Monthly Archives: June 2022

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Saturday stressed on the need to switch to alternative fuel like ethanol and said efforts are on to introduce ethanol in construction and agriculture equipment.

The Union road transport and highways minister said the country imports petroleum products worth Rs 10 lakh crore to meet the requirements in the energy and power sector, and in the next five years, the demand may go up to Rs 25 lakh crore, which will affect the economy.

Gadkari was speaking at the state-level Sugar Conference 2022 organised by Vasantdada Sugar Institute in Pune.

"Alternative fuel is the future. After electric scooters, cars and buses, soon we will have electric tractors and trucks. I am going to launch these soon," Gadkari said.

Diesel-based agriculture equipment should be made petrol based and flex engines can be converted to run on ethanol, he said, adding that efforts are on to introduce ethanol in construction equipment as well.

Highlighting the need to shift from sugar production to ethanol, the minister said, The rise in sugar demand across the globe is temporary. When the price of crude oil goes up to $140 per barrel, Brazil produces ethanol from sugarcane, increasing the demand for sugar from India. When the price of crude oil dips to $70 to $80 per barrel, Brazil starts producing sugar."

When crude oil becomes cheaper, sugar prices will also come down drastically, he said.

Gadkari also asked Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar to set up ethanol pumps in Pune, to help farmers sell the fuel directly.

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, who addressed the conference virtually, said sugar producers in the state were facing several problems.

"We have to follow Brazil for market research. They (Brazil) conduct surveys and accordingly choose a crop in a year. Times are changing and accordingly, we should adopt technology. The future will be ethanol," Thackeray said.

Sugarcane workers are important, and the Gopinath Ustod Kamgar Mahamandal has been formed to help resolve issues faced by them, he said.

The chief minister further said cultivators must consider adopting micro-irrigation for sugarcane crop, as water is a valuable resource and rainfall is unpredictable.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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Efforts on to introduce ethanol in agri, construction equipment: Gadkari - Business Standard

The Stockholm Declaration began by highlighting the need for a common outlook and for common principles to inspire and guide the peoples of the world in the preservation and enhancement of the human environment. But 50 years later, finding a common outlook, principles and agenda for our common future remains elusive.

Today June 5 is the 50th anniversary of the opening of the first UN Conference on the Human Environment, held in 1972 in Stockholm.

The secretary general of the conference, Maurice Strong, was a Canadian who went on to become the founding executive director of the UN Environment Programme that was established as a result of the conference. In this and many other ways, the Stockholm conference helped launch the modern environmental movement.

This is also almost exactly 30 years since the opening of the Rio Earth Summit on June 3, 1992, which began to lay out an agenda for sustainable development. The Rio Summit was based on the work of the UN Commission on Environment and Development, whose 1987 report was released 35 years ago this year.

So in this and the next three columns, I will revisit these important conferences and reports, reflect on the success and mainly the failings in implementing the environmental and sustainable-development agenda they outlined, consider where this leaves us, and contemplate the future we face and what we need to do to meet the challenges it poses challenges that are far greater and more acute than they were 50 years ago.

One challenge that was not even on the agenda at Stockholm, surprisingly, was climate change. There was no reference to it or global warming anywhere in the declaration, and only two minor and oblique references to CO2 emissions among the 109 recommendations for action.

This may seem odd, but, climate change wasnt getting the attention it could have, and there was a lack of urgency in discussions throughout the 1960s, according to Alice Bell, co-director at the U.K. climate-change charity Possible, writing in the Guardian in July 2021. Indeed, it wasnt until around 1977-1978 that the issue began to be taken seriously.

However, there was specific reference in the Stockholm Declaration to dangerous levels of pollution in water, air, earth and living beings; major and undesirable disturbances to the ecological balance of the biosphere [and] destruction and depletion of irreplaceable resources.

If we look at just those three issues pollution, changes to the biosphere and resource depletion it is clear that things have gotten a lot worse since 1972.

For example, plastics pollution was not even mentioned in the conference report. Our World in Data, which is based at Oxford University, reports that global plastics production in 1972 was 44 million tonnes, but reached 381 million tonnes in 2015.

The Living Planet Index, which measures the abundance of vertebrate species, declined 68 per cent between 1970 and 2016, the World Wide Fund for Nature reports, while we did not fully meet any of the 20 Aichi targets on biodiversity, established in 2011, and only partially met six of them.

When it comes to resource depletion, 10 per cent of the worlds fish stocks were over-exploited in 1974, but by 2017, that had risen to 34 per cent, Our World in DataWiD reports.

The Stockholm Declaration began by highlighting the need for a common outlook and for common principles to inspire and guide the peoples of the world in the preservation and enhancement of the human environment.

But 50 years later, finding a common outlook, principles and agenda for our common future remains elusive. Indeed, in remarks to the UNs Economic and Social Council in March, following up on Our Common Agenda, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres noted a fundamental lack of solidarity in todays world and in the mechanisms that are relevant for the global economy and the global financial system.

The participants at Stockholm were clear: Through ignorance or indifference we can do massive and irreversible harm to the earthly environment on which our life and well-being depend. Conversely, through fuller knowledge and wiser action, we can achieve for ourselves and our posterity a better life in an environment more in keeping with human needs and hopes.

Obviously, the conference participants expected we would choose the latter course. I think they would be bitterly disappointed that we have largely chosen the former, acting with indifference and well, not so much ignorance as ignore-ance deliberately ignoring the evidence where it conflicted with short-term benefit and profit. It wasnt supposed to be this way.

thancock@uvic.ca

Dr. Trevor Hancock is a retired professor and senior scholar at the University of Victorias School of Public Health and Social Policy

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Trevor Hancock: Fifty years after Stockholm, it wasn't supposed to be this way - Times Colonist

It has been 13 weeks since the Russian Federation invaded Ukraine, and the initial confusion and shock has since been driven out by clarity and understanding of the way forward. International support keeps us determined to liberate Ukrainian territory completely, as well as to demilitarize and denazify Russia. It will allow not only Ukraine but also the European countries to enjoy a secure environment in the future.

While the Ukrainian Armed Forces perform their duty on the battlefield, representatives of the Ukrainian accountancy and consulting market are contributing to the survival and development of the national economy. Local initiatives include supporting Ukrainian businesses with information on subsidized loans, government guarantees, wartime tax benefits, programs for displaced people, and advisory to national and regional authorities. Our sector is also involved in plans to develop Ukraines information technology sector, once the war is over.

The information technology sector is set to become a major driver of economic development of Ukraine, as, in Q1 of 2022, it provided export earnings of $2 billion, with an increase of 28% compared to the previous year, while employing more than 250,000 people. Accordingly, many of our counterparts are expanding their IT practices. For example, KPMG Ukraine has been actively hiring staff for ERP systems implementation (SAP, Microsoft Dynamics), software development (.NET, Java), and cybersecurity to support their projects in Western Europe. PwC Ukraine studies the options for Ukrainian businesses to switch from the dominating Russian accounting software 1C:Enterprise, offering alternative solutions. BDO Ukraine has introduced an extensive job list, inviting software developers (such as Cloud Engineers, Data Engineers, and Senior DevOps Engineers) to cooperate with BDO offices in other countries.

The digital economy is also playing a special role in the economic revival of Ukraine. In April, the President of Ukraine established the National Council for Reconstruction of Ukraine from the Consequences of War. Under the aegis of the Council, 23 different workgroups were created, comprising officials from ministries, the parliament, and the Office of the President, as well as independent experts. The groups were segregated into digitalization, loss assessment, infrastructure recovery, economic revival and development, and other areas.

Kreston Ukraine has joined the digitalization group and is now contributing to designing initiatives for the digital economy, public services and information infrastructure development. We plan to research digital transformation strategies at the state and corporate levels and analyze the implementation experience.

Previously, we researched electronics imports in the Russian Federation, including chips and circuits, to identify the main buyers, suppliers, manufacturers, product range and terms of supply, as requested by the Ministry of Digital Transformation. The information was necessary for assessing sanctions potential and preparing a campaign to block shipments of electronic components that could have military applications.

Despite the current hostilities, Ukraines reconstruction and development theme is one of the most relevant ones both domestically and in discussions with foreign partners. Obviously, the war will end eventually, and everyone should be prepared for this. At a government level, the so-called new Marshall Plan for reconstructing Ukraine already involves more than 40 nations in its discussion.

The new Marshall Plans funding may reach an estimated $1 trillion, with technology and modernization as one of its components. The recovery offers a unique opportunity to transform resource-based sectors of the Ukrainian economy into highly productive, smart and competitive ones. Even before the war, Ukraine was on a steady course towards digitalization, meeting significant milestones in access to technology and Internet infrastructure, use of technology by citizens, businesses and the state, and the impact of technology on the economy and quality of life. This will drive the unique investment potential of Ukraine for international private capital interested in tech-innovative businesses.

