know these folks better before they sign on the dotted line.

TEAM PALADINO 2010: KINGSTON

Here would be the typical Republican Tea Party home in Kingston. With the standard barer Carl Paladino mixed in with the rest of the like minded candidates. Candidates like Phillips, Rooney, Tantillo, Goodwin and Bruhn all clumped together like a happy family.

I don't know how many, if any of "Team Paladino" will make it this November, but at least we know where they all stand on some of the pending social issues in New York state. Thank you Carl for making their message clear this fall.

UCRRA MIKE BEMIS FIRED!

Everyone remembers that in recent months, our County Comptroller Elliott Auerbach has criticized the legislature for “lack of oversight” in the world of UCRRA. He made the suggestion that in the past decade, tens of millions may have been wasted in the form of mismanagement at the facility and poor supervision by the County Legislature.

It seems the oversight committee has decided that Director Mike Bemis has got to go. He was fired this Tuesday evening where as far as Ive heard, there hasn't been a replacement or interim named yet. Bemis claimed the oversight of the financial operations was sufficient where without it, the costs would be higher. Obviously the committee didn't buy it.

Bemis is the first director to serve in the wake of Charlie Shaw. What occured at the meeting and what words were said, I haven't a clue, but the end result was Mike's dismissal. The expected increase in cost to the taxpayers in the amount of 1.5 Million probably raised all the warnings the board needed.

Since I am not on the committee closely related to this department, I had no access nor hint of what was developing until Elliott's report came out last month. Perfect! Since then, all of the Legislators have been paying close attention to the issue. 

As you can tell, I've stayed clear of all the sexual harassment accusations that have developed in the press. Without being witness to the testimony, I cannot add to the story.

I will ad more to this article as I find out more of the details. Meanwhile, be sure to increase your recycling folks!

DAVID GILMOUR & THE ORB: NEW ALBUM

The Orb EPK from Columbia Records on Vimeo.


Metallic Spheres is designed to be heard in two parts – 'Metallic Side' (24'48"), and 'Spheres Side' (25'09"). Each track, or side, consists of five movements. The album uniquely utilizes David Gilmour's electric guitar and lap steel guitar, Alex Paterson's sound manipulation, keyboards and turntables, and Youth's bass guitar and keyboards.

I KNOW PEOPLE WHO SUPPORT THIS GUY

GET SUGAR DRINKS OFF SNAP

Great news! The people who participate in SNAP may have the purchase of sugary soda drinks relegated to non-program funds. New York officials want to remove soda, sports drinks and other sugar-sweetened beverages from the New York food stamp program.

Spearheading this effort is Mayor Bloomberg and Governor Paterson. I applaud both of them for taking this brilliant first step in helping fight obesity and the ailments that follow. The picture to the left is a result of uncontrolled Type 2 Diabetes.

There are almost 2 million New Yorkers participating in SNAP. If such a restriction passes the State Legislature, those clients would have the opportunity to buy those same drinks through other sources but not through the program.

Bloomberg and Paterson have asked for a two-year trial period. Put me on the list of advocates for this experiment. 
Personally, I would start right off with a longer list of unhealthy products that are available in any supermarket. Ice Cream, Potato Chips and Cake are the first three examples I'd throw out there. If you want them, use the cash in your pocket, I wont stop you. But not on a program that my tax dollars subsidize.

Statistics back up this idea. A child who drinks one sugary drink per day has a 60 percent higher risk of obesity than a child who abstains from those drinks.
When the health problems start to mount, they start to miss school and become reliant on the very same programs that got them there...It costs all of us much more in the long run.


Is there a petition out there? Where do I sign?

CYNTHIA APPLETON

During my tour of upstate New York last month, I had the pleasure of meeting  the State Senate candidate for the 59th district Cynthia Appleton. Sharp as a tack andarmed with a quick wit, Cynthia was easy to talk to and on top of the issues that haunt western New York State.


