Problem is, residents of Gaza are crushed into the densest number of people per square mile on earth, and have been stripped of most of the territory they occupied for thousands of years prior to the Zionist invasion and takeover. Israel now decides the borders for Palestinians, where they can or can't go, and even how far off shore of Gaza they may fish. Had the division of land followed the UN plan of 1946 and 47 there would probably be military peace, if not necessarily political peace, in the area now.
Just consider for a moment if Native Americans had enough descendants in various countries, and decided to take over their former homeland. They invade the U.S., and we cannot use nuclear weapons against them, as they swoop down from many different nations, and are well armed with the latest war machines by a number of other nations also. First they takeover New York State as they are led by the Iroquois nation in upper New York State, but quickly spread out to occupy first rural areas in southern and western states, and then expel Americans living in the cities (killing the country people who resist, by the way). So Americans finally end up compressed in California, Oregon, and Washington; but if a party insisting of counter force and resistance starts waging guerilla warfare on the so called "Native Americans," then American cities on the western coast are bombarded, with fatalities of hundreds. When the U.N. tries to step in, it is virtually ignored, since Russia and China support the "Native Americans," who even dictate to the U.S. citizens where and how far offshore they may fish along their new coastline, and what they may ship to other countries or import from them is strictly controlled by the "Native Americans." True, a few of the remaining "Christian Nations," such as Sweden or Norway, might object to what was going on; but the Islamic nations, now easily the more populous and advanced militarily, continued to support the "Native Americans" on the ground that the NA's religious practices and beliefs were simply a more ancient form of Islam, and so the NAs must be supported in their return to their native land, and besides, they enjoy immense political pull in some Islamic nations. And don't forget, some of those U.S.ers would like to totally eliminate the Native Americans, as they had almost accomplished hundreds of years ago, if they could just get nations like Russia and China to stop supporting the NAs. All in all, considering the attitude of many U.S.ers, and the diplomatic problems and criticism they cause for the NAs, perhaps the Native Americans' are pursuing what one might call "Slow genocide" with regard to the remaining U.S.ers.
Phil Sullivan
Woodstock
PELOSI MUST STEP DOWN
Endless bailout indeed - or the all time corporate bank heist! In 1989 Lyndon LaRouche, the economist was fraudulently convicted by George H. Bush Sr. for telling the truth about corrupt U.S. government activity. His 15 year sentencing was of course revoked and he was released. The character assassination in the mainstream media was however bruising. Regardless of such intimidation as any true patriot would be, he continued to speak out. In his own July 25, 2007 international webcast, where he spelled out the specifics of a bankruptcy reorganization and freeze on foreclosures, which came to be known as his "Homeowners and Banks Protection Act (HBPA)" he said, "I provided the solution, to get the United States safely out of the very crisis that we are now in. Those allied with Rohatyn and Soros - led by Nancy Pelosi - sabotaged that effort, just as Pelosi earlier sabotaged my proposals for saving what was left of the machine tool and productive capacity of our auto sector. In the case of auto, Pelosi committed a flagrant conflict of interest, because she was working directly with Felix Rohatyn who, at the time, was working to take down the auto sector and turn it over to a bunch of hedge fund predators. That conflict of interest, alone, warrants Nancy Pelosi's immediate resignation as Speaker of the House.''
LaRouche has consistently tracked the corrupt agenda of the elitist fascist oligarchy and foresees the unfolding of a devastating plan, treasonous in nature, that is bringing down the U.S. economic system. LaRouche continued, "the greatest crime that Pelosi committed was her role in sabotaging the HBPA and ramming through the bailout, which was highway robbery against the American people. This is one crime that you cannot blame (entirely) on former President George W. Bush, or on his Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson, Pelosi was the engineer of the bailout bill's passage. It would have never passed the House were it not for Pelosi.
