The more things change, the more they don't.
While cleaning out and reorganizing his office a couple of weeks ago, Carle Kopecky, director of the Schoharie County Historical Society, came across a survey conducted by the County Bicentennial Committee at the 1990 Sunshine Fair.
The paperwork lists 13 questions on a variety of topics-including increasing the sales tax to stabilize property taxes and outlawing semi-automatic weapons-along with a tally of responses from about 350 people.
"What caught my eye is that a lot of these issues are still relevant," Mr. Kopecky said.
"Some 20 years later, we're still talking about the same things. And some of the survey results are surprising."
Mr. Kopecky, who joined the museum in 1995, said he found the survey in the back of a filing cabinet and was about to toss it as just one more file of old meeting minutes when he took a closer look.
He believes the survey was the work of a committee organized to help mark the bicentennial of the US Constitution that eventually morphed into one marking the county's own bicentennial.
The committee included representatives from the Old Stone Fort Museum and the Schoharie County Arts Council, he said; their efforts also included a traveling exhibit that may still be in the attic of the Badgley Museum.
The survey will be added to the local history archives.
The questions and results follow.

County
1-Should Schoharie County Sales Tax be increased to stabilize property taxes?
Yes-85, No-141.
2-Because of the increasing complexity of county government, do you favor a Schoharie County Administrator?
Yes-120, No-98.
3-Should all householders in Schoharie County be required to separate all recyclables for collection?
Yes-112, No-26.
4-Are you satisfied with the present requirements for waste recycling?
Yes-80, No-141.
5-Should Schoharie County employ a full time District Attorney?
Yes-155, No-56.

State
1-Do you favor lowering the drinking age to 18?
Yes-55, No-178.
2-Do you favor the death penalty?
Yes-156, No-65.
3-Should Casino gambling be legalized?
Yes-73, No-157.
4-Do you favor electing State Supreme and County Court judges?
Yes-190, No-32.

Federal
1-Do you favor outlawing semi-automatic weapons?
Yes-146, No-88.
2-Do you favor a constitutional amendment to prohibit public burning of the American flag?
Yes-132, No-99.
3-Do you favor a constitutional amendment prohibiting abortion?
Yes-53, No-166.
4-Do you favor the selection of David H. Souter as United States Supreme Court Justice?
Yes-112, No-49.
A handwritten note at the bottom of the survey notes that there were 73 additional responses from outside the county, 10 from three other states, and one from Canada.