Having been represented by Dale Volker since 1975, the 59th is looking for new leadership and from what I've gathered there are I think two or three other candidates in the race. One Republican, one Conservative and one from the Tea Party.

The district is 60% right of center, so under normal circumstances, it would be a tough sell for the district. Having three others splitting the opposing votes,the better candidate may get her shot this time. The district includes Erie, Wyoming, Livingston and Ontario Counties. Above is a picture of Main Street Warsaw, NY taken from the HQ sidewalk. Its no different than any other small town intersection.


Cynthis is also running while there is a big push to elect more women to state offices which is why I was thrilled to see this short clip from the NY Uprising Campaign...



With a four hour ride to Albany from her home, It might be best to have staff that live closer to the office. I think most of the long distance representatives do. It was great meeting her and I wish her well on November 2nd.

KILLER CAPTURED

If you look at the THR online or pick it up Thursday, you'll read the piece Adam Bosch did on the capture of the escaped killer in southern Ulster County: 

Police have arrested the 25-year-old man who they say killed a security guard Wednesday morning at a drug and alcohol rehab center near Ellenville.

Police surrounded and raided a house at 374 Ulster Heights Road about 6:15 p.m. Sources at the scene said tactical officers broke the windows and stormed the house. 

They came out with Richard N. Giga, who had been on the run since 3 a.m.

While having dinner at the Olympic Diner in Ulster, a small group of heroes were seated next to Len, Terry, Susan and I. After searching the neighborhoods and wooded areas around Ulster County for the last 18 hours, these guys deserved our thanks. Thats exactly what we did and then proceeded to buy their dinners.

When you meet the men and women who step up in a time of crisis as these fellas have, make the effort to thank them for all they do.

And Adam...thanks for posting and tweeting that Giga had been captured.

WHO'S AFRAID OF HEMP?

 Below is an article published ten years ago by Zed Starkovich. The facts haven't changed in all these years. 

Hemp is still the biggest threat to those who make money in the cotton and paper industry, the Incarceration and Pharmaceutical companies, the tobacco and alcohol profiteers and the petroleum conglomerates. Hell, even the drug cartels! Why?

Its easier to grow and manipulate into the products that we need to the extent that current industries would suffer dramatically. Those that make the most from our addiction to oil, drugs and nicotine have the most to lose if Hemp and/or marijuana were legalized and embraced for regulated/taxed use.

Read the article from 2001 and see if it still applies. 

The ONLY way our past foreign policy, and present war, can be justified is if we accept the fundamental premise that WE NEED OIL TO SURVIVE. We must believe that oil is our only source of energy and without it civilization as we know it would collapse. In order to justify more "precision bombing" and selling weapons to terrorists, we must believe that protecting our oil-based economy is the same as protecting the people of America.

This quickly leads to the concept of "overpopulation" and the idea that our planet cannot support this many people, so some have to die. The people of the First World take all the oil we need, while the people of the Third World have to fight for clean food and water, because it is better for them to die than for us to die. Better for Arabs to die than Christians. Better black people die than white people. Better for my neighbor to die than me.

At every level, we allow the fundamental fear of starvation to justify our ignorance and hatred toward anybody who seems different and is therefore perceived as a threat to our family and friends. When self-preservation is our only goal, we can safely justify any actions that seem to protect our lives, no matter how violent, because it is "self-defense."

Unfortunately, this desperation and fear of death is based on a century of lies. WE DON’T NEED OIL AND NEVER HAVE. Our forced dependence on the limited supply of petroleum is due entirely to greedy politicians protecting their own business interests instead of the American people.

Everything now done by fossil fuels can be done cheaper and better with renewable natural resources grown on American soil by American farmers. For more than 12,000 years before it was banned in 1937, the world’s number one natural resource for food, fiber, fuel and natural oil was hemp.  

