Islip Messenger Aug.24, 2023

By Matt Meduri

The Island-wide sewer conversation now lands in Central Islip, as elected and community officials convened off Carleton Avenue last Thursday to unveil grant money earmarked for sewers and the ongoing revitalization project for the hamlet’s business district.

Elected officials from all levels of government gathered for the groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate $12 million secured to connect the business district to the Suffolk County sewer system.

Despite political conversation being dominated by sewers for the last few months, this project has been a few years in the making. New York State awarded the Town of Islip $10 million as part of the Central Islip Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) in 2018. A portion of that money will be used to sewer the business district.

The plan will connect sixty-four parcels in the hamlet’s business district along Carleton Avenue, extending from Suffolk Avenue to Smith Street. The project is expected to be completed in eighteen months.

The event was headlined by County Executive Steve Bellone (D-West Babylon), who has been credited with prioritizing wastewater solutions during his twelve-year tenure, as well as Deputy County Executive Peter Scully, who has earned the nickname the “Water Czar” for his own efforts and experience in wastewater management.

“We know water quality underpins our quality of life, our economy, and why people live here to a great extent,” said Executive Bellone. “It’s also about economic development, job creation, and communities being able to realize their vision for the future. Here, you have had a town working together with the community to put forth that vision. Without that, it doesn’t matter about the infrastructure or the plans. If you don’t have that community vision, support, and drive, you’re not going anywhere. That has not been the case here.”

Continued on page 10

By Matt Meduri

One of perhaps Suffolk County’s most scandalous figures has solicited his way back into the public eye.

Exposed...Again... Former P.D. Chief Arrested in Prostitution Sting

Although former Suffolk County Police Chief James Burke left much to be desired during his tenure at Yaphank, his notoriety continues to precede him, primarily as information regarding the long-unsolveduntil now - Gilgo Beach murders.

However, Tuesday’s ordeal reeked less of conspiracy and intrigue and more of humiliation, desperation, and bad manners. Burke was caught at a county park allegedly petitioning a male for sexual relations while exposing himself. Instead, the encounter quickly changed course as he was arrested on charges of solicitation and indecent exposure. Burke, 59, was processed at the Sixth Precinct in Selden on Middle Country Road Tuesday afternoon. A brief press conference by Commissioner Rodney Harrison was held during Burke’s processing.

According to Harrison, the department was conducting a regular prostitution sting operation using plain clothes officers at Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park on Bald Hill in Farmingville due to complaints about activity in the area.

“At 10:15 a.m. today, during this operation, we engaged one individual who was soliciting for sexual engagements,” said Harrison. “Due to the actions which I am not going to share, this individual was placed under arrest. Rangers ascertained that the perpetrator involved was James Burke, former Chief of Suffolk County Police Department.” Harrison shared the charges: “He is being charged with offering a sex act, indecent exposure, public lewdness, and criminal solicitation in the fifth degree. Additional charges may be pending.

Continued on page 3

Central Islip Receives Grant for Sewer Project

(Photo right) Officials break ground on the project.

Courtesy of County Executive Steve Bellone

(Left to right) Sgt. Brian Quattrini, Chief Stephen Laton, Commissioner Rodney Harrison.

Courtesy of Matt Meduri

Exposed...Again... Former P.D. Chief Arrested in Prostitution Sting

What makes Burke’s arrest even more high-profile is that his criminal status in the eyes of federal law enforcement is unknown by officials.

“We are still currently trying to ascertain if he is still on federal parole,” said Harrison.

This is in reference to Burke’s 2016 sentencing for the 2013 assault of Christopher Loeb in police custody.

Loeb broke into Burke’s police SUV and stole a bag which contained cigars, sex toys, and pornography. Loeb was assaulted while under interrogation, which Burke then tried to obscure by attempting to influence his subordinates once he learned he was the subject of a federal probe.

Burke was sentenced to forty-six months in prison. He was released

to house arrest in November 2018 and completed his sentence in April 2019.

Regarding Tuesday’s sting, police officials said that within mere minutes of beginning the investigation, Burke allegedly approached a male undercover officer, exposed himself, and propositioned him. The officer did not know Burke was the former police chief until Burke was identified.

When asked if Burke tried to avoid arrest, Sergeant Brian Quattrini confirmed that he did:

“He was trying to get out of being arrested. He was expressing to us how this would be a public humiliation for him.”

Chief Stephen Laton discussed the ongoing operations at the Bald Hill Park, claiming that the precinct receives numerous complaints of prostitution there:

“We had our unit reach problematic areas within the County’s park system to address graffiti, vandalism, quality of life issues, theft, and Bald Hill is one of those areas.”

Further specifics of the arrest were not discussed. Commissioner Harrison said that details, rumors, and further information on the arrest would not be discussed while Burke was still being processed.

Burke was released from the precinct around 5:00p.m. with a summons for arraignment on September 11.

Burke started his career with the New York Police Department in the 1980s. After his move to the Suffolk County Police Department, a 1995 internal probe found that Burke engaged in sexual activity with escorts in known prostitution and drug

dealing rings in his vehicle while on duty and in uniform.

In 2012, County Executive Steve Bellone (D-West Babylon) appointed him as Suffolk County’s Chief of Police.

He served until his 2015 resignation for the assault of Chris Loeb and the ensuing cover-up. He pleaded guilty to reduced charges of assault and obstruction of justice.

Burke famously presided over the Gilgo Beach serial killings, during which he ended Suffolk County’s cooperation with the FBI.

District Attorney Ray Tierney (R) made national headlines for his breakthrough in the case by matching obtained DNA to Rex Heuermann. Tierney defeated sitting District Attorney Tim Sini (D) in 2021, denying the county’s top prosecutor a second term.

Some believe that Burke’s hampering of the Gilgo Beach murders was intentional, given his long track-record of drug-enhanced trysts with prostitutes. At his 2016 sentencing, Riverhead resident Terri Schofield claimed that Burke himself was the Gilgo Beach serial killer. What seemed like a baseless accusation then now appears - to some - more in line with recent findings.

Burke’s ascension within the police department was facilitated by former District Attorney Tom Spotta (D), who met a teenage Burke while prosecuting a murder case.

Spotta served as Suffolk County District Attorney from 2002-2017. He was found guilty on federal charges of obstruction of justice in Burke’s assault investigation. Spotta, 81-82, was sentenced to five years in prison in 2021.

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Difficult Questions for a World Who Wants Everything to be Easy

In today’s world of infinite information, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to be certain of the validity and legitimacy of the information we receive. Because of this, it almost seems as if we have varying realities that govern our decisions, apart from our political ones. What movies or products should we boycott or buy in bulk? Should we trust teachers with our children or remove them from the public world altogether? Which version of reality should we choose to repeat among our inner circles, and which one will earn us the chagrin and grimace of those we once thought were close?

The preferred answers to these questions are not really answers, they’re more or less combat plans. Instead of keeping logs and learning history, the knee-jerk responses usually consist of “misinformation,” “conspiracy,” and some type of rage or bias based on sex, race, or religion.

Growing up, most of us were taught that there is no such thing as a “stupid question.” Now, it feels like we’re considered stupid for simply asking questions. Instead of substantively answering legitimate points of concern or curiosity, we’re reduced to slapping labels on those concerns for the fact checkers to swoop down like technocratic vultures and humiliate you on social media, or hiveminded individuals parroting a mainstream-media-peddled response that only discourages cooperation and debate.

These responses prey on the busy, two-jobs-required society that swallowed our passions and hobbies years ago and relies on short-term memory and sensationalism over true stupidity. Most major “news” is akin to nothing more than supermarket tabloids and word-of-mouth water cooler gossip.

As rumors of conspiracy, intrigue, and corruption swirl, there’s two common responses we hear: “I think that’s a little out there,” and “At this point, I wouldn’t put it past them.”

Both are fair, but at the same time, neither are truly valid. They’re essentially both based on confirmation biases, wherein we search for what we expect or already know and apply predetermined opinions or knowledge to formulate an end result with which we can go to bed comfortably.

These rumors have been swirling endlessly in Suffolk County since one of the coldest cases was cracked earlier this summer by District Attorney Ray Tierney: the infamous Gilgo Beach Murders. A sordid crime spree that rocked the nation, the typical questions of a serial killer’s motive and the delays in linking evidence to suspects arose.

However, as a suspect has been obtained, the questions now move to why there was nearly a ten-year lapse in linking evidence to the suspect. Some cases remain cold for decades; a lot of solving it is connection-based and reliant on being in the right place at the right time.

But what if it truly wasn’t that simple? What if there truly is more behind, not only Gilgo, but other cases of different calibers? This isn’t to insinuate that all the same players in one are necessarily involved in the other, but as names become crossed, it becomes more difficult to ignore and brush off as “conspiracy.”

And on Long Island, the largest smallest town in the nation, everyonesomehow - knows everyone.

Wouldn’t it be wise to be on your best behavior at all times?

The arrest of disgraced former Police Chief James Burke might only answer some of the aforementioned questions, but it certainly speaks to the last one. Burke’s sordid past goes back to the 1990s, where he was known to have frequented with hookers in drug-fueled trysts while in his police car , in uniform, and on duty. While we all certainly make mistakes and have our own demons, somehow this was not enough to prevent County Executive Steve Bellone from appointing Burke Chief of Police.

The degenerate behavior continued as the abuse of power created a powerful “inner circle,” by which many decisions were made within the upper echelon of the Suffolk Police Department.

It is also said by many within the police department and county government that Burke ended the department’s cooperation with federal authorities investigating the Gilgo Beach murders.

Additionally, it’s common knowledge that aristocrats and elitists have disposed of prostitutes because they view them as disposable commodities and not people with pasts and problems.

One of Tom Spota’s last prosecutions before his 2017 resignation for obstructing the federal probe into Burke’s abuse of power was that of John Bittrolff.

Bittrolff was a Manorville carpenter whose DNA was linked to the bodies of three prostitutes whose bodies were dumped in East Patchogue, Shirley, and North Sea. Rita Tangredi, one of Bittrolff’s sex worker victims, had a daughter who was friends with Melissa Barthelemy, one of the Gilgo Beach victims whose death was allegedly attributed to Rex Heuermann.

According to Barthelemy’s mother, Melissa had many calls to Manorville on her phone.

Bittrolff is considered a suspect in the outstanding victims of the Gilgo Beach murders.

If common denominators like these are presented and hardly refuted by anyone, where exactly does logic take us? While it doesn’t necessarily mean something in and of itself, it also doesn’t mean nothing. It’s food for thought and it should be treated as such without cries of “conspiracy,” “misinformation,” or inherent bias. A critically thinking nation will find the truth with a good memory and an entertainment of every possible scenario and outcome.