In the modern world, economic development is impossible without the use of information technology. McKinsey predicts that by 2025, information technology will represent 22% of GDP growth in China, and in the US up to 10%. For the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, digitalization will increase GDP by a total of EUR 200 billion. Huawei estimates that every $ 1 investment in IT infrastructure in 2020 will bring in $ 20 in 2025.

With this in mind, countries around the world are already seeking to increase the share of the digital economy in their GDP and are declaring their intentions in digital transformation strategies: using information technology to create a sustainable and innovative economic environment. Qualitative strategy is an instrument of systematic and effective state policy that contributes to increasing the competitiveness of the national economy and improving the quality of life.

Ukraine also needs to develop and implement the new digital transformation strategy that sets out relevant goals and visions to achieve them, which will help transform public IT policy, improve the quality of public services, and enhance Ukraines integration into the global digital economy.

Kreston Ukraine leads the research and foresight committee of the Ukrainian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (UVCA). According to a recent review of venture capital transactions in 2021, investors injected a record $779.6M into Ukrainian startups, 46% more than in 2020. In Q1 of 2022, there have already been 11 venture deals totaling $11.5M and 8 exits totaling $135M. Despite the ongoing hostilities, we expect increased investing activity among Ukrainian tech companies, spurred by support programs from international partners.

With 538 service companies, Ukraine heads the list of the Eastern European countries in IT outsourcing. If you would like to get involved with international initiatives to support the development of Ukraines digital economy, please contact the author (atamas@kreston.ua).

By Sergey Atamas, managing partner, Kreston Ukraine

Continue reading here:

The new digital economy of Ukraine: thinking in war time - Accountancy Today

Des Moines Register Staff| Des Moines Register

How to vote early in Iowa's June 7, 2022 primary election

Early voting for the June 7 primary begins on May 18. Heres how to get ready to vote.

Elisabeth Smith, Wochit

Six Democrats are running for an open seat to represent Des Moines residents at the Iowa Statehouse.

It's the largest competitive primary field this year in Iowa.

The candidates areAustin Baeth, a Des Moines physician; Jaylen Cavil,anorganizer with the Des Moines Black Liberation Movement; Chris Disbro, a doctor; Shannon Henson, a personal injury and insurance claims attorney; Gabriel De La Cerda, a Democratic activist and social worker; and Jack C. Porter, a retired state preservation consultant.

The winner is expected to claim the House seat because Republicans have not named a candidate.

Early voting for the June 7 primary is underway.Here's how you can vote in Iowa.

To help voters, the Des Moines Register sent surveys to every candidate in this competitive primary. The candidate responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity. Candidates appear in alphabetical order by last name.

More: How to vote early in Iowa's 2022 primary elections from registration to voting locations

Austin Baeth

Jaylen Cavil

Chris Disbro

More: Where the candidates running for Iowa House District 30 stand on education and taxes

Shannon Henson

Gabriel De La Cerda

Jack C. Porter

More: Where the Republican candidates running for Iowa's 3rd Congressional District stand on the issues

Baeth:Im a husband, father, primary care physician, and small-business owner. The son of teachers and a medical educator myself, I will prioritize restoring our public schools to be the best in the nation. I will add medical expertise to the Legislature, which has no doctors, to fix our health care system and protect reproductive rights. I will use my business experience to grow Iowas green economy to fight climate change and water pollution. With years of experience advocating for progressive legislation at the State Capitol, I will fight to address systemic inequities to ensure everyone finds opportunity in Iowa.

Cavil:I am the youngest and only Black candidate in this race, which means I have a much different lived experience that informs my perspectives on the issues. I am also the most progressive candidate in this race. Most importantly, I am the candidate in this race who has been in our community working alongside those who are most marginalized to address the issues Im running on. Every issue on my platform that I promise to fight for once elected is something I have already been fighting and organizing for. This is not new to me.

Disbro:I have a unique set of skills and experience that will make me the most effective representative. I have advocated for legislation creating new agricultural programs in the past, meaning I have the institutional knowledge and relationships on both sides of the aisle to hit the ground running Day 1. Im self-employed, which gives me the flexibility to engage on constituent issues and campaign to retake the Legislature for Democrats year-round. Saving our democracy is not a part-time job, and we need someone who can dedicate full-time year-round to getting our state back on track.

More: How the Iowa Democrats running for Secretary of State want to change elections

Henson:I am the only attorney in this race. I am trained to listen, analyze, negotiate, and advocate and these skills translate easily into the work I will do for this state at the Capitol. I am also the only woman in this race, and women are an underrepresented demographic at the Capitol. Only 30 of 100 seats in the Iowa House are currently held by women. With the recently leaked Supreme Court opinion, we know that marginalized communities including women are under attack. As both a woman and an attorney, this issue is personal to me, and its more important now than ever to elect champions for reproductive freedom.

De La Cerda:Im the only Latino in the race. But more importantly, I come from a strong labor background. I worked at Bridgestone/Firestone, and I am the only candidate in this race that I know of, who spent time on a factory floor. I am the only candidate with endorsements from labor, specifically AFL-CIO. I am a single father with a two-year degree. I dont want to win this seat to be the fundraising arm of the Democratic Party. I want this seat to advance the cause of workers in the Statehouse.

Porter:I am experienced with a strong desire to serve the residents, businesses, and organizations in House District 36. I have had the privilege to serve my county, state, county, city, and neighborhood. I have a strong base of knowledge and experience is public service. I am a fourth-generation Iowan and lived most of my life in Des Moines. I have worked hard to preserve our history, our structures and our unique cultural heritage. We helped to re-establish the Sherman Hill neighborhood and create the Robert W. Mickle Neighborhood Resource Center, which is an incubator for small nonprofits and businesses.

More: Democrat Mike Franken raised $1 million in last fundraising period more than Grassley and Finkenauer

Baeth:Despite the many differences between Democratic and Republican lawmakers, there are still ample opportunities for bipartisan policy. While working statewide to get more Democrats elected, I will simultaneously propose legislation that addresses the common goals of Iowans of all political stripes: great schools, affordable and accessible health care including mental health services, and a healthy economy that respects our environment. I will use my training as a doctor to model evidence-based problem solving, using data to guide policy decisions rather than extreme political ideology. It doesnt have to be a Democratic idea or a Republican idea, just an idea that works.

Cavil:My main priority and commitment is to represent the needs of House District 36 residents, and to fight every day on issues that will improve Iowans lives. Im not someone who will be bound by party loyalty or concerned with partisan games. If legislation is important and will help Iowans, especially marginalized communities, then I will work with whoever to ensure it gets passed. I vow to always put the people first.

Disbro:The same way I have for the last eight years advocating for industrial hemp by showing up, being open and accessible, and communicating honestly. My most recent legislation this year was sponsored by Republicans in the House and Senate, and it passed both chambers unanimously. Being effective means working with others, and I firmly believe I can continue to bridge the partisan divide. This is how you get things done as the minority party.

More: Where the Republican candidates for House District 43 stand on taxes and education

Henson:I think Democrats are going to take the Iowa House sooner than some think, but probably not by next year. Working across the aisle will be important, particularly when Democrats are in the minority, but I will always be a fierce advocate for Democratic priorities including supporting our public schools, defending reproductive freedom, strengthening workers rights, and promoting social and racial justice.

De La Cerda:Currently, Iowa is ranked 50th in GDP growth in the nation. I would work with the GOP to correct this, specifically when it comes to securing federal funding. Governor Reynolds refused federal funding for COVID, public schools, and unemployment a quarter-billion dollars. Both parties would have benefited from securing this funding to stave off the loss in GDP. There is certainly common ground to be found with Republicans on the hill with this issue. I also wish to work with the GOP to ensure that eminent domain rights are not being abused at the expense of property owners.

Porter:If elected, I pledge to work with anyone in the Iowa Legislature who believes we can and must find common ground to address all Iowans' concerns and needs to live a safe, productive, and rewarding life for themselves and their family. Whether an inner-city resident, small-town Main Street business owner, or a family or urban farmer, our common desire is to raise a family that is safe, healthy and financial stabile. Equitable treatment before the law and equity treatment are deep desires in all people. We must work together to achieve the best we can be for all Iowans.

