Tobacco advertising
TO THE EDITOR: Think of the last time you noticed tobacco advertising and where you saw it.
Chances are that your answer will involve you standing in line to buy something, whether it was at a convenience store or grocery store or pharmacy.
This advertising is referred to as point of sale, and there is a great deal of research supporting that this type of marketing works for tobacco sales, especially with adolescents and teenagers.
A 2007 study showed that 95 percent of all New York state licensed tobacco distributors display some type of advertising for cigarettes. This means that in the majority of stores selling cigarettes there will be advertisements reminding you on your way out the door to buy tobacco products.
Research has also shown that advertisements do not significantly affect the purchasing decisions of previously established smokers. So then who is targeted by these point-of-sale advertisements? Adolescent and youth non-smokers.
As a community, we need to take steps toward decreasing the visibility of tobacco products, in hopes of discouraging adolescents and teenagers from trying their first cigarette. This is an easy change that can be made and ultimately works in further diminishing smoking rates in youth.
Many countries, such as Canada, are beginning to see the benefits of enacting policies that ban tobacco marketing in stores. All Canadian provinces ban tobacco displays in convenience and grocery stores.
Support changes to reduce youth exposure to in-store tobacco marketing. For more information and to see what your kids see at these stores, visit the Reducing Store Marketing page on tobaccofreenys.org.
Sarah Belser-Ehrlich
Adirondack Tobacco Free Network
Socialist
ideas
TO THE EDITOR: On Feb. 9, a Progressive Coalition of Northern New York letter writer lamented the decision of the Supreme Court that considered a corporation as a person.
The PCNNY is for expanding government entitlements and a universal health-care system. Their motto is tax the rich to pay their fair share.
Where have we heard that before? You can tax the "rich" 100 percent of their income and not make a dent in our annual deficit. No matter, spend more. That appears to be their fair share, according to socialists.
The administration has spent trillions of dollars fattening the wallets of their supporters to no avail. The president tells us that they are greasing the skids to recovery. Instead, he has caused us to skid into a Greece situation. This country's deficit is well beyond what we are able to pay back, yet the socialists keep hollering: "Spend."
The writer wants to overturn the Supreme Court decision. The day that he proposes the same law for unions is the day I will agree with him. Public unions control most government agencies and elect or re-elect only those that agree with them. Forty-six percent of the UAW membership disagree with the union donating to the Democrat party.
Members of the PCNNY have their heads stuck in the sand. If this is not true, tell me how you are going to pay for the entitlements. Not in the future, now. FICA insurance paid by the employee has been reduced and they want to reduce it to nothing. Fifty percent of the working class pay no income taxes. FICA and FITW insurance contributions are not taxes. Why should they vote for someone that is going to reduce entitlements? To save this country, if it is not too late.
CLYDE M. RABIDEAU Sr.
Plattsburgh
Great teamwork
TO THE EDITOR: At our Crown Point Town Council's Feb. 9 meeting, our new supervisor informed the public that Crown Point is now in the reimbursement phase for repairs to town roads.
Everyone in Crown Point was well aware of the tremendous damage caused by Tropical Storm Irene. Our Highway Department did an outstanding job; there is no denying that.
Behind the scenes is a frenzy of paperwork. For any type of governmental reimbursement for these emergency situations, FEMA requires municipalities to track in detail every person's hours and every item used to bring the infrastructure back to normalcy.
Our highway supervisor not only coordinated and worked with his men but also had the added responsibility of tracking every element used to bring our roads back into existence and make them safe for our community.
The next part of the formula, in order for our town to collect even a dollar, was that the town supervisor, Bethany Kosmider, had to collect the data and begin the meticulous task of FEMA-required paperwork that must be filled out. The data must be tallied from the forms given and entered appropriately in the required FEMA format.
I wanted to extend a thank you to not only Highway Supervisor Eugene Ingleston, but also to Water/Wastewater Plant Operator Gary Allen, as well each and every town employee and our volunteer fire and rescue team. You all did an outstanding job in an extreme situation.
I would also like to thank the supervisor at that time, Bethany Kosmider, for the diligence and persistence that is needed to meet required deadlines so our town could receive the much-needed financial support from our government through FEMA. Planning, organization and a team willing to work together is best plan any group can incorporate.
Robert Patnode Jr.
Crown Point councilman
