Repoman's Moot Points

Cold Temps, High Spirits

2012-02-12T17:23:00.000-05:00

The annual "Polar Plunge" fundraiser for the Special Olympics took place today at Charlotte Beach. There were over 1500 plungers including an 83 year old former Rochester City Police Officer, and an equal number of spectators and volunteers.

The event raised around $250,000 for the Special Olympics. The event is the brainchild of Sal Gerbino, a former Gates Police Sergent and long time supporter of the Special Olympics. Sal started 12 years ago with 48 plungers raising about $1,000. Today the event has grown to enormous proportions and the participants came from all across the area and from all walks of life.

One thing was true this year, the "polar" was really evident. The wind was whipping, snow falling and lake Ontario had whitecaps and breakers. The cold temperatures did not dampen the enthusiasm. The participants had fun and did a good deed for a great cause.

Gates' Boom Continues

2012-02-09T18:13:00.003-05:00

Despite the economic doldrums across the State and the region, the Town of Gates continues to be a hub of economic development.

Today's Democrat and Chronicle reported on the expansion of Closing, USA, a real estate and title company which is moving into the Rochester Tech Park and adding about 100 new jobs. This comes on the heels of expansion of the Sutherland Group (400 jobs), the Quaker Steak opening (100 jobs) and the expansion of Precise Tool on Cherry Road.

The Tech Park is now over half full (and remember, we are talking about a huge facility; it was built to hold 26,000 employees). There have also been a number of upgrades of many properties in the town, such as the Wegman's office building on Chili Avenue and storefronts in the Gates Plaza and Tops Plaza.

Future developments include the opening of Jeremiah's restaurant and the possible construction of a Fast Track gas station/convenience store. There have been preliminary discussions regarding hotels and residential developments, too. Finally, an unconfirmed rumor has it that the Seneca Nation has the Tech Park on its short list for possible casino sites.

Gates has always been the geographic center of Monroe County. Now it is becoming the economic center, as well.

UPDATE 2/10/12:

I spoke with Supervisor Assini this morning and he informed me that Gates' businesses have added a net of 1600 jobs in the past 14 months. And unlike the jobs allegedly created by the Obama Administration, you can actually find these 1600 workers in the Town of Gates.

No "Obama Moment" For Kodak

2012-01-22T17:42:00.001-05:00

The Kodak bankruptcy has understandably been big news in Rochester, but given Kodak's iconic status, it has also made news across the country.

This is a sardonic take by Henry Payne in the National Review Online about the way the Obama administration operates, using the Kodak B/K as its basis. To be fair, Kodak would not have been a business which really justified a bail-out, but Payne is correct on the point that since Kodak is a non-union shop, the idea would never have come up in the current administration.

Pressure By Any Other Name

2012-01-12T21:22:00.000-05:00

Today's Democrat & Chronicle indicated that "pressure" was being applied on the MCC Board of Trustee's to decide on a location for their downtown campus.

I thought they already decided.

The "pressure" the D&C was describing was the building owner's threat that if a new lease isn't signed at the Sibley Building, MCC may be out. Obviously, MCC needs a location until the Kodak site is ready (which would not be for 2 years).

Pressure? Sounds like extortion.

Is Santorum For Real?

2012-01-07T12:53:00.000-05:00

After scoring a dead heat with Mitt Romney in Iowa, Rick Santorum is the latest "non-Mitt" candidate to catch fire. Will he last? Charles Krauthammer seems to think so.

Krauthammer, writing in the National Review Online, called Santorum "an admirably worthy conservative alternative" to Mitt Romney. Many have derided Santorum because of his very sharp social conservative views. But I wonder if Krauthammer is on to something with his view that conservative "Reagan Democrats" may be looking for someone who does hold to some old-fashioned bedrock social viewpoints. Those voters have seen "Occupy Wall Street" and they are not impressed.