Furthermore, when it’s a small world, but a smaller Island, we should all be on our best behavior. Burke’s apprehension by police for soliciting an undercover cop and exposing himself is almost too good to be true when the crimes with which he was charged require DNA samples taken by the precinct upon processing.

Here’s a friendly piece of advice from your local newspaper: if you see an advertisement for an escort service, it is almost certainly a sting operation set up by the police department. Someone who had a career in the police department should, on paper, know that.

If there is something brewing related to the “palace king’s” past, it will turn up in due time.

Did Burke purposely botch the investigations for reasons political, personal, unknown, or all of the above?

“It seems a little out there.”

Is it the most unrealistic hypothesis?

“I wouldn’t put it past him…”

freepik

Poll: 9 in 10 Americans Worried About Fentanyl Overdose Deaths

By Brett Rowland | The Center Square

Nearly 90% of U.S. voters are concerned about fentanyl trafficking as drug overdose deaths continue to mount in the U.S. ahead of the 2024 election, according to a new poll. The Center Square Voters’ Voice Poll, conducted by Noble Predictive Insights, found that 57% of those surveyed are very concerned about fentanyl overdose deaths. An additional 32% are somewhat worried, or 89% overall indicating some level of concern.

By contrast, 7% of the 2,500 registered voters surveyed said they aren’t concerned about fentanyl overdose deaths. Another 3% said they were unsure about fentanyl, according to poll results.

Fentanyl is a potent synthetic opioid that has played a significant role in the increase in drug overdose deaths. U.S. officials reported 107,735 overdose deaths between August 2021 and August 2022 from drug poisonings, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 66% of those deaths involved synthetic opioids such as fentanyl.

“Surprisingly, 9 in 10 at least had some level of concern when it came to fentanyl,” said Mike Noble, founder and CEO of Noble Predictive Insights.

Voters blame Mexican drug cartels (56%) the most for the overdose problem, and American drug users themselves (53%) the second most.

Blame also was put on Chinese companies that ship precursor chemicals (44%), President Joe Biden’s border policies (39%) and pharmaceutical companies (29%).

Voters who place the highest amount of blame on American drug users tended to be Democrats (61%) and Republicans who would prefer Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (57%). For Republicans as a whole, it was 46%.

Voters who place the most blame on Mexican drug cartels tended to be 55 and older (62%) and Republican (65%) along with voters whose top issue was

illegal immigration, according to the poll.

Forty-four percent of men and 69% of Republicans blame Biden’s border policies. In results of The Center Square Voters’ Voice poll released Tuesday, 82% responded that they are concerned about what’s going on at the border, with 47% saying they are very concerned and an additional 35% saying they are somewhat concerned. Just 13% said they are not concerned at all and 4% are unsure.

“This issue, as we clearly uncovered, is a concern among voters, but yet in the public policy space, I don’t think it’s being talked about nearly as much as it should be,” Noble said of fentanyl.

Earlier poll results in The Center Square Voters’ Voices Poll indicate the GOP frontrunners, former President Donald Trump and DeSantis, would be locked in tight races with Biden; that Biden is largely under water with voters in a number of key descriptors; that inflation, crime and the economy/jobs are the top issues for voters; and voters are concerned about excessive government spending but it’s not their top concern.

The poll was conducted by Noble Predictive Insights from July 31 to Aug. 3. Unlike traditional national polls, with limited respondent count of about 1,000, Noble Predictive surveyed 1,000 registered Republicans, 1,000 registered Democrats, and 500 independents, culminating in a sample size of 2,500. The margin of error for the aggregate sample was ±2.4%, with each political group independently weighted. For information about the methodology, visit www.noblepredictiveinsights.com.

Photos of fentanyl seized by federal agents in Arizona during “Operation Blue Lotus” and “Operation Four Horsemen.” Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Field Operations Tucson Field Office

with

Editorial Shows Why We Have an Illegal Immigration Crisis

If you want to know why the United States is experiencing a crisis of illegal aliens flooding our cities, all you have to do is read the recent Newsday editorial of August 18. https://paper.newsday.com/html5/reader/production/ default.aspx?edid=f368f092-1fee-4211-a0de-b5075f27c956&pnum=32

The editorial was designed for the purpose of dissecting the actions of New York City’s mayor and New York’s governor and pleading with all to work together to address this problem.

The problem with the editorial is that it speaks only to getting more money from the federal government and discussing which jurisdiction should shoulder the problem. But the glaring omissions in this editorial sum up why we have an illegal immigration crisis today. All the editorial board had to do was to push Adams and every other elected official in New York to demand that President Biden: CLOSE THE DAMN BORDER.

Let us repeat: CLOSE THE DAMN BORDER

Once again: CLOSE THE DAMN BORDER

And no, it doesn’t take Congressional action such as the so-called “comprehensive immigration reform,” which is really just a euphemism for amnesty. All it takes is an executive order from a willing president.

If liberals continue to ignore the root of the problem, we will just be spinning in circles. So what if we do get a few extra billion from the federal government if the feds don’t close the spigot at the southern border? We will just be in the same mess a couple of months from now as an additional 100,000 stream into the city, and additional millions overwhelm other locales around the nation.

Why won’t the liberal media or a single Democrat simply state this truth? Why do they make it seem like this border surge is an accident or out of the control of the man in the Oval Office?

The influx of illegal immigrants at the end of the Trump administration was down significantly and it wasn’t because of Covid. It was because of the Remain in Mexico policy, which started long before Covid and showed amazing signs of success. Let’s face it: the overwhelming majority of the so-called asylum seekers are people leaving their

NEW MEMBERS NEEDED AMERICAN LEGION VETERANS STILL SERVING AMERICA

The William Merritt Hallock American Legion Post No. 155

115 Church Street Lake Ronkonkoma, NY Is looking for New Members

We meet at the Post twice a month1st Tuesday of the month at 1:00 pm and the 3rd Tuesday of the month at 7:00 pm.

We have a social hour with snack one hour prior to the meeting. Our meetings generally run about one hour. We take part in our local community parades and street fairs.

We usually have three social functions with family and friends each year. We participate in a number of patriotic ceremonies. If interested in joining our Post and meeting some fellow veterans, stop by on a meeting day with a copy of your DD214.

You can visit our website at: AmericanLegionWilliamHallockPost155.org

Scan QR-code to read the recent Newsday editorial of August 18 on the crisis of illegal aliens flooding our cities.

homeland, not to escape political persecution, but rather to enjoy a higher standard of living in America.

The conclusive proof of that is that they don’t leave their home countries in Latin and South America and stop in Mexico. If their goal was just to escape persecution, they would be able to rest easy once they got out of their home country. But almost every one of them continues on the dangerous thousand-mile trek to America because they know they will be greeted with morons like Mayor Adams and other sanctuary city advocates, who provide them free housing, food, cell phones, and even attempt to get them work permits.

Why in the world would newspapers be encouraging work papers for people here illegally? Can’t they understand that this is only incentivizing more to come or that it suppresses wages for legal citizens and keeps more citizens on the unemployment rolls? (Even a sub-4% unemployment rate still leaves millions on the unemployment dole.)

The illegal immigration dilemma we’re facing today cannot be properly dealt with until we all understand that this is being done by design. The Biden administration reversed any policy with Trump’s name on it, including the successful ones which gave us energy independence and a closed border.

Then candidate Joe Biden professed to the world that he wanted to see a surge of illegal immigrants at the border upon his inauguration. He got what he wished for. (Of course, this is all part of the plan to eventually grant amnesty, citizenship and voting rights.)

Mayor Adams denounced leaders elsewhere as to how mean they were for complaining about the surge, while he and his Democratic colleagues in New York City are welcoming people from all over the world.

Those who said we need to control illegal immigration were called racists, xenophobes, and anti-Hispanic bigots. Well, who are the humanitarians now?

Had we been listened to, thousands of people who lost their lives or were raped by the cartels on the trek to America would have been spared these tragedies.

Had we been listened to, we wouldn’t see New York City having to come up with $12 billion to feed and house people who shouldn’t be here in the first place.

But voters listened to crazy people who were promoting crazy policies. The folks who voted for these crazy people, knowing what they were advocating, now must live with these crazy policies.

So stop trying to export your chaos to other communities who did not promote crazy policies.

Do you still think your policies were more humane now that we have little kids being kicked off their soccer fields so that the government could make tent cities for illegal aliens?

Are you the humanitarian ones as 100,000 people a year die from the fentanyl coming to our open border?

Are you still fine with your sanctuary city designation now that we see libraries threatened with early closures because they’ve run out of money due to funding shortages because we must tend to those who are illegally?

What about the wages that are suppressed and the jobs that will not be filled by Americans? Is that humane?

We will never solve this problem unless elected officials, especially on the Democratic side including Senators Schumer and Gillibrand, speak up about the need to close our border.

They fear that the liberal media will smack them down as being mean. But as stated above, who are the mean ones when you look at the chaos and destruction that has been experienced by America because of the crazy sanctuary city policy implemented by the left? Stop obsessing over getting more money and CLOSE THE DAMN BORDER!

To

Photo: GettyImages

National, State and Local Temperature Checks

By Matt Meduri National

While much of the Election Day 2023 is talk is typically reserved for the local elections - and rightfully so - there are still elections with national consequences being held in November. While certainly not as big-ticket as the quadrennial Presidential elections and not as contentious as the Midterms, the off-year elections that come between Midterm and Presidential elections do draw national attention.

This fall, three governorships are up for reelection, as well as four legislative chambers.

Three states featuring gubernatorial elections are Kentucky, Louisiana, and Mississippi. What makes the 2023 national elections unusual is that three states that are not typically competitive on any other level have all seen thin margins on the gubernatorial level over the last few years. This is entirely owed to the fact that governor’s races are almost always reflective of state and local issues rather than national reactionary politics.

The 2019 election saw these three states on the ballot. Republicans narrowly held the open seat in Mississippi with a victory by Tate Reeves (R) over well-known Democrat Jim Hood. The five-point race was extremely narrow for a state that has not elected a Democratic governor since 2000 and has not voted for a Democratic Presidential candidate since Jimmy Carter in 1976.

Louisiana is a national anomaly not only in that it is one of the most Republican states to feature a Democratic governor, but a Democratic governor is more socially conservative. One of the last conservative Southern Democrats, John Bel Edwards won the open seat in 2015 after deeplyunpopular and failed Presidential candidate Bobby Jindal (R) termed out. Bel Edwards was narrowly reelected by a three-point margin in 2019.