More: Here's where the Republican US Senate candidates stand on President Joe Biden's agenda and elections

Baeth:The Governors Child Care Task Force made 15 recommendations to improve the accessibility of child care in Iowa, the majority of which have yet to be pursued by the Legislature. Iowa should facilitate public-private partnerships to incentivize employers to sponsor child care as an employment benefit. Most importantly, we need significant public investment to expand eligibility for the Child Care Assistance program to 185% of the federal poverty level and provide tax incentives to ease operational costs to child care centers and raise wages for caregivers. Public investment will pay dividends by easing Iowas workforce shortage and educating our next generation.

Cavil:I believe our state must pass legislation to ensure universal childcare by covering costs for families and making long-term investments into the child care industry in Iowa. I support increased staffing for child care facilities and other policies that would lessen the crisis for families and the child care industry.

Disbro:The immediate solution is to fund child care and pay caregivers givers a competitive wage. Legislative opportunities to expand child care options are straightforward, and its just a matter of making it a budget priority. Further, increased wages for caregivers will help the state retain skilled professionals. The bigger picture is about why its unaffordable. This stems from stagnating wages, increased working hours to survive despite increases in productivity, and exorbitant rents. When people are forced to work multiple jobs just to make ends meet, the stress on our child care system becomes untenable.

Henson:We have a crisis in this state when it comes to the issue of child care. Families are faced with both high cost and limited availability of child care options. We need to expand the child care assistance to help struggling families, make sure that we are taking advantage of federal funds that are available to assist Iowans, and encourage and incentivize employers to help their employees with child care.

More: Iowa's 3rd District GOP candidates say more oversight needed of US aid to Ukraine

De La Cerda:The recent child care bill is a Band-Aid. Addressing child care without addressing the wages and benefits of workers across the state is treating the symptom without addressing the sickness. Wages and salaries are stagnant in Iowa.This is why child care is out of reach for so many families.I want to see a combination of individual subsidies to families to assist with child care, and tax benefits to companies that subsidize child care for their workforce.

Porter:While serving as program director with the Iowa Commission on Volunteer Services, I witnessed the value AmeriCorps, VISTA, Senior Corps, and numerous volunteers created in service to before, during and after school programs. Their service helped organizations leverage paid staff to serve more youth and expand programming, which helped to offer more and better education and activities. Their service was in small townsand urban areas all over Iowa in large and smaller school districts. This model could be expanded to child care, early learning, before and after school programing but modified to be coordinated by counties rather than school districts.

Baeth:There are already numerous ways in which public education is overseen by parents, educators, and publicly elected school board officials; an assembly of non-experts beneath a golden dome isnt needed to call the shots. Parents already have the option to homeschool if they prefer more control over their students experience. A public school system not only serves a child and family but all of society and the economy that fuels it. Its in everyones interest to expertly educate students to maximize access to vocational opportunities while nurturing critical thinking skills that are sorely needed in our world today.

Cavil:Individual parents have a role to play in public education when it comes to supporting their children and having open communication with their childrens educators. When it comes to setting policies and curriculum, I believe that individual parents should have a minimal role and those decisions should be decided by experts and trained staff who have the mission to serve all public school kids in mind. I believe we must be teaching accurate history in our schools and that our public schools should be inclusive and safe environments for everyone.

Disbro:Parents who are engaged with their childs school work and who work in collaboration with teachers to ensure their child is taking full advantage of their educational opportunities are to be desired. Learning works best in collaboration with engaged parents. But it is a partnership. It is not a parent and servant relationship. A loud and aggressive minority should not be allowed to whitewash education because they dont want to work with teachers. More often than not, those exact parents are the ones who could benefit from learning right along with their child instead of trying to dictate their worldview to schools.

More: Here's where the candidates in Senate District 17 stand on education, climate change and taxes

Henson:The actions by the Republicans in the Iowa Legislature this session to ban books andput cameras in classrooms are completely unnecessary intrusions by the state into the local school boards decision-making process. Our teachers deserve respect and competitive pay, and our children deserve a robust educational experience, which must include our history even if its ugly.Suggesting that teachers are sinister and parents are in the dark about what their children are learning is simply untrue and its an attempt to undermine trust in our public schools and distract from the real issues facing our schools.

De La Cerda:It wasnt all Iowa lawmakers spending time debating this, it was only Republicans. They are using schools as a political cudgel to push an agenda at the expense of teachers and students. The system we have in place of school boards and PTA organizations gives parents a voice in their childs education. The current controversy is manufactured by the GOP to galvanize their base. Ultimately, I believe schools and teachers need a free hand to foster critical thinking in their students to become better learners, not to be indoctrinated into a regressive or outdated social system.

Porter:I volunteer as treasurer of the Fort Des Moines Museum and Education Center. I give tours of the exhibit which documents the service of Black men who were trained to become Army officers in World War I. One story is about Dr. Warmoth T. GibbsSr., who in the mid-1950s Civil Rights protests was president of North Carolina A&T State University. He was quoted as saying: We teach our students how to think, not what to think. His words seem to be very applicable to our current educational environment.

More: Where Iowa House District 31 candidates stand on taxes, child care and bipartisanship

Baeth:Iowa has not had a comprehensive climate plan since the Iowa Climate Change Advisory Council submitted its report in 2008. We should reconvene a new climate change advisory council to provide an updated action plan to account for current technology and most recent atmospheric projections. We need to restore the Iowa Solar Tax Credit, restore funding to our state university environmental research centers, legalize the direct-to-consumer sale of electric vehicles and invest in EV charging infrastructure, and implement state tax credits for investment and production of wind energy. Iowa should aim for net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Cavil:I support an immediate moratorium on new and existing factory farms which are wrecking our waterways and polluting our air. We also must force MidAmerican Energy to shut down all of their coal plants across our state and move to 100% renewable energy. I will oppose and resist any attempts to build carbon capture pipelines across our state, as these pipelines would be extremely harmful and are a false climate solution. We must prepare our state to respond to climate disasters that are already happening to ensure Iowa families are safe and supported before, during, and after catastrophes.

Disbro:We should be investing in solar and wind energy, working to move towards biofuels that operate independent of petroleum, investing in regenerative agricultural practices, and enforcing existing laws on water contamination. We should be expanding our statewide EV charging stations instead of requiring more gas mixtures. We should be building disaster relief systems for the increasingly powerful and unseasonable storms we can expect to continue. We must hold large corporations accountable for their emissions and make environmental protection laws mandatory instead of voluntary. We shouldnt waste state dollars on vanity projects with no actual impact like the current pipeline being discussed.

Henson:Iowa is uniquely positioned to help combat climate change. We need to push for more renewable energy such as wind and solar and we must continue to find and support regenerative agriculture, seeking real solutions to energy sources, and leading the way in reducing our dependence on fossil fuels.

More: Where the Democratic candidates for Iowa House District 43 stand on education, taxes and other issues

De La Cerda:We need to double down on the things we are already doing right. Further investments in wind energy and the development of solar energy need to be a priority. Ethanol is not a solution to climate change, but it can be a bridge. The current state tax credit for pickup trucks needs to be extended to EVs. Agri-business needs credits to build sequestration systems on-site to deal with bio-waste. Lastly, we need to provide generous tax credits and subsidies to the working class so that they have an actual choice between EVs or gasoline-powered cars.

Porter:We are in a climate crisis and just touting ethanol as an additive is not enough. I am not a scientist but believe we must look at thepollution as dire and adopt controls to turn this looming catastrophe around. In my opinion, solar- and wind-generated energy on an industrial scale is a viable option to reduce air pollution. We must work with big ag organizations to mandate buffer zones along our streams to attack water pollution and award family and urban farmers for using environmentally friendly farming practices to help reduce the pollution of our land.

Baeth:There is a severe lack of community-based housing options for Iowans with intellectual or physical disabilities, especially in our rural communities. The main constraint on the expansion of home and community-based servicesin Iowa is a persistent workforce shortage of direct care workers. Iowa should bolster its Medicaid spending, which is matched by federal dollars, to raise wages for direct care workers to recruit more into the field. Community capacity building should be given high priority to smoothly transition residents out of the Glenwood Resource Center.

Cavil:Iowa must meet the requirements of the Olmstead decision and fully fund community-based care which supports independent living, rather than institutions. The Legislature should pass statewide protections and mandates similar to the ADA in order to support Iowans with disabilities. Our state must de-privatize our broken Medicaid system and create a universal health care system to ensure every Iowan has free and equitable health care.

Disbro:This is a particular issue that I am passionate about. My oldest son has a severe traumatic brain injury with complicated medical needs. Iowa is fortunate to have many organizations dedicated to helping people with disabilities and their families have the best quality of life possible. Funding organizations and eliminating unnecessary bureaucratic red tape helps create opportunities for Iowans with disabilities. This includes appropriate housing, job training, accessible health care, and other support services. Pay increases for caregivers must also be a priority to recruit and retain talent.