Several years ago, I sent Santorum a few bucks as he tried unsuccessfully to hold his PA Senate seat. I hadn't thought much about his chances as a GOP Presidential nominee. A few weeks ago, a friend gave me a link to a website where you answer questions and it tells you which candidate you most agree with. I expected it to say Newt Gingrich, but I was surprised to learn it was Santorum. I would not have thought so, because I don't consider myself a strident social conservative. But after looking at some of his other views, I realized that I did support quite a bit of his "platform"

It remains to be seen if Santorum is a contender or a pretender. But I think Krauthammer may be correct in his assessment that Santorum is "the first challenger {to Romney} to be plausibly presidential: knowledgeable, articulate, experienced, of stable character and authentic ideology". Time will tell.

Assault on Gingrich Shows GOP Establishment Wants Romney

2011-12-22T02:33:00.002-05:00

In the last few weeks, Newt Gringrich rose rapidly in polls of Republicans regarding the GOP Presidential nomination.

Right on cue, the attacks from the usual suspects in the liberal media began. They went after Gingrich the way they had with each GOP contender who rose to the top.

But with Newt, there was another phenomenon. He was also attacked savagely from the GOP itself. The National Review, George Will, the Wall Street Journal, and Glenn Beck all opined about why Newt would be a bad choice. Even Rush Limbaugh warned listeners that they should not make a choice because they want a candidate who is articulate and will do well in debates.

I guess this all stems from the belief among mainstream Republicans that Mitt Romney has the best chance of beating Obama. And, as we all know, nothing is more important than beating Obama.

Well, I'm not so sure.

I want to see the President turned out of office as much as anyone on the right. He has been a disaster and four more years of Obama would be ruinous for the country. But would we really be better off with Mitt Romney as President? In some ways, the obvious answer is yes. Surely, a President Romney would take steps to cut government spending, slow the growth of government and restore many of the tenets of Capitalism.

So why don't I trust him? Why do I feel that he is a George H.W. Bush clone; a guy who will say "read my lips" but when push comes to shove, will cave in to "moderation"?

I think that Romney is just one more "go along, get along" Republican who will try to find "common ground" with the Democrats. In doing so, he may slow the runaway train that is our government, but he won't stop it. I fear that the politicians and pundits in Washington still don't get it. We are at the end of the line. The cliff is looming and we can't just slow down the train; we have to turn it around.

If that is the kind of President the GOP elects, the GOP may be finished, because the Tea Party will abandon the Republicans and start to nominate their own candidates. Romney could be the guy who turns the GOP into the 21st century version of the Whigs.

Democrat and Chronicle Continues to Sink

2011-12-22T02:06:00.000-05:00

The reporting on the reasons behind Mike Green losing his Federal Judgeship display the D&C at its worst. They have made no effort to find out what really happened, but instead allow the implication to hang that local Republicans somehow caused it. They know better, but it serves their partisan purposes to protect Green from harm if the real story gets out.

Rumors abound regarding why the nomination was scuttled. It was not, as I initially thought, due to Republican Senators trying to tweak Chuck Schumer. Instead it appears that questions regarding green's personal conduct and ethics may have been raised. Certainly, if it was just normal D.C. politics, President Obama would be re-submitting the nomination. But Green's name will not be re-submitted.

In a city with a real newspaper, that would be a story that reporters would want to investigate. But not in Rochester, with our party organ paper.

Random Thoughts

2011-11-30T20:09:00.000-05:00

Mitt Romney:

How bad does this guy have to feel? Has there ever been a front runner for a Presidential nomination so disliked by his party? Victor Davis Hanson called him the "Castor Oil Candidate" since most of his "supporters" are planning to hold their noses and swallow when it comes time to vote for him. I guess I'm one of them. I will probably vote for him, but I'm not going to like it.

Herman Cain:

Enough already! At this point, I can't listen to the guy anymore. He is starting to make Bill Clinton look like a priest.