However, 2019’s most attention-grabbing race was the Kentucky gubernatorial race, featuring incumbent Matt Bevin (R), at the time the most unpopular governor in the country. Bevin’s mismanagement of state education and poor relations with the teacher’s unions is one of the items that contributed to his unpopularity.

That year saw Attorney General Andy Beshear (D) (pictured right), the son of former Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear, defeat Bevin in a semi-upset. With a margin of just over 5,000 votes out of nearly 1.5 million ballots cast, Andy Beshear won the closest Kentucky gubernatorial election since 1899.

This brought the total of Republican state gubernatorial seats just twenty-six out of fifty, another stunning rebuke of then-President Donald Trump’s residual loyalty with Republican candidates.

This year, Beshear ranks as one of the most popular Democratic governors in the country. Toppling a popular incumbent, even if they’re

only just treading water, is a difficult feat, even for a charismatic and accomplished politician. Additionally, since gubernatorial elections are often more about candidate quality and local issues, defeating an incumbent who is at least somewhat popular becomes even more difficult.

Challenging Beshear is Attorney General Daniel Cameron (R), (pictured right) 37, who flipped the Attorney General’s seat in 2019 as thenAttorney General Beshear ascended to the governorship. Cameron became the first Republican elected to that position since 1943 and the first black person to ever be elected to the position.

If elected governor in November, Cameron would be the first black American to be elected governor of Kentucky.

While Cameron is a rising star in the GOP, who handily won a crowded primary earlier this summer, the advantage is believed to be in Beshear’s corner. High approval ratings, a more conservative Democratic voice, and baked-in incumbency advantage, Beshear has a slight upper-hand. The Messenger rates this race as “Leans Democrat.”

Republicans are likely to flip the Louisiana governorship as Bel Edwards is termed out and prominent Republicans have joined the race to win the seat.

Attorney General Jeff Landry (R) is considered to be the GOP frontrunner for this seat. Not only has eight years of Democratic governance contributed to the likelihood the voters choose a different party for leadership, but none of the Democrats running appear to have the same crossover appeal Bel Edwards has. He is one of a handful of pro-life Democrats in the country, an anomaly nationwide but commonplace in the Bible Belt. The Messenger rates this race a “Likely Republican” flip.

In Mississippi, Tate Reeves has battled median approval ratings and most notably the Jackson water crisis, an emergency that saw floodwaters damage water treatment plants, crashing the water quality for the capital city.

While Reeves has not proven to be the most inspiring Republican running, he defeated perhaps the most well-equipped Democratic to win the office in 2019. This autumn’s ballot features Brandon Presley, a member of the Mississippi Public Service Commission, and second-cousin of Elvis Presley. Presley is considered more moderate and even conservative on hot-button issues, such as abortion, gun control, and taxes.

The intrinsic Republican lean of Mississippi, combined with Reeves not being as abysmally unpopular as Kentucky’s Matt Bevin in 2019, The Messenger forecasts this race as “Leans Republican.”

Both chambers of the Louisiana State Legislature are on the ballot as well. Republicans are favored to retain their large majorities in both.

Republicans are also favored to retain their majorities in both chambers of the Mississippi State Legislature.

All members of both chambers of New Jersey’s State Legislature are on the ballot. The Messenger rates these chambers as “Likely Democratic.”

In Virginia, Democrats have a narrow hold on the State Senate, while Republicans have a narrow hold on the House of Delegates. The Messenger rates them as “Leans Democratic” and “Leans Republican,” respectively.

State

Reports are in for Governor Kathy Hochul’s (D) (pictured right) performance and New York residents are unhappy.

The Siena College poll found that voters are evenly split at 46%46% on their approval of her job performance. Regarding her handling of the ongoing migrant crisis, 51% disapprove of her performance, with 35% in approval.

In terms of her favorability, the numbers are even worse. Her favorability sits at just 40%, down from a high of 56% in January.

Regarding the migrant crisis, 82% of New Yorkers believe that the crisis is a serious problem, while 16% say it’s not a problem at all. 77% of Democrats, 84% of Republicans, and 89% of Independents believe the crisis is a serious problem.

Local Congressman Andrew Garbarino (R-Bayport) (pictured right) recently lauded the economic progress of Bangladesh under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. He offered his praise during a meeting with Bangladeshi-American expatriates in New York.

“I have learned a lot about Bangladesh and its successes and I have seen the growth of the nation in the last fourteen years under the current prime minister’s leadership. I know elections are coming forth in January and she has turned over the election process to an independent commission to ensure that there are free and fair elections and to show the international community that there are free and fair elections.”

The views of columnists are their own and not reflective of The Messenger

Central Islip Receives Grant for Sewer Project

“This is about the community. I want to say congratulations to all the community members here who have worked so hard. This is a beautiful, beautiful community and we have so many dedicated organizations making this community what people want it to be. Without them, we wouldn’t be standing here today.”

Islip Town Supervisor Angie Carpenter (R-West Islip) thanked representatives from the state, county, and town levels for their consistent efforts in securing the grants. She also highlighted just how long securing the money took, noting that persistence has been key:

“We got the grant in 2018, but you have to add another three years. It took three swings at the bat to get that home run. I went before the [New York State Department of Economic Development] Board a third year after they denied us twice. Someone said ‘Supervisor, do you have any other comments that you would like to make?’ I said, ‘This is my third time here. I sincerely hope you say yes, but if you don’t, I’ll be back next year. I guess they were tired from hearing from us, and we did get that $10 million.”

Carpenter also discussed how the COVID-19 Pandemic delayed the DRI project further:

Ryder and the pups will be doing the pup pup boogie from 12:30 - 2pm. Charge your phones & have your cameras ready!

“Unfortunately, COVID reared its ugly head. People asked what happened to the money, and now we’re finally seeing it happen today. Between COVID and supply chain issues, it is absolutely wonderful to finally see this incredible project move forward with really no cost burden to our taxpayers.”

Carpenter envisions a strip that features a variety of shops and ethnic restaurants, comparing Central Islip to Española Way in Miami with “charming little spots.” She believes that, in the same way, people will “come from all over Suffolk County and Long Island to visit this wonderful community of Central Islip.”

“It’s a great day here in Central Islip, this was the missing piece of the puzzle in the revitalization effort. Sewers will not only bring economic development that flows throughout every community they’re installed in, but it also protects our drinking water, surface water, and beaches, and all the things that people want to live in Suffolk County. In the Suffolk County Legislature, we are committed to make sure that we have that long-term funding and that we meet all the needs for clean water in Suffolk County. This is a great example of what we can do when we work together.”

County Legislator Sam Gonzalez (D-Brentwood) of the Ninth District: “To say that this is a happy day, I think, is an understatement. This is a very proud day, because, ladies and gentlemen, Central Islip is on the map. We have the foot traffic here and that is only going to continue with the revitalization, with all the restaurants and cafés and areas people can come and visit. You’re going to see something here in Central Islip that I don’t think has been seen in this County, and it’s just the beginning.”

Matthew Aracich, President of Nassau and Suffolk Building Construction and Trade Council (NSBCTC), discussed how work opportunities developed now can lead to an ironclad, dedicated workforce for developments tomorrow:

Time with the pups is limited due to COVID-19 regulations. We will try our best to ensure every group or family receives a personal visit and a chance for a photo. Unfortunately it is not guaranteed.

Executive Bellone commended Supervisor Carpenter for her persistence in helping secure the funds for the DRI.

Phil Ramos (D-Brentwood), Deputy Speaker of the New York State Assembly, representing the Sixth District, discussed how connecting the downtown to sewers will not only allow for better development, but the money will continue to circulate within th

“For everyone in Central Islip, it’s truly a proud day. Some people don’t realize the significance of having a sewer district here. We can only develop our downtown so much without sewers and proper infrastructure. This is going to be a catalyst that’s really going to lift up Central Islip and lift up this downtown. When people come from Sayville or Huntington to spend their money here, the homegrown businesses take that money home to pay their landscapers, and then those landscapers go to buy milk for their kids.”

Ramos also praised the bipartisanship that produced this end re

“This is a classic case of a bipartisan effort, and it shows what happens when we leave politics out of it. There are no Republican sewers, there are no Democratic sewers. We just have to do it.”

County Legislator and Presiding Officer Kevin McCaffrey (R-Lindenhurst) of the Fourteenth District mentioned the dual-sided issue of sewer infrastructure:

$10 Per Person All Ages!

“When this project starts, it’s actually workforce development, which most people think is just training people to do work and that’s it. It’s not that; workforce development starts with infrastructure and making sure that you get people with middle-class careers with safety, health benefits, and pensions. The idea is that they’re middle-class individuals who can live in these communities in that area that we’re going to be building. That’s where partnerships really take place.”

Aracich also spoke of the multi-faceted objectives of the proje

“For the next project, these people are your next army. These are the next people in the community advocating for more work, projects, and downtown revitalizations, because that’s the important piece to make sure we can provide more housing and sewers. Clean water is the key to making sure you can attract business here, for restaurants and high-occupancy residences. That’s why I beg everyone that they support all the referenda for sewers that they can.”

After the speeches, the group moved to the hard hats and shovels to formally “break ground” on

Additional attendees included, but are not limited to: Islip Town Councilman Jim O’Connor (R-Great River); Islip Town Councilman Jorge Guadrón (D-Central Islip); Joe Brown, Commissioner of Suffolk County Department of Public Works; John Walser, Executive Director of Islip Town Industrial Development Agency; Nancy Vargas-Johnson, Board President of the Central Islip Civic Council; Carla Simpson, Board Secretary of the Central Islip Civic Council; Beverly Rivera-Drummond, Board Member of Central Islip Civic Council; Debbie Cavanauagh and Andrea Hicks, Central Islip Coalition of Good Neighbors; Mike Florio, CEO of Long Island Builders Institute (LIBI); Marc Herbst, Executive Director of the Long Island Contractors Association (LICA); Eric Alexander, Director of Vision Long Island; and Theresa Bryant (R), candidate for the Ninth District of the Suffolk Legislature.

PSEG Helps Return Osprey to Nest

By Matt Meduri

The osprey, otherwise known as a sea hawk, river hawk, or fish hawk, is a fish-eating bird with a cosmopolitan range - one that extends across the world. With abundant coastlines and a vibrant fish population, the ospreys have made Long Island one of their more notable habitats.

It is estimated that there are 2,000 active osprey nests on Long Island, most of which are found in Eastern Long Island, and the private islands of Gardiners, Plum, and Fisher’s.

