I recently emailed this message to our (Democratic Party) Congressional Representative Josh Riley:

"What is your position on Palestine/Gaza/Israel/US? Do you support having the US continue to provide billions and billions of US tax dollars for funding of, and weapons for, Israel ?

By the way, I have been asking you this question since October, when you were running for office, and at least 5 other times since January, via email and via phone to your DC office (where your (all-male) phone answering staff claim to know absolutely nothing about any of your positions on anything. It reminds me of the TV character Col. Klink on the classic comedy Hogan's Heroes, who always said ‘I know nothing, nothing!’ I'm sure you pick your staff carefully. I'll have to call and ask them if you support the Constitution. It will be fun to hear him (whichever him) say ‘I don't know, but the Congressman can get back to you on that.’ I have lived in the same location for a quarter of a century, and I have not before had a Congress rep with such a know-nothing staff. Congratulations. It's been simply lovely to experience what my abundant tax dollars are doing for me).

So, I have yet to receive ANY response from your office regarding my question. Here it is again:

What is your position on Palestine/Gaza/Israel/US? Do you support having the US continue to provide billions and billions of US tax dollars for funding of, and weapons for, Israel?"

I've also contacted Rep. Riley's office with questions about other topics, such as his response to the kidnapping ring being run by Homeland Insecurity, and the hacking of our personal data by a certain foreign national unauthorized by Congress. Also, as our nation has been now bombing apartment buildings in Yemen, I once rhetorically asked Rep. Ryan's DC staffer if the US Congress has even declared war on Yemen. Pause. Then the staffer said, "I don't know." I then informed our Congressional staffer, that no, Congress has not declared war on Yemen. (And, even if Congress had, bombing civilian residences is a war crime. Some of us, unlike Pete Hegseth, still care about such things).

Well, our district is no longer represented by the likes of Maurice Hinchey. That is for sure.

Barbara Kidney

Shawangunk