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mer Sunday night lots of folks didn’t seem to mind the hike. Plenty of free parking, a varied and delicious menu for those who want more than drinks, it was a very cozy, mellow place to be. “Mix is a terrific spot for this weekly fun,” Dennis said. “Anyone who comes can sit and listen, and then join the house band or create a new band for the song. I’ve organized jazz jams in other cities and it’s a great way to get to know local musicians. It’s open to all ages; once in a while my son Max, who is 11, plays violin with us. We do a few numbers to greet our guests, and then we start mixing it up, so everyone who wants to play can join in. No long waits.” Winge adds: “Shayne plays blues for his house music in the restaurant, so we fit right in. Shayne and Mix are
YOUR LETTERS Contin u ed From Page 6
emissions. Second, Cornell falsely claims that alternatives to their proposed heating technology will increase natural gas demand even more. They claim that using power from the electricity grid to run ground-source heat pumps would draw exclusively on naturalgas power plants. In reality all power plants supplying the grid would contribute to that electricity. Interestingly, the winter heating season is exactly when the grid has excess hydropower. Third, Cornell’s proposed rapidfire schedule of municipal review will avoid the preparation of an environmental impact statement (EIS). The proposal’s considerable methane emissions alone are sufficient to make a positive declaration of environmental impact. The ensuing EIS would have to thoroughly address the critical points of contention. That’s the only way the municipalities will get the understanding needed to make valid permitting decisions. Mitchell Lavine
On current political conservatism
O
ver the past 40 years, I have tried to become an expert on Conservative political thought. I believe it is important to share with your readers the one important finding I have learned. There now appears to be a much larger number of conservatives who are essentially “survival-of-the-fittest” Social Darwinists than there were during the 1950s through 1970s. This means, I believe, that they want to abolish and eliminate all fed-
super nice and supportive, and you can feel their warmth when you come inside. And our Jazz Jam is another way to introduce folks to this wonderful new restaurant and new music. For me, it’s perfect since they serve non-alcoholic drinks and even vegan food.” Jazz and blues are the perfect mellow combination for Sunday evenings. Tell a few friends to meet you at Mix Kitchen and Bar for the Jazz Jam. No RSVP needed. You can drop by after running Sunday errands, or at the end of weekend chores. Savoring a little time at Mix’s cheery spot will make the transition back to the work week seem lots easier. For more information visit the “Ithaca Jazz & Blues Jam” on Facebook. Dennis also gives guitar lessons (www.GuitarLessonsIthaca.com) and is in several local bands (www.DennisWinge.com).
eral government safety-net programs including Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Food Stamps, and College Student Loans. You will find many of them in the US Congress within the “House Freedom Caucus,” the old “Tea Party,” and the “Movement-Conservatives.” You will find a heavy dose of such thinking in conservative think-tanks such as “Americans For Prosperity,” “The Heritage Foundation,” and “The Cato Institute. While some of these groups are open and transparent about their beliefs, many use hidden stealth tactics to influence opinion and political decision-making. Others can do the same research I have done, and will likely come to the same conclusion. I highly recommend the books “Dark Money” by Jane Mayer and “Democracy In Chains” by Nancy MacLean. Sincerely, Stewart B. Epstein
On the new AirBnB limits
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atch all the single mamas who are renting extra rooms in their home to survive then have to go back to relying on welfare to survive in this already over priced housing market? Not a smart plan Ithaca. Air bnb has been a huge solution for home owners to pay for major house repairs, and fund their children’s education. It’s a vibrant and thriving Market which keeps people out of debt and having money to spend in our community. As long as it’s being claimed and taxed, there should be no issue how many days people are allowed to do this/yr. Jamie Love, via Facebook
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Democratic Party, Zohler feels that this isn’t necessarily the case. She said that the Democratic party is going back to its roots because of the issues that candidates are focusing on are considered, to her, basic Democratic concerns. Since the 2014 midterm elections, Tompkins County saw an increase in the polls, with the highest being in votes that were cast. There were 983 more enrolled Democrats in Tompkins County, 1,576 more votes cast than in 2014, and a 5.73 percent increase in voter turnout. Zahler feels this can be attributed to an increase in people who usually vote in only in presidential elections. “We are seeing a change in who’s com-
ing out to vote. People who used to vote only in presidential years are now voting in midterms and primaries, which have always been where change is most possible. Statewide, we more than doubled and in some places nearly tripled 2014’s turnout. Here in Tompkins, we were significantly over 2014’s numbers by 6 p.m.” While Tompkins County voted primarily for progressive candidates, the rest of the state mostly voted for Cuomo, with Nixon picking up votes in counties in and around Albany. According to Zahler, while Nixon received votes in New York City, she seemed to fall short upstate, as many of the issues she focused on weren’t things upstate New Yorkers primarily dealt with. “Nixon did not resonate with upstaters because her roots were in the city, and that’s where her issues were, too,” Zahler said, noting that incumbents are very difficult to shake out of office, which accentuated the importance of the IDC losses in the state government. “MTA [Metropolitan Transportation Authority], charter schools, and rent control are not issues that move our local electorate. She did very well in the counties around Albany, which was interesting. It may indicate that people who work in state government want a change! Hochul is a true upstate candidate, so that helped her with voters upstate, as did her incumbency.” Zahler also said that one of the biggest Se p te m b e r
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difficulties with being able to resonate with voters in a state like New York is that the state has a split landscape, with most residents being split between very rural or very urban/suburban environments. “If you break down the numbers, though, there are plenty of counties where the divide was close, and very few where one candidate or another just fell off the map,” she said. “I think Williams could have pulled it out with a couple larger population centers. It’s hard to do a statewide primary without a serious upstate field operation, and that’s much easier to organize when you’re the incumbent. Change is hard.” Stephen Dewitt, Board of Elections Democratic Commissioner, also saw the uptick in voter turnout and felt it was related to the increased public consciousness surrounding politics.
“People are more engaged,” Dewitt said. “They are taking part in stronger numbers. For quite a while now, Tompkins County has been the strongest in terms of voter turnout in the last few years.” Dewitt also said that since there were a lot of races on the ballot and that each race appeals to people, which also gave voters a reason to flock to the polls. In November, Governor Cuomo will be facing off against former Dutchess County executive Marc Molinaro, who is running on the Republican platform. Cuomo will also face a variety of third-party challengers including Larry Sharpe of the Libertarian Party, Stephanie Miner, running on the newly-created Serve America Movement line as well as Jimmy McMillan who is running under the independent party he created in 2005, the Rent Is Too Damn High party. Even though she did lose the Democratic nomination, Cynthia Nixon and her running mate, Jumaane Williams, will be on the ballot in November as the candidates for the Working Families Party. However, according to The New York Times, if Nixon and Williams do not garner 50,000 votes in November, the party will lose its ballot line and cease to have a political presence in New York State. However, Nixon has not announced whether or not she intends to withdraw from November’s general election. E dw i n J. Vi er a 2 0 1 8
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