Email scam
TO THE EDITOR: Our email account was hacked into and everyone in our address book was sent an email that we were in a foreign country, had been mugged, were now stranded and needed funds to be wired to us immediately so we could come home.
This was a scam. We knew it because we have received emails similar to this in the past.
Unfortunately, several of our friends and acquaintances did not know it was a scam and were ready to send us funds so we could come home.
Some replied to the false email, sending emails directly to the hackers, who had altered our email address slightly.
This letter has a twofold purpose. First, we want to alert your readers to this type of scam so they can be knowledgeable and vigilant regarding their own email. Do not respond to this type of email and do not forward funds. In addition, we have had to set up a new email account, and we lost our address book and all past emails.
Second, we want to express our appreciation to those who were so ready to help us in our "time of need." We were touched by their concern. We received many phone calls and emails from people making sure we were OK.
We are concerned about people who didn't check things out first and may have been duped by this scam. Hopefully, no one wired funds, but we might never know. Colleen and Jim Van Hoven
Essex
40 Days for Life
TO THE EDITOR: Did you know that abortions are performed right here at Planned Parenthood in Plattsburgh?
Many people are not aware that this is taking place, thinking abortion is something that happens someplace else. But it's happening here.
From Feb. 22 to April 1, local Christians will take part in 40 Days for Life, an innovative pro-life project that consists of prayer and fasting, constant vigil and community outreach. At its center, 40 Days for Life asks all people of good will to pray and fast for an end to abortion.
The Plattsburgh office is one of hundreds of Planned Parenthood facilities across the United States. Nationally — according to its own annual report — Planned Parenthood performed 332,278 abortions in its most recent fiscal year. This organization claims to help women and prevent abortions. This is clearly not the case.
40 Days for Life's presence outside Planned Parenthood is a prayer vigil. We see abortion as a spiritual challenge, not a political one. It may be portrayed as a protest or a demonstration, but that is not the case. 40 Days for Life is a peaceful, prayerful outreach.
In other communities, 40 Days for Life campaigns have increased awareness and led to a significant decline in the number of abortions at Planned Parenthood. The prayerful presence has also helped a number of Planned Parenthood employees leave the abortion industry.
We pray that will be the case here in Plattsburgh as well. Learn how to get involved by visiting www.40daysforlife.com/plattsburgh.
Nancy Belzile
Campaign director 40 Days for Life, Plattsburgh
Local contractors
TO THE EDITOR: After years of planning, it is wonderful to see the Adirondack Resort plan for Tupper Lake will now become a reality. I believe most people in this area are happy to see this has worked out and will benefit the North Country.
As we listen to the developers in charge and the politicians who have helped push for this to happen, we anticipate all the jobs this development will bring. When a project like this happens, politicians especially like to make it sound like these projects will put contractors, electricians, etc. to work in the building phase. However, what seems to happen more often than not is that outsiders get handed these contracts — not just out of the area but out of the state. They always seem to have the "winning bid" and then bring along crews of people/laborers to work with them. How does that help all the contractors, electricians, plumbers, etc., who live and work here every day?
I hear people complain every day about this country outsourcing jobs to foreign companies to save money. Why is this any different? As far as I'm concerned, there are enough local contractors to handle the entire Tupper Lake development. I don't know how other developers and politicians sleep at night when they push for community support and then turn around and slap them in the face by hiring outsiders to do the work.
There are many qualified people right here who can do the job, and that's where the jobs should stay. The community supported you in this endeavor and will support you once it's built; I hope you do the right thing by helping the families here.
We are the ones who will be here to utilize these facilities when the out-of-state contractors go back home with "our" money.
BEV KING
Malone
Government redistribution
TO THE EDITOR: Our socialistic-leaning president believes this nation is "great" because "we have each other's backs."
Baloney. America is great only because the nation's founders documents elevated individual rights minus state direction or redistribution.
Every dictator of the last century, from the Kaiser to the Ayatollah, has made the same claim of the source of "greatness" that Obama made in his State of the Union Jan. 24.
Sounded to me like an echo of the late Qaddafi: "Libya is great!" "I am Libya!" "I am great!" The Gulf of Sidra is a Libyan lake! Let us take its water and develop and defend it for Libya! God is great!
Notice the emphasis in both Qaddafi and Obama on the taking and redistributing the benefits at governmental discretion.
What's missing? No mention of the purposes of the creator of wealth or resources.
No mention of the 100,000 jobs created by the "excess profits" of Bain Capital.
No mention of the 20 percent of Romney's "excess profits" given to charity in one year. Did you donate 20 percent of just your book royalties, Mr. Obama?
And, how about you, Mr. Clinton? Eighty-two million in speaker fees since you left the White House. Did Red Cross get 16.4 million of that? Rev. Wright get some? Probably. But I'll bet against 20 percent.
No mention of the 100,000 or so jobs you said no to on the Keystone Pipeline Project, which would cost us taxpayers not one dime. Just so you can buy the votes of environmental extremists.
The question that remains, Mr. President, is who really believes your vision of what makes a "great" America. You will hear their answer later this year. Remember November.
JAMES S. KNAPP
Plattsburgh
Savel lauded
TO THE EDITOR: Your Jan. 27 article regarding Dr. Herbert Savel's "Kaddish In Wood" brought back several memories to me.
One of my five brothers who served in World War II helped to liberate two Nazi concentration camps. It was one of the few things that he would talk about after the war.
Dr. Savel has no equal at our VA Clinic at Elizabethtown. He served us well and will never be forgotten.
We should never forget what he did for veterans and never, ever forget what happened in Europe during World War II.
Man's disgraceful inhumanity to man.
God bless America. God bless Dr. Savel.
BOB SPRING
Crown Point