"We had the solution on the table, as of July 2007. We had the backing of state legislatures and city councils all over the United States. We could have avoided the disaster we are now facing, if the HBPA had been passed in September 2007. But, Pelosi, and others in Congress, like Barney Frank, sabotaged it. Pelosi and company were in bed with a class of special interests, personified by Soros and Rohatyn, and instead of protecting the American people and protecting the legitimate chartered commercial banks, through a bankruptcy reorganization, Pelosi presided over the robbery of trillions of dollars in taxpayers money.
"Now, Congress must right all the wrongs that they have done since July 2007. And the first step must be for Pelosi to be forced to step down as Speaker. Congress will never restore its credibility with the American people until she is gone. She must be removed from a position of control, because she betrayed the American people. We certainly need a new Pecora Commission, to investigate this greatest bank robbery in American history, but do not kid yourself. No competent Pecora Commission probe can take place, so long as Pelosi is in the leadership of the House.''
Mr. LaRouche is dutifully calling upon Congresspersons to recognize the perpetrators of these crimes. "The Congress bears the responsibility for sabotaging all of your efforts to win passage of the HBPA, the measure that would have averted the total financial collapse that we are now facing. Almost all of the problems that local and state officials are facing today can be traced to that Congressional betrayal. The Congress must be confronted on this betrayal, and I call on all state and local officials, who have seen their constituents suffer, as the result of the Congressional corruption and cowardice, to take on this problem. And the only appropriate place to start is with the removal of Nancy Pelosi.''
Stephen Johnson
Woodstock
EVERY ISRAELI IS VERY PRECIOUS TO US
Only 60 years ago, to the astonishment of humanity, the Jewish people reclaimed our historic right to nationhood: modern Israel was established after 1,900 years in exile. Rising from the neglect of the Ottoman Empire, the ashes of Europe and the indifference of the crumbling British Empire, Jews reclaimed our birthright and heritage on the ancient land with much toil, bravery, ingenuity and blood. Despite perpetual boycotts, wars, terrorist and now rocket attacks, Israel has persevered and gained strength by every measure. As a full member of the family of nations, Israel does not need to justify self-defense in the face of katyusha bombardment and repeated threats of annihilation; it needs only to exercise it. Rockets from Gaza are rightly met by Israeli armor and jets to protect its citizens.
When our enemies want their State more than they want to destroy Israel, peace will be attained. Until then, Israel will maintain its defense over their ideology of manipulated despair and destruction. Jews understand the mathematics of "proportionality" better than anyone: in this world, not very long ago, Jewish lives were cheap. Therefore, every Israeli is very precious to us, and maybe only to us. Nowhere do Jews glory over the suffering of our bitter enemies, but we do not want to forever endure our own sufferings. That is proportionality. America's Preamble to the Constitution mentions, "...to secure the common defense..." Israel guarantees no less to its people in time of war. Therefore, along with our many friends and allies, while we hope for a real peace, we remain in complete solidarity with Israel at this time and in perpetuity. As in the words of our sages, "The People of Israel Live."
Harriet Miller, President; Nat Borsky, Chair, Israel Advocacy; Harv Hilowitz, Chair, Community Relations; Michelle Tuchman, Past President
The Board of Directors of The Jewish Federation of Ulster County
A QUALITY OF TIME
There's been much talk about independent vs. big box bookstores, and understandably so. But in our community, we are among the lucky few in the country who can actually work against this disturbing tendency: We still have The Golden Notebook!
Within a few short years, the U.S. went from having 5,200 independent bookstores to 1,200. That's a shocking decline. While writers and readers alike have mourned, many have simply had to watch the shutters close. We have the opportunity here, though, to buck that trend.
When we do so, we do more than keep money in the community and a premium on person-to-person and expert-to-reader contact - as if those weren't valuable enough. We also hark back to days when we had a different conception of time. Days when people inclined toward browsing in bookstores, hunting patiently for gems and slowly growing a stack of their treasures. Town life vs. city reflects a desire for a different pace, a different quality of time. That's well represented in a slow browse, where staff and readers can commune, talk books, and relax among the stacks.