More: Where the candidates for Iowa House District 28 stand on education, climate change and taxes

Henson:There is so much that we can do to make sure we are taking care of Iowans with disabilities, but a great first step would be repealing the privatization of Medicaid. Iowans with severe disabilities rely on Medicaid for services and help. Privatization of has been a disaster for this population and has only served to place additional barriers between them and required care.

De La Cerda:No section of the population has suffered more under the current experimentation with the privatization of Medicaid than people with disabilities. The help that disabled people rely on to afford care is being curtailed by this failed privatization, and this directly results in more disabled people losing their homes, and the ability to live a life of dignity in their communities. Until a true single-payer health care system is put into place nationally, we have to at least reverse our states disastrous Medicaid policy to help make sure that disabled people arent being forced into hunger and homelessness.

Porter:This question, inmy opinion, is the most difficult issue for me to attempt a coherent answer. I am aware of service organizations in Iowa such as Optimae LifeServices headquartered in Des Moines' East Village. This organization is led by a long-time family friend, William Dodds. I have observed how they work with people to help them learn and apply job skills while earning a wage for their work. This model seems to be one of perhaps many different approaches, which attempts to help with quality of life for all people. I sincerely wish I could provide a better solution.

More: How Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds is stepping up her efforts to shape Republican Statehouse primaries

Baeth:I do not support eliminating state income tax nor implementing a flat tax. This is a philosophical question about fairness without a provable right or wrong answer. I personally believe that a progressive or fair share tax system (wealthier people pay a higher proportion of taxes) is most fair as it can counterbalance the forces that propel some people into wealth while tethering others to poverty. Alternatively, a system in which everyone is taxed at the same rate regardless of wealth unfairly burdens Iowans living paycheck to paycheck.

Cavil:No, I would not support the elimination of state income tax. I believe in a progressive tax system in which the wealthy pay their fair share in taxes in order to support social services. We must repeal and reverse the flat tax rate passed by the Legislature this session or we will see disastrous effects on our states economy. A flat tax rate or an eventual total elimination of income tax will cause Iowa to go bankrupt and will lead to even worse underfunding of our public education system and other social services. I support increasing the top marginal tax rate significantly.

Disbro:I do not support regressive tax policies that will only help the highest income earners in the state. If we want to talk about tax reform, then we should start with property taxes. Iowa has some of the highest property taxes in the nation per capita. Iowas property taxes are exorbitant, resulting in a greater tax burden on regular Iowans and shutting young people out of the housing market.

Henson:No. Eliminating the state income tax would serve to benefit the wealthy at the expense of working people.

De La Cerda:As a kid, I lived in Texas, a state with no income tax. Ive seen firsthand what happens when the burden of taxation is shifted from those who can pay their fair share, to those who cannot. When the current fair-tax system is put into place in Iowa, somebody making $70,000a year will save $450. Someone making $1 million will save $70,000. That isnt right, and only hurts working families who need to stretch every dollar. I want a progressive income tax system that is just, fair and ensures that the wealthy pay their fair share.

Porter:No, nor an increase in sales taxes or service fees. However, I would introduce an initiative that forgives property tax for seniors with a fixed income of less than $25,000 annually and freezes property tax at the current rate for seniors with a fixed income of less $50,000. In addition, small nonprofits should not be asked to pay payments in lieu of taxes, but large organizations such as hospitals should pay a PILOT. I also will work to create a law that requires properties owned by the federal and state governments to reimburse municipalities and counties for their cost to provide public services.

Read more:

Who are the candidates for the Iowa House District 36 seat? - Des Moines Register

In this long essay, I look at how India re-connected with Southeast Asia and its regional institutional mechanisms in the post-Cold War context. This 30-year process had its own challenges and is continuing to evolve by adding newer dimensions and layers of engagement.

Year 2022 marks 30 years since India first became a sectoral dialogue partner of the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), and it is observed by both sides as the ASEAN-India Friendship Year. Southeast Asia is located in New Delhis extended neighbourhood and lies at the centre of the Indo-Pacific, both geographically and strategically. Today, India and the ten ASEAN member-states together hold about two billion people, which is roughly 30 per cent of the worlds population. During the Cold War years, most of countries in the region were formally or informally part of the Western-led system of alliances, which acted as a constraining factor for non-aligned India to cultivate robust ties with the region, particularly at the multilateral level.

The disintegration of the Soviet Union, a key strategic partner of India hitherto, in 1991 left a huge void in its diplomatic and geostrategic space. This was one of the key driving factors that led New Delhi to formulate its Look East policy in the same year, which was rechristened and reinvigorated as Act East policy in 2014. India was made a full dialogue partner of the ten-nation grouping in 1996, and six years later, in 2002, regular annual leaders summits were initiated, of which the latest in the series was held last year. In the early years since the opening of dialogue relations, the focus was placed on the economic dimension of ties, which diversified into commercial, security and strategic dimensions, in the course of time.

A decade ago, in 2012, India-ASEAN relations were upgraded to the level of strategic partnership. The two sides operationalised a free trade agreement in goods in 2010 and another agreement on services and investment four years later. In 2015, India set up a separate Mission to the bloc and its related forums like the East Asia Summit (EAS) in Jakarta, where the ASEAN is headquartered, to strengthen its engagement with the grouping and the regional processes centred on it. Later in 2018, in a truly historic diplomatic rendezvous, the leaders of all the ten ASEAN countries were welcomed as chief guests for Indias Republic Day celebrations in New Delhi.

Soft power edge

A changing world order, combined with the economic liberalisation of the early 1990s, necessitated New Delhi to look for new friends and new sources of economic capital and investment elsewhere to fill the void left by Moscow. Southeast Asia seemed to be a promising and easy-go destination. However, Indias engagement with the region is not something new, and in fact, it goes centuries back, the background of which is important to get a broad perspective on India-ASEAN ties. India has an immense amount of soft power in the region via its centuries-old Buddhist and Hindu civilizational linkages, which also happen to converge which the Sinic civilizational heritage as well.

Indian epics of Ramayana, the Mahabharata and Buddhist literature such as the Jataka Tales are still popular in many Southeast Asian countries and several tourists arrive in India from the region for religious, business, and leisure reasons. Before 1991, India had three waves of engagement with Southeast Asia since the first century C.E., transitioning through ancient, medieval, colonial, and post-colonial stages. The first wave had cultural, commercial and imperial dimensions when Buddhism reached the region via land from India and a further outreach occurred due to the expansionary policies of Tamil thalassocratic powers like the Chola Empire that extended its influence in maritime Southeast Asia, lasting until the 13th century C.E.

After a brief period of disruption in the late medieval era following the Islamic invasions into the Indian subcontinent, the second period began during the British Raj era, which saw colonial expansion and a new dimension of commercial and imperial ties. The third wave began after Indias independence from the British in 1947, which continued till 1991. As Western powers retreated from Asia following the Second World War, India tried to assert its regional role by building solidarity with the post-colonial states of eastern Asia. This period saw key initiatives under Indian leadership such as the convening of the Asian Relations Conference of 1947 in New Delhi and the Bandung Conference of 1955 in Indonesia.

However, due to the prevailing Cold War geopolitical imperatives, Indias active role in the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), and its limitations as an economic and military power constrained New Delhis options to proactively engage with Southeast Asia. The Look East policy of 1991, in fact, constituted a fresh fourth wave of Indias engagement with the region, or re-engagement. Today, the Indian diaspora in Southeast Asia constitutes about 20% of the countrys total diaspora population around the world, numbering 18 million. This fact also plays a significant role in strengthening India-ASEAN relations.

Bridge to Asian regionalism

Since the late 1960s, Southeast Asia has been known for cultivating active mechanisms of regional integration that was brought about by the founding of the ASEAN in 1967 by five countries, namely, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Later, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia too joined the bloc, in order, bringing the total membership to 10 countries. India shares a land and maritime border with Myanmar and an exclusive maritime border with Indonesia via the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Cosying up with ASEAN in the post-Cold War context meant heralding in a new era of engagement with Asias regional institutions, mechanisms and processes.

The ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) is a ministerial-level diplomatic platform set up in 1993 soon after the Cold War ended, including all countries that had been engaging with the ASEAN. It is the largest and the oldest of all ASEAN-centred institutions and has 27 members, which includes the ten ASEAN member-states, its ten Dialogue Partners, and seven other countries. India became a member of the ARF in 1996. The forum held its 28th annual meeting last year, wherein India co-chaired a workshop on implementing the UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, 1982). The founding objectives of this forum include the fostering of constructive dialogue and consultation on political and security issues of common interest and concern and to make significant contributions to efforts towards confidence-building and preventive diplomacy in the Asia-Pacific region.

