Beacon Dispatch

Why I'm Thankful

We spent the better part of last week with my parents in Berks County, Pennsylvania. Every time I go back I see a new power plant or Wal-Mart where farmland used to be. I'm not sure this is something unique to Pennsylvania, but there seems to be no master plan in terms of where these retail/industrial behemoths are built. Driving down Route 61 or 222 between Reading and Pottsville or Allentown there are patches of uninterrupted fields, but those seem to be getting smaller and smaller.

Coming back home to Beacon, I realized how lucky we are to live in a town where much of the mountainside forests and riverside areas are protected. I recently heard that back in 1963, Con Edison's original plans for the Storm King Mountain pumped storage power plant included hollowing out the entire mountain. That battle was fought and won by conservationists. This Thanksgiving I'm thankful my kids will get to enjoy snowshoeing in Fahnstock, climbing Mt. Beacon when the leaves are changing, or swimming in a clean Hudson River. These are just a few reasons we're happy to call Beacon home.

Amish Girls at Cabela's Hunting & Fishing Superstore

Hamburg, PA

Over the river and through the woods...

We're making a family trip to my folks place in Pennsylvania for Thanksgiving, so I won't be updating the 'Dispatch' much over the next few days. Then again, tryptophan always makes me antsy. Here's wishing you and yours a happy Turkey Day...

Bush: Job Ratings

The latest Bush job ratings show the President's approval percentage hovering in the low 50's, but for the first time ever, the percentage of respondents who disapprove reached 41%. Seems there are fewer and fewer people who are undecided, an interesting phenomenon going into the 2004 election cycle.

There goes the neighborhood...

Looks like it won't be long before Route 9D starts to resemble the strip-mall suburbia that is Route 9. Holly Ridge is the "latest pre-construction residential community development from AVR Homebuilders." Located off Route 9D in Fishkill, each home offers "distinctive floor plans, impressive foyers, and luxurious master bedroom suites" as well as an 1,861 square foot community center that "lets residents enjoy leisure moments close by at the pool, wading pool, the tot lot (??), and tennis court." And they get a brand new traffic light, just past Dutchess Stadium, so they don't have to pull out onto the road from a dead stop.

Land is also being cleared for retail development to accommodate the "country-like community." So, enjoy the drive while you can. Before you know it, the traffic on 9D will be just as bad as 9, and you'll be able to say, "I remember when this was all farmland and forest."

Family Values

Yesterday's decision by the Massachusetts Supreme Court to repeal the ban on gay marriage seems like a difficult issue for Democrats to defend in the upcoming presidential election. Not so, says Slate's William Saletan:

Marriage is a broadly shared American value. You don't have to support homosexuality to support marriage. A politician can say, "I'm pro-marriage. The issue isn't whether you're straight or gay. The issue is whether you support marriage."

This message strikes directly at the posture of anti-gay forces. In 1996, they overwhelmingly passed—and got President Clinton to sign—the "Defense of Marriage Act," which restricted the applicability of state laws legalizing gay marriage. In this Congress, they've filed the "Marriage Protection Act of 2003," which would bar federal courts from hearing cases related to the 1996 law. Last month, Bush expressed his opposition to gay marriage in a statement proclaiming "Marriage Protection Week." In response to the Massachusetts ruling, he pledged to "defend the sanctity of marriage."

It's an odd claim, since Bush and his allies are the only ones trying to stop anybody from getting married. That's the first point to make in rebutting them. Next, you explain that what you care about isn't sexual orientation but marriage. You allude to the reasons we value marriage: commitment, stability, fidelity, community. Essayists such as Andrew Sullivan and Jonathan Rauch have explained how these considerations justify gay marriage. But a politician under attack doesn't have time to explain. He needs a few simple words that will get people to stop and think before they slam their minds shut.

Once open, the debate is surprisingly winnable. Opponents of gay marriage will say it's really about homosexuality. But opponents of legal abortion made the same argument—it's really about abortion—and lost. Some anti-gay advocates will say marriage is for procreation. But that position is politically disastrous, alienating singles, infertile couples, and any married person who uses contraception. Other critics will warn of moral chaos. But moral chaos is what marriage prevents. If you want family values, the simplest thing to do is to let people form families.

I Can't Feel My Lips

I just finished up my first batch of homemade salsa verde, made with tomatillos and jalapenos from the Dutchess Mall Flea Market. According to their site, it's the largest indoor flea market in New York state. And you can find all kinds of knick knacks and gewgaws that you didn't know you needed -- like a pair of knum chucks (sp?), smoked venison, a full-sized broad sword, NASCAR driving gloves, and, of course, good Mexican fruits and vegetables. Next time, I'll go easy on the jalapenos, but otherwise it's a pretty stellar recipe:

- 1 lb tomatillos
- 2 jalapenos
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup of diced onion
- 1/2 cup cilantro

Boil the tomatillos, jalapenos, and garlic until soft. Then pour into a blender with the onions and cilantro. Some recipes want you to add some of the boiled water, but you won't need it. The verde sauce shouldn't be too watery. Enjoy!

Taxing the Rest of Us

This morning I read in the Beacon Free Press that city property taxes are set to rise 7.5%. According the BFP, this increase will fund increased retirement costs of $634,000, increased health insurance costs of $286,000, and maintaining the Advance Life Support (ALS) system for about $77,000.

I am not opposed to taxes. You get what you pay for, and if you don't invest in your community, it will fall apart around you. But I am opposed to the Republican party line of selective tax cuts that favor the wealthy. President Bush has gone throuh two significant waves of tax cuts that eliminated the burden on the wealthiest Americans: first reducing the Estate Tax, then Corporate Gains. These taxes are part of the progressive system of taxation based on the ability to pay. You make more, you can afford to pay more taxes.

This latest property tax increase is a regressive, flat tax, one that affects every property owner the same, regardless of income. This is the kind of bait and switch the Republicans have been pulling for the past 20 years, and it has to stop. Cutting taxes on the welathiest and raising flat taxes only means that you and I carry more of the burden.

Drinking From a Fire Hose

Some say babies fed on formula grow faster than those who drink breast milk. Our 6 week old son Finn now weighs in at more than 13.5 pounds. He was 7.5 pounds at birth. For those keeping score, that's an increase of about 1 lb a week. At this rate, by the time he's 16, he'll weigh close to half a ton. All on breast milk.

Moon Shot

Anyone who missed last night's Lunar Eclipse can see some great photos, like the one below, from readers on the BBC News site.