Don’t blame banks for debit fees
With banks like Bank of America set to raise fees on customers who use debit cards, the hue and cry from angry cardholders is that banks are gouging customers. But David Indiviglio in The Atlantic says...
View ArticleFree-market fix for climate woes
Thank you for publishing the Associated Press article “Call for change on climate,” Sept. 22. The People’s Climate March’s great numbers demonstrate a desire to act. The question is how we can both...
View ArticleCarbon fee will help cut fossil fuel dependency
It is encouraging to know that Global Partners’ plans for a rail-to-river oil transfer facility in New Windsor have been tabled. I thank the Times Union for the continuing coverage of this serious...
View ArticleCarbon fee would help climate
To those of us who have been distressed by the vocal climate science deniers in the Republican Party in Congress, Rep. Chris Gibson, R-Kinderhook, has given hope that winds of change may be blowing. In...
View ArticleRevenue-neutral carbon fee would help economy
Thank you for exploring Chris Gibson’s positions on energy and climate in “Gibson hones GOP prospects and his own,” Feb. 9. It is refreshing to see climate and energy issues take central stage in...
View ArticleCarbon fee legislation would cut gas emissions
Thank you for your editorial on the New York ban on fracking (“A smart ban on fracking,” July 1). You cited the grassroots victory over a “well-funded gas and oil industry that has long been willing to...
View ArticleVeterans plates should be free
The article, “Veterans refunds planned” (Aug. 29), stated that, “Veterans who have paid a $12.50 fee to have their status inscribed on driver’s licenses or other identification cards will be getting a...
View ArticleCarbon fee can help change tide
Thank you for calling attention to the need for Congress to take action on global warming (“Time to act on warming,” Sept. 3). Clearly, as the editorial maintains, the easiest way to make all of us –...
View ArticleFee on carbon emissions key to action on climate
While too many presidential candidates still avoid climate change, it is refreshing to see Congressman Chris Gibson organize 10 fellow House Republicans, including the Capital Region’s Elise Stefanik,...
View ArticleCollect fee on empty space?
Regarding “Garbage fee hit as a tax on the poor,” Oct. 21, beyond being a possible tax on the poor and other tenants through increased rents, the proposal to charge a garbage collection fee on small...
View ArticleLong story short
Are zombies eligible for Medicaid in New York? Just in time for Halloween comes news that New York is making Medicaid payments to those who have reached the status of formerly living. An audit of the...
View ArticleLong story short
Crooked lawmakers should lose their chairs Gov. Andrew Cuomo called it a “threshold issue” as he unveiled his plan to raise ethical standards and restore confidence in our elected officials. He left...
View ArticleCarbon fee would help transition to clean energy
“Climate change indeed a threat,” Feb. 14, defends President Barack Obama’s executive order to fight climate change from charges of government overreach, but there’s a better way. No executive orders...
View ArticleBetter trash plan needed
Yes, a $180 annual trash fee on small Albany apartment buildings is unfair and disproportionately hits people least able to pay. Even so, the Common Council has done the right thing by not repealing...
View ArticlePaper? Plastic? Or this…
Paper or plastic has been an endless debate when it comes to supermarket checkout lines. Now, there’s a third contender: the bring-your-own, reusable option. And it may soon get a big boost from New...
View ArticleDon’t void plastic bag fee
Tons of plastic bags are dumped into landfills across New York every week, with untold more ending up as litter, blowing like indestructible tumbleweeds, cluttering the landscape and damaging the...
View ArticleGroups work to keep ‘dilbit’ away
The article “Crude oil decision put off,” June 8, introduced readers to the word “dilbit:” A playful name for the noxious substance that Global Companies would like to keep simmering in a warm storage...
View ArticleFee on carbon would stop its use
“No snow, no dough for ski industry,” July 1, presented alarming statistics about the Adirondack’s lack of snow last winter without setting an alarmist tone. Instead, the article states that last...
View ArticleFee on fossil fuel a fair distribution
Of course, polluters should pay for the pollution they cause (“Restore Superfund tax,” July 18). But the damage to the environment caused by industry is not restricted to the damage found in Superfund...
View ArticleUse capitalism to rein in the use of fossil fuels
“Capitalism endangers the planet,” Sept. 7, argues that the “machinery of capitalism” has put the climate on a suicidal course. Certainly, the behavior of both governments and energy companies suggests...
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