Similarly, the ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus) is yet another platform under the ASEAN framework involving its eight Dialogue Partners, namely, Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Russia and the United States (collectively referred to as the Plus Countries), towards the goals of strengthening security and defence cooperation and ensuring peace and stability in the region. The inaugural ADMM-Plus was convened in Hanoi in 2010. The ADMM-Plus has been meeting annually since 2017 to allow enhanced dialogue and co-operation within the grouping and with the Plus Countries to collectively deal with common security challenges facing the region.

India is one of the founding members of the East Asia Summit (EAS), another ASEAN-centred diplomatic forum formed in 2005. It emerged out of the ASEAN-plus-Six mechanism, including the ten ASEAN member states, China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand. Later, Russia and the United States too joined the EAS in 2011, bringing the total membership to 18 countries. The EAS is one of the most crucial components of the ASEAN-led regional framework, primarily because of the contribution it makes in building an environment of strategic trust in the region. Today, the EAS countries represent more than half of the worlds population and accounts for 58% of the global GDP.

India is committed to strengthening the EAS and continues to contribute positively to the forums goals. At the 14th East Asia Summit in Bangkok in 2019, Indias Prime Minister Modi announced a new initiative for regional cooperation, known as the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI), aimed at building new partnerships to create a secure and stable maritime domain in the region. It rests upon seven key pillars, namely, maritime security, maritime ecology, maritime resources, capacity building and resource sharing, disaster risk reduction and management, science, technology and academic cooperation, and trade connectivity and maritime transport.

Since India was not one of the Pacific Rim countries, it couldnt be part of the 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), formed in 1989, or any other trans-Pacific groupings formed later. Other sub-regional groupings which India engages with selected Southeast Asian countries include the 1997-founded Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) and the 2000-founded Mekong-Ganga Cooperation (MGC) groupings.

Trade and connectivity woes

Beyond diplomacy, diaspora and cultural ties, there is the aspect of trade. India had signed a free trade agreement (FTA) in goods with the ASEAN in 2009, known as the ASEAN-India Free Trade Agreement (AIFTA). It was operationalised the very next year. Later, another agreement on services and investment was signed in 2014 which became effective in the following year. It is now known as the India-ASEAN Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement. However, ever since India entered into these two FTAs, its trade deficit had risen as imports from the region sharply rose in comparison to its exports to the region.

The value of trade between India and the ASEAN region amounts to over $78 billion (in 2021). Amid exports that moved in a narrow scale, Indias trade deficit with the ASEAN has widened from $5 billion in 2010-11 to $23.8 billion in 2019-20, while Indias imports from the region have nearly doubled between 2011-12 and 2018-19. So, Indias terms of trade with the ASEAN have worsened in the last one decade. Due to this scenario, India has been calling for a review and renegotiation of the AIFTA and has been seeking more market access for its domestic products.

There is an impending non-reciprocity in FTA concessions, non-tariff barriers, import restrictions, quotas and export taxes from ASEAN countries. India badly needs to reconfigure its trade equation with the ASEAN in the direction of maintaining a sustainable balance of trade. It is these same realities, combined with the fear of cheap products from abroad dominating Indian markets at the cost of domestic producers and traders that prevented India from joining the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), a couple of years ago.

Connecting Indias north-eastern states with ASEAN has always been a key imperative for Indias policy choices. Although India-ASEAN relations has improved steadily since 2014, with the operationalisation of the Act East policy, the implementation of several flagship infrastructure and connectivity projects such as the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Facility, connecting Indias West Bengal and the north-eastern states with Myanmar, and the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway is moving at a snails pace, due to persisting bureaucratic hurdles. Hence, the ties boosted after 2014 did not fetch substantial gains, as expected, in improving inter-regional trade or connectivity via land and sea.

Chinas maritime presence in the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean regions, Indias backyard, such as in Myanmars Kyaupkyu, Bangladeshs Chittagong, and Sri Lankas Hambantota has compelled New Delhi to seek deeper and stronger relations with like-minded countries in Southeast Asia and recently the Quad countries (U.S., Japan, India, and Australia) for maintaining a favourable regional balance of power.

Finding own space amid regional rivalries

Last decade witnessed Southeast Asia turning out to be a major arena of U.S.-China geopolitical rivalry. Both China and the U.S. are trying to lure ASEAN countries to their respective sides by extending their influence, the former with its grand economic prospects and the U.S. through its reassurances on the regions security. The initiation of new economic partnerships and the promise of new investments in infrastructure development such as the Build Back Better World initiative, the Blue Dot Network, the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity and the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness, the last two being unveiled in the recently-held Quad summit.

The ASEAN, however, is committed to avoid being caught up in between great power competitions and is too averse in taking sides. They just want to maintain the region as a zone of peace. It is in the direction of achievement of this policy, ASEAN member-states signed the Bangkok Treaty in 1995 and declared Southeast Asia as a Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (NWFZ), thereby committing themselves to keep the region free of nuclear and all other weapons of mass destruction. It is also known as the Treaty of Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone. Today, Southeast Asia continues to be one of the five NWFZs in the world, even though the region lies in close proximity to nuclear-weapon states to its borders.

Even though India is one of the top-five regional powers in Asia, the United States and China continues to occupy significant space in the regions power equations. It is said that hard power and economics always triumphs over soft power. This is exactly the case for India in its attempts to extend its influence in the ASEAN vis--vis the capabilities of the aforementioned two great powers. While India observes 30 years of establishing dialogue relations with the ASEAN this year, China commemorated it last year, in 2021. Southeast Asia lies in Chinas immediate neighbourhood and it has a looming maritime dispute in the South China Sea with at least five ASEAN member-states. But despite this fact, China continues to be ASEANs largest trading partner since 2009, while India stands the fifth.

The 21st Century Maritime Silk Road is an ambitious Chinese mega-project that is part of the larger Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), in which Southeast Asia is a key link to connect China to the world. It was announced by President Xi Jinping during his maiden visit to Indonesia in 2013 and most of the ASEAN countries are part of this China-led project, despite the maritime dispute. Moreover, several Southeast Asian countries have been taking part in the 2002-initiated Boao Forum for Asia (BFA), held annually in the permanent venue of Boao town in Chinas southern Hainan province, which hosts high-level dialogues of leaders from the government, business and academia from around the world, and is dubbed as the Asian Davos.

In the recent years, ASEAN data show that its member-states have become more and more dependent on China for trade. All member states, except Singapore, have trade deficits with China today. But ASEAN countries are well aware that depending too much on Beijing would mean that they can be susceptible to Chinese bullying in the regions disputed waters. This is where the role of the United States has to be taken into account. Washington has maintained its military presence in the region for decades now. Right from the World War years, the U.S. has maintained its naval forces in Southeast Asia as an extension of its overwhelming presence in the Pacific, but Chinas military is fast-modernising too, to catch up with the U.S. power, not only regionally, but globally as well.

This U.S.-China great power rivalry is most visible in the South China Sea, that lies in between Southeast Asia and Chinas southern coastline, where Washington frequently conducts freedom of navigation operations (FONOPS) to challenge Chinas unlawful claims that pose a serious threat to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of ASEAN nations. India too has wider stakes in the South China Sea, as nearly 55% of Indias trade with the Indo-Pacific region passes through these waters. New Delhis interest is primarily to keep the regions trade routes safe and secure, thereby upholding regional stability, freedom of the seas, and a rules-based maritime order.

Amid this ongoing scramble for influence in the region, the Indian Navy hosted Exercise Milan, a multilateral naval exercise off the coast of the south Indian port city of Vishakhapatnam, held earlier this year, with more than 40 navies from around the world participating, including the U.S. Navy. Of these, Singapore, Thailand, and Indonesia have been participating since the inaugural edition of the exercise in 1995. The Indian Navy is a crucial player in the region and frequently engages in bilateral naval exercises and passage exercises (Passex) with the naval forces from South China Sea littoral states, including Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines.

Lately, ASEAN-member Philippines has entered into a key defence pact with India, signing a $375 million deal to buy India-made BrahMos missiles, chiefly to secure its coastal defence against rising Chinese belligerence. This deal has a consequential bearing on India-China ties, India-ASEAN ties, and Philippines-China ties as well. Indias External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar paid a visit to the Philippines, in February this year, two weeks after the BrahMos deal was agreed upon. Interestingly, even though Indian and American interests converge in Southeast Asia and the broader Indo-Pacific, the BrahMos is an Indo-Russian joint venture. This has set a precedent for other threatened countries like Vietnam to follow.

