Vote out ineffective, dysfunctional GOP

Voters decided in the 2022 election to give the House majority control to the Republicans.

One year later, we’ve witnessed their total dysfunction. After one failed Speaker choice, the GOP has settled on an evangelical, MAGA right-wing congressman who lets Trump steer his decisions.

This group doesn’t know how to govern or compromise to improve the lives of Americans. They have produced a measly 27 new laws and are spending their time in trying to make Biden look bad to appease Trump.

They initiated a Biden impeachment investigation after spending years producing no smoking gun or proof of any wrongdoing on the president’s part. The GOP created other wasteful committees that have proved nothing either.

I suspect the public voted for these Republicans based on their promise to reduce inflation and crime (both reduced under Biden) and illegal migration.

They have not produced anything in these areas. They just use these topics to blame Biden and the Democrats.

Next up is passing the national budget. The GOP will demand unreasonable cuts in Social Security, Medicare, etc. while insisting on tax cuts for the rich. The GOP dysfunction will continue, and little will get done. Vote these losers out next November.

Raymond Harris

Glenville

Keep the evangelism out of greetings

In his Jan. 2 letter in The Daily Gazette, (“Jesus Culture offers a friendly greeting,”) Joel Nelson promotes his “Jesus Culture” greeting, “Be healed in the Name of Jesus,” as a friendly salutation. It is not. It’s a phrase offered by someone intoxicated with righteousness. It’s also a passive aggressive form of Christian evangelism that would be met with annoyance by those of us who view religion as a toxic wellspring of tyranny, divisiveness and hypocrisy.

If you really care about the wellbeing of others, try a friendly nod and smile.

George Milner

Mechanicville

Act now to protect lower Adirondacks

The High Peaks Advisory Group, in the Adirondack Park issued its final report in January 2021.

It pronounced eight Guiding Principles, the first two being, “Protect the Wilderness” and “Public Safety.”

The park is a jewel of the Empire State and was and is under threat of being “hugged to death” by eager admirers. Easy access by way of the Northway brought an ever-increasing invasion of this heirloom of natural wonders.

Although protected in theory, the southern portion of this expansive park has been left vulnerable to a wide group of special interest groups to create paths for snowmobiles, UTVs and the like, through what was natural habitat for wildlife.

Add to this the demand for lumber, and the groups have drilled holes and scared the landscape with heavy equipment.

While forest management is important, it would appear we have learned nothing from the forest fires of the Northwest and Canada in recent days. Once these trails are opened, there are few controls to prevent sleds and four-wheel devices from invading the habitat. In an era of attempting to curb the use of fossil fuels, the state of New York has allowed a “full-throttled” attack on the environment.

Thousands of gas-burning, lithium-battery-carrying, chain-smoking, armed, off-road campers in a tinder box forest. What could go wrong?

Frederic Lee

Saratoga

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