Sandra Doorley:

So much for that tradition of non-partisanship in the District Attorney's office. Its great that she didn't even wait until her regular term started up to drop the axe on GOP ADAs. Look, she's entitled to have a loyal staff of her choosing. I just wish the Democrat & Chronicle could report the news in town with a semblance of fairness.

Democrat & Chronicle:

Speaking of the D&C, I wonder how long it will be until Sandy Frankel gets a job in Albany, and, when she does, will the D&C run a periodic column titled "What are Bob and Sandy Doing"?

It Wasn't His Night

2011-11-16T23:23:00.001-05:00

On further review, my concern regarding a lack of East Side GOP support for Gino Nitti in the Monroe County Court race appears to have been unfounded.

A close look at the numbers shows mostly minor differences in the vote on the GOP line on both sides of the Genesee. There appears to have been no basis for my concerns.

It simply looks like there weren't enough votes in the GOP suburbs to overcome the big Democrat majority for Randall in the City and Brighton. I guess Monroe County voters just wanted to hedge their bets. They went big for Maggie and the GOP Legislature candidates but shied away from Nitti and Taylor.

Given my erroneous snap judgment, I surrender my "political scientist" license.

Hanson: Fat Lady Hasn't Sung Yet For USA

2011-11-16T20:39:00.001-05:00

Victor Davis Hanson has always been one of my favorite columnists. I think its partly because he is an historian and he is able to view current issues in light of historical perspectives.

In this essay from the National Review Online, Hanson reminds us that things have looked bad for America before but we have always pulled ourselves up by the bootstraps and held our place in the forefront of nations. He notes that we have serious problems today and that many commentators see China as our inevitable successor. But he also points out, that at other times of economic trouble, those same pundits thought that Germany or the Soviets or Japan or the EU would supplant the US. He also calls out our many strengths as a nation.

Here are two paragraphs:

"We forget sometimes that there are a host of small, vulnerable nations that apparently still assume that the United States, alone, can and will come to their aid. Without America, it is hard to see how Israel can survive, or that Kurdistan would ever have become autonomous, or that bankrupt and vulnerable Greece will have independence of action in a tough neighborhood, or that Taiwan will continue as we have known it. No one is talking about the defense of Europe as it implodes — apparently on the supposition that NATO is de facto American and will continue to protect the continent from outside threats and discourage historical tensions from within. The truth is that in the decades ahead, weak and vulnerable states will look to the U.S. military as never before.

A billion adolescents worldwide are growing up with Apple iPhones, iPods, and iPads; with Facebook accounts, Amazon online ordering, Google searches, and Walmart discount purchasing. These are not Russian, French, Chinese, or Japanese companies, but American inventions that uniquely appeal to the human desire for economy, ease of use, wide choice, informality, and transparency. No other country could have invented them — or the next generation to come. The idea of a Chinese-invented Google is a paradox, a Russian Facebook a joke, a Japanese-inspired Walmart impossible."

This is VDH at his best. He's telling that its too soon to throw in the towel. Its worth taking the time to read it all. Trust me, you'll feel a little better about our prospects.

Did Nitti Suffer From "East Side/West Side" GOP Divide?

2011-11-10T22:23:00.000-05:00

I have to wonder if Gino Nitti's County Court race crashed on the rocks of the East Side/West Side split among Monroe County Republicans.

I haven't really looked close enough at the numbers in the canvas, but a quick look at the results in Pittsford, Perinton, Penfield and Mendon seem to show that Nitti under-performed other GOP candidates (including Bill Taylor) in those Towns. I won't fully jump the gun until I can thoroughly look at the canvas, but Nitti would not be the first County-wide candidate from the West Side to get a cool reception from East Side Republicans.

I'll be back after the week-end with a more definitive review.

Swan Song For Swanton

2011-11-10T22:10:00.000-05:00

I saw Sue Swanton as I picked up the vote tally at Hidden Valley on Election Night. Sue was working as a Democratic Party election inspector/site chair.

This was Sue's last election in Gates. She bought her family home in Rush and she will be moving shortly.

