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Interesting Times

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In 2017, 37 of your fellow Cornwall citizens saw the election of Donald Trump—and the fact that he carried Cornwall—and went to the local Democratic Committee to understand its workings and what went wrong. Since then members of that group, along with some longstanding CDC members and new allies, filled the Committee and built it into the representative body that Cornwall’s Democratic voters deserve. Cornwall’s party registration flipped to majority-Democrat, and we've had many electoral successes, including a majority on the Town Board. 

So the threshold of the second and potentially even more disastrous Trump era is even more heartbreaking and unsettling. Getting through it as a functioning and free country—and we will—will take a million seeds sprouting from dry soil.

We, Cornwall, can start with a measure of comfort in this fact: ALL of our supported candidates carried the town, and ALL except Vice President Harris won their races. We re-elected Senator Gillibrand, Congressman Ryan, State Senator Skoufis, and Assemblyman Eachus, and elected Orange County’s own Brett Broge to the state Supreme Court. The State’s Equal Rights Amendment won resoundingly here and across New York. Cornwall showed once again that we are a patriotic town dedicated to freedom, fairness and the rule of law, as reflected in these results. THANK YOU. 

It might not always be comforting to be on the right side of history, but it’s where we are today as Democratic voters. We’ll be on the right side of the future, too. 

You can join us! Register or change your party registration here, and attend an upcoming meeting.

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A Note for Our NY-17 Friends (Rockland, Dutchess, Putnam, Westchester)

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The congressional election between MAGA Republican Mike Lawler and Democrat Mondaire Jones will be extremely close. The votes cast on the Working Families ballot line could very well be the difference. By stealing the line,  Lawler and his MAGA radicals hope to confuse WFP voters and stifle the will of the district.The only way to fight this is to make sure that every voter knows that the candidate appearing on the WFP line is a MAGA spoiler, and not a real candidate for Congress.  Learn more.

Trump Threatens Political Opponents

When he’s not listlessly swaying from side to side on stage for 40 minutes listening to music while his supporters leave, the republican presidential candidate (a convicted felon out on bail awaiting sentencing) is more and more actively promising “revenge” on those he doesn’t deem loyal enough to him.

Trump’s threats, and his supporters’ willingness to empower him, are direct threats to democracy and to the country. We’ve already seen one insurrection at his behest. Many Cornwall Democrat readers have sworn an oath to defend the Constitution, whether through elected status, as military personnel, or for other civic service. Voting is the best and easiest way to defend the Constitution and the United States from Donald Trump and his supporters.

Check your registration and voting location here.

Post a sign to show your patriotism.

Volunteer with your local Democrats to get out the vote.

Stakes Are High and Time Is Short 

The election drumbeat is speeding up. The republican ticket is putting out racist lies and promising louder than ever to attack personal freedom. Emails and texts are flooding inboxes, and ads are non-stop. But your local Democratic Committee is continuing our steady work to reach out to neighbors, strengthen Cornwall, and work as one for the common good. 

Why? Because we’re all in this together. If you’re frustrated or disgusted by the other side’s xenophobia, misogyny, racism, and attacks on voting rights—and if you see a path to prosperity, security and freedom with your vote—join us. Here’s how:  

Action!

  1. Volunteer—phone banking, canvassing, sign delivery & posting

  2. Get your lawn signs

  3. Attend our October 17 meeting! 

Republican Party Leader Disparages Medal of Honor Recipients

Continuing its recent history of disparaging veterans like John McCain, John Kerry and Tim Walz, as well as wounded and slain soldiers and their families, the Republican party again spoke through its leader, Donald Trump, this week, to cast disrespect on recipients of the Medal of Honor. According to Wikipedia, “The Medal of Honor is the oldest continuously issued combat decoration of the United States Armed Forces. The President typically presents the Medal of Honor at a formal ceremony intended to represent the gratitude of the American people, with posthumous presentations made to the primary next of kin.”

To demonstrate how “grateful” Republicans feel about soldiers who endangered or gave their lives in service to the United States, Trump had this to say about the similarities between bestowing a medal on a campaign donor, and the nation’s highest military honor:

“I watched Sheldon sitting so proud in the White House when we gave Miriam the Presidential Medal of Freedom,” Trump said, speaking about Sheldon Adelson. “That’s the highest award you can get as a civilian, it’s the equivalent of the Congressional Medal of Honor, but civilian version.”

“It’s actually much better because everyone gets the congressional Medal of Honor, that’s soldiers, they’re either in very bad shape because they’ve been hit so many times by bullets, or they’re dead,” he went on.

“She gets it, and she’s a healthy beautiful woman. And they’re rated equal. But she got the Presidential Medal of Freedom.” [link]

This dishonorable language is particularly relevant to Cornwall and Cornwall-on-Hudson, as the town recently memorialized a resident, Captain Paul Bucha, who was recognized with the Medal of Honor for heroic combat actions during the war in Vietnam, and who sadly passed at the age of 80.