PSEG has a list of facts on the osprey on their website:

“Ospreys are a migratory bird that annually arrive on Long Island beginning in early/mid March from their wintering grounds in South America. Satellite tracking of individual Long Island birds (with lightweight “backpack” transmitters) show that they head to Venezuela and northern Brazil, with all departing our region by late October. A true harbinger of spring, the osprey’s arrival to our region coincides with winter melting away and the “running” of menhaden, or bunker fish, swimming from the ocean to the shallow bays and creeks to breed. These fish are the main component of the ospreys’ diet when they arrive in early spring.

However, PSEG’s relationship with the birds is more complicated than meets the eye, as the birds take to building their nests on their electrical equipment, which not only poses a danger to the birds, but fire hazards for nearby structures.

According to the PSEG website, “osprey nests constructed around electrical equipment puts the nest in danger of catching fire which can cause significant damage to the electrical system and harm the osprey. Together, with our community partners, we’ve successfully relocated and encouraged osprey to build their nests away from our facilities and wires.”

Although not currently considered endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the Long Island osprey population was once on the endangered species list. In efforts to combat their endangered status, the Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG) Long Island has built safe nesting platforms for the birds on top of the power lines the group maintains.

Like all other species of birds, it’s not uncommon

for the younger ones to fall out of the nests. Tuesday evening saw PSEG replace one of the fallen young osprey back into its nest atop a power line at Westmeadow Beach in Setauket.

Bobby Horvath of Wildlife in Need of Rescue and Rehabilitation (WINORR) was called to help the bird recover and replace him in his nest. He described how the bird was found and how his expertise was requested:

“I was at an event when I was called about the bird, so we had a friend come to pick up the bird and get him to us,” said Horvath.

“His best chance of survival is going back with his family,” Horvath continued. He also described the bird’s poor state of health and the likely reason the osprey fell out of the nest.

“The bird had some type of virus and his eyes were completely crusted shut. This male was the runt of the pack and he was starved. When the bird is unable to see, the majority of the siblings end up getting the food. He would have died on the ground if he wasn’t found and if we weren’t asked to step in to rehabilitate him. He’s been on oral antibiotics and two different eye medications for ten days. He still squints now and then when he’s stressed, but once he gets back up there, he’ll be fine.”

Christopher Hahn, Vice President of PSEG-LI Island External Affairs was in attendance and spoke before a technician returned the bird to its nest:

“Long Island is a special place and we have a lot of special creatures and PSEG-LI is proud to be a part of it and work to rescue as many ospreys and eagles

and other wildlife found in our environment,” said Hahn.

Serviceman John Torreblanca is the PSEG technician responsible for handling the bird and returning it to its nest by using a bucket lift.

The bird was safely returned to its nest and was accepted by its family. Other members of the family swirled over the onlookers, some visibly carrying fish to the nest for the young birds.

According to PSEG-LI, the young osprey is flying, making the rescue, rehabilitation, and replacement effort an observable success.

5 Ingredient Sweet Potato Flourless Bread

Easy and Healthy!

By Sergio A. Fabbri

INGREDIENTS:

2 Large Sweet Potatoes

2 Large Eggs

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

10 oz. Milk Powder

1 Tbsp Baking Powder

DIRECTIONS:

1. Peel and chop sweet potatoes into small cubes.

2. Steam sweet potatoes until tender.

3. Drain and mash sweet potatoes. Measure 1 cup.

4. Mix sweet potatoes with eggs and olive oil.

5. Add milk powder and baking powder.

6. Wearing plastic gloves, oil palms with olive oil and shape mixture into palm size oblongated loaves.

7. Place loaves spaced out into oiled oven pan.

8. Bake at 325O for 30 minutes.

Check last remaining minutes for more or less time and a golden color.

FOR A UNIQUELY DELICIOUS BUTTER: Mix these 5 ingredients:

6 Tablespoons Butter, Softened

4 Tablespoons Honey

½ whole Orange, Zested

¼ teaspoon Vanilla Extract

¼ teaspoon Cinnamon

Photos courtesy of Matt Meduri

(Back left to right) Serviceman Daniel O’Brien, Serviceman John Torreblanca, animal rehabilitator Bobby Horvath, VP of PSEG-LI Island External Affairs Christopher Hahn, and Foreman Matthew Taylor.

(Far left photo) Serviceman John Torreblanca holds the osprey while receiving instructions from Bobby Horvath (right).

(Left photo) Serviceman John Torreblanca places the osprey back in its nest.

Suffolk Credit Union Awards Students Scholarships

Suffolk Credit Union presented college scholarships totaling $37,500 to nine local students attending Suffolk County Community College this fall. The award ceremony was held on August 16, 2023, at the credit union’s Medford branch.

“These scholarships are a result of an ongoing partnership between our credit union and the Suffolk Community College Foundation to help people throughout our communities achieve their educational and career goals,” said Michele Dean, CEO & President, Suffolk Credit Union.

“By alleviating the cost of college for these hardworking students and their families, we position them for financial stability and empower their future success.”

This year, Ashley Bove of Holbrook received a $6,275 scholarship from the LT Michael P. Murphy Memorial Scholarship, which was matched by Suffolk Credit Union for a total of $12,550. Edward Freudenberg (Yaphank) was awarded $6,275 by Suffolk Credit Union in honor of the Michael E. Reilly Foundation Memorial Scholarship.

Suffolk Credit Union Achievement Scholarships ranging from $2,150$6,275 were awarded to Robert Cronin of Aquebogue, Hannah Walsh of Dix Hills, Arshiyan Khan of Selden, Alicia Anthony of Dix Hills, Cristal Lainez-Pixtum of Wyandanch, Amy Boos of Brentwood and Sun Ji Lee of Commack.

Award recipients were selected based on their academic achievements, extracurricular activities, community involvement and essays. Since partnering with the college four years ago, Suffolk Credit Union has sponsored thirty-six scholarships totaling over $180,000.

Dr. Edward Bonahue, President of Suffolk County Community College, commented, “These generous scholarships reflect Suffolk Credit Union’s tradition of serving Long Island as a community-focused

institution. We look forward to welcoming the recipients to our campus, where they will undoubtedly thrive.”

According to Sylvia A. Diaz, PhD, LMSW, Executive Director, Suffolk Community College Foundation, “We are proud to have this ongoing partnership with Suffolk Credit Union, which honors the students’ achievements and service with these meaningful scholarships.”

Suffolk Credit Union is a local not-for-profit cooperative financial institution owned and operated by its members. It was chartered in 1967 by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA). The volunteer-directed credit union has assets in excess of $1.6 billion, 10 branches and over 67,000 members, including partnerships with Suffolk County employees and unions.

Membership is open to anyone who lives, works, worships, attends school or regularly conducts business in Nassau and Suffolk counties as well as immediate family members of current membership. To learn more, visit www.suffolkcu.org or call 631-924-8000.

Legislator Bergin Honors Lee’s Auto Body & Glass for Small Business Month

On Tuesday, August 21, 2023, Legislator Trish Bergin (R-East Islip) honored Lee’s Auto Body & Glass with a proclamation for Small Business Month. This presentation also took place on World Greatness Day, a day to celebrate and be grateful for all the things and people that make this world and our lives incredible.

Lee’s Auto Body & Glass, a staple of the East Islip community, was opened by blacksmith Lee Heimuller in 1916. Gary Teich took over in 1980 and is now teaching his son Matthew the trade.

Lee’s Auto Body & Glass has achieved a number of accomplishments that include, 2021 New York State Empire Award Winner, New York State Historic Business Registry, Bike the Blue (a donation of 10 Fuji patrol bikes to the 3rd Precinct), VETVAN (a free loaner van for exclusive use of veterinarians), partnership with East Islip School’s CORE program, working with the Department of Labor, working with Cleary School for the Deaf and New York State Senate Legislative Resolution J4514, commemorating Lee’s Auto Body 100th Anniversary.

Legislator Bergin was honored to be able to present this proclamation to Gary, his son, Matthew, and his staff, for all their hard work they do and their dedication to the Town of Islip and the community.

Lee’s Auto Body and Glass is located at 76 E Main Street in East Islip. They are open from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, and closed weekends.

Photo courtesy of Legislator

Trish Bergin

On the Campaign Trail

Summer Ends as Campaigns Accelerate

By Matt Meduri

As summer draws to a close, the campaign season is now accelerating into full motion. With just a little over two months to go until Election Day, candidates on both sides of the aisle are sparing no expense in the prime networking opportunities summer events typically provide.

Brookhaven Town Supervisor and County Executive candidate Ed Romaine (R-Center Moriches) is vying to be Suffolk County’s first elected Republican County Executive since Robert Gaffney won his final election in 1999. Over the weekend, he attended the Knights of Columbus’ First

Thiele (D-Sag Harbor) in the 2022 race for First Assembly District. Thiele had not seen a race that close in his thirty years at Albany.

In the race for the Second District, Manny Vilar (R-Springs), Chairman of the East Hampton Town Republican Committee, is in an uphill battle to flip the Second District red. After his February nomination, Vilar said:

“We have a lot of tremendous issues on the East End of Long Island that are going to take a lot of advocacy and some different thinking. I believe that the economic solvency of the county starts with eastern Long Island.”

Vilar has been the East Hampton GOP Chairman since 2018. He ran unsuccessfully for the Town Supervisor seat in 2017 and a special election for the town board a year later.

He faces Ann Welker (D-Southampton), a Southampton Town Trustee.

The James V. Kavanaugh Knights of Columbus Council #5293 held its inaugural event at their hall located on Madison Street. Officials included Congressman Andrew Garbarino (R-Bayport) of the Second Congressional District, Assemblyman Joe DeStefano (R-Brookhaven) of the Third Assembly District, Suffolk Legislator Jim Mazzarella (R-Mastic) of the Third Legislative District, and Supervisor Romaine. Mazzarella and Romaine are both on the ballot this year. While Romaine is in for a competitive race against businessman and former prosecutor Dave Calone (D-Setauket) for the open County Executive seat, Mazzarella looks comfortable for re-election. The Messenger rates his seat as “Safe Republican.”

“Thank you to the JV Kavanaugh Knights of Columbus Council of Mastic for hosting a fantastic free BBQ,” said Legislator Mazzarella. “Kudos to Grand Knight Frank DeNatale for bringing the community together for this fun event!”

Although the more competitive seats this year are located in Brookhaven, the East End has seen typically reliable Democratic margins thin over the last couple cycles.

The South Fork in particular is experiencing a change as fourterm incumbent Legislator Bridget Fleming (D-Noyac) is not running for re-election. The Second Legislative District contains the entirety of the Town of East Hampton and most of the Town of Southampton. The two towns are consistently Democratic by large margins, although Fleming saw her margin of victory dip below 60% for the first time. While still a comfortable victory, there has been some momentum towards Republicans in Eastern Long Island.

