Highland ambulance assets must be accounted for

Having recently returned to the area and speaking with family and friends, I was made aware of the fact that the American Legion Post #1363 will no longer be providing volunteer ambulance services beginning Jan. 1, 2022. Through its 73 years in existence, money has been raised by the legion post, through donations for the volunteer ambulance service. Several years ago, the legion post also asked for and receives $33,000 for volunteer ambulance service costs in a yearly budget line item (paid by taxpayers) The cash assets that the legion post has now is in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, which was accumulated all in the name of providing volunteer ambulance service.

But now that the legion post is going out of the ambulance business, they have decided to keep those funds and even the $10,000 in Apple stock donated by a thankful family who gave it in gratitude for the services of the volunteer ambulance.

The volunteers in the ambulance service are prepared to continue providing their services to the people of the Town of Highland. Wouldn’t it be the right thing for the legion post to turn over the funds raised in the name of providing volunteer ambulance service for all these years? The funds will then continue to be used for what everyone thought they were donating to: volunteer ambulance service for the Town of Highland community.

Residents and those who contributed to the ambulance through the years need to be aware of what is happening.

Diane Reis

Barryville, NY

Postpone recess, pass voting rights acts now

The Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, filibustered by Republicans this year, are the highest priorities in preventing GOP extremists from eliminating and stealing votes that do not favor them.

Before the year’s end, the Senate must meet the urgency of this moment and turn its attention to critical legislation that would protect every citizen’s democratic right to vote. Senator Schumer must postpone Congressional recess to get this done.

Attacks on our electoral system, beginning with the violent January 6 insurrection in our nation’s capital, have only accelerated. An extremist GOP continues the assault on American democracy with the introduction of more than 400 voter suppression bills in GOP-controlled state legislatures, targeting the Black and Brown communities who came out in record numbers against Donald Trump in 2020. These new bills not only make it more difficult to vote by curtailing early and mail-in ballots, but also by distorting district maps to concentrate GOP minority political power.

The right to vote is the backbone of our democracy. Let’s not allow the GOP to break it.

Lyn DelliQuadri

Kingston, NY