Our town is known for being home to a disproportionately high number of Medal of Honor recipients.

It’s unclear whether Republicans will continue to follow Trump, but there is reason to believe they will. The latest insult to the military is in keeping with the Party’s recent history. Those old enough to remember 2004 will recall that the Republican party unapologetically favored draft-evader George W. Bush over decorated war hero John Kerry following the Republicans’ disgraceful campaign undermining Kerry’s bravery under fire. Those old enough to remember last week will recall when draft-evader Trump’s hand-picked vice-presidential candidate and veteran JD Vance (aka James Donald Bowman, aka James David Hamel, aka J. D. Hamel) shamefully disparaged the military service of 24-year National Guard veteran Tim Walz. And they’ll likely continue to gloss over Trump’s earlier remarks about John McCain (calling him a “loser” and the infamous “He’s a war hero because he was captured. I like people that weren’t captured.”), his attacks on slain U.S. soldiers as “losers” and “suckers,” his denigration of Gold Star families, and his pathetic comments about the Purple Heart.

It appears that in its zeal to debase itself for Trump, the Republican Party will abandon every value it has ever claimed to hold.

The Stakes

It’s past time to face facts. Pundits often talk in vague terms about “both sides,” suggesting equivalency, and those vibe-based opinions are sometimes repeated by non-pundits. If you’ve ever watched focus groups speaking about candidates, there’s often little policy language, just folks’ general sense of the people. That’s dangerous.

Because facts are facts:

Donald Trump and his cabal of aspirational fascists are a threat to American democracy. Not because he feels like one, but because he comes out and says it. Watch this, and then take action:

From the Chair...

Dear Cornwall Democrats and Friends,

Wow!

A lot has happened since July 21, when President Biden announced that he would not seek re-election. First to acknowledge his courage and patriotism in stepping aside and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris as our Presidential candidate! Joe Biden will already go down in history as one of our most accomplished presidents. And now, rather than hold onto power to serve his own ego, he passed the baton and ignited, potentially, one of the most exciting political moments of our time. Let’s be a part of this history making.

The Democratic party is united and energized like we haven’t seen in a long time. There is momentum that we need to build on and there are only about 104 days until the election! I know some of us are already knocking on doors for Pat Ryan and that’s great! More opportunities will be forthcoming. Please be ready to do whatever you can to help our candidates, up and down the ballot, get elected this November; whether it’s door knocking, phone banking, postcard writing or making a donation. Even a small donation makes a big impact! Knocking on 10 doors is better than knocking on no doors. Every little bit counts and we will need all hands on deck.

For now, let’s take a moment to reflect on what is at stake in this election and make a promise to do the work needed to get our candidates elected. Help spread the word and encourage others to volunteer their time. I will keep you updated on the next steps!

This is big.

Sincerely,

Barbara Smith Gioia,
Chair, Cornwall Democratic Committee

 

Are You Ready for Action?

Tired of watching the political news and feeling hopeless and helpless waiting for election day to come? You can do a lot between now and November 5 to affect the outcome.

Yes, New York will probably cast its 28 electoral votes for the Democratic nominee, but what of the down-ballot races? In 2022 our state and federal representatives won by razor-thin margins. Senator Skoufis faced an unknown and eked out a 50.7% - 49.3% win. Pat Ryan won NY’s 18th Congressional District by a similar margin: 50.6% - 49.3%. At that Ryan was the only Democrat to win a swing district in NY. And it’s hard to imagine that Chris Eachus won his Assembly seat by only 8 votes! That’s not a typo – 8 votes!

The Cornwall Democratic Committee and the individual campaigns need volunteers. Every hand on deck is going to be necessary in an election year like this one when there will be races with truly existential implications. From mundane tasks like stuffing envelopes to calling friends and neighbors, to getting right on the front lines by door-knocking, opportunities abound.

Senator James Skoufis, who knows a thing or two about campaigns and public service, shared that, “Volunteering is a vital part of building – and maintaining – community. This informal civic participation gets at the very core of our community identity, because in doing so, we are actively shaping our world, making it the kind of place we want to live. Volunteerism is empowerment: one’s willingness to volunteer implies an understanding that change is possible.

Senator Skoufis in Cornwall addressing constituents, July 2024.

“As a candidate whose ranks are often filled out by dedicated volunteers, I get a chance to see folks with this kind of vision often, and I’m always struck by their commitment. The door-knocking, the letter-writing, the phone-banking… these volunteer activities aren’t just in service to a single candidate or campaign; they speak to that same desire to make a difference in our communities. With election season upon us, let’s get out there and make a mark!”