Another recent notable feat was that of Peter Ganley (R-Mattituck), 26, who came within single-digits of taking down Fred

Vilar spent Monday at the Amagansett Fire Department Chicken BBQ. He wrote on his campaign’s Facebook account:

“Had an incredible time at the Amagansett Fire Department Chicken BBQ. So many old and dear friends. The food was fantastic, the clams by James Bennett were out of this world, the beer was crisp by Westhampton Beach Brewing Company and the wine by Amagansett Wine and Spirits was perfect.”

Meanwhile, County Executive candidate Dave Calone (D-Setauket) has been campaigning to keep the office in Democratic control. He attended the Brookhaven Democratic Committee Summer BBQ last week. In a Facebook post, he wrote:

“Had a great time at the Brookhaven Town Democratic Committee Summer BBQ, rallying supporters with our terrific slate and tossing around a football as the Giants & Jets pre-season began! 85 days until the election, and the energy behind our effort to move #SuffolkForward has never been stronger.”

Brookhaven Democrats seem bullish on their chances of flipping the Town Supervisor office with Lillian Clayman (pictured left), an adjunct professor at SUNY College at Old Westbury and former mayor of Hamden, Connecticut. Clayman ascended to the ticket earlier this summer after Port Jefferson Margot Garant (D) stepped down due to health concerns.

Brookhaven Democrats held a meet-and-greet for Clayman at C.P. La Mannos Have a Pizza in Miller Place on Tuesday night.

As one of the most Republican townships in the county, anticipated down ballot energy from Romaine at the top of the ticket, and the mid-campaign ticket change on the Democratic side, Brookhaven might be a bit out of reach for Democrats this fall. Councilman and Deputy Supervisor

Annual Barbecue in Mastic.

Dan Panico (R-Center Moriches) has essentially been campaigning during his tenure at Town Hall. Panico has been campaigning throughout the summer, leading The Messenger to rate the Brookhaven Town Supervisor as “Safe Republican.”

County Executive candidate Dave Calone (D-Setuaket) throws a football at the Brookaven Democratic Committee BBQ

(Credit: Dave Calone for Suffolk County Executive Facebook)

Supervisor Ed Romaine (third from left) with members of the Knights of Columbus, Assemblyman Joe DeStefano (third from right) and Legislator Jim Mazzarella (second from right) (Credit: Office of Jim Mazzarella)

Legislature Candidate Manny Vilar (center) at the Amagansett Fire Department Chicken BBQ (Credit: Manny Vilar for Suffolk County Legislature Facebook)

Councilman and Deputy Town Supervisor Dan Panico with his family at Lake Grove Village Day (Credit: Dan Panico Facebook)

America the Beautiful: How History Shapes our Electorate Michigan - The Wolverine State

By Matt Meduri

No state truly personifies the Rust Belt manufacturing character like Michigan. A Midwestern giant, the Wolverine State has seen arguably some of the most shocking and depressing falls from glory compared to any other state.

Early History - The New Frontier

Michigan was first explored by Europeans under the order of Samuel de Champlain. The expedition would establish the city of Sault Ste. Marie on the Upper Peninsula (U.P.) in 1668, the first permanent settlement in Michigan. It was founded by Jacques Marquette, for whom a separate U.P. county is named. The French established many trading posts and forts in the territory, one of which was named Fort Pontchartrain du Détroit, which would later become the city of Detroit.

The French and Indian War saw France cede all its North American territories to the British, which spawned years of war with the natives. The French still inhabited the area and developed a fur trading profile with the natives. The Revolutionary War saw the American takeover of Detroit, and the Treaty of Paris formally put the territory into American control. The War of 1812 would see the British retake Detroit, only for it to return to the Americans in 1815.

As the U.S. government forced the Native Americans west, New Englanders and many from Upstate New York moved to Michigan due to land shortages at home. The Erie Canal helped Michigan’s population boom in the 1820s and 1830s. The Yankee northeasterners took their politics with them and would align the state with the GOP by the Civil War.

Michigan’s statehood was delayed by a mostly bloodless conflict called the Toledo War. This was centered on the Toledo Strip, a tract of land in northwestern Ohio along Michigan’s southern border. The land controlled the mouth of the Maumee River, inland shipping opportunities, and fertile farmland west towards Indiana. A valuable piece of territory, the Toledo Strip was eventually ceded to Ohio in exchange for Michigan’s full control of the U.P. due to Michigan’s ineligibility to receive federal surpluses if it remained a territory.

Initially seen as a lopsided trade in favor of Ohio, copper and iron deposits were discovered in the U.P. in the 1840s. Not only would this act as a magnet for immigration and a booster shot to the state’s economy, the U.P. would produce more mineral wealth than the California Gold Rush.

Civil War & IndustrializationThe Rise of a Giant

The Lower Peninsula of Michigan became agriculture-heavy, with the U.P. more reliant on mining, as the climate and landscape was not conducive to farming. The entire state had Yankee origins but backed the Democratic Party for their stances on limited government and spending. After the GOP was founded at the onset of the Civil War, Michigan would back the party in every election from 1856-1928, except for 1912.

While Michigan was Yankee in spirit, some slavery was allowed in the state during its time as a territory. During the Civil War, Detroit and the U.P. backed the Democratic Party, with the rest of the state being firmly Republican. The state would serve as a major stop on the Underground Railroad during the War. After the war, the economy began to diversify with lumber, dairy farming, and especially railroads, as the state’s development was almost entirely contingent on access to the Great Lakes. The city of Battle Creek would become home to Kelloggs, the first manufacturer of cornflakes. The Kellogg family made the accidental discovery in their food experiments after years of a bland diet in a Seventh-Day Adventist family. C.W. Post created Post Cereals out of Battle Creek off what some say was his thievery of the Kelloggs’ recipes.

Michigan would earn its reputation as a manufacturing giant from the automobile industry the state would create. Ransom E. Olds would start the Olds Motor Vehicle Company in 1897 in Lansing; this would later become known as Oldsmobile. Henry Ford made his Model T out of Detroit, which, along with his revolutionary “assembly line” model of production, would make Detroit the world’s leading producer of automobiles. By the Great Depression, over 125 automobile companies operated out of Detroit - including the “Big Three” of Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors - with the industry’s clout spreading the auto parts manufacturing to nearby towns, such as Flint and Saginaw.

While Detroit is known as “Motor City,” the city of Jackson in south-central Michigan has the reputation of being one of the first automobile hubs, before Detroit. By 1910, the city housed twenty manufacturers, the most notable of which was Buick.

The working-class towns and immigration made Michigan a Republican-leaning battleground from the 1880s-1900s. The state returned to large GOP margins in the 1910s but voted for President Theodore Roosevelt (R-NY) in 1912 on his Progressive-Bull Moose ticket, being just one of six states to do so. The state’s Populist movement and disdain for the Democratic-backed silver standard pushed Michigan’s votes to Roosevelt. Michigan would back each 1920s Republican with at least 70% of the vote each time. 1928 saw Herbert Hoover (R-CA) become the last Republican to win Detroit’s Wayne County.

In 1936, FDR (D-NY) became the first Democrat to win Michigan since 1852, due to the Great Depression cratering the automotive industry, more accessible copper in other states, and the New Deal coalition of minorities and immigrants. The state would back FDR in three of his four elections, before

This is the twenty-seventh of a series column that will look at the history of all 50 States, all 5 territories, and the Capital and the influence history has on our current political environments. The aim of this column is to capture that our country is not just red or blue, but rather many shades in between. Each Lower 48 state’s current political landscape can be traced back to its early settlement and geography and its particular involvement in the Civil War, the Industrial Revolution, and the Civil Rights Era.

voting three times consecutively for the GOP from 1948-1956, then three times for the Democrats 1960-1968. Michigan would back the GOP five straight times from 1972-1988.

Current Political LeaningsA Hollowed Out Swing State

Michigan became part of the “blue wall” that Bill Clinton (D-AR) founded in 1992. From 1992-2012, Michigan launched its longest Democratic voting streak to date. 1996 is the last time every U.P. county voted for the Democrat. After narrow races in 2000 and 2004, Barack Obama (D-IL) won the state by a whopping 17 points, the best showing for either party since 1984; the best for Democrats since 1964. Mitt Romney’s (RUT) milquetoast 2012 campaign saw Michigan become more Republican, but Obama still carried the state by a handy tenpoint margin, obscuring the true competitive nature of the state.

That’s why Donald Trump’s 2016 upset was even more shocking when he became the first Republican to carry Michigan since 1988. His populist message to the hollowedout working-class communities resonated across the state, while Hillary Clinton’s lackluster campaign stymied turnout in Democratic-heavy Detroit. The auto industry has been declining since automation was first developed in the 1940s. Automation, outsourcing, shifting industrial focus, and an economic outlook that hasn’t recovered well since the 2008 crash has left Detroit, and Michigan overall, a true shell of its former self.

Despite this, Detroit still claims to be the world capital of auto manufacturing, containing twenty-six original equipment manufacturers and technology centers, which are also responsible for 20% of the state’s workforce.

Michigan’s geography once saw deep-blue Detroit, rock-red Grand Rapids in the southwestern part of the state, a blue U.P., and scattered communities of farms and manufacturing, leaning red and blue, respectively. Now, most of the state is Republican on the county level, while Detroit suburbs and automobile areas have trended Republican, with Grand Rapids, Traverse City, and smaller cities trending blue. The U.P. is entirely Republican, save for Marquette County.

Democrats currently control both Senate seats, with the 2018 and 2020 elections being near upsets for both incumbents. Republicans last won a Senate race in 1994, with Spencer Abraham losing that seat to Debbie Stabenow in 2000. Republicans last held both Senate seats in 1955. Stabenow survived a sleeper race in 2018, to now-Congressman John James (R). She is retiring ahead of the 2024 elections, creating a rare open-seat opportunity for Republicans to win a Senate race in the Wolverine State in almost thirty years.

Republicans governed Michigan almost exclusively from 18551931. Since then, the state has made it a habit of switching parties on a frequent basis. Since 1982, the state has afforded governors two terms - except for John Engler (R), who served three terms from 1991-2003 before term limits were imposed. Michigan’s strategy of giving two terms to one party, then two to the other, makes it increasingly easier to predict election outcomes.

Many believe that Donald Trump is responsible for putting Michigan back in play, although it still is a Democratic-leaning state. The Cook Partisan Voting Index rates it slightly right of center, but Democrats enjoy a trifecta in the state government, and majorities in the Congressional delegations. It’s certainly the most Democratic of the other Rust Belt giants: Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Because of this, nationalized elections don’t result in Republican wins. Stateside messaging and populist overtones will keep the state healthily competitive.

