Color makes library ridiculous

The furor about the new library colors illustrates that people respond to color and that most can pick out the discordant and the jarring.

As a textile worker I understand how difficult color selection can be. I suspect that the brown and dark blue were selected to make this large monolith less obvious since dark colors recede into the background. The yellow-green color makes this unattractive building stand out as an object of ridicule. It will forever be referred to in town as the brown building with bile-green stripes. This color dishonors the generous donor to the library.

There are many complementary colors to brown that would enhance rather than detract from it and even coordinate with neighboring buildings.

Please rethink the yellow/green because in this time of tough economic times the library needs the support of all of its citizens to make it into something of which we can all be proud.

Beverly Fairchild-Miles, Albany

A question of character

Kudos to Ray Kauffman for his well-written article “For a new direction” (Thursday, Nov. 6). I also did not vote for Senator McCain since I wanted meaningful change. However, I did not vote for Senator Obama. While Senator Obama appears to excel in leadership ability and vision, I struggle with his character; defined as “a quality or trait that distinguishes an individual or a group.”

Following are some reasons I felt he had too many negative traits. I understood that Senator Obama “changed his pledge” on campaign finance. Was the money and influence stronger than his declared principle? I was shocked at how he ditched a close friend and confidant of some 20 years: the Rev. Wright. I think a man of character could disagree with an old friend and still stand by him. After all, Rev. Wright had some valid criticisms of our culture. I had the impression that ACORN personnel claimed greater involvement by Mr. Obama in their organization than he was willing to admit.

Three times Senator Obama apparently refused to vote for life-support for babies who survive abortion. How sad to not protect the weak and innocent. Mr. Obama pledged to overturn the partial birth abortion ban as one of his first acts in office. It is widely acknowledged that this ghastly procedure is not necessary for the life of the mother. Could he be accommodating the economic interests of the abortion industry since this procedure brings them considerable profit by selling body parts, harvested as soon as the lifeless child (which moments before was perfectly alive), is pulled from the birth canal?

In the last debate Senator Obama stated that abortion is a moral issue. However, during the campaign he declared his support for maintaining a woman’s right of choice since he would not want his daughters “to be punished with an unwanted child should they make a mistake.” I saw no evidence of a moral struggle in that statement, but rather personal convenience trumping the life of an innocent child.

Myron Shenk, Albany

Don’t add more socialism

I suppose the letter “How to help capitalism” (Nov. 10) is a sign the election of Obama has emboldened the socialists and Marxists. However, it does not seem to have improved their understanding of the two systems.

The basic difference between capitalism and socialism is that in capitalism the rewards for making good decisions, meaningful sacrifices and working hard serve as an incentive to even greater achievements.

Whereas for socialism, these rewards are taken in taxes and used to reward those who failed to make good decisions or meaningful sacrifices or work hard as a bribe for continued support for the political party that promises even more socialism.

Eventually it is like the parasite that sucks the host dry and then starves itself since it has killed its source of sustenance. Starting with Jamestown, and up to and including Cuba and the Soviet Union, socialism has failed every time it has been tried.

The way to help capitalism is to stop adding more socialism! Providing more entitlements (health care) and bailouts (mortgage rescues) does not solve the problems, it only creates dependency. It is the death knell of democracy. We should study Greece and Rome lest we continue to follow in their footsteps.

Gary Siewell, Albany

Tax reductions and new math

I have to admit that after suffering through nearly a year of listening to Mr. Obama telling me that 93 percent of the taxpayers would see a drop in taxes, I was not at all surprised to hear that our esteemed governor is proposing a 2 cent a gallon gas tax hike, a doubling of title fees, a 300 percent increase in licensing fees, and a brand-new “new titling” fee. I guess the good governor is “math challenged” and simply does not understand the concept of “tax reductions.”

Not three days later, I see that the city of Albany wants to increase building permit fees by 20 percent. It seems that they have made it more difficult to apply for the permits, and they hired more workers to deal with the additional paperwork, and they need to charge more. Now that the number of permit requests has dropped, they need more money to do more work on fewer applications.

What I am unable to comprehend is just what a potential new homeowner actually receives for his (or her) $12,500.

Are the building contractors so inept that someone from the city must hold their hands through the entire building process? Just where does that money go?

This is all before our new president has been ordained. I can hardly wait for the “new math” that spews forth in January.

Jack Cahill, Jefferson

Get tougher on ‘move over’

We need laws to dictate where common sense, decency and instructions for a higher power to be “our brother’s keeper” do not seem to prevail.

Reference: “Move over law” recently had a “teaching period” on Highway 34.

All the unwritten aspects of this law apparently for some do not work. Therefore, we have the written law.

I contend any dollar amount fined upon conviction would not gain compliance. I suggest suspension of driving privileges be automatic for a period dictated again by law. A second conviction to carry a longer period and upon a third conviction, loss of the privilege to drive a lifetime period. There would probably be a few, but I believe few in numbers.

I believe the law should be changed to include all people and not just law enforcement personnel. Their life is not more valuable than yours or mine. It should also include those walking, running, riding bikes, wheel chairs, scooters and horseback. Any of these could for some reason find themselves farther into the normal traveled-by-vehicle part of the highway.

To emphasize this in your mind, I suggest you take a walk along the side of a well-traveled road where there are no sidewalks or paths.

David McArthur, Albany