Newfound respect

      Like a lot of people, I love making fun of politicians. However, I've never felt so sympathetic towards policy makers until our discussion in class on Wednesday. I think that we could have talked about our proposed buffer amendment for many more class periods, finding potential loopholes and figuring out ways to block them. As it is, I still haven't come up with a solution to the last issue we thought of, that of large businesses building next to small residential areas and so bypassing the spirit of the amendment. While the process frustrated me, I also found it one of the most engaging discussions that we've had in class. Policy making, especially in the Adirondack Park, is an incredibly frustrating and sometimes fruitless process. I don't think anything could have made us appreciate that fact as much as actually going through the process ourselves. I feel incredible respect for the members of the APA, who are tasked with proposing amendments such as these.