Sue was a three time candidate for Gates Supervisor and long-time Gates Democratic Party leader. In fact, Sue resurrected the Democratic party in Gates and turned it into a formidable organization. In 2007, she came within a small number of votes of unseating GOP legend Ralph Esposito.

I have been involved in Gates politics for 30 years and Gates GOP leader for 20. I have seen a number of Democratic party leaders and candidates over those years. Sue was head and shoulders above the rest. I did not agree with her on many issues and we exchanged a few cross words now and then, but Sue did make the Democrats a party to reckon with.

I wish her well in her new endeavors, but I won't miss her as a political opponent. On the other hand, the Gates Democratic party already misses her.

Muscato v. McIntee

2011-11-10T21:50:00.001-05:00

One of the most interesting facets of this year's Gates' election was the "interplay" bewteen Democrat candidates Frank Muscato and Mark McIntee. Muscato is the current Democrat leader and previously unsuccessful candidate for the County Legislature. McIntee was the lone Democrat on the Town Board.

I was quite surprised when Muscato announced that he would be running for a Town Board seat. I assumed that even the most optimistic person realized that Chris Diponzio was a mortal lock to win re-election and that neither Muscato nor McIntee could beat him. As such, Muscato had to believe he could beat McIntee, otherwise, there was no point in running.

Even if Muscato wasn't aiming to unseat McIntee, his candidacy did hurt him. I know that a certain number of people think its a good idea to vote for one Democrat and one Republican in a Town Board race. If McIntee was the only Democrat running, he would have received all of those votes. With Frank in the race, those votes were split up, lowering Mark's possible best result.

Further, Muscato's being in the race led to McIntee running the wrong campaign. If he ran alone, Mark could have claimed that as the Democrat "watchdog" on the Board, he kept the GOP in line. He could have tried to take credit for many of the good results garnered by the Town Board, like tax cuts, budget surplusses, economic development and the new Library. (In actual fact, Mark was a pretty toothless watchdog, voting with the GOP majority well over 90% of the time; but it would have been a good campaign posture).

Instead, as Muscato's running mate, McIntee was reduced to making arcane arguments regarding the use of the proceeds from the sale of the Public Safety Building, the execution of the Library lease, and the hiring of ...gasp!... a Republican!... as Deputy Town Clerk. That negative campaign went absolutely nowhere and contributed to the nearly 2 to 1 thrashing the Dems took at the polls.

When Frank Muscato announced his candidacy, I asked Mark why Frank didn't like him. Mark scoffed at the question. Given the way things turned out, maybe Mark ought to be asking that question himself.

Gates: GOP Wins, Dems Whine

2011-11-10T21:11:00.002-05:00

The Gates GOP candidates were all easy winners in Tuesday's election; meanwhile the Democrat losers could only whine about their defeat.

Mark Assini and Chris DiPonzio were re-elected to second terms as Supervisor and Town Board member, respectively. Dick Warner and Sam Valleriani were elected in first time runs for Town Board and Town Justice. Steve Tucciarello won a third term in the County Legislature's 4th District and Tony Micciche knocked out Democrat incumbent Steven "the Artiste" Eckel in the 26th.

DiPonzio and Warner bested Democrats Mark McIntee and Frank Muscato for their Town Board seats. McIntee and Muscato were both quoted in the Gates-Chili Post as lamenting the loss of "checks and balances" in Town government and failure of turnout by voters.

The Democrat's problems with the voters were amply displayed by their lame and self-absorbed whining. The people of Gates spoke (rather decisively, at that). The Assini administration is leading them in the right direction. The Democrat's campaign effort at denigrating the accomplishments of Assini and the Town government never gained the slightest traction. The only people concerned with the "process" instead of the results were Messrs. McIntee and Muscato.

Maybe the Democrats should stop talking, stop posturing and start listening to the voices of Gates residents.

