Letters

I just read your article in Hudson Valley Business (Kelly ponders life after Washington Jan. 15). To be quite frank the article sounds like it was written by a campaign worker for Sue Kelly. Within the very first paragraph you slight Congressman Hall describing him as a “transplanted” resident. Later in the article you recycle a paragraph from Kelly campaign literature about Hall previously living in Orange County. Even if he was previously living in Orange County years ago that’s just across the river; it is not like he was from Indiana, Ohio or some other universe. You also give the impression that the Hudson Valley will never again get federal money because the controversial “earmarks” have been cut. Your description of the election’s 51-49 percent outcome sounds as though it was “too close to call” and Ms. Kelly opted out of contesting the election because she is so gracious. Come on now, some presidential elections have been closer--she lost plain and simple. She lost because she was not giving the Hudson Valley the representation it deserves. The record she leaves is one for being a loyal party member who was a follower and not a leader. Her being asleep while her committee co-chairman, the predator Mark Foley, went after the young congressional pages is only one example. Furthermore, nowhere in your article is there a complimentary word for John Hall -- only a sense of bitterness; a begrudging acknowledgement that he is the new 19th District congressman.