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How the Lyme Disease Epidemic is Spreading and Why Ticks are so Hard to Stop

By Durland Fish Professor Emeritus of Epidemiology (Microbial Diseases), Yale University | The Conversation

In the 1970s, an epidemic of mysterious arthritislike symptoms began spreading among children in the lushly wooded area around Lyme, Connecticut. Scientists traced the cause to tick bites and named it Lyme disease, but why it had suddenly appeared there was a mystery.

Similar symptoms had been documented on Long Island, New York, years before. Doctors there called it “Montauk spider bite” or “Montauk knee.” It would take until 1990 before scientists found museum specimens of ticks from Long Island and were able to connect the same tick-borne bacteria to both locations and suggest how Lyme disease might have started its modern spread.

As a researcher who studies how disease travels based on geography, I have been following Lyme disease’s spread for nearly four decades. Over that time, Lyme disease cases increased from a few hundred reported in 1982 to more than 33,000 in 2018. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates the actual number of Lyme disease cases is about 10 times greater than those reported. For people infected, the symptoms can be debilitating, including fever, fatigue and muscle and joint pain that can last for months or years after treatment, and in some cases cause neurological disorders and heart infections.

Warm weather is arriving and people are beginning to seek outside respite from COVID-19 stay-at-home orders. This is the same time that ticks are beginning to search for their next meal, and the risk of getting Lyme disease rises. Its spread to new areas involves a complex interplay among animals that may aid in helping scientists slow its continuing advance.

No forests, no deer, no Lyme Lyme disease has existed in North America and Europe for a long time and must have affected American Indians and early colonists. But only recently has it become epidemic.

One reason Lyme disease may have remained obscure in the United States for so long before beginning to spread in the late 20th century had to do with the extensive deforestation to create farmland that began after colonists arrived in North America. With the loss of forests, deer disappeared from most of the Northeast. The only known populations in the Northeast were in

the Adirondacks and on Long Island. Without deer, deer ticks, also known as black-legged ticks, were rare, and the bacterium that causes Lyme disease was contained in isolated tick populations, primarily in northern Wisconsin and on Long Island.

That changed when deer were reintroduced for hunting in the Northeast during the early 1900s and began to repopulate new forests.

The infected deer ticks on Long Island were only about six miles from Lyme, Connecticut, separated by Long Island Sound. Once they reached the mainland –deer have been seen swimming in Long Island Sound –the infected ticks were able to find an unending supply of reproductive hosts.

By the 1970s, when children in Lyme began getting ill, deer ticks could be found on mice and deer in the area, but they were almost exclusively on the east side of the Connecticut River, which runs from Canada to Long Island Sound.

It was an important clue. Most of the illnesses were on the same side of the river. Scientists began to speculate that the river could be a barrier to Lyme disease’s spread and ticks could be the disease’s carriers. Scientists also noticed that there were no deer ticks on islands that were still without deer. They narrowed in on whitetailed deer as the primary reason for the appearance of the ticks and Lyme disease. Suburbanization, which restricts hunting and provides ornamental plants for deer food, was encouraging deer overpopulation and, with it, the spread of the disease.

Scientists in the early 1980s identified the cause of Lyme disease as a previously unrecognized bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi, carried by deer ticks and transmitted to humans through their bite. Today, the deer tick has spread north to Maine and Ontario, Canada, south to Virginia, and as far west as Ohio. Another once-isolated population of ticks in northern Wisconsin has also spread northward into Canada and south to Illinois and Indiana, west as far as Nebraska and east to Michigan. Continued reforestation and increased deer distribution in Midwestern states will most likely restore the pre-colonial habitat of deer, ticks and Lyme disease.

A complex path to humans

Ironically, the deer that helped the tick population grow and spread do not become infected with the Lyme disease bacterium and cannot cause infection in ticks. But, birds and small mammals, particularly the abundant white-footed mouse, can carry the bacteria and infect immature ticks that feed on them. Infected larvae turn into infected nymphs, the source of infection for larger animals and humans.

Adult ticks hitchhike a ride on the deer, where they mate and feed on the deer’s blood. When they are done, the female then drops off into the leaf litter where deer travel and lays her eggs. Each deer can support hundreds of ticks, and each female tick lays about 2,000 eggs. Once new tick populations are established by deer that carry them into new areas, infected ticks cause infection in mice, birds and other small mammals. New populations of deer ticks rapidly become infected with the Lyme disease bacterium as soon as they are established.

Lyme disease continues to expand

The rate of Lyme disease spread has been slow compared to mosquito-borne West Nile virus, yet the current epidemic of Lyme disease is steadily increasing. It is estimated to be spreading 30 kilometers per year. There has been little effort to try to limit the geographic spread of infected ticks. Most control efforts have been focused on managing tick populations where they are already established. Efforts have so far have included area insecticide application, bait stations to treat mice or deer with insecticide and vaccinating mice against the bacterium. All of these methods have had limited success in reducing Lyme disease risk, but none have been employed to limit spread.

From an ecology perspective, the question is not why there are so many ticks, but why aren’t there more. At least 90% of each tick stage disappears over a single generation and we do not understand what happens to them. How many starve to death before finding a host? How many find hosts, but get removed by grooming before they can feed? How many are eaten by other animals or die from parasites? How does weather affect mortality?

Basic research on tick ecology pales in comparison to that conducted on the bacterium and patients. If we knew what limits tick population growth in nature, we might have better insight on how to manage their spread. For now, Lyme disease will continue to expand unabated.

Progressive Fixation on Drug Pricing Will Impede Progress

By Sally C. Pipes

The recent pace of drug development in America is nothing short of breathtaking.

Within the last few years, drug companies have delivered effective therapies for COVID-19, cancer, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and obesity. Between 2010 and 2019, the Food and Drug Administration approved an average of 38 new drugs per year -- 60% more than the annual average during the previous decade, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

And yet, progressives assert that prescription drugs are our biggest health policy challenge. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., for example, has stated that he will oppose any and all of President Biden’s health nominees until the administration puts forth a public plan to reduce “outrageously high” prescription drug prices.

But prescription drug spending is a relatively small portion of our nation’s healthcare bill. If anything, it should be higher, given that prescription drugs can obviate the need for much more expensive hospitalizations, surgeries, and long-term care.

The progressive war on drug prices isn’t new, but it took a great leap forward with the Inflation Reduction Act, signed into law by President Biden in August 2022, which will result in price controls on a growing list of brand-name medicines starting in 2026.

This fixation on prescription drug spending is misguided. In 2021, retail prescription drug spending totaled $378 billion. Overall healthcare expenditures reached $4.3 trillion that year.

In other words, retail prescription drug spending represents less than 9% of total healthcare spending.

A Manhattan Institute brief found that just 0.4% of U.S. household spending went toward out-of-pocket prescription drug costs -- a lower rate than in any other developed country.

And yet, we have access to more innovative drugs than our foreign peers. According to research from the Galen Institute, 89% of the 290 drugs developed between 2011 and 2018 were available in the United

States as of 2019. By contrast, just 62% were available in Germany, 48% in France, and 44% in Canada.

Most of America’s healthcare dollars go to pay hospitals and physicians. As of 2021, the two categories account for 51% of personal health expenditures.

Cumulative spending on dental services, home health care, and nursing care facilities is higher than our nation’s retail prescription drug bill.

Greater than the cost of prescription drugs is the cost of stifling innovation. Price controls will reduce the supply of new medicines, as investors lose confidence in their ability to earn a return from funding risky, expensive development projects.

Effective therapies that are never invented have a cost, too, in the form of lives cut short or years of good health sapped by the progression of disease.

And there’s an economic cost associated with failing to alleviate or cure disease. One study found that newer drugs, despite their higher sticker price, result in a decrease in total health expenditures by limiting the need for spending in other areas.

In short, the progressive view that prescription drug prices are bankrupting our nation is not only false but dangerous -- because it threatens the medical and economic benefits that pharmaceutical advances bring.

Sally C. Pipes is President, CEO, and Thomas W. Smith Fellow in Health Care Policy at the Pacific Research Institute. Her latest book is False Premise, False Promise: The Disastrous Reality of Medicare for All (Encounter 2020). Follow her on Twitter @sallypipes.

Malicious Prosecution?

By Robert B. Charles | AMAC

When does prosecutorial overreach become malicious prosecution? The Justice Department illegally surveilled (false FISA warrants) Donald Trump, dogging him for years – on a false premise. Now, we have four indictments, two local, two federal – one involving alleged violations of the 4th Amendment, all launched by arch-partisans. How much is too much?

Does the pattern of dogging Trump matter? Is this just impartial administration, nothing to see here, nothing political, just a standard criminal pursued on the merits – or is this something far worse, something new and intolerable in our truth-based republic, an affront to the “rule of law?” Is this political warfare –gone legal?

Before noting corroborating facts – like what happened to Hillary Clinton and her server-smashing entourage, President Biden and his foreign-funded son, or Comey, McCabe, Strzok, Page, and Brennan –just pause.

What is malicious prosecution? Or, turning that question on its head, what should prosecutors do? How are the custodians of justice supposed to behave? What does fairness look like?

For one thing, fairness is not political. The Rule of law – in a non-corrupt republic – requires an iron wall between politics and the administration of justice. Selective law enforcement, or favoring political friends and disfavoring adversaries, is Public Corruption 101–not the rule of law.

Everything about the “rule of law” reflects this understanding. Without impartiality, there is no law, no respect for what leaders call the law, no trust in the law, and no willingness to abide by the law. Put differently, when the well of justice is poisoned by politics, civil order gets sick – and can die.

Consider what the Greats say societies need to survive. Wrote Plato: “The worst form of justice…is pretended justice.” In other words, politics in place of justice kills justice. Plato knew something about that, too – he watched Socrates get convicted, forced to death on hemlock.

Wrote Aristotle: “At his best, man is the noblest of animals – but separated from law and justice, he is the worst.” So if we consult conscience for truth, we stay noble; if we do not, we lose it.

Maybe that is what Mahatma Gandhi wrote: “The court of conscience … supersedes all other courts.” If we forget right from wrong, we humans – including prosecutors – get off track.

All this comes back to “malicious prosecution.” If fairness, impartiality, and avoiding politics are how things should work, what is the opposite? What is malice being used by a prosecutor?

Malicious prosecution is the textbook perversion of justice – a suit “instituted primarily because of a purpose other than that of bringing an offender to justice,” or “against another maliciously and without probable cause,” or “begun in malice,” with “ill will” or a “desire to cause distress.”

Hmmm. Anything come to mind? With a presidential election pending, could prosecutors with “ill will” toward Trump, including one known for overreach, have other purposes in mind? Could dislike become malice, perhaps feed a “desire to cause distress?” Can prosecutors be partisan?

