To the Editor:
I attended a Common Council meeting in December. I found this meeting to be very organized and productive. A lot of individuals from the City of Poughkeepsie, and many other neighboring cities, came out and expressed their views on an ordinance for the bicycle route proposition in Poughkeepsie.
A lot of individuals encouraged a “bike-friendly” city with bike lanes and bike hubs (so people can park their bikes safely). They argued that many individuals don’t own vehicles, and bicycles are their only means of transportation. It was also argued that making Poughkeepsie a “bike-friendly” city would decrease the amount of obesity in this area, especially in the youth.
I think that transforming the City of Poughkeepsie in to a “bike-friendly” city will be a big step. However, it is in the best interest of the people and will bring us one step closer to uniting this area.
Ariana Frank
Poughkeepsie High School
To the Editor:
The presidential candidates are slugging it out, and most Americans have begun to think about next November. But is this yearlong drama an exercise in democracy, or merely a cruel hoax being played on a clueless electorate?
There are several ways to measure whether our system of choosing leaders has anything to do with the will of the people. Let’s take three issues that large majorities of our citizens are in favor of. One is universal healthcare, with support of over 68 percent of the electorate. A second is ending the Iraq war, with 65 percent in agreement. A third is the almost universal desire that corporations have less power in Washington, a Harris Poll response by 84 percent.
None of the front-running candidates for president, however, give more than lip service to these issues. Could it be that the corporations have simply bought off the candidates, and with the help of the media used the two-party system to actually frustrate the will of the people?
And the result of a crippled democracy? Since 1978, 70 percent of the rise in average family income went to the top 1 percent. In fact, those at the top, the CEO’s and their cronies, have gotten filthy rich while the vast majority have struggled getting their kids a college education or healthcare. What party created the tax breaks to make this all happen (cutting corporate, capital gains, dividend and estate taxes)? Why, it was both parties, representing the same monied elite.
Fred Nagel
Rhinebeck