At the same time, as Chinas presence continues to grow in Indias backyard, New Delhi is compelled to give reciprocal signals by augmenting its own naval presence in Chinas backyard, as Indian naval vessels regularly call on Southeast Asian ports underlining its operational reach, readiness, and solidarity with friendly states in the region. While Indias Act East policy seemingly struggles in swift and timely implementation of specific projects, there is a convergence of interests with Southeast Asian countries with regard to being subjected to Chinese power projection in the recent years.

ASEAN, as a whole, is a formidable economic force in the world today and has a promising future ahead. People-to-people ties and cultural links with Southeast Asia will always be in Indias favour. But, the real challenge for New Delhi is adapting to an ever-changing and uncertain geopolitical environment and regional power dynamics, how competitive its economy can be, how far it can play the role of a constructive player in the regions security, and how proactively it can deliver on its policy promises, particularly with regard to trade, infrastructure, and connectivity. If these dont go smoothly, I suspect whether soft power edge alone can ensure a favourable strategic space for India in the region, which is faced with increased competition and scramble for influence, particularly when economic dynamism is already a criterion of competition between India and the ASEAN, rather than of co-operation.

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National politics have arrived in the 103rd District

Yesterday, 19 children and two teachers were murdered in their school in Uvalde, Texas. On the same day, in the neighboring Congressional District, representative Henry Cuellar won a Democratic primary to retain his seat by less than 200 votes. Henry Cuellar is the only Democrat in Congress with an A rating from the NRA. Henry Cuellar.

Despite holding back efforts to protect kids from gun violence, national party leaders like Nancy Pelosi and James Clyburn campaigned for Cuellar, recorded robocalls for him and directed aligned super-PACs to spend nearly a million dollars on the race in the last three weeks of the campaign. They did all of this to fight off a challenge from a 29-year-old progressive woman who excited young voters and represents the values of the party. The Democrats hold both houses nationally, but will do nothing on gun violence because of officials like Cuellar.

This same playbook is happening here in the New York State 103rd Assembly District. Climate change represents an existential threat to the lives of our children. Representative Kevin Cahill has represented our area for 20 years, has seen the effects of climate change on our area and yet still cant bring himself to sign onto public infrastructure for renewable energy. He still takes money from privately owned energy companies.

Despite these facts, State Democratic leaders who control all of New York State government will rally to defend Cahill from a challenge by Sarahana Shrestha, another young, progressive woman. They will pour late money into this race and flood us with messages against a candidate with a proven track record of environmental activism and organizing young voters. And when nothing happens to protect our childrens future, you will know why.

Dont let this happen. The answer is not to Vote blue no matter who; it is to vote for a better shade of blue. Vote Sarahana.

Timothy WelshNew Paltz

Landscape of our demise

Non-thought and everyone freaked out. Look out, theres a monster coming.

Something I was thinking about, please share. Forget about the zombie apocalypse that will never come. Ill give you something to cry about! No one ever said why, and then for some reason you just knew say what you will, Worry about the idiot apocalypse that is already upon us!

Stupidity is one of lifes big mysteries. The convergence of many seemingly unrelated elements has produced an explosion of brainlessness and textbook cases of idiots en masse.

So, true: saw them and its scary and unsettling. Instead of brains, they crave Faux Views and reality television. This cancerous far-right monster is an anti-science, anti-academia and anti-truth creeping blob. You can easily tag em as it talks, repeating lines like You laughin at me? and Im burning MAGA mad!

If we are overrun with stupidity, doesnt that portend dire implications for the assumptions surrounding democracy? This is a much bigger fight. They, the marching morons, are moving to the ultra-right at light speed. What theyre showing us is that fascism fuels them, which makes for a really dangerous time. Our democracy is on the line.

If youre depressed about the state of the world, take comfort in the fact that, yes, many are tagged and we must always be on the lookout. We recognize them for what they are. Theyre vulnerable if you fight back with proactivism, fidelity and truth. Can I get an Amen?

Neil JarmelWest Hurley

Hydrogen is the future

Presently, only hydrogen can replace fossil fuels as a total energy source; solar, wind is intermittent and dependent on batteries for storage. Even if battery technology improves significantly, the number of batteries needed to store the electricity required for our energy needs is undoable because of space considerations and limited by our finite resource base used for battery production.

Using electricity derived from solar and wind farms scaled for mass production to produce hydrogen from water, a process called electrolysis, we could produce enough hydrogen to power our homes, transportation and industries. The infrastructure necessary to do this is already in place. Existing gas stations could be modified to dispense hydrogen to fuel our vehicles. Hydrogen fuel vehicles already exist: Toyota sells them on the West Coast and there are now a chain of hydrogen fueling stations operating from California to Washington State that could serve as a model for the transition.

Hydrogen fuel cells can also be used to generate electricity and heating for homes, replacing boilers and furnaces, and hydrogen can be delivered and stored the same as we now store propane and oil in our homes. Power companies could convert to hydrogen fuel cell technology to produce electricity and to deliver hydrogen fuel to their customer base using their already-existing electrical grid and gas pipelines.

Finally, by transitioning from fossil fuels to green hydrogen, we will be moving from a climate-changing combustion-based to a renewable electric-based economy.

Robert J. RiveraWest Hurley

The myth of plastic recycling

It has been painfully clear for years now that plastic recycling in the US is a myth. The latest reports from Last Beach Cleanup and Beyond Plastics show that the plastic recycling rate of post-consumer plastic waste for 2021 was between five and six percent. This rate of recycling, which has never reached ten percent, has been sliding downwards for years, just as the generation of plastic waste (per capita) has risen by a staggering 263 percent since 1980.

I am deeply concerned that the fossil fuel and petrochemical industries continue to endanger and mislead the public about the efficacy of plastic recycling and the risks of continued plastic production and use. Ninety-four percent of US plastic waste ends up in landfills, incinerators, our landscapes and our oceans: 94 percent, while the majority of plastic that is actually recycled is typically (re)used only once before joining the rest.

If the plastics industry was a country, it would be the fifth-highest emitter of greenhouse gases on earth. Despite this, despite microplastics in our food, in our water, in our bloodstream, despite PFAS in our food packaging, despite the harm of industrial sacrifice zones like Cancer Alley, the plastics industry is charging forward with plans for expansion and growth.

The latest EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) and Bottle Bills introduced in the New York State Legislature potentially represent an overdue first step in the fight against the rising tide of plastic pollution. It is past time that citizens and legislators hold the plastics industry accountable for criminally endangering human health and natural environments across the globe.

Visit BeyondPlastics.org to learn more about the crisis of plastic pollution.

Oliver FerlandNew Paltz

Disappointed in Cahills comments on abortion

Im disappointed that Kevin Cahill said celebrations of the passage of our abortion rights law were offensive during an interview with the Daily Freeman last year.

The Reproductive Health Act codified Roe v. Wade in New York. Kevin Cahills comments were: There was cheering, and I found that offensive no one was cheering from my corner.

We lit up the Empire State Building in pink to mark the legislations passage. Kevin Cahill equated that with Donald Trumps lie that the passage of [this] legislation that would allow a baby to be ripped from the mothers womb moments before birth. Cahills words were, [Trumps comments were] really inappropriate as inappropriate as lighting up the buildings in pink.

Roe v. Wade might be overturned by the Supreme Court. Now more than ever, we need elected representatives who will be loud and proud in their support for reproductive rights, not criticize us for being happy about that freedom.

Kirstie KimballKingston

Correction to article on absentee landlords

I am writing to submit a correction to an article composed by Terence Ward on 5/25/22. In the article (entitled Absentee landlords accused), he incorrectly refers to a property address/landlord used as an example during a New Paltz Town Board meeting.

The picture that I included in my letter, as well as those displayed during the Town Board meeting, were of 6 Howard Street. They were not 11 Cicero Avenue.

Matt PilekNew Paltz

Shootings merit strong action from school boards

Given the spate of armed attacks on schools, the Onteora School District should hire a full-time school safety officer and an additional mental health professional ASAP. Each new hire can be trained to deescalate conflicts. This proactive step would not eliminate the chances of an attack, but perhaps it would reduce the chances of a tragedy.

David WallisBearsville

From infant formula to wet nurses

In the frenzy to import infant formula from around the world, are we totally forgetting the common sense that nourished me in a New Haven hospital ward dedicated to natural childbirth in 1948, when my mother could not produce enough breastmilk to feed me and her roomie had extra?

How about reestablishing the time-honored system of wet nurses? Quickly, before infants suffer and get malnourished due to the lack of infant formula. Wet nurses could supply pumped milk or actually feed the client baby.