When you hear the media, especially the pundits, reporting on the importance of the “ground game” to each candidate's chances, canvassing - knocking on doors and talking directly with voters - is exactly what they are talking about.

If you doubt the importance of canvassing over other means of getting out the vote like TV ads or mailers the numbers don't lie. Especially in local and regional elections. Just ask our congressman, Pat Ryan. When The Cornwall Democrat did, his campaign told us, “In every election, Democratic campaigns rely on extensive grassroots efforts to persuade and turn out voters. Despite the millions that will be spent by both sides on paid media ads, mailers, and more, data has proven that a face-to-face conversation is the most effective tool we have to convince folks to come out and vote. That's right, the most effective tool in our arsenal is also the one that costs the least - just a few hours of our time each week talking to our neighbors! Every conversation we have with a voter is a chance to bank a vote! This race will come down to a very close margin, so it is absolutely vital that each of us steps up and does our part.”

So, with State Assembly and Senate races, the US House majority at stake, and, of course, the Presidency on the ballot, it means that there will be lots of chances to get walking. What can be better than meeting neighbors, learning your way around a town full of scenic wonders and marvelous architecture, and performing a civic duty all at the same time? Many voters will actually express their gratitude for your efforts, even some that won't agree with you.

So, if you are interested in politics (and if you're reading this I'm guessing you are) and would like to get off of the sidelines and make a real difference - a significant difference - contact The Cornwall Democratic Committee at https://www.cornwalldems.org/contact. We can get you started with an experienced canvasser. It's easier than you think and more fun than you can imagine.

News and Analysis: MAGA World and the Loss of Compassion

Recently, the supreme court heard arguments concerning encampments of unhoused people in Grants Pass, Oregon. The city passed an ordinance prohibiting these encampments. Without delving too deeply here into the merits of the case or the controversy over where unhoused people “choose” to make a home there is much to unpack.

From FDR's New Deal through LBJ's Great Society Democrats had built a social safety net that included Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. This was possible in part because the Democrats enjoyed a long-time lock on the House majority, and because some members of the GOP truly were compassionate conservatives.

Yes, once upon a time there were Republicans who were able to reconcile the common good with fiscal conservatism. And to be fair, there was still a “segregationist” wing—a polite term of the day for the Jim Crow racists—in the Democratic Party, mostly from the Deep South. That situation has seemingly resolved itself into two distinct, if not completely homogeneous, camps over the decades. In fact, with the GOP having driven the likes of Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger from their midst and the looming retirement of West Virginia’s Joe Manchin from the Senate that shift appears to be nearly complete.

Since the dawn of Reaganomics, the GOP has done its best to unravel that safety net. By the mid 1990’s, in spite of having Bill Clinton in the White House—or perhaps because Bill Clinton was in the White House—that old balance had shifted. Newt Gingrich became Speaker, and his Contract on America moved the nation further on down that road to the right. Today, the safety-net is in tatters. Social Security is under constant threat. Social justice programs are attacked and even dismantled, even those that have been long established. Thanks to what is arguably the most conservative Supreme Court since the 1930s, if not the Antebellum Era, we saw affirmative action disappear overnight—inclusion, diversity, and equity initiatives are being prohibited in Florida and elsewhere. Seemingly established principles of the church/state relationship have been eroded as well. And then came Dobbs and all that the Supreme Court’s majority ruling implied.

Not your grandfather’s party.

In terms of governance, Republican policies have devolved entirely into chaos as they let their narrow majority nearly evaporate while ousting their Speaker, nearly shutting down the government, launching fruitless investigations based on a desire for revenge as the real business of America takes second place to the whims of a convicted felon. And since the ascent of the 45th President, the GOP, and particularly its far- right wing, have seemingly abandoned compassion altogether. With that loss of compassion came the openly pointing to all of “The Others” as the source of every grievance that they've held onto for generations. One has only to look at the Tennessee legislature’s expulsion of “The Justins,” Justin Pearson and Justin Jones, two black legislators who had the temerity to protest in favor of firearms restrictions in the wake of yet another deadly school shooting, to see how empowered the extreme right has become. The spate of anti-abortion laws following the Dobbs Decision is another manifestation of that trend.

Okay, there does remain one area of compassion in the MAGA world. That area would encompass the compassion felt for “some very fine people” that took part in the deadly 2017 protests in Charlottesville, VA; for the “patriots” held “hostage” in jails and prisons for their role in the January 6, 2021 insurrection; and for a twice-impeached, convicted- felon, ex-president facing three more criminal trials and who also owes over a half billion dollars in civil penalties.

So, what does that have to do with Cornwall? These pages have covered the nationalization of local politics. How it began as a long-term project, first truly energized by opposition to Roe. Then, by promoting their anti-abortion agenda, the loudest and most extreme Republicans were boosted in local elections. Those candidates then rose in right-wing stature and eventually found their way to national prominence.

