Comments on Either/Or-ism

Jerry Skrocki commented on 'Either/Or-ism'

2011-07-11T15:57:51Z

Great article Sam! Apparently the same mindset is present in Amsterdam, New York that has been struggling for an identity since the carpet business and industry in general, abandonded this rivertown.

Ann Rafalko Sublett commented on 'Either/Or-ism'

2011-07-11T14:09:37Z

I grew up in Valatie in the 80s & 90s. The day I graduated from Ichabod Crane was the happiest day of my life because it meant I could now LEAVE Columbia County. I didn't want to leave because prices were too high, I wanted to leave because there was nothing to do. I wasn't priced out, I just never wanted to see the place again. What was I supposed to do? Marry someone and start having babies at 18 like so many of my classmates? Uh-uh. No way. I wanted to be like the weekenders that came into the store that my mom co-owned in Kinderhook. I wanted to have the choice to move around, live where I want and be cultured, and that sure wasn't going to happen if I stayed in Valatie.

So I left, got a degree at a good college and got a good job in New York City. Then after many years, and many trips home to see my mom, I realized it was time to come back. And boy was I right. Columbia County is now a vibrant, happening place. I see happy high school kids who actually *want* to stay in Columbia County because there are jobs here now that they want to do. There's a feeling that wasn't there "back in the day," a feeling that the opportunities available to the region's youth (and adults, too, for that matter) aren't just good and aspirational, they're cool. If that's something to be dour about, I don't want to know what makes the author of that article happy. Just this weekend I was reading that awesome little gem of local journalism, the Hudson River Sampler, and all I could think was "Gee, even grumpy old William Lundequist can't find anything to be cranky about this week." Every article on the front page was about some new business opening up, some new opportunity becoming available, some new good thing happening in Columbia County. Some people just need to be Debbie Downers because their life hasn't gone the way they thought it would, so they couch their jealousy in "Us vs. Them" arguments. These are the kind of people that give journalists a bad name.

Homesteaders.wordpress.com commented on 'Either/Or-ism'

2011-07-11T13:36:54Z

Thank you for this piece. I think it's easy for people to parrot the false choice presented by Either/Or articles like the Hill Country Observer's and you rightly re-frame the issue. I'm forwarding this to my local friends - both the weekenders and full-timers.

Will Pflaum commented on 'Either/Or-ism'

2011-07-11T10:43:52Z

Second home owners are great for the local economy. Appealing to affluent people to invest in the county (Columbia in my case) should be a priority for the government. This means nice downtowns, protected open fields and little ugly crap all over the place. The government of the county does not understand this at all. Farming and second home owning go well together. Second home owning is great for local residents.