What a way to spend an afternoon!
Gretchen Primack
Hurley
A PAYING GIG
On January 22, 2009 Judith Chase announced that a bench was going to be installed on the Village Green to honor Jane VanDeBogart who was an extraordinary woman in very many ways and whom we still miss. So many times artists are asked to donate the work of their hands, hearts, and minds. This is a paying gig. A grant for this project was obtained by Kevin Cahill. We are asking artists, sculptures, carpenters, etc. to mail drawings and materials descriptions to Judith Chase at 2401 Glasco Turnpike, Woodstock NY 12498 or call 679-2551 for further details. The deadline is February 15, 2009.
Renée Englander
for the Committee
Lake Hill
GA-GA
How marvelous is serendipity! My good friend Brian Shapiro has a letter in last week's edition about Mary Burke no longer being a member of the Woodstock Environmental Commission. The serendipity is in the fact that Mary has a letter in the same edition. Brian's letter is, as usual, cogent while Mary's is, to put it gently, a weird flight of fancy. She complains that some of us are not willing to spend a considerable sum of money on an engineering study for the Elna building. She has forgotten that there are a lot of questions that have to be answered first, such as what will become of the Comeau buildings and the old Town Hall, as well as deciding which of the options for alleviating employee working conditions is best. She forgot that the Board is sending out an RFP for an Architectural firm to consult with. She forgot that the Wilber Administration sunk well over $200,000 into the Town Hall with nothing to show for it, but she wants us to throw money at Elna without thinking first. She forgot that the Wilber Administration hired an Architect for the Town Hall renovation whose estimate for the work was 40 percent under the bids. That same Architect had been proposed for the Elna job.
After putting herself in left field, she goes on, if that is the term, to rant about Liz joining Chris and myself in an "illegal taking of a medical insurance buyout...which totaled at least $15,000." Years ago, Family of Woodstock placed signs around Town reading "drug dealers not welcome here," to which I subscribe, so I wonder what she may be smoking. First, Liz has been opposed to the "buyout." Second, it is not illegal; that is stated quite clearly in the Employee Handbook. Mary has been been reading the draft Handbook which is on the Town website. That one was proposed by Jeremy but never acted on and while I have no idea why or who put it there, it is clearly marked draft, in large print. In English. Curiously, she forgets to mention that Terrie Rosenblum has also been a recipient of the "buyout," which totaled, for the three of us last year, $11,178.81.
Finally, she writes that we "pulled the same stunt last year, snowing the new Supervisor" to the tune of $30,000. Whatever she thinks she's writing about is ga-ga. I have no idea what the stunt is or the extra money she refers to, but this is a great insult to Jeff Moran. He doesn't take the medical "buyout," and to think that any of us are capable of "snowing" him is laughable. Jeff is very smart and quick and though he and I have some disagreements, I respect his acumen. A last word on the "buyouts." They are a medical benefit which other employees also receive and they benefit the taxpayers as well because it would double the cost if any of us were on the Town's medical plan. I can assure Brian and everyone that the Woodstock Environmental Commission remains in competent and caring hands.
Jay Wenk
Woodstock
Editor's note: See Ms. Burke's letter below for her correction.
AN APOLOGY
The letter I submitted for publication in the last issue of your paper contained an error.
Councilwoman Simonson did not request the medical buy-out. Medical buy-outs were requested by Councilpersons Wenk, Collins and Rosenblum.
I apologize for this error. I had consulted with two very reliable sources to substantiate my belief that the three councilpersons I named in my letter were the correct names and they affirmed my belief. I wish to publish an apology to Councilwoman Simonson for that error.
Thank you and I sincerely regret any inconvenience this may cause you.
