Midday Magazine on WAMC

Before the U.S. Dollar was created in 1791, a variety of state-issued paper currencies and foreign coins comprised the US money supply. Fast forward to the 21st Century, where many modern communities are turning to "local currencies" as both a way to deal with tough economic times and boost local business. Hudson Valley Bureau Chief Dave Lucas reports.

Republican U.S Senator Scott Brown and his Democratic challenger Elizabeth Warren will square off tonight in their 3rd  debate in the volatile Massachusetts Senate Race.  WAMC”s Pioneer Valley Bureau Chief Paul Tuthill reports

The debate will take place at Springfield Symphony Hall at 7PM. It is the  only debate being held in the western part of the stat. And, it is the most crucial of the four debates in the opinion of  Springfield based political consultant Anthony Cignoli.

The Governor of Massachusetts has announced an updated five-year strategic investment plan that includes funding for infrastructure improvement to encourage economic growth. WAMC’s Berkshire Bureau Chief Lucas Willard reports…

Governor Deval Patrick’s FY 2013 to 2017 Capital Investment Plan calls for billions of public dollars to be invested in transportation, housing, higher education, and infrastructure to boost long-term economic development.

There has been much speculation about Romney’s private statement about the 47 percent of the electorate “who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you name it. That that’s an entitlement. And the government should give it to them. And they will vote for this president no matter what.”

With pomp and ceremony, E. Thomas Sullivan has been formally installed as the University of Vermont’s 26th President.

During the recent installation, Vermont’s largest college welcomed a number of prominent speakers, including the state’s Governor and U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders.  Also attending was former U.S. Vice President Walter Mondale.

The 46th state Senate District race between Democrat Cecilia Tkaczyk and Republican George Amedore is heating up - Hudson Valley Bureau Chief Dave Lucas has a look at the two candidates.

Both Cecilia Tkaczyk and her Republican opponent, state Assemblyman George Amedore, have "grass-roots" elements to their campaigns and are making promises accordingly.

Tkaczyk, was brought up on a dairy farm, has worked as a senior legislative analyst for the New York State Senate Majority Conference, and served as president of the Duanesburg Central School District Board of Education.

In one of his earliest books: “Cakes And Ale,” W. Somerset Maugham observed that hypocrisy cannot be practiced part-time, in one’s spare moments.  “Hypocrisy,” he said, “is a whole-time job.”  Back in the days when icons were authentic and worth quoting, one of the greatest was Martin Luther, who bemoaned the fact that “Truth goes begging, while hypocrisy finds ample wages.”  It’s an adage that’s still true, especially in the political arena, where the worst of that ilk continue to operate with impunity.

The EPA has announced a series of grants under the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to target invasive species.  Among those receiving money is a small college in the midst of the Adirondacks.

Five organizations in New York State will receive a total of 1-point-4 million dollars to assess and reduce the spread of invasive species.  Paul Smith’s College’s Watershed Stewardship Program will receive just under 400-thousand dollars to continue a watercraft inspection program at boat launches in the western Adirondacks.  Director Eric Holmlund.

For decades, filmmakers from across the globe have been producing works that explore their country’s history, culture, and politics-- and that offer perspectives on that history. In this regard, two very different but not unrelated films were screened at this year’s Toronto Film Festival. One spotlights East Germany in the 1980s, before the fall of communism. The other is a portrait of France in the early 1970s, when a certain type of young person was embracing a Marxist/anarchist ideal.

Officials in Essex County, New York have been working to close a 13-million dollar budget gap in the 2013 budget.  While they hope a pending sale of the county-run nursing home will make a difference, they say mandate relief from the state would be more helpful.

The rural Adirondack County has one of the lowest tax rates in New York State and has been using their fund balance to hold the line on property tax increases. Essex County Manager Dan Palmer says that may not be possible much longer.