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Help sought for capital campaign launch
Editor of the Reformer:
The Putney Community Center is looking for help in launching a capital improvement campaign. Our beautiful historic building, on the National Register as part of Putney Village, is in need of significant upgrades, including painting and insulation/weatherization. Our Board of Directors is specifically seeking to hear from:
1) Other Windham County nonprofit organizations with a community mission who, needing space for an ongoing program, might wish to partner with us for fundraising purposes.
2) Individuals with memories to contribute about our organization’s history, or how the Putney Community Center played a significant role in their lives or in the lives of others.
3) Creative and energetic individuals willing to volunteer or join our board.
4) Contractors who wish to bid on building improvements.
If you would like to contact us, please e-mail putney.cc@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at 802-387-8551.
Gino Palmeri,
PCC Board of Directors,
Putney, June 15
The Big Six -- destroyers of democracy
Editor of the Reformer:
In order for any nation to have a working democracy, there must be a sharing of opposing opinions and viewpoints. If this strong diversity of ideas doesn’t exist, than everyone in that country will have the same beliefs
The Big Six consists of General Electric, News-Corps, Disney, Viacom, Time Warner and CBS. Each of these corporations owns at least three major media companies including the New York Times, CNN, Fox, the Wall St. Journal, ABC and Time Magazine. When you consider the number of Americans that rely on at least one of these programs for information, it’s clear that the Big Six have a very strong hold over the people. According to political scientist Michael Parenti, "The owners and managers of the press determine which facts and which version of the facts shall reach the public." The Big Six’s main goal isn’t to present people with facts, it’s to make money. Their total 2010 revenue was $275.9 billion; $36 billion more than Finland’s GDP. Former Walt Disney CEO Michael Eisner said, "We have no obligation to make history. We have no obligation to make art. To make money is our only objective."
Although most people don’t know that their news content is being controlled and manipulated, there are visible signs of this in the media. The biggest sign has to be the fact that there is hardly ever anything in the news that would make corporations look bad. The media never mentions how corporations including the Big Six harass environmental activists and whistle-blowing employees. The media also doesn’t mention the real impact of the national debt and how working people must pay back the money the government borrowed from the rich. This tightly controlled and manipulated media goes directly against the so called freedom America promises to its people. If the citizens of America are being lied to by their own press, then they are not living in a free nation.
General Electric, News-Corps, Disney, Viacom, Time Warner and CBS all share the same goal: protecting the corporations. Since the Big Six controls most of the media, there is hardly ever an opinion in the news that goes against the corporations. With no opposing ideas, democracy and freedom that is supposed to exist in our country is deteriorating. This means that we will have news filled with one-sided stories rather than the truth and opinions we deserve. We will have only the most superficial notion of democracy -- a democracy where, to paraphrase John Jay’s maxim, those who own the world ought to govern it.
Becca Scott,
sophomore, BUHS,
Brattleboro, June 1
When it comes to dent repairs, shop local
Editor of the Reformer:
I read the article in a recent Reformer regarding the "Dent Repair Company" that set up shop at Durand Toyota in Bellows Falls. The article stated that "a local dent repair shop" is offering hail repair. Those guys are from South Carolina.
I’d like it to be known as well that a truly local company is set up about a couple miles down the road -- near Allen Bros Farm Stand -- called Dent Magic. There are three owners to this company, two of which were born and raised in the Bellows Falls area.
If any company is going to get news coverage in our local paper, it should be these guys, and shouldn’t we "support our own?"
Please call Chris Wilkinson, 802-289-3231, or chris.wilkinson30@gmail.com for more info and/or stop down at their shop.
Kim Wilkinson,
Rockingham, June 13
Paypal changes disliked
Editor of the Reformer:
To the co-founder of Paypal that used to reside in Putney and maybe still does,
I have been selling on the big auction site for 12 years now, and a member and user of Paypal for 11 years. It was sold and ended up in eBay’s ownership portfolio. Since then changes have been made including making us sellers take electronic payments for all sales. This was to force us to use Paypal to sell on eBay. Then it became the most expensive and awful place to do business. They made us link a bank account, etc. ....
Through the years many changes have been made, all for their profit, and now Paypal is holding our money for up to 21 days after we receive it from our buyer. They have never held our money at all (they charge us enough per transaction, they don’t have to hold it) so now why all of a sudden can they do this? It should be illegal: They take our money and hold it to invest or whatever for 21 days?
I wish people would stop selling out to the "Rothschilds," they turn everything into a Monopoly for them and their ancestors and care nothing for anyone else. This change here from Paypal is the last straw for me; I will no longer do business with them, they will not hold my cash.
Derek Doucette,
Hinsdale, N.H., June 14