Mary Phillips Burke
Woodstock
OK TO TOUCH
The exhibit of my weaving at TD BankNorth has been extended through February. It consists of several wall pieces including handwoven "CityScapes" and "MountainScapes" and a luscious "Nap Blanket" for touching. Friends who bank at TD and seen the show have reacted favorably. I'd like to encourage everyone to visit my favorite bank and let me know what they think of my work. And you definitely may touch!
Judith W. Chase
Woodstock
CUT AID TO ISRAEL
With millions of Americans out of work, why send over $3 billion a year in aid to an already rich country? The Israeli average income is $31,767 a year (as per International Monetary Fund 2008). U.S. Foreign Aid to Israel is $ 3-5 billion a year.
Israel is the No. 1 recipient of U.S. Foreign Aid in the world. While Israelis lead a country club lifestyle, they use our money and military technology to oppress and attack their neighbors.
Palestinians in Gaza are forced to live on less than $732 a year. Yet Israel is determined to squeeze more out of them. If they resist, they are labeled "terrorists", attacked, and beaten into submission. Can't our foreign aid dollars be put to better use? It's time to break the grip of the Israeli lobby on Washington and cut Foreign Aid to Israel.
Bill Campion
Mt. Tremper
THANKS, RALPH
We, the undersigned, would like to thank Ralph Legnini for his service to the Onteora Central School District's Board of Education as President this past year, and to offer our understanding regarding his resignation. We would also like to thank those members of the School Board who have worked as a team, and trust that they will continue to recognize the importance of working together as the school year continues. We have faith in our students, our teachers, our Administration and our community at large, and look forward to continued progress within the Onteora Central School District.
Tony Fletcher, Posie Strenz, Mount Tremper; Kate Hyman, Hurley; Abbe Aronson/Mt. Tremper; Kristen Eberhard, Woodstock; Tim Rands, West Hurley; Robert Burke Warren, Holly George-Warren, Phoenicia; Russell Richardson, Dorota Czerner, Robin Richardson, Woodstock; Tom Hickey, Oliverea; Trip and Lysa Ingalsbe, West Hurley;
Ric, Jen and Joey Dragon
Chichester
RUPCO letters ALL CONNECTED
I strongly support the RUPCO housing project in Woodstock. It is time for us to pull together and build a positive community, for all.
"You can judge the character and quality of life in a community by how it treats its weakest members."
If this project for decent, affordable housing for our elders and underprivileged neighbors is denied then I will feel shamed to call myself a Woodstocker.
Please, please, please allow the Woodstock Commons project. To ensure our community helps blaze the trail for the cultural, environmental, intellectual and spiritual revolution that must take place if human beings are to survive on this earth.
The hour is late, Woodstock (of all towns) should not overlook the plight of the underprivileged. We are all connected!
Tasha Petersen
Woodstock
INDIFFERENCE TOWARD SOME
"Once we recognize the fact that we are one, we will not tolerate indifference toward anyone." - Martin Luther King
Carol Buskey of RUPCO's invocation of MLK's brilliance and vision to justify plans to pave over our wetlands and balloon local traffic beyond its current, untenable levels is sanctimonious beyond belief.
My girl and I have lived on Plochmann Lane for over ten years. We bought the house after searching for months for the right affordable home with our nest egg and total savings, a whopping 40k. That was just enough for us to manage the purchase of our home on Plochmann Lane. This amount of money represented the sum total of everything we'd worked for and the basis for a happy future.
When the local engineer inspected our old house, he called it a "Woodstock Charmer." It's a house characteristic of many cottages in our area. It reflects its surroundings, built from the woods we live in. We loved the feeling in the house and still do, but there was one drawback and it's gotten worse: the traffic on our road. Plochmann Lane, built, like our house, over a hundred years ago, serves as a link between 212 and Glasco. It wasn't originally built to carry the traffic burden of all the ambient growth in the area. Anyone who's ever walked Plochmann Lane knows the problems this continued, environment annihilating traffic has brought to us and our area. People drive upwards and often beyond 40-50 miles an hour, when the speed limit is 30 mph. Our road, like most in Woodstock, is rarely monitored by traffic enforcement and dangerous, speeding traffic is a constant problem. Solutions are shunned and nothing ever seems to get done about it. Trash is thrown out of car windows by commuters - lots of trash - and yes, Carol, our roads, like our wetlands, are strewn with garbage. We know this all too well, because we pick it up when we go for walks. We care about the environment and we care about where we live. That's why we chose to live here.