Democrat & Chronicle Endorsement Surprise

2011-10-30T22:55:00.000-04:00

Like others in the local community, I was pretty surprised to read the D&C endorsements of both Maggie Brooks and Bill Taylor.

I have always thought that the D&C Editorial Board endorses GOP candidates who appear to be "sure things". That way, they can point to endorsements of Republicans to refute charges of bias. Using that analysis, Maggie was a likely endorsement, since it's fairly clear she will be re-elected. The Taylor-Doorley race appeared close, however. Plus, the paper had taken Taylor to task for what was deemed an unfair campaign ad.

This leads to one of two conclusions. One, the D&C figures Taylor is going to win so they may as well endorse him. The other is that Doorley's recent comments in the D&C interview and on the Lonsberry show (where she suggested the DA job was a "stepping-stone") pushed some of the D&C editorialists over the edge.

There is one other possibility. The D&C, like all the left-leaning organizations in town, is sick of losing. Maybe they have decided it's time for Joe Morelle to go. They may figure that if Morelle loses the DA seat, on top of all the other Democrat losses he's presided over, he'll be finished as Democrat County Chairman. They may believe that their endorsement will push Taylor over the top and Morelle out the door.

I don't know if that's their plan or if a Taylor win will finish Morelle. But as a Republican, I certainly hope Joe doesn't go!

Random Thoughts

2011-10-27T02:43:00.000-04:00

I've been away quite a while. I'm not sure anyone is still there. I'm going to make a concerted effort to post on a regular basis in the next few months. There has been a lot to write about but I just haven't had the time.

A couple quick takes:

I don't think anyone has turned his Presidency more into a permanent campaign than Barak Obama. Moreover, can you recall a President so bereft of original ideas that he has resorted to taking up whatever tripe the mob wants him to? For example, his pander to the 99 percenters over college loan debt is amazing. If this guy gets re-elected, our country has really lost its way.

Of course, one reason he could win is the GOP field. Talk about the seven dwarfs! Or is it eight or nine? It doesn't much matter, they don't add up to one solid candidate. Frankly, none of them impress me as serious, plain talkers. If Mitt Romney should become President, it might be bad news for the GOP. He strikes me as a caricature of a politician and a moderate. If he tries to govern like that (like the first George Bush) the democrats will be back in power in no time. I really would have preferred Chris Christie.

Meanwhile, is there a local election? I can't recall hearing or seeing a campaign ad for County Executive. If not for the D&C campaigning against the GOP's County candidates, the Democrats would have no campaign at all. They actually rehashed the Robutrad story last week......I mean, come on, man!

Finally, the local sports scene is hopeful for the first time in a long time. The Bills are looking pretty good. The new owner of the Sabres and Amerks is serious about winning and Syracuse actually has a shot at having football and basketball teams in the top 25 in the same year for the first time in decades. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Hanson Takes Obama To the Woodshed

2011-08-04T20:20:00.000-04:00

Victor Davis Hanson has had enough of our hypocritical and hyper-partisan President. Take a minute to read this post from the National Review Online.

Hanson calls out Obama for "sermonizing" about the need to reduce harsh partisan rhetoric while he is regularly guilty of just such conduct. Here's a sample:

"Obama’s inflammatory language and tough metaphors are not all that unusual in the American political tradition. But what is odd is that a habitual participant in brass-knuckles political combat should call for the sort of civility that he himself did not and will not abide by.

We are now engaged in a continuing debate about debt, taxes, and spending. Both sides have vastly different ideas about how to solve our financial problems, and they will continue to embrace tough talk to win over public opinion to their respective sides. We hope for the best argumentation but expect the worst — democratic politics being what it is. And President Obama, the past master of bare-fisted partisan invective, knows that better than anyone."

Have at him, Victor!

Democrat and Chronicle: Wrong Again

2011-08-03T11:20:00.000-04:00

Today's Democrat and Chronicle editorial is wrong on two counts.

