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Bring
(Some of) It Back
To
the Editor:
Though
I’m not a big fan James Howard Kunstler and have faith
in certain biofuels, I applaud the two transportation essays
in “Bring it Back” [Aug. 7] by Stephen Leon and Shawn Stone
regarding trains, trolleys, and overnight riverboat cruises
to New York City. Intra-city (including Saratoga Springs in
our case) mass transit must be light rail since city
buses can be caught in gridlock traffic just as surely as
passenger cars can, and intra- or inter-city rail are
the most energy-efficient ways to transport people (and cargo)
without packing them in like stratospheric sardines or
searching them like they’re visiting a prison or the White
House.
A fair-weather river cruise service would certainly show people
the magnificent beauty of the Hudson River (the day
cruises, that is), and is dually ideal since Manhattan is
the place where even yours truly would rather be carless.
But Shawn, does it have to be a “naughty” affair?
Which (indirectly) brings us to Kathryn Lange: Go roller discoing
if you want. It’s a free country. But the thought of Barack
Obama ushering in a new (short-lived) Jimmy Carter era combined
with a nostalgia for disco, well . . . my “PTSS”
mind only sees the mirror image of the Nazis at the very,
very, end of the film version of Cabaret.
Bernard
Continelli
Rensselaer
Editor’s note:
Kathryn Lange is not now, nor has ever been a Nazi. Her nostalgia
for roller disco was in no way intended to further Nazism,
which she openly condemns. But we certainly understand the
connection . . . sort of.
Character
Assassination?
To
the Editor:
This
letter is in response to David King’s article, “Albany’s Pride”
[Newsfront, July 31]. The commissioners of the NYS Board of
Elections ruled the Sullivan for Congress petition valid.
Keri Kressler’s objections to my petition were a politically
motivated exercise in character assassination, as well as
an attempt to knock me off the Sept. 9 Democratic primary
ballot, to the benefit of their candidate, Paul Tonko, who
also has the Working Families Party ballot line.
Kressler is an operative for the Working Families Party. Morris’
husband is on Speaker Sheldon Silver’s staff. Assembly Majority
Leader Ron Canestrari (D-Cohoes) is a major Tonko backer.
Tonko is a former assemblyman and a life member of that club.
It is in the interest of the assembly Democrats to control
the next congressman from the 21st District.
However, it is in the best interests of the residents of the
21st Congressional District to elect an independent, Democrat,
who has no ties with, or backing from, any special interest
group or politician(s). (Me).
Kressler, Albany Common Council President, Shawn Morris, notary
man Paul Stewart, the stalker chick, and assorted 7th District
left wingers, have been conducting a political vendetta against
7th District Democratic County Legislator Brian Scavo, who
defeated their Democratic incumbent in the primary, and their
Green Party candidate, in the November election, 2007.
To Kressler, Morris, Stewart et al., I say: Get over it! Scavo
is your county legislator for the next 3 1/2 years, and maybe
for many more after that. Work with him, not against him,
for the good of the residents of the 7th District.
Joseph
P. Sullivan
Candidate for U.S. Congress in the 21st District
Albany
Where’s
the Hip-Hop?
To
the Editor:
So
for the second year in a row, I perused Metroland’s
“Best Of ´issue [July 17] and found that there was no Best
Hip-Hop Act Category. Last year I spent six months reciting
a letter to the editor in my head and never got around to
it. When it happened again this year, the voice in my brain
left me with no choice. I must admit that I am not objective
in this situation. I’m in an Albany based hip-hop band, Broadcast
Live, which has gotten plenty of ink in Metroland over
the years, so we don’t have much to complain about. But are
you aware that some of the best MCs in the world live in Albany?
What gives? I mean hip-hop is a globally recognized art form.
Some of the most relevant poetry of the past 50 years can
be attributed to hip-hop lyricists. So what is the reason
for the glaring omission? My assumption is that the staff
chose not to include hip-hop because you are out of touch
with the local scene and, therefore, ignorant to the fact
that Albany is a relevant spot on the hip-hop map. If this
is true I would have to say that it is pretty sad that the
genre that y’all chose to leave out happens to be the one
most relevant to the black community in Albany.
The truth is hip-hop is relevant to many people. Shouldn’t
it be relevant to the alternative newsweekly of the Capital
Region? It has occurred to me that there may be another reason
that hip-hop was not represented in the “Best Of” issue. You
simply forgot. Twice. I don’t know which is scarier. At least
you didn’t forget Best Electro Pop and Best Pop Electro.
Victorio
Reyes
Albany
Metroland
welcomes typed, double-spaced letters addressed to the editor.
Metroland reserves the right to edit letters for length
or clarity; 300 words is the preferred maximum. You must include
your name, address and day and evening telephone numbers.
We will not publish letters that cannot be verified, nor those
that are anonymous, illegible, irresponsible or factually
inaccurate.
Send
to:
Letters, Metroland
419 Madison Ave., Albany, NY 12210
e-mail:
metroland@metroland.net
fax:
463-3726
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