The tort of “malicious prosecution” requires a prosecution that ends favorably to the prosecuted, plus a showing of malicious intent, damage to liberty, reputation, or suffering. Sound like it fits?

Look at how Justice has behaved toward Trump. They opened an FBI investigation which, it turns out, was based on false information from Hillary Clinton, his 2016 rival – a fact briefed to Mr. Obama and Mr. Biden during that 2016 campaign (which raises other questions).

After Trump won, he was hit by continued investigation, Justice-sourced untruths, misrepresentations, and stories leaked to an eager press. False allegations fed congressional investigators, producing two impeachments, both notably lacking in traditional due process.

“Malicious prosecution” requires Trump to prevail in just one case – showing it involves malice. Truth is, we are in uncharted waters – a former president

Thursday, August 24, 2023

Overview - AMAC - The Association of Mature American Citizens

The Association of Mature American Citizens represents Americans 50 plus. AMAC is centered on American values, freedom of the individual, free speech, and exercise of religion, equality of opportunity, sanctity of life, rule of law, and love of family, with benefits at all levels. AMAC plays a vital role in helping build the services that will enrich the lives of America’s seniors. AMAC Action, a 501 (C)(4) advocates for issues important to AMAC’s membership on Capitol Hill and locally through grassroots activism. To Learn more, visit www.amac.us

facing flimsy indictments, partisan prosecutors, sitting president enjoying immunity from investigation for highly suspicious acts.

All this occurring at the start of the supercharged 2024 presidential election – with the two men leading in pursuit of their respective party nominations.

In the grand scheme, a “someday suit” for “malicious prosecution” may be small potatoes, but the Republic is in the grips of a series of constitutional crises, and public trust is extremely low.

Trump may not win any of these suits, let alone nomination or

election. Biden may not survive scrutiny, could be impeached, indicted, not be his party’s nominee, or get reelected. But malice is at play. That is dark. These suits against Trump certainly look…a lot like malicious prosecution.

Robert Charles is a former Assistant Secretary of State under Colin Powell, former Reagan and Bush 41 White House staffer, attorney, and naval intelligence officer (USNR). He wrote “Narcotics and Terrorism” (2003), “Eagles and Evergreens” (2018), and is National Spokesman for AMAC.

War in Ukraine is a Warning to China of the Risks in Attacking Taiwan

By Peter Rutland | The Conversation

U.S. defense strategists warn that China may use the distraction of the war in Ukraine to launch military action against Taiwan. They believe Chinese President Xi Jinping is determined to gain control over the breakaway province – which has been beyond Beijing’s control since the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949 – before he leaves office.

In response to these concerns, in July 2023, the U.S. announced a US$345 million military aid package for Taiwan. For the first time, arms are being delivered to Taiwan from U.S. stockpiles under presidential drawdown authority, which does not require congressional approval.

Such fears have been heightened by the fact that China has stepped up its probes of Taiwan’s defenses over the past year. Last month saw the release of an eight-part docuseries by state media broadcaster CCTV titled “Chasing Dreams” about the Chinese military’s readiness to attack Taiwan.

But opinion remains divided over just how likely it is that Xi will launch a military action to occupy Taiwan, and whether the war in Ukraine makes such action more or less likely.

Factors making war more likely

The main argument that the war in Ukraine makes a Chinese attack on Taiwan more likely centers on the failure of the threat of U.S. sanctions to deter Russia from invading.

Russian President Vladimir Putin believed that U.S. power, weakened by the Trump presidency, was in decline. He also knew – because President Joe Biden said so – that the U.S. was unwilling to commit its own troops in combat against the nuclear-armed foe.

Putin saw the hasty American withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021 as a sign that the U.S. has lost its appetite for military intervention overseas. The U.S. relies on economic sanctions to pressure adversaries such as Iran, Russia and China. But Putin was confident that Europe’s dependence on Russian oil and gas would prevent it from imposing serious sanctions on Russia. He was also emboldened by the lackluster Western response to Russia’s invasion of Georgia in 2008 and annexation of Crimea in 2014.

It turned out that Putin was wrong about Europeans’ unwillingness to stop buying Russian energy. But he was right about the U.S. aversion to committing its own forces to defend Ukraine.

As with Ukraine, U.S. policy regarding Taiwan is built around using the threat of economic sanctions

to deter China from attacking the province. However, there is also the possibility – absent in Ukraine – that the U.S. would commit its forces to defend Taiwan. The official U.S. policy is one of “strategic ambiguity” on Taiwan. Furthermore, there is the simple geographical fact that Taiwan is an island, and thus easier to defend than Ukraine.

For the people of Taiwan, Putin’s invasion shows that an authoritarian leader can wage war at any time, for no good reason. Ukraine has so far managed to prevent a Russian victory, but it is paying a heavy price in terms of lost lives and a shattered economy. According to some Taiwanese observers, the people of Taiwan would be unwilling to pay such a heavy price to preserve its political autonomy.

There is also the concern that the U.S. is so tied up with the Ukraine crisis that it does not have the political bandwidth to deal with Chinese pressure on Taiwan. Arms that could have been sold to Taiwan have been sent to Ukraine. Xi may see this as an opportunity that he can exploit.

Factors that make war less likely

There are, however, several factors that make conflict over Taiwan less probable. Russia’s failure to achieve victory in Ukraine makes it less likely that Xi would gamble on the use of military force to occupy Taiwan.

The Wall Street Journal’s Yaroslav Trofimov argues that “the Ukrainian war has focused minds in Beijing on the inherent unpredictability of a military conflict.” Meanwhile, Bi-khim Hsiao, Taiwan’s representative in the U.S., has said that Ukraine’s success in defending itself will deter China from attacking Taiwan.

One reason is advances in weaponry. The latest generation of drones and missiles capable of destroying aircraft, ships and tanks favors the defense. This makes invasion of Taiwan more risky for China. Moreover, Russia’s weapons seem to be generally less effective than those of its NATO counterparts – and China’s arsenal relies heavily on Russian designs.

Also, the Ukraine war has unified European allies behind U.S. leadership. In 2019, French President Emanuel Macron was talking about NATO being “brain dead.” After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the alliance stepped up defense spending and both Sweden and Finland applied for membership. Finland officially joined NATO in April 2023 while Sweden awaits final ratification.

The European Union was previously reluctant to join the U.S. trade war with China. However, China’s support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has made Brussels more willing to join the U.S. in pushing back against China’s efforts to dominate key sectors of global trade. EU Commission President Ursula van der Leyen said in March 2023 that “China is becoming more repressive at home and more assertive abroad.” China is all too aware that overstepping in Taiwan would further unite nations in a trade war against Beijing.

The Ukraine war has also unified core Asian allies behind U.S. leadership. Taiwan, Japan and South Korea joined the sanctions on Russia, and Japan plans to increase defense spending by 60% by 2027. In March 2022, Russia added Taiwan to its Unfriendly Countries and Territories List, and in August 2022 Taiwan canceled visa-free travel for Russians, which had been introduced in 2018.

It is difficult to assess how sanctions on Russia affect China’s decision calculus. The sanctions have seriously hurt Russia’s economy, but have not prevented the country from waging the war. Given China’s high level of trade with Europe and the U.S., it is likely that sanctions leveled in retaliation for an attack on Taiwan would be severely damaging for the Chinese economy.

In launching the abortive war on Ukraine, Russia has shown itself to be weak and unstable, and therefore less useful as an ally to China. Besides the initial failure to take Kyiv, developments such as the Wagner mutiny illustrate the fragility of the Putin regime and must have rung alarm bells in Beijing. In November 2022, Xi called for an end to threats to use nuclear weapons in an implicit rebuke to Russia.

The peace plan that China released in February 2023, “Position on the Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis,” insisted on the importance of respecting sovereignty while ignoring Russia’s violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty. It was arguably more about Taiwan than Ukraine.

China seemingly wants to see an end to the Ukraine war, but on terms acceptable to its ally, Moscow. China has accepted Russia’s narrative that NATO is to blame for the war, but still pays lip service to the importance of respecting Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Those principles are central to the “One China” policy and Beijing’s claim to sovereignty over Taiwan. China’s failure to condemn the Russian invasion puts it in a position that is riven with contradictions and makes it hard to play a role as a broker for peace.

There is no simple answer to the question of how the war in Ukraine has impacted Beijing’s intentions regarding Taiwan. But it has starkly illustrated to all sides that the stakes are high, and the costs of miscalculation are punitive.

Walid Berrazeg/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Demonstrators attend

Unpacking ‘Rich Men North of Richmond’

By Tom Lloyd Andrews

In the current political era of hot-button issues and diametrically opposed forms of culture, it’s inevitable that those points of contention make their ways into our entertainment and leisure.

This has always been the case, as some say that “life imitates art,” and vice versa, but there is a different inflection now, one that seems as if it attempts to sway people from different sides of the political aisle, or mock those for the views they hold.

The latest point of contention, however, does not seem to play into those ideas at all, rather it provides a commentary that most people are likely to find agreeable.

Oliver Anthony’s hit “Rich Men North of Richmond” does not feature partisan political overtones, rather it expresses frustrations that most Americans are experiencing right now.

The video opens to an image of an exhausted blue collar appearing man wielding a resonator guitar. His background consists of a lush, verdant forest, with a hunting stand sitting in one of the trees; three dogs are sitting at his feet. The man starts singing “I’ve been selling my soul, working all day, overtime hours, for b******t pay, so I can sit out here, and waste my life away, drive back home and drown my troubles away.”

The song debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, making Anthony the first ever artist to ever achieve that position without any prior industry history. The video, which was released on August 8, currently sits at over 31 million views. This song has seemingly become a cultural inflection point, but who exactly are these “Rich Men” north of Richmond?

Approximately 100 miles north of Richmond, Virginia, sits our nation’s capital, Washington, D.C. The suburbs of D.C. are some of the wealthiest in the country. According to a 2022 study by U.S. News, Loudoun County, Virginia, and Falls Church, Virginia, are the two wealthiest counties in the United States. (Falls Church is an independent city, but it is a county-equivalent in the eyes of the Virginia government). Five of the ten wealthiest counties in America are suburbs of D.C.

Closer to our homefront, Nassau County ranks as the tenth wealthiest county in the country; Suffolk clocks in at number thirty.

That said, five of those suburban D.C. counties are wealthier than the suburbs of the financial capital of the world, the home of the world’s most millionaires and billionaires, and by most accounts, the wealthiest city in the world, New York City.

As the song puts it, the federal government pays bureaucrats well, maybe a bit too well.