First, its main thrust is that taxes on the "wealthy" should be raised. The editorial states that polls show a majority feel that the wealthy should pay more. Really, a majority of people in a country where almost half of them pay no income taxes think that such taxes on wealthier people should be raised. Who would have believed that?

The D&C Editorial Board, like all good liberals, would rather raise taxes on the "rich" that cut spending to responsible levels and balance the budget.

The biggest joke is the reference to Rep. Gifford's appearance on Capitol Hill to cast her vote on the debt limit compromise. The editorial concludes with this:

"Ironically, as the fractured House of Representatives voted on Monday, who should appear but Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. A gunman shooting the Arizona Democrat in January prompted dialogue about the harsh partisan rhetoric dominating Washington.

It shouldn't be too much to expect that after these contentious weeks, Congress and President Barack Obama can find ways to keep future debates more collaborative. Fed-up citizens should remind lawmakers of that while they're home."

I must have missed that D&C editorial criticizing VP Biden for calling GOP Congressmen
"terrorists" who were wielding "nuclear weapons". And they must have missed the editorial by Ruth Marcus of the Washington Post that was published on the same editorial page today. The one where she likened the GOP to "carjackers" who were "holding a gun to the head" of the President.

The D&C has been reduced to spouting liberal talking points and shameless hypocrisy towards partisan politics. If not for Bob Mathews column in the sports page, I probably wouldn't bother reading the D&C anymore.

Reality Check

2011-07-29T03:50:00.000-04:00

Victor Davis Hanson discusses the ways in which our country's debt crisis is causing us to think differently about the welfare state in this NRO piece.

His article details the changing perspectives that will affect us as the US simply runs out of money. Initially, it seems to be a rather sobering piece. But, as I read through it, I actually had a little epiphany. I had been suggesting that the country is lost to conservatives. But I think I agree with Prof. Hanson that as the effects of our debt crisis become widespread, our "tolerance" for PC and BS will drop.

Sadly, it may be our last hope for saving our economy.

Missing the Boat

2011-07-26T14:35:00.000-04:00

That is how New York State is described in this Wall Street Journal opinion piece.

The article details the different ways the states of Pennsylvania and New York have dealt with natural gas extraction from the Marcellus Shale formation which sits below both states.

New York is foregoing billions in revenue and thousands of jobs. Why? Because rich environmentalists living in New York City and misguided editorialists like those at the Democrat and Chronicle, have decried the process known as hydraulic fracturing ("hydro-fracking") as a threat to the water table.

So Pennsylvania rakes in billions and lures our young people across the border for jobs and opportunity while New York dithers and spends time and energy debating whether wind farms can be located in Lake Ontario to meet our energy needs. Like the author of the linked editorial, I'm not holding my breath for the Green Energy revolution.

This is the conclusion of the piece:

"Governor Cuomo has said he wants to lift New York's moratorium, and the state's recently released draft rules are a step forward. But they must still undergo legal review and a public comment period that could bar New York drilling for the rest of this year, if not longer. New York will also still ban drilling in about 15% of the state's portion of the Marcellus and impose more onerous rules than other states on private property drilling. Such bows toward the obsessions of rich, big-city greens explain why parts of upstate New York are the new Appalachia.

As they look across their northern border, Pennsylvanians can be forgiven for thinking of New Yorkers the way Abba Eban once described the Palestinians: They never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity."

Link of the Week: Mark Steyn on the Debt Ceiling

2011-07-24T06:39:00.000-04:00

Many aspects of the debt ceiling crisis have left people shaking their heads.

I am mostly amazed by the fact that the President and Congressional Democrats seem to have been given a pass by the media on the fact that they have made no actual proposals for debt reduction.

Mark Steyn discusses the situation in this great post from the National Review Online. As usual, Steyn makes his points with humor. I think, however, you can tell that Steyn actually finds the situation laughable, but not funny.

"Neither Explicit Nor Indecent"

2011-06-10T20:22:00.001-04:00

That was the description from Congressman Weiner's spokesman regarding the nature of the Twitter communication between Weiner and a 17 year old girl.