How many big, loud, truckloads full of heavy, road vibrating materials will go past our home to build your housing development in these wetlands over the next year and a half, while the existing housing stock rise around us, because people aren't able to afford the homes they've already bought? People like us and our neighbors, who could easily lose their homes with another smack to the already fragile economy? And once this envisioned, glorious development is finished, how many more cars will speed past our mailbox, hurling garbage out of their windows onto our roads?
As Martin Luther King said: "Once we recognize the fact that we are one, we will not tolerate indifference toward anyone..." RUPCO and the supporters of their project are being indifferent to us and we will not tolerate it!
Josh Gilbert
Woodstock
FICTIONS AND CONTRADICTIONS
If I've learned anything from my years of professional and volunteer work on land and wildlife protection, it's the importance of using factual information and logical arguments to achieve a balance between development and respect for the environment. These elements are lacking in the arguments made by opponents to the Woodstock Commons project: At stake are "our last protected wetlands and wildlife habitat" (SAGE ad) and "state protected freshwater wetlands" (SAGE website). The Woodstock Commons site is privately owned, not a protected area. The New York Freshwater Wetlands Act requires that activities in wetland areas be regulated, not precluded. RUPCO's plans would impact less than one acre of the wetlands (to construct a bridge) and adhere to State wetlands buffer requirements, as well as top green building and "smart growth" standards - all of which play a growing role in open spac protection.
"Storm water runoff contributes greatly to polluting the wetlands" (SAGE website). True - but the Woodstock Commons project wouldn't be the only polluter around. The wetlands are already impacted by runoff from roads and homes. RUPCO's state-of-the-art retention ponds would help control pollution, yet SAGE (per its website) is against them because of the statistically remote possibility that children could fall in. And at the same time that SAGE wants the entire parcel to be saved as wildlife habitat, it argues (per its website) against the ponds because they might attract Canada Geese that "pollute" (the birds don't tend to like fenced ponds in densely wooded areas anyway).
The site is "pristine" (letters by SAGE and its supporters). The site is zoned as a dense residential area, bordered by a commercial district, and already cut off from other areas by roads and homes (a fact noted in the DEIS with regard to habitat quality). SAGE (per its website) says "there has been dumping of concrete and debris" and "there already exists a trail of beer cans on the property." The only way to make the site wild and pristine again would be to remove all existing buildings, roads, and human residents from a very large surrounding area.
The project would diminish quality of life. On its website, SAGE writes "Isn't Woodstock the place people have come to, to enjoy the open space, the natural beauty of the woods?" and notes that neighbors enjoy walking on the property. Yet in a recent interview with Woodstock Times, SAGE representatives called RUPCO's plans for publicly accessible nature trails - possible because 21 of the 28 acres would be conserved - dangerous because people would go into the woods. SAGE also blames (per its website) "people tromping or children riding their bicycles" as contributing factors in "the destruction of the wetlands."
Nadia Steinzor
Willow
POSTCARD FROM RUPCO
What a nice fancy postcard from RUPCO. Did you get yours? All sepia toned and bucolic looking. Look a little closer. Those hiking trails are going to be built right through the wetlands RUPCO swore to leave alone. That's how you "hike to the village." Is everyone going to use the specified trail or will they just thrash through the entire wetlands? The Japanese-style bridge across the "seasonal brook" is going to be very exciting to cross at floodtime, if its above water. Ferguson's Creek isn't all that seasonal, by the way, but then RUPCO isn't here all the time.
Notice that the copy says "working artist, families and seniors" but not "Woodstock's working artists, families and seniors." That's because very few of us will be living there after the lottery.
