*Water Restriction*

*Water Restriction*

Posted: 29 Jul 2011 12:22 PM PDT

The Town of East Greenbush Water Department asks residents to please be conservative with water usage. There has been a break in a portion of the 36" Water Transmission Main on Glemore Road in North Greenbush. The Water Transmission Main feeds the Town of East Greenbush and the Town is now restricted to what is left in the Water Tanks.

Despite the Water Main Break, there is no need to boil water.

Article I §8 of the Constitution gives Congress the power "To borrow money on the credit of the United States"

The debt ceiling dominates the news.  Here's a link to a primer on the debt ceiling entitled "Everything you need to know about the debt ceiling in one post" By Ezra Klein and Dylan Matthews of the Washington Post: 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/post/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-debt-ceiling/2011/07/11/gIQA3mPTTI_blog.html

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In case you missed last night's speeches by President Obama and House Speaker Boehner, the texts can be found at these links:

Address by the President to the Nation:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/07/25/address-president-nation

Speaker Boehner’s Address to the Nation on GOP Plan to Address America’s Debt Crisis:

http://www.speaker.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=253664

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Editorials on the speeches and/or plans can be found at:

The Republican Wreckage, NY Times Editorial: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/26/opinion/26tue1.html

The Senate’s gimmicky debt plan: The best of a bad choice, Washington Post Editorial: http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-senates-responsible-answers-to-the-debt-standoff/2011/07/25/gIQAB6nFZI_story.html

A Leadership Default - The President blames House Republicans for everything, Wall Street Journal Editorial: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903999904576468771171844358.html?mod=WSJ_Opinion_LEADTop#printMode

Our view: Stop the showmanship and raise the debt ceiling, USA Today Editorial:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2011-07-25-raise-debt-ceiling_n.htm

Pete Stenson

Signing Away the Right to Govern* - NY Times Editorial, July 18, 2011

The July 18, 2011 NY Times Editorial entitled "Signing Away the Right to Govern"* states that the signers of Grover Norquist's pledge "never to raise taxes for any reason" are "the single biggest reason the federal government is now on the edge of default.  Its signers will not allow revenues in a deal to raise the debt ceiling."  http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/19/opinion/19tue1.html?hp

John Maynard Keynes, the influential British economist, is credited with saying "When the facts change, I change my mind.  What do you do, sir?"  You may recall that Keynes' theory of increasing government expenditures during a recession has gotten lots of play these last few years.

The signers of Norquist's pledge, or any pledge for that matter, cannot think or act as Keynes' would, for fear of alienating their followers and supporters and losing their power or desired power. 

Remember George H. W. Bush's "Read my lips: no new taxes!" pledge at the 1988 Republican National Convention?  That pledge only lasted long enough to get him elected.

Leaders or potential leaders should not be hamstrung by "absolutes" in governing. 

Quoting the Times Editorial, "Only one candidate, Jon Huntsman Jr., has refused to sign any pledge, saying he owes allegiance to his flag and his wife."  The Times Editorial is not endorsing Huntsman, but rather his mindset of retaining the flexibility to do what is right for the Country at any given point in time.

Beware of politicians who demagogue. 

Beware of politicians making outrageous pledges. 

The only pledge that binds is the Oath of Office.

Pete Stenson

*A version of this editorial appeared in print on July 19, 2011, on page A22 of the New York edition with the headline: Signing Away the Right to Govern: Republican pledges seek to shackle candidates to inflexible ideological agendas.

East Greenbush Chess Club

Times Union
Friday, July 15, 2011

The scholastic team of the East Greenbush Chess Club was awarded first place in the Capital Region for the 2010-11 school year on June 29.

More than 30 teams competed in a series of 10 monthly chess tournaments held in locations throughout the area. The tournaments were sponsored by the Make The Right Move organization, the Capital Region's chapter of The Right Move, which is dedicated to providing free chess tournaments for youth.

The members of the team come from elementary, middle and high schools. The team is trained by coach, Bill Matters, who also received the Coach of the Year award.

The East Greenbush Chess Club's mission is to promote chess in Rensselaer County. The club meets from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesdays in the Sunshine Day Care building at 14 Hayes Road in East Greenbush. The club provides chess activities including weekly classes and monthly tournaments.

The club invites people of all ages to join and membership is free. People with an interest in chess are encouraged to browse the club's website at www.eastgreenbushchessclub.org. Individuals can also contact Matters at 477-2820 for more information.

- - - Congrats to the members, their families and Coach Bill Matters on their accomplishments!!!  EGTalks