Archive: Opinions

I used to live in the Hudson Valley, so when I saw an article about attacks ads against Antonio Delgado regarding rap from his long-ago past- I just had to speak up. Delgado is one of the nicest, brightest people I'd met in a while running for office. He's intelligent, hardworking- a bright star with honest intentions to meet the needs of the people in his district.

The Republicans will do anything in their power to win. The problem is, that includes very nasty, distorting statements sustained by the unlimited funding brought about in recent years by the 2010 Supreme Court Citizens United decision. It unleashed undisclosed dark money into our elections and has had a dark effect on our political system mostly based on polling, even if it's not true. Such funders pick a message to drill in that will eventually destroy their opponent.

NY-19 Congressman Faso and his dark money club pick the fact that Delgado expressed himself through rap music in his younger days. The GOP does this to demonize him and play on fears of mostly white, rural, conservative voters in his district. Guaranteed is that the top-dollar club will keep repeating this very same message over and over through the election on Nov. 6.

If you don't read between the lines here, this drilling of the same negative, distorted message tends to win with unlimited spending behind it. There is a recent documentary out about it by PBS (Dark Money). I saw this dark money work in Wisconsin against the extremely accomplished Russ Feingold running to go back to the US Senate. Doubly and triply funded attacks on TV, radio, and social media echo in the minds of undecided voters until they get engrained and – sadly- it works!

I wonder to what extent the same types of donors control the newspaper to which I am submitting this letter. Also, I am sure the same dark money waits ready to pour out against the honest, intelligent Tracy Mitrano in NY-23's similar rural white district, where incumbent Congressman Tom Reed is a deceptive cookie cut-out of Trump, with $3 million in corporate funds plus unlimited dark money at his disposal to try to stay in office for yet another term.

These are dark political times. We have to tune-in to the real news - real people, our neighbors, and their real stories about the money they struggle to earn to live, the health and services they need- and win the election for representatives who show up and care. Not those who are corrupted by corporate money, who destroy government of, by, and for the people and everything it stands for.

Jennifer Karius
Town of Ithaca

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