They do go into a lot of detail about the green building that's going to get them awards. After they've built this wouldn't it be nice to have so much money that you could send something like this to everybody in Woodstock? And sign it with "Yes we can" as if you're somehow connected to our new president?
Dolores Lynch
Woodstock
STOP THE GRUMBLING... Brian Hollander's editorial, "A Nimby's Tale" was a good article with a misleading title. Having read too many "nimby" letters on the RUPCO project, I passed it over several times as I am weary of negativity and fear. Brian had several ideas and compromises that I think could serve both sides on this controversial issue.
Change is constant and it is change we need. This additional housing will be a good thing. We need affordable housing. Five years of work on the Comprehensive Plan by dedicated committee members advised this site be made available for affordable housing. The idea that 'out of town' people will apply and be accepted is a weak excuse. People move to where jobs are and most applicants who apply will be those who already work in or near Woodstock, artists and elderly included.
We have many pristine areas surrounding us but few within walking distance to town. To save that land for the few who now surround it is simply more of the tight mentality that has benefited those who have over those who need.
Traffic seems to be a fear that New Yorkers and other city dwellers laugh about. Even on the busiest day in the summer there is no real problem and more traffic can help local business.
The tax cost will be mostly made up by the added business in town.
Most who live and visit Woodstock are interested in renewing the hopes, ideals, art, peace, love, music and creativity so valued in millions of hearts and minds. We have a shared purpose and spirit in our individual tasks and taking a risk in accepting a less than perfect affordable housing project seems a small problem. Let's try to replace divisive attitudes and opinions and work toward compromising and cooperation to get something positive in and for this town. We can work together to make this desperately needed housing possible. Yes we can!
Pat Horner
Woodstock
THE BIG DAY - RUPCO PUBLIC HEARING The big day has come. The public hearing for the RUPCO proposed housing project behind Bradley Meadows is February 5 at 7 p.m. at the Community Center and many of you may very well be reading this letter after it took place. I hope that everyone got a chance to speak who wanted to speak. If you didn't or if you have more to say, there are still 10 days left for comments. You can still send your cards and letters to the Planning Board at planning@woodstockny.org.
This project will affect you. You will feel its effects whether or not you live next door. From higher taxes, increased traffic in town, displaced wildlife, wetlands disturbance, potential for more flooding at Bradley Meadows, the visual of lights on all day and night (even seen from the mountain), the 16-18 month construction period with trucks turning on Playhouse Lane and backing up traffic, and the noise and all the dirt in the air, yes this will all affect you.
Speak up. The Planning Board can't read your mind and they want to hear from you. Write your heart out to planning@woodstockny.org. Yes, it's that important.
Iris York
Woodstock
80 PERCENT WOODSTOCKERS
In response to Judith Emilies' letter and the assertion of SAGE in the January 29 issue:
It is my personal feeling that the main mission of the use of the term "Lottery" in SAGE' ad is to scare people into believing that the drawing will be from a pool of hundreds of thousands of people (as is the state lottery). It is called a lottery or a drawing but I simply want to make sure that the public is aware the drawing is from the applications received. And once again, in order to apply you must be an income eligible; person, senior, and/or artist and come in person to an office in Woodstock, location TBA, or our Kingston office in order to fill out an application, (to be in the drawing). It would be disingenuous to allow folks to believe that this is a lottery in the broadest sense of the definition.
To ensure all applicants have an equal opportunity, the drawing from income eligible applicants shall establish the order in which housing is assigned. This is fairer than a "first come- first served" approach because it ensures there can be no discrimination among eligible applicants. We don't want folks who need housing to have to arrive at 3 a.m. to be first in line. That would not be fair to people who are disabled or frail, or others who are perhaps most in need of housing.
