wmarincic- WRONG, WRONG and WRONG ! RACE TO THE BOTTOM IS SIMPLY WRONG ! Wmarincic's first time ever attempt to define a minimum wage as Job Training is ridiculous. This view reveals the greed and selfishness that is causing the root cause of the extreme wealth divide in this country. Sandra Natale is exactly right. A minumum wage SHOULD be a LIVING wage which does not require any need to apply for food stamps to survive.

How about reducing bus service and getting many of our kids walking again?
Reducing bus routes would cut the ever increasing gas expense and cut the expense for purchasing and maintaining the fleet. Also, please get these bus drivers to stop idling !! They are wasting gas and polluting uneccessarily. Everyone should stop being an American Idler !!

You hit the problem and nail on the head- You can't get consumers to do what they are supposed to do on their own because people are selfish and don't care-
Paper is 10x better than plastic because it can be harvested from sustainable air cleaning trees- not oil which is the only reason we are in endless war killing innocent people in foreign lands.
We need to stop taking other countries oil, and start moving away from fossil fuel consumption at home as soon as possible. Not many people understand plastic is made from oil, so any ban of plastic bags and enforcement of recycling of plastic in general is a win win for all PEOPLE, PEACE and the PLANET !! Our landfils are maxing out at record speed because of our throw away culture. NYS is actually many decades behind states like MA- when it comes to enforcing recycling, energy efficiency incentives, conservation and public transportation and walkable communities initiatives- all efforts that reduce pollution and reliance on fossil fuels- NYS should not be so far behind- we should be leading. Banning plastic bags and (plastic) bottled water- is a good start.

The practice of so called "tough" love by yet another "God fearing" "church goer" -
makes me want to throw up ! There is no such thing as "tough" love. Love is never tough, or strict, or whatever you want to pretend it is. Kids are just little kids and should never be hit, or abused or screamed at or "taught a lesson" with violent hitting. Kids who grow up being hit, "learn" to do the same to others. Most educated people know hitting and abusive language leads to nothing but serious physical damage and psychological torment. This poor little sweet boy and his poor siblings who now have to deal with the loss of a little brother. What have those other kids been experiencing? This is why children need access to the best programs schools can offer and access to social services. They have no choice into what family they are born into. And as a society, we should all want to fund schools, and lunch, and after school programs for these helpless kids !!

If you want to break the cycle of poverty which breeds domestic and child abuse, and breeds teen pregnancy, you must start with educating young teens on birth control and providing them access to free birth control and yes abortion when birth control fails. There is nothing more hypocritical than the religious community against birth control and abortion when the this is sadly an example of what transpires with unwanted pregnancy- you get parents who are unable to cope, which leads to neglect, abuse and the tragic death of many little kids. NYS has a mile long list of unwanted children in foster care waiting for adoption. Where are the financially stable loving families who have the resources to properly care for children? Why arent the Pro-lifers who are so against birth control and abortion lined up to adopt these abandoned and abused children?

James Gillian- The Price Chopper boycot is not about religion for many of us. Its about keeping a beautiful structure that Watervliet desperately needs. There are many examples in Boston, Paris, London where churches or very old buildings are salvaged and turned into into unique shopping destinations - Price Chopper has the ability to do that, while not hurting the community who grew up in that Church and who have live in that neighborhood. The Capital District needs to retain what little beautiful archicture it has. Have you even traveled to Boston or other world class cities? Why do people like to go there and live there? Because of beauty ! Beauty keeps a community alive and thriving. Strip malls and ugly box Price Choppers do not. For this reason, not religion, I will boycott Price CHopper. They can keep the beautiful tower and create a unigue Price Chopper shopping experience inside .

Zelasko- Get a little education! Most Section 8 recipients are full time workers.
Even in Schenectady, minimum wage jobs do not pay enough for basic decent housing.
People like you who continue to blame the poor, don't help struggling communities.
Are you in a position to hire and pay even 1 person ? Do you know of employer truly willing to hire the people you immorally call leaches? The people I assume you are so inhumanely referring to, are not hirable. A person with a non-violent arrest for something as small as possessing or selling pot- immediately force that person to list this felony on a job application. And clearly, you must also be ignorant of the discrimination against hiring "non-whites" that has kept this community and all minority communities across our country poor. Every Day- labor Ready has a line of people waiting for someone to hire them just for a day. Where are the employers?

Jackie T- We should label you a torturer. How dare you attempt to force your inhumane and selfish viewpoint onto others. You need a reality check as to the real life circumstances surrounded the women, teens and children as young as 9 - I might add- who need to choose abortion to be able to live a normal life. In your viewpoint a child who is raped by impregnated by her father should go through the horror of pregnancy and delivery ? Really? That is subjecting a child to torture which in my opinion is worse than being death. Many young girls with no access to safe and legal abortions commit suicide bec they have no alternative or in many third world countries- live a depressed and tortured life. There is no morality in force your religious views onto others. This is America- keep your religious views to yourself and if you dont believe in assisted suicide or abortion- dont have one.
If you are really a pro-lifer- then go out there and work to end war, end the death penalty. Leave women and very sick people alone to make their own choices.

This is a long shot Mr. James- but perhaps someone can help you launch a GROUPON to get some immediate business and attention . Also, perhaps its time to upgrade your name to Mr. James Salon - since hairstylist is old fashioned- also have you thought about adding a "barber, luxury hot shave" to appeal to the GE professionals? I dont know what the inside of your business looks like- but perhaps you need a little modernization to appeal to the younger crowd. Sometimes just paint color can do it.
Good Luck- I hope you find a way to stay open.

Poverty is why Schenectady schools don't do well. I think Schdy and Nisky should collaborate and run a Grand National Experiment - combine a rich district with a poor district- bus 1/2 of the rich kids to Schdy High, bus 1/2 of poor kids to Nisky-
See how fast both schools would improve, and see how fast Schenectady turns into an urban city people will want to flock to. We need to stop the huge economic and social divide.