The song has seemed to stir some controversy with some of its lyrics, chief of which are “And the obese, milkin’ welfare, Well, God, if you’re 5-foot-3 and you’re 300 pounds, taxes ought not to pay for your bags of fudge rounds.”

However, people who have called on this line as their chief form of criticism are missing the entire point of the song. Anthony states prior to those lines “Lord, we got folks in the street, ain’t got nothin’ to eat,” and follows those lines immediately with “Young men are puttin’ themselves six feet in the ground ‘Cause all this damn country does is keep on kickin’ them down.”

Last year alone, food prices have increased by over 10%, while wages have been stagnating. There are people working 50-60 hours a week in poorer parts of the country - like Anthony’s home state of West Virginia - who do not take government assistance, and are struggling to make ends meet due to inflation. The current American system seems to have forgotten about them, all while the federal government’s employees continue to accrue generational wealth. That is the entire point of the song, and that is why it is resonating with so much of the country.

There’s something so appealing about the simplicity of the video. Oliver Anthony isn’t dressed like a rockstar, nor is he dressed like a pop icon; he’s dressed like an everyday American. The music video isn’t a bombastic production that clouds the intended meaning of the song. It’s a simple man singing about troubles to which every American, whether left, right, or center, can relate.

Getty Images

Washington, D.C. Skyline

Oliver Anthony

Gettysburg – A Time and Place for Reflection

By Peter Chidichimo

Perhaps no other battle in the history of the U.S. has been discussed and analyzed more than the battle of Gettysburg. Over the years of visiting this historic place, I have come to see it in a brand new light. Maybe it has to do with the current political strife that envelopes our nation.

Considered the most important engagement of the American Civil War, the battle of Gettysburg was fought from July 1 to July 3, 1863. While many Americans may be aware of the significance of this pivotal battle, which claimed thousands of casualties, few likely understand how close the South came to winning this battle, after which they surely would have marched on to the lightly defended Union capital, located just sixty miles away.

Of the above-mentioned casualties on both sides, there were 7,058 fatalities, 33,264 wounded and 10,790 missing from the fierce fighting.

After a great victory over Union forces at Chancellorsville just two months before, General Robert E. Lee marched his Army of Northern Virginia into Pennsylvania in late June 1863. On July 1, the advancing Confederates clashed with the Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by General George G. Meade, at Gettysburg. The next day saw even heavier fighting, as the Confederates attacked the Federals on both their left and right flanks.

On July 3, Lee ordered an attack on the enemy’s center at Cemetery Ridge, an assault known as “Pickett’s Charge.” The charge managed to pierce the Union lines, but eventually failed at the cost of thousands of Confederate casualties. Lee was forced to withdraw his battered army toward Virginia on July 4.

The Union had won a pivotal battle at a great cost, stopping Lee’s invasion of the North.

It inspired Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address,” which became one of the most famous speeches of all time, at only 271 words.

The aftermath of the battle devastated this once quiet town, whose residents were forced to hide while the battle raged around them. Confederate soldiers displaced homeowners as sharpshooters perched themselves in the attics of homes to fire at the approaching Union army. After the battle, at various field hospitals, amputated limbs lay in heaps as bodies were collected and buried where they fell. Elizabeth Thorn, wife of the manager of the town’s largest cemetery, reportedly dug over 100 graves herself, despite being pregnant.

The Cashtown Inn, where I stayed last October, was used as a field hospital where hundreds of amputations were performed.

Lydia Smith, a black woman, used what little money she had to hire a wagon and team, which she used to gather donated goods throughout the area, which she delivered to both Union and Confederate wounded.

Apart from the human carnage, some 5,000 horses and mules died in the battle. They, too, had to be collected and burned in great pyres, leaving a stench that hung over the area for weeks. It would take months for life to return to normal in this small town, where bullet holes in the sides of buildings remain to this day.

Despite occurring at the midpoint of the war, the battle of Gettysburg set a new standard of suffering and death.

There are a myriad number of ways to explore Gettysburg, located just 265 miles from Smithtown. Although the conventional wisdom is to visit Gettysburg National Park, it might be better to first familiarize yourself with the battle itself before visiting. By doing so, you will be

somewhat oriented when you visit the park, sign up for a bus tour, or even a private tour by a park ranger. For more information see visitgettysburgpa.com

(Scan QR-Code at right)

On my last visit to Gettysburg in October, I did a house tour which chronicled one of the families who were living in Gettysburg during the battle. After dark, I did a walking ghost tour, and the next morning I visited the museum at Seminary Ridge. This particular museum uses real-life wax figures to depict scenes from Gettysburg, including care of the wounded. All these attractions were amazing and enhanced my knowledge and understanding of this place.

Also on this particular visit, which happened to fall on a gorgeous autumn day with crisp, cool air, I stood on the battlefield where General Pickett was repulsed by the Union line on the third day of the battle. Looking out over the field, I pondered all that has transpired since the Civil War; the Jim Crow Era, segregation, the Civil Rights movement, more wars, political assassinations, and of course the aforementioned ongoing political strife and division. I think about how far we’ve come and how, just like the toughest moments our nation has endured, we will overcome our current strife and division.

Whatever sites you choose to visit at Gettysburg, be it Gettysburg National Park, the various museums and antiquity shops, or the ghost tours, take a moment to visit the battlefield and reflect on the significance of what happened here, what has occurred since, and what is yet to come.

Dalvin Cook Takes New York Jets to a Whole New Level

By James Haupt

It’s rare to see a football fan’s vision board come to life. It’s even rarer for a New York fan.

We’ve heard fans of the Knicks say they’ll get every big name on the market just to end up with fringe all-stars like Julius Randle and Jalen Brunson – no disrespect Jalen, you did great last season. We’ve seen the Brooklyn Nets, the Yankees and Mets consistently fail every year despite landing some huge names in free agency – albeit these players are usually past their prime and/or injury prone. We’ve seen the New York Giants make very little noise in the NFL world, even missing out on their former star player, Odell Beckham. Now, with the Jets adding a new star to the squad, has a New York team finally done it?

It’s been confirmed that ex-Minnesota Viking Dalvin Cook has joined “Gang Green” on a one-year deal worth up to $8.6 million. The idea has been considered all summer since Cook was released from his former team. It comes nearly four months after New York signed star quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Cook joins a loaded Jets backfield which consists of second year phenom Breece Hall, who recorded 463 yards and 4 touchdowns in only five games last season prior to a torn ACL. The running back room also includes Michael Carter and Zonovan “Bam” Knight who played great as replacements for Hall last season. There is no need to worry about how this running back situation pans out, however, as Aaron Rodgers has experience handling multiple

stud running backs at once, which he did in Green Bay with Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon.

So, what kind of player did the Jets get in Dalvin Cook? He is a workhorse running back coming off his 4th straight 1,100+ rushing yard season, tallying 5,993 yards in his 6-year career. He has four Pro Bowl appearances and has accumulated 47 touchdowns as well. In the last five years, he ranks fourth in rushing yards and touchdowns amongst all NFL running backs.

Cook can do damage in the passing game as well. He has 1,794 receiving yards and 5 receiving touchdowns on 221 receptions throughout his career. Cook is a bonafide superstar that the Jets should be more than excited to have.

If he’s this good, why would the Vikings release him?

He’s one of the most injury-prone running backs in the league. In his rookie year he suffered a torn ACL ending what was a promising first four games. Since then, he has consistently been injured, only playing one full season last year, in which he played through a shoulder dislocation throughout most of the season.

Injuries alone aren’t enough to release a star player. The Vikings have a promising young running back in Alexander Mattison who has put up elite numbers whenever Cook was out from injury. This made it easier for the team to part ways with the newly signed Jet. On top of this, Cook was a more

expensive option. The Vikings saved nearly $9 million from cutting Cook, money that the Jets have to spare. It has been a long time coming for New York, but this new signing could be what finally puts them over the edge. This will be an exciting team to watch this season as they make a run for Super Bowl LVIII.

You Deserve A Great Smile!

Dalvin Cook, New York Jets, Getty Images

Middle Country Holds Summer Music Festival

Summer’s close wouldn’t be complete without a few flagship town days. Middle Country’s anticipated Music Festival was postponed due to torrential wind and rain in April. Although the disappointment of the cancellation endured throughout the summer, residents and vendors alike could finally enjoy the long-awaited day on Saturday, August 19.

The fair was held at the Elks Lodge and Centereach Field on Horseblock Road. Different bands

played throughout the day leading up to the main attraction: Southbound, Long Island’s well-known country and classic rock tribute band.

Fairgoers could visit a number of tents for products and/ or information from their community businesses. Vendors included, but were not limited to, Moss Boss, Goldfish Swim School, People’s Alliance Federal Credit Union, Connect Church, Middle

Country Public Library, Key Loves Jewelry, Rock Box, M&T Bank, Karen Roth with Re/ Max, and Team Rita with Realty Connect.

The event’s main sponsor was Centereach Hyundai, who showcased a new vehicle in the lot with the other vendors.

Fairgoers also had several fantastic food options, including, but not limited to, fresh-squeezed lemonade, Pretzel Factory, Hot Dog Hustler, Bubbles and Bowls, and the famed Cousin’s Maine Lobster.

Brookhaven Councilman Neil Manzella (R-Selden) and Suffolk County Legislator Nick Caracappa (C-Selden) were both on hand with their own booths.

Brookhaven Town Clerk Kevin LaValle (R-Selden), Brookhaven Councilman and Deputy Town Supervisor Dan Panico (R-Center Moriches), and Assemblyman Doug Smith (R-Holbrook) also attended the event.

Town Council candidate for the third district Alyson Bass (D-Ronkonkoma) also attended the festival with a booth.

Sponsors of the event: Centereach Hyundai, Team Rita, Bethel Hobbs Farm, Native Ceuticals, Island Car Wash, ShopRite, Island Federal, Big Frog, PrimeTime Party Rentals, Connect Church, People’s Alliance Federal Credit Union, Synergy Wealth Strategies, Techworks Consulting, Inc., Miller Business Center, State Farm Ralph F. Marciante Agency, United Water Restoration Group, Rocket Juiced, Nick

.

Caracappa and Messenger Papers

By Matt Meduri

Photo left (left to right) Brookhaven Councilman Neil Manzella, Brookhaven Councilman and Deputy Town Supervisor Dan Panico, Tabitha Fajardo, Leah Fitzpatrick, Legislative Aide for Nick Caracappa, and Brookhaven Town Clerk Kevin LaValle.

Danielle Godin (left) Internet Manager for Centereach Hyundai

Photos courtesy of Diane Caudullo

Keith Groshans, Middle Country Chamber of Commerce