Under our funding programs which commit us to federal fair housing, RUPCO is required to "market" the opportunity for housing to minorities and persons least likely to apply. By this we mean persons of color, individuals with language barriers or other disabilities which might prevent them from having an equal opportunity. "Marketing" does not mean we will take out ads in newspapers across the state, but we will advertise in Woodstock Times and the Daily Freeman. A committee of Woodstockers will be formed to conduct outreach and even provide assistance to folks who may need help with the application. Statistics show that when an affordable housing development such as Woodstock Commons is built, 80-85 percent of the tenants come from the town in which it is built.
And to Ms. Chapman's being bugged by my annoyance over the argument of which is worth more; I am first and foremost a Woodstocker and my feelings are, human beings who are marginalized and need roofs over their heads are having their human needs weighed against the existence of what Brian Hollander himself describes in his editorial as a "low grade man-made wetland."
Moreover, it is intentionally misleading to tell people that RUPCO employees will "profit" from Woodstock Commons. The only people who profit are the ones who will gain roofs over heir heads. RUPCO is a not-for-profit whose earnings go directly back into our mission to create and develop affordable homeownership and rental opportunities, create understanding and acceptance of affordable housing initiatives, and to foster development and revitalization for a diverse community within Ulster County.
For those of you who do not know the history of "Preservation Companies" (frankly, I didn't know until I worked for one) I encourage you to check the NYS Department of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR) website and check it out. Briefly, DHCR "provides financial support for 222 not-for-profit community-based housing corporations to perform housing and community renewal activities statewide. These corporations, known as Preservation Companies, provide assistance including, but are not limited to, housing rehabilitation, home buyer counseling, tenant counseling, landlord/tenant mediation, community rehabilitation and renewal, crime watch programs, employment programs, legal assistance, and Main Street Development." Preservation Companies like RUPCO work to enhance and improve the quality of life in the rural cities, towns, villages, and remote communities of our state by providing a wide variety or services to low- and middle-income families, the elderly, and persons with special needs.
Carol Buskey
Woodstock
DON'T FEAR WOODSTOCK COMMONS
Last week's letters, ad and a flier distributed by SAGE are clear evidence of the unreasonable fear some are trying to stir up in an effort to stop Woodstock Commons from being built. As an agency that has been handling affordable housing needs in Ulster County for nearly 30 years, we have seen these tactics before. But as a famous former president told us, there is "nothing to fear but fear itself," and if Woodstock loses this opportunity because of fear mongering, it would be really sad.
Before tonight's public hearing, we must set the record straight. First, it has been incorrectly asserted that we must market to a huge number of people and that a state-wide lottery is required. This is just not true. Our market area contains the Towns of Woodstock, Shandaken, Olive and Hurley. Applications will be accepted only at RUPCO offices in Woodstock and Kingston. And with more than 700 families in Woodstock eligible, and preferences for seniors and artists we have no doubt that this will be a Woodstock solution for Woodstock residents.
Countless studies show that when this type of housing is built 85 percenht of the people moving in come from the community directly, or will already have ties to the community of one sort or another. The objection that Woodstock Commons is not exclusively for Woodstockers is unreasonable if you care about the affordable housing needs of Woodstockers because not one affordable housing unit has been produced to serve Woodstock in a generation. With more than 700 families in Woodstock eligible, and preferences for seniors and artists there is no doubt this will be a Woodstock solution for Woodstock residents.
The environmental concerns frequently raised have all been answered in five years of studies by scientists, engineers and other experts - experts we hired and those hired by the planning board. There will be no destruction of wetlands and no loss of habitat for endangered species, and in fact two-thirds of the 28 acres will remain forever wild. There will be zero increase in flooding because of this project. The traffic engineer's worst-case peak hour analysis estimates 28 trips in the morning and 42 trips in the afternoon, so the likelihood is that any added traffic will be barely noticed.