All of our energy needs could be supplied by simply allowing farmers to grow hemp on the land our government now pays them to leave fallow. If we were allowed to use the vast amount of natural resources available to us instead of remaining dependent on a limited supply of tightly controlled petrochemical products, the cost of living would be cut dramatically and our planet could easily support 10 times the current population.

Need some examples? When the Diesel engine was built in 1895, its sole purpose was to run on alcohol and vegetable based fuels instead of petroleum. Cars don’t need cleaner engines they need cleaner fuel.

During the raw materials shortage of World War II, Henry Ford built a car "grown from the soil" that ran on hemp ethanol and was made from hemp based organic plastic that was 10 times stronger than steel. If lighter, stronger, cleaner, cars were available 60 years ago, why does the auto industry drag its feet and beg for “tax incentives” to make safer cars today?

Hemp grows like a weed without any pesticides, and hempseeds are the most nutritious food source known to man. Both China and Australia survived widespread famines in the 19th century by eating hempseeds. Today, 30 million children die of malnutrition every year while our “War on Drugs” bans them from growing hemp as a food source because “Marijuana is a deadly drug.”

In case after case, for thousands of uses, hemp products are cheaper, cleaner, and stronger than their petrochemical counterparts.

That is the simple truth and anybody who denies it without doing a little research is a liar or a fool.

It is a question of Hydrocarbons Vs. Carbohydrates. "Fossil Fuels" are complex carbon-based molecules called Hydrocarbons. They take a lot of work to process into usable raw materials and give off deadly toxins as they are broken down. Carbohydrates are simple carbon-based molecules that can be easily broken down into a variety of raw materials for a wide range of industrial uses.

We don't need to pray for some magic technology developed by Dupont or Monsanto to save our lives. The answer has been available for thousands of years. We can either burn clean hemp biomass fuel to boil water and make the steam that turns the turbines that give us our electricity, or we can burn oil and coal and pretend that nuclear power is "Clean Energy”.

The first step to a better future is a mass media that tells us the truth and a government that does what it was elected to do: Protect and defend the people of America.

Unfortunately, our media and politicians are bought and sold by multinational corporations who poison our children and work us to death so they can make a bigger profit and buy more politicians, TV networks, and weapons factories. NBC will never tell you the truth about the devastation of war because they are owned by GE, whose main business is selling weapons of war to the oppressive military regimes of the world.

Our government must allow the people of America to support and invest in our own country instead of giving hundreds of billions of our tax dollars to murderous governments who protect the foreign investments of corrupt multinational corporations.

The only way to stop trading blood for oil is to teach the world that oil is simply unnecessary. The people of America have to know that there are better ways to feed, cloth, shelter and fuel the energy needs of this planet.

A Democracy can only exist with an informed electorate. We as citizens need all the information we can get in order to protect our families to the best of our ability. For that reason I have started the website www.HempFarm.org as a public information and resource network. I am also in the process of forming a nonprofit organization aimed at making the future a safer place through education and exploration of our world.

Zed and those who truly seek a better, less dependent America still have an up hill battle. Even with the progress in California and the Medical Marijuana initiatives from the recent past, progress in the last ten years has been ignorantly slow. I say ignorant because people would rather still take what these industries are selling them in the way of misinformation as gospel. 

It's been a long time since "Refer Madness" misinformation was dispelled. Yet here we are with a failed drug war and thousands of casualties along our southern border that didn't have to be.

BIG IMPROVEMENT ON BROADWAY

One of the worst offenders on Broadway in Kingston had to be the HONDA dealership at the corner of Elmendorf Street.
That neglected parking lot and dilapidated office building were the focus of many neighborhood meeting and until this week, many thought it would never get cleaned up.

Our wish has come true. If you go by the site today, you will see a big change at the corner. The building has been removed and the sign no-longer has broken HONDA lettering on display for all to see. 

 Could someone be planning to build something? Perhaps. Hopefully a traditional storefront at the sidewalk like the rest of the commercial district. But if not, at-least this eyesore will be less of a symbol for the economic stress in Kingston.