Today we find that movement has spread to school boards where “wokism” is now the new enemy and book bans are no longer the realm of authoritarian regimes or dystopian fiction. One has only to take a critical look at the candidates the GOP is fielding this year, from the top of the ticket to state and local offices, to see the cynicism and anger at play.

Between now and Election Day The Cornwall Democrat will expose those candidates as the MAGA extremists they really are.

New York Times Gets It Right Again: Trump's First Term Is a Warning

From the Times: “[Under Trump] the country lurched from one crisis to the next, from the migrant families separated at the border to the sudden spike in prices caused by his trade war with China to the reckless mismanagement of the Covid pandemic. And he showed, over and over, how little respect he has for the Constitution and those who take an oath to defend it.

“For Americans who may have forgotten that time, or pushed it from memory, we offer this timeline of his presidency. Mr. Trump’s first term was a warning about what he will do with the power of his office — unless American voters reject him.”

Read the Times’ sourced and cited—i.e., true—review of the worst of Trump’s failures and attacks on the United States.

Cornwall Forward!

Governor Announces Transformational Projects in Cornwall as Part of NY Forward Program

7 Cornwall Projects to Total $4.5 Million

When Josh Wojehowski ran for his first term as Town Supervisor in 2019, he promised to bring Cornwall into the 21st century and open up local government, to make long needed infrastructure repairs, and to draw new businesses into the long stagnant Main Street corridor all without adding to the pain felt by Cornwall’s taxpayers.

As soon as he assumed office, Josh made good on promise number one.

Josh began streaming Town Board meetings, the town’s website became more functional, he even took phone calls. Infrastructure repair has hit high gear with the replacement of the Main Street bridge just getting underway. New businesses came to Main Street. Long closed off Bridge Street is now home to a vibrant park hosting events almost weekly, weather permitting. Last summer the Main Street Art Walk blossomed into a major monthly Friday evening town event – and this year has morphed into two per month.

Josh also touted his experience managing grants during Mike Bloomberg’s NYC administration and he vowed to use that experience for the town’s benefit. The Supervisor teamed up with Cornwall-on-Hudson’s Mayor in an unprecedented effort, with input from town residents, solicited through numerous public outreach efforts, to develop the award-winning plan.

On May 21 Governor Hochul announced that Cornwall won the big prize. As one of three Hudson Valley awardees, Cornwall and Cornwall-on-Hudson combined to receive $4.5 million.

The seven Cornwall New York Forward Projects, totaling $4.5 Million, include:

Link Cornwall’s Downtowns through a Pollinator Connector Trail: $1,133,000

Improve sidewalks and crosswalks and add public art, uniform street furniture, a public restroom, street trees and pollinator plantings to facilitate a fully accessible, engaging, and safe pedestrian connection from Montefiore St. Luke’s Cornwall through both the Town and Village downtowns.


Renovate the Historic Storm King Theater: $773,000

Improve the historic Storm King Theater building by converting two distinct interior spaces into a black box theater to serve as a community- oriented space and a separate lounge and dinner theater that would be integrated into an existing restaurant.

Transform Riverlight Park into an Inclusive Public Park: $783,000

Improve Riverlight Park with new features such as an ADA-compliant walkway with a story walk around Ring’s Pond, ADA-compliant restrooms, an inclusive playground, and a new skate park. Other project elements include improved drainage with rain gardens, the renovation of the icehouse for use as a public pavilion and renovation of Sands Ring Homestead Museum.

Preserve Historic Structures at the Donahue Farm to Enhance Programming and Activities: $649,000

Preserve the exterior of the Donahue Farm barn and renovate the icehouse to accommodate public programming. Additional improvements include the construction of new restrooms and a visitor kiosk to facilitate public use of the site.

Construct a Trail Along Dock Hill Road to Connect the Waterfront to Donahue Farm and the Downtown: $480,000

Construct a 2,500 linear foot trail to allow for a safe pedestrian connection between downtown, Donahue Farm and the waterfront, including 900 linear feet of existing trail to be improved. Project includes new sidewalks, crushed stone pathway, and drainage improvements.

Establish a Small Project Fund to Assist Local Businesses: $300,000

Establish a Small Project Fund to provide the business community with resources to further enhance the economic vitality of Downtown Cornwall. Projects could include façade improvements, interior improvements that allow for business expansion, and other capital improvement projects.

Establish And Implement a Branding, Marketing, and Wayfinding Strategy: $382,000

Enhance the visibility of Downtown Cornwall and attract new residents, businesses, and visitors to Downtown Cornwall by establishing Cornwall’s brand, developing a marketing strategy, and installing wayfinding signage.