It is true that taxes could go up slightly if Woodstock Commons is built. But increased taxes are not a foregone conclusion. In fact, there is nothing especially required by Woodstock Commons residents that would mandate a tax increase. And if taxes go up, in the worst case scenario, the total increase would be just $57 a year on a property with a home valued at $250,000. And let's recognize the potential community benefit of the young people who would live at Woodstock Commons: If they go to the Woodstock Elementary school there might be just enough added students to keep that school from closing because of rapidly dropping enrollment.
In last year's presidential election American voters were said to have chosen hope over fear. On December 13, 2008, president-elect Barack Obama said "Expanding access to affordable housing isn't just about caring for the least fortunate among us and strengthening our middle class - it's about ending our housing mess, climbing out of our financial crisis, and putting our economy on the path to long-term growth and prosperity." So don't let fear stop Woodstock from doing the right thing. And if you believe, as we and so many others do, that this will be "Woodstock at its best," we hope you'll come to the public hearing tonight and say so.
Kevin O'Connor,
Executive Director, RUPCO
Kingston
MESCAL'S MESSAGE
The Woodstock Commons project has a very decided drawback in spite of the many alluring aspects. The drawback is the fact of the very high cost of the enterprise and its effect on the taxpayers for many years to come. It is quite unnecessary to note that this is not the time to add a burden on our already high taxes. Another fact regarding cost is that the burden will fall on the Woodstock taxpayer's shoulders but the project will enable others from outside the township or even the immediate region to benefit inasmuch the manager of the project is not the Town of Woodstock or other local entity. These are the salient features of the opposition and possibly can be refuted. There is the NIMBY element to the thing but inasmuch as the folks who love open spaces have Woodstock's open spaces in bondage and unavailable, where can housing be located?
It would help our Woodstock merchants tremendously if each of us were to do as much of our shopping as possible right here in the village where the businesses are run by our good Woodstock neighbors. Every one of them is going to feel the economic stress and if we give our trade to them we can help them and their employees. It is amazing what a plethora of our grocery shopping needs, and in some cases inexpensive, we can find here in the Meat Market, Rite Aide Pharmacy, the CVS pharmacy, the Health Food store and Cumberland Farms. And it doesn't take nearly as much time and effort to investigate these shops as it does to drive to Kingston, find a parking place, walk miles through the labyrinths of merchandise, stand in line for many minutes and truck your cart to the car.
Mescal Hornbeck
Woodstock
AN ELEGANT NON-SOLUTION
I had always assumed that the motivation to create affordable housing in Woodstock was concern for the well-being of the many artists, musicians and various colorful characters that contribute to Woodstock being such a wonderful and interesting place to live. Many of us have chosen alternative lifestyles which often don't include cost-of-living increases, pension plans, IRAs or even Social Security. I think each of us can, without much effort, imagine a list of friends and fellow Woodstockers about whose elder years we are concerned. What a fine idea that in this world of wildly escalating living costs, affordable green housing might be available to them.
I appreciate all the energy so many have put into this effort. How sad that after all these years of work and expense, we have these fine and talented RUPCO folks presenting this elegant, high-tech, green, solar non-solution to our needs. We already have a lottery in town - right at Cumberland Farms for $1. Speaking as a shop-keeper, I would gladly trade Mr. O'Connor's 100 new out-of-town customers for a tourist attraction, like, I've got it, a Wetlands Wildlife Refuge, with maybe a nice visitor's center that serves cappuccino. And the good news is it's so affordable. We use the (approx.) 1.5 percent increase to our town and school taxes, which I am going to take a wild guess is somewhere between $300,000 and $500,000 per year (that's every year) and make a reasonable offer to Mr. St. John to buy his 28 acres. I am sure Ranger Dave can get a volunteer trail crew together and I will donate the cappuccino machine from the old Kathmandu Café. That should leave plenty of $ left over for a modest Library addition, a sidewalk snow shoveling team, an emergency medical fund administered by Dr. Longmore to care for the above mentioned friends in need, and a heating fuel fund in case any other folk legends get depressed because they can't keep their homes warm in winter.
Erik Holmlin
Woodstock
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