Would there need to be an emergency use authorization like there is for the anti-COVID remedy Paxloovid, or perhaps just a lab analysis of the proposed wet nurses milk? Im guessing that an organization such as La Leche League would be best at establishing guidelines, so that families seeking a wet nurse would have help in establishing criteria to interview a potential provider. This could be a pop-up business that truly benefits all parties, and yet another way to escape foreign control of an essential, undervalued American asset.

Beverly HarrisLake Hill

Memorial Day 2022

On Memorial Day, the best we say in America, Today, we remember those who died in war and those families that lost loved ones. But unfortunately, memorializing war allows us to overlook the generations of moral injury war inoculated into our culture, causing the side effects of suicide, addiction, domestic violence and homelessness.

A few simple observations: Generals are not killed in war. No politicians die in war. Government leadership declares war and soldiers and civilians are killed on our battlefields. Today, wars moral injury steers veterans lives towards self-destruction after returning home. On Memorial Day, the publics job is to take moral responsibility by owning the truth about why their childrens lives were taken. If we choose to continue healing from war, we must also honor the enemys lives weve taken.

On Memorial Day, we make up convoluted and complex answers to why soldiers lives were lost. We repeat the same ideological language, These dead were protecting our freedom, which was used to motivate the now-dead soldiers to join the military and die in unjust wars.

Our soldiers have come home shamed by the American public for fighting in bad wars, starting with Korea, including Vietnam, Gulf War, Iraq and Afghanistan. However, the side effects on veterans when the country morally stopped supporting what they were doing after firing the first few shots have taken more soldiers lives than in the wars they fought in.

War strategies have not been updated since we dropped the first atomic bomb because we need ground troops to enlist, and if they didnt think their homes and families were actually at risk, they wouldnt join.

The Ukraine war is an example of Putin being stuck in the same antiquated war tactics we are. Putin sends massive numbers of men to their deaths. The moral backlash this act will bring into the Russian culture will be astounding. If the war ends, these soldiers moral injury will become self-destructive. Putin will have to send them to jail and to Siberia for self-protection. When a soldier is forced to kill, and hes aware the majority of the public hes fighting for disagrees, you will soon see the consequences of self-destructive behaviors and rebellion.

Here in America, weve witnessed the side effect of our returning troops finding out their lives are human capital. The suicide rate is the accurate compass of the moral injury created by fighting unjust wars. Our recent insurrection has roots in our troops becoming aware they have gone to war to protect the resources of the wealthy. Add that poor health care, low wages, racism and the dominance of power and capital available to fewer and fewer. These inequities stimulate rage.

Republicans use that rage to create rhetoric their voters believe, many carrying the side effects of the billions spent on those wars. Democrats have been ineffective in navigating the wealthy and lack warrior politicians willing to fight for democracy over losing their jobs. So, on this Memorial Day, reflect closely on why the lives of our loved ones and enemies were taken in wars they themselves did not declare.

Larry WintersNew Paltz

Transparency?

After a discussion took place at a recent Town Board meeting regarding a resolution pertaining to the transfer of 1.2 million dollars in surplus funds, a taxpayer said, Id like to ask that when you do put it in a resolution, that youd be very specific in the resolution to say how many dollars and where the money is going in, so that it appears in the minutes of the meeting.

The citizen made this request because, as he stated, on April 20 of last year, 1.8 million dollars was transferred, and the resolution said transferred per transfer sheet; it wasnt explicit in the resolution and did not appear in the meeting minutes, and the recording of that meeting disappeared, so we have no record of it. The response to the request was, Ill look into that.

Howard HarrisWoodstock

Response to Messrs. Butz & Civile

When I wrote One Mans Abortion: 1963 for last weeks paper, I assumed there would be an angry response from the anti-abortion folks. I was not disappointed. There were two. The first, from John Butz, starts with the statement that Abortion is murder. I would suggest to Mr. Butz that not everyone subscribes to that belief. I certainly dont. He then says, The moral, civil and right decision was staring them right in the face all alongThe humane, moral and ethical decision was to bring the child to term and immediately put the child up for adoption. That is definitely not what Em and I thought was the humane, moral and ethical decision for us, and I would not assume I knew the right decision for everyone, as does Mr. Butz, nor would I try to impose my religious beliefs on anyone else.

He continues: The inconveniences, real or perceived, are only temporary. A month or so of disrupting employment or studies can be quickly resumed. My school, associated with the Methodist Church (which I attended as a youth), would have unceremoniously thrown us both out of school immediately had our condition been known, and it would have been difficult or impossible to enroll in another school with that on our records. We did not consider that an inconvenience.

He also states that these people [Em and I and anyone who has ever had an abortion] never gave a moments thought to the significant heartache suffered by couples who desperately want a family but are unable to have children, and we are people who have nonchalantly murdered unborn children. I assure Mr. Butz we spent more than a moments thought on our decision, and if Mr. Butz wants to point out nonchalantly murdering children, he need only look at this weeks murder of 19 children in Texas and the other 26 school shootings just this year! More children have been killed in schools than police officers have been killed on the job. Pro-life, Mr. Butz? I think not.

Mr. Butz also seems to have a big problem with folks peacefully demonstrating in front of the homes of Supreme Court justices and, he emphatically states, If the attorney general was in his right mind and knew right from wrong, he should have arrested those demonstrators so the justices could resume their normal lives. Mr. Butz, our pro-life champion, doesnt seem to have much of a problem with the over 3,500 students shot and killed every year. Nor does he seem terribly concerned that their parents can never resume their normal lives. Im sure we all wish Justice Thomas and his charming wife Ginny can resume their normal lives immediately and not have to hear the cries of bereft parents.

George Civile, another one of my critics and an almost weekly contributor to this paper of right-wing misinformation, says I never explained why abortions were illegal or were considered wrong or sinful by the major denominations prior to Roe V. Wade. He is correct. I did not explain that, nor did I explain why:

Interracial marriage was once illegal

Why it was illegal to be homosexual

Why women voting was illegal

Why it was illegal for Black citizens to sit anywhere but the back of the bus

Why it was illegal to consume or possess alcohol from 1920-32

Why it was illegal to shop on a Sunday

Why birth control was once illegal

Why pinball, golfing and playing football on Sunday was illegal

Why dancing in a joint without a cabaret license was illegal

Why sexual acts outside procreation were illegal

Why being a communist was illegal

Why swearing in public was illegal.

Both Mr. Butz and Mr. Civile profess to be vehemently pro-life and their only concern is for the lives of the unborn children. I submit that if they were indeed pro-life, they would be out on the streets or writing to this paper protesting automatic weapons that indiscriminately kill our children, not foetuses; weapons in the hands of unbalanced teenagers and right-wing zealots. They would be protesting open-carry laws and meaningless or no gun restrictions that allow 18-year-olds to buy assault weapons and 700 rounds of ammunition, as did the shooter last week, on his 18th birthday!

They would be protesting the 20 percent of New Yorkers living in poverty, 35 percent of minority children suffering food insecurity. If they are pro-life, why do they not protest the substandard nutrition of children, chronic disease and mental health problems of minority children, inadequate child care, lack of access to healthcare for children, unsafe neighborhoods, undersourced schools and shortened life expectancy for children of minorities?

Pro-life, Messrs. Butz and Civile? Thats just so much crap. Youre not pro-life. Youre just anti-abortion.

Eric GlassSaugerties

Mental health care system broken

In light of the most recent events of the past two weeks, we once again find ourselves questioning how such tragic and senseless events as the mass shootings experienced at Tops Supermarket in Buffalo, New York, Laguna Woods Church in California and, most recently, Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, continue to occur in this day and age. Calls for enhanced and stringent gun control laws are louder now than ever before.

I too agree that greater gun control is in order. However, if we truly want to eradicate these senseless murders, we must acknowledge and fully understand that our mental health care system is broken, not just here in New York but throughout our nation, and there lies the root of these mass shootings. Until such time we recognize that our mental health care system is in crisis, and we start reinvesting toward building a robust and responsive mental health care system, then and only then will we have a fighting chance toward eliminating these senseless acts of violence that continue to be perpetrated against our children and our communities.

It is truly the duty of each and every one of us to implore that our elected officials start spending our tax dollars on the real issues affecting our daily lives. Simply taking guns away from people will not deter the illness that causes them to act out so violently against others. If its not a gun, it will be some other deadly instrument that will be used to inflict their reign of terror.

Joseph A. SinagraChief of PoliceSaugerties

Colin Schmitt: our next congressman

Im so thrilled to see the new district lines reflect fairness for once, but nothing surprises me anymore when it comes to Democrats trying to finagle their way into office and power. I am so excited that Colin Schmitt will be our next congressman. He has always had my vote because hes finally a candidate I can put my faith in to fix the nonsense locally and nationally.

