Elizabeth Whitehouse

The "shit-hole" countries of which you speak are that way because of their corrupt governments, (and limited resources), not because of the population. The population does the best it can with what is available to them. In many cases, it is the men who come to the US to find a job, not come "for the things you may have worked hard to get" in order to earn money to send to their families. Can you explain to me how a migrant laborer or foreign construction worker is taking away from you? Talking about living spaces being totally trashed, for 5 years I worked as a tutor for the Migrant Education Outreach Program, which offers educational assistance (and home-school liaison) to any child whose family has moved to another school district for agricultural work during the school year. In Steuben County, the vast majority of those are local. Further north, my colleagues dealt almost exclusively with migrants. All but one of the 2 dozen or so families I worked with were American. They lived in conditions that would make a third world country embarrassed. Dilapidated, uncared for. One even had a dirt floor where the previous tenants had kept chickens. For the most part, the kids tolerated the tutoring sessions because they had no choice. The Mexican family, on the other hand, lived in a spotlessly clean trailer and had two wonderful little boys who came to each session, bright-eyed and eager to learn. They were a delight.

Still fruit. Would you welcome 1000 refugees from Maui?

Possibly. But if there had been some effort to save it 20 years ago, there would now be a flourishing amenity in Brand Park. And a flourishing Brand Park.

It's not a question of money; it's a question of priorities. I know all about the history of the pool. I also know several people who grew up swimming in that pool. That amenity has now gone because no one wanted to take on the task of restoring it. Sure, the city may not have had the money. But have you never heard of things like GoFundMe, fund drives, grants? The money could easily be raised to restore or repurpose the pool.

They may know that it is wrong by US standards. ut these are desperate people, and desperate people do not always follow the letter of someone else's laws. How would you feel if 1000people from Maui,, whose homes have been burned to the ground, said "Can we come and live n Elmira?"

Not everyone in the US knows the law, not by a long way. How do you expect those in 3rd world countries wanting to come to the US to know them. Do you know the laws of Guatamala or Nigeria or Tuvalu? Of course not. Ii simply do not understand how Americans (of all stripes, it seems) can be so mean-spirited as to not offer shelter to those whose lives are unimaginably shitty. Explain to me how refugees will diminish your quality of life?

But they are our laws. These are desperate people who have quite likely tried the "get-in-line" route. The US does not make it easy to come here legally. Not even for those highly qualified in their own fields who should be considered an asset. My family came here on an H1 visa and were able to get Green Cards quite easily thanks to the help of an influential local company. Someone from El Salvador or Honduras does not have that support system. They could wait for years and never be granted a visa. Many of them will never be granted asylum. Why? Because we are too damn selfish to share our plentitude with others.

Mayor Mandell has stated (in the debate) that he's going to tear it down. Jim Hassell has asked him to postpone that until after the election. Brand Park - once a jewel for Elmira - is not in great condition generally. The playground is rotting, many swings are missing, the splash pad doesn't work, the skate park is pitiful, and the landscaping could use work. Even some of the random exercise equipment has been removed. Where once it was a vibrant community center, much used and much loved, it is now largely neglected, except for the Riverside playing fields and the pavilion. What a waste! "We're going to tear it down". What does that say about the mindset of our "leaders". I could live with something like "The pool is beyond repair (explaining why), so we have made the painful decision that it needs to be dismantled. In it's place, we plan to ........." But they don't have any plans. Instead of trying to enhance the park and provide greater amenities for the people, they are taking them away. At the very least, this large space could be planted in such a way that it is environmentally-friendly, and provides interest and learning opportunities. A rain garden. A pollinator garden. A community garden. I no longer live in Elmira, but I will willingly take on the project.

Reply to Ann. Illegal means that you have broken a law. Possibly a very arbitrary law. that you knew nothing about. Now imagine that you live in a country which may be authoritarian, poor, violent, discriminatory, you name it. Not too far away is the, reputedly, land of milk and honey. A huge country, the self-proclaimed richest that has ever been. Full, I'm sad to say, of people who say "You can't come here; you can't share our wealth; we're not going to give you a chance to contribute to our society or make a better life for your family." Immigrants - that is everyone in the United States other than the few remaining Native Americans - do not come here to mooch off the country. They come here to work, and improve the lives of all around them, including their own. Where is your "milk of human kindness"? Noticeably lacking.

This a a reply to Chris's comment of July 25th (which I missed in a flurry of emails) regarding having both a City Manager and a Mayor. With the City Manager system you hardly even need a Council, certainly not one structured this way. The same is true in Corning. The City Manager - not an elected position - has almost complete control over the city; the Council rubber stamps his decisions. There is no mechanism for meaningful input from the public. For what it is worth, Jim Hassell feels the same way and would work to eliminate the Manager position, returning to a working Council with active oversight of all city departments.

If you feel that strongly then don't sign. You are not obliged to.

Government has nothing to do with this. A petitioning process is important as it winnows out the crazies.

You are not obliged to sign a petition. Just as you are not obliged to vote. I tend to think you should be because that is what makes a democracy work.

Oh sure. That's what everyone does.

Good point. The City Manager calls the shots. The Mayor's only trump is the ability to set the agenda. That can be powerful.

Perhaps you should be at least as prepared as you expect the candidate to be. If you don't know who is running, you could ask and then decide whether or not to sign. And you can vote. Republicans - who are not a majority - win because they vote. Democrats lose because they don't.

No. Signing a petition allows someone to get on the ballot. You are not obliged to vote for them.

I disagree. Your signature on a petition allows the person to run. It does not signify support. Even the weirdest kook should be able to run. You don't have to vote for him.

well, at least that is honest.

I really like this site. And I would like to have some intelligent conversation. You go first.

This country is supposed to be a democracy. Ha ha. As such, it is not up to you decide who is eligible to run for office. On the other hand, I completely agree that we do not need a city manager.

Yes. That is a politician speaking. That is not Jim. I don't get it. I would be very surprised to find that this is a Republican website. But Democrats do not support their own. Why is that?

Possibly you are neither a Democrat nor an Independent, because I can assure you that between us we knocked on every door in the First district. Maybe you weren't home. Maybe you were engaged in some sort of activity that prevented you from coming to the door. Are you happy with Ms Morse as your representative?

What a good idea! I suspect that she has never petitioned.

That's not how petitioning works. It is about getting on the ballot. Yes there are times when one has a good conversation about issues, but seldom does anyone say I'll only sign if you promise to do something about whatever their pet issue is.