Morning folks.\u00a0 Gorgeous weekend down in the Champlain Valley.\u00a0 Hope you’ve had some spring wherever you are.<\/p>\n
Here’s a survey of weekend opinions across the North Country.\u00a0 A lot of interesting stuff out there.<\/p>\n
The Plattsburgh Press-Republican<\/a> gives a tentative thumbs-up to President Barack Obama’s healthcare reform plan passed past year.<\/p>\n The AARP survey shows how important health-care reform is to a strong national economy. Obama’s controversial health law may not be the final answer, but it is a step in the right direction.<\/p>\n The American people could not carry on securely without some kind of change to the health-insurance system. It was destroying too many American dreams.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n The Glens Falls Post Star<\/a> continues its criticism of the Adirondack Park Agency and urges Governor Andrew Cuomo to choose wisely the five new commissioners he’ll name over the next few months.<\/p>\n In a nutshell, the APA has a well-earned reputation for being overreaching, inflexible, unresponsive to citizens, and in some cases abusive.<\/p>\n We’ve done articles on some of the more egregious cases. Environmentalists have been allowed to dominate the APA board, contributing to the park’s hostile economic environment for residents trying to make a living.<\/p>\n What’s needed isn’t really a balance of pro-environment and pro-development members, but a willingness by all members of the APA board to see how conservation and economic growth have to go hand in hand in order for people to be able to live and thrive in the park.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n The Watertown Daily Times<\/a>, which serves Fort Drum, urges a continued engagement in the Middle East as the “Arab Spring” continues.<\/p>\n These events \u2014 occurring on one day in a few countries \u2014 reflect the larger struggle for political and social reform playing out throughout the region. As the so-called Arab Spring continues, the United States must monitor the developments and do what it can to help the cause of freedom.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n