Im talking about these ridiculous gas prices and empty shelves everywhere you turn. Hes always been a voice for middle-class families and taken a stance for whats right. I know he will work tirelessly to make improvements and real change. I cant wait to see all that Colin will accomplish when hes elected this fall.

Nina HeinNew Paltz

Concerns about proposed asphalt plant

The proposed hot asphalt mix plant on Route 28 in the Town of Kingston has several concerning aspects. The site would lay beside the busy Route 28 highway in a former quarry, in plain view for everyone to see, smell and hear. It would also be beside several local retail businesses, possibly degrading their operations. Typically, hot asphalt plants are smelly and dirty. In the application, the developers state that the operations will have diesel exhaust and particulate from an open-air process.

Ulster Strong doesnt dispute the applicants contention of a need and opportunity of providing a variety of highway-oriented services and solutions to the area, as well as added jobs and new tax revenues. Its that the location beside Route 28 is clearly at odds with the bigger picture. An asphalt operation such as this would not just be a temporary inconvenience (e.g., such as during its construction), but an ongoing negative distraction and hazard. This is clearly at odds with the long-range vision of Route 28 being a scenic Gateway to the Catskills.

Unless the applicants can clearly show ways to mitigate the noted concerns about visual, smell and particulate pollution and traffic, Ulster Strong thinks this project would find a better location in Ulster.

Martin DunkleyLake Katrine

A few questions

Butz and Civile make the emotional case that a woman who becomes pregnant owes a sacred debt of responsibility to the developing embryo to bring it to term. But this no-nonsense approach to taking responsibility for ones actions and the overarching sanctity of human life begs some important questions: Since Betz and Civile would make abortion illegal, what legal remedy would be required of the fathers, who are at least equally responsible for the new life? If the woman is to be penalized by forfeiting nine months of her life and the emotional trauma of putting a baby up for adoption, what does the father forfeit?

Secondly, how do they deal with the consequences of rape or incest cases in which pregnancy results from a crime inflicted on the woman or girl? Thirdly, if the state requires women to carry all pregnancies to term, will the state take financial responsibility for the babies women are forced to bear against their will?

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Letters to the editor (6/1/22) - Hudson Valley One

Ara Hitoshi is deputy director general for the South Asia Department of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). He is responsible for overseeing cooperation with Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Afghanistan and the Maldives. JICA has implemented various cooperation projects, especially in the areas of social and economic infrastructure development, disaster resilience and poverty reduction. Ara was on a brief visit to Nepal in May to take stock of the situation here. Prithvi Man Shrestha of The Post caught up with Ara to ask him about JICAs future cooperation in Nepal. Excerpts:

How has JICAs cooperation been in Nepal so far, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic?

Because of Covid-19, JICA was restricted in dispatching survey teams, experts and JICAs missions to Nepal for a while. However, JICA is back. Now we are willing to accelerate our cooperation through face-to-face communication. With this idea, my visit has taken place. Communication is very important to deeply understand things.

JICA recognises that the development of South Asia is quite important and Nepal is one of the core countries. JICA implemented and continued various cooperation projects even during the Covid-19 situation. The year 2022 marks the 120th anniversary since the first Nepali students went to study in Japan. So it is some kind of symbolic year on the issue of human resource development.

JICA is willing to keep working on development with high quality infrastructure and initiate the build-back-better policy for the Covid-hit country. This year, JICA is planning to start new technical cooperation in the areas of climate change and sustainable forest management, flood risk management and a career support programme for migrant workers. We will provide a career support programme to migrant workers. This is quite a new initiative for JICA which pays attention to migrant workers who have experience of living in Japan. There are many Nepali migrants to Japan.

JICA has the country assistance strategy of 2016 for Nepal. Is JICA preparing a new assistance strategy?

The country assistance policy is the policy of our government. I think our government is thinking about introducing a new one. I don't have detailed information about it. As per the Country Assistance Policy 2016, there were four priorities: Post-earthquake recovery, social and economic infrastructure, poverty reduction and governance enhancement.

What is the specific policy for Nepal now?

Under these four core priority areas, there are several sub-areas such as education, health, agriculture, infrastructure, road development and urban infrastructure improvement. All these sectors are important. Now, there is also a huge need for recovery from Covid-19. Still, there are many needs in many areas. Nepal got Covid-19 vaccines from Japan to recover from the pandemic.

Is there any plan of the Japan government to support livelihoods affected by the pandemic?

Our government decided to provide a policy credit of 10 billion yen in January. This support will help the Nepali economy to strengthen. The impact of Covid-19 is very big and wide, and it covers many areas. So, we want to consider what kind of activity is necessary to improve the situation against the impact of Covid-19. We are seeking the possibility to conduct some cooperation in the health sector, and in general, when we think about measures, we think there are some important pointsinfectious disease prevention and other research and development. We are thinking if there are any needs in these sectors in Nepal.

The Covid-19 pandemic has shed light on the need for good health infrastructure. Will Japan increase support in these areas?

Actually, there is a need to improve health infrastructure. Covid-19 is an important issue but there are many needs in Nepal. My understanding is that our government is thinking of conducting an aid project based on the needs of each sector. Obviously, it is important to upgrade the health infrastructure in Nepal.

How can Japan help to modernise Nepals transport network?

Obviously, Nepal is in need of improving its road network. There is a need to improve urban transportation infrastructure as well as the national road networks. So, now we are discussing these issues with the Nepal government. At the same time, there are other development partners such as the Asian Development Bank which are providing some kind of support for improving the national road networks. So, I would like to continue discussions with the Nepal government so that some concrete projects are identified where we can contribute.

China is enrolling countries under its flagship Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Japan itself appears to be prioritising helping to develop infrastructure abroad. The G7 countries introduced the Build-Back-Better initiative. Can we expect more competition among countries to help Nepal in infrastructure development?

In my personal opinion, JICAs support in the infrastructure development of Nepal is for the development of Nepal. We dont engage in competition with other countries. Of course, people say competition is important. But I think it is necessary to think about what is the need of Nepal. An appropriate approach should be adopted to solve Nepals problem, and that should be based on need. We also think that infrastructure is very important, including road infrastructure. I would like to continue discussing the matter with the Nepal government.

Lately, we have been receiving more aid as loans than grants from Japan. Is it Japanese policy to provide more aid as loans?

We are implementing both schemesgrants and loans. We dont stop grant aid. Nepal has been developing and upgrading to the status of a middle income country. It means that Nepal can enjoy aid under loan schemes. With loans, we can implement large projects compared to grant aid projects. For example, we provided Development Policy Credit amounting to 10 billion yen in January. If it was grant aid, it could be around 2-3 billion yen. Of course, there are big projects being implemented with grants too. Utilising loans, we can contribute more. If the GDP per capita is very low for the recipient country, we cannot implement aid in loan projects.

What was the reason behind providing policy credit? Will JICA continue to provide aid in policy credit form?

It is in response to the Nepal governments urgent needs. As you know, the Nepal government was fighting Covid-19 very well. We heard that Nepal needed some kind of financial resources to implement these kinds of activities. The policy credit covers various areas of the health sector. The Nepal government needed to secure more budget to implement activities in the health sector. What I want to say is that there was an urgent need for financial support, and we recognised this and decided to provide this kind of support. Whether policy credit will continue will depend on Nepals needs. We have to discuss it with our government. I personally think there is a need for this kind of financial support to Nepal even in the future.

There is a growing possibility of markets for Nepal's hydropower in power-hungry South Asia. What are the prospects of Japanese investment in the hydropower sector?

I am not an expert in this area. I cannot say concretely about this. But I expect many Japanese investors will have interest in this country. The power sector is JICAs important sector for cooperation. Now, JICA is implementing a technical cooperation project on Integrated Power System Development. The project covers Independent Power Producers (IPP) related issues. We are supporting Nepal to supervise and manage the activities of the IPPs. I expect that many Japanese power plant operators and private companies who are interested in the energy market will increase. I also expect that the total investment from Japanese companies will increase in Nepal. I think there is a possibility of attracting Japanese investments in the service sector. For this, Nepalis who studied and worked in Japan can be a big asset for Nepal.

Any further plans of JICA to support civil aviation as Japan has been supporting this area?

As you know, the ADB is playing a big role in developing infrastructure investment. There was a miserable air accident in the 1990s in Nepal, and many JICA experts had lost their lives in that accident. As a JICA staff member like me, we remember this incident. So, how to make air travel safe is a very important issue for JICA. We would like to collaborate with other partners in this sector too to continue our support in this sector in Nepal.

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'We don't engage in competition with other countries' - The Kathmandu Post