Really?

How long will this farce continue? This man is a disgrace and clearly unfit to be in Congress. And lets not kid ourselves, you have to be quite a lowlife to be unfit to serve in Congress these days.

Another Reason I'm a Conservative

2011-06-02T23:56:00.000-04:00

"Every sane person who eats bacon knows that bacon makes everything better".

That's the conclusion of this post, which discribes differing food preferences of liberals and conservatives.

I'd say that conclusion is indisputable!

I Have Some Questions

2011-06-02T23:39:00.001-04:00

Reading and watching the news lately, I have been wishing that some reporter would ask some follow-up questions. Here are a few:

To Kathy Hochul and many other Democrats...You stated that the Ryan/GOP budget would "end Medicare as we know it". Follow-up. Can you describe the services which constitute "Medicare as we know it" today and can you tell us how we can pay for those services going forward?

To Governor Cuomo and many Albany politicians...You stated that you support a 2% real property tax cap to reduce New Yorker's tax burden. Follow-up. Why don't you start with a State government tax and spending cap? And, how can you support a local government tax cap without mandate relief?

To President Obama...You gave a series of speeches to Hispanic-American groups regarding immigration reform, which included claims that the "border fence is complete". Possible follow-ups. Isn't it true that less than 20% of the US- Mexico border has an actual barrier? And why did you wait until you lost your Democrat majority in the House to begin your push for immigration reform? Is it because you are just pandering to Hispanics on the issue?

To Rep. Louise Slaughter...You told NRO that you are confident that Rep. Anthony Weiner, a fellow NY Congressman, did not share a lewd picture of himself via Twitter. You said “Why would he do a stupid thing like that? Anthony Weiner is as smart as a whip.” You also said “I don’t doubt for a moment that it was not him.” My follow up is, what do you know that makes you so certain?

To Rep. Anthony Weiner...You stated that you hired attorneys to find out who the "real sexters" were regarding your twitter post. My question, do you think they are the same people who really killed OJ's wife?

What's A Party To Do?

2011-05-30T13:03:00.001-04:00

That's the question that the GOP is facing on the Ryan Medicare plan. As Jonah Goldberg put it here, the GOP needs to convince the public that they have the right plan, or face extinction as a party.

That may seem to be somewhat extreme, but I think its fairly accurate. The GOP owns the Ryan Medicare plan and the Democrats are determined (in light of the Hochul victory in NY-26) to try to ride the "Medi-scare" horse back into power. Goldberg analogizes the Medicare debate to Ceaser's crossing of the Rubicon. His view, "the die is cast" and the GOP, like Caesar, must win or die. Here is a portion of his post:

"The simple fact is that the Democrats have their battle plan. It’s going to be Medi-scare every day in every way for the next 17 months. They are on autopilot. They are committed. Their die is cast. They have crossed their Rubicon. They have no desire to defend Obamacare, high gas prices, high unemployment, and a third Middle East war. They want — no, need — to be on offense because they have so much they cannot defend.

The question now is, “What are Republicans going to do about it?” Are they going to play the role of Pompey, the dissolute leader who didn’t want to fight? Or will they don Cesarean robes and join the battle head-on because they know they have nowhere to retreat? That is the political choice for the GOP: Win or die."

I hope that GOP leadership has the stomach for this fight. Frankly, I'm halfway to believing that this is the battle that will determine the fate of the Republic. Once again, I know I sound extreme, but lets face it, Medicare, Social Security, Medicaid, entitlement after entitlement, all broke. The report of the trustees was a real eye-opener (or, in a rational society, it would be). We don't have any more time to waste. This is a can that cannot be "kicked down the road". (For an interesting synopsis of the issue, check out this piece by Veronique de Rugy).

The GOP, in fact, the country, has crossed the Rubicon. There is no turning back. This is a battle which must be fought and must be won.

Very "Special" Election

2011-05-30T11:36:00.001-04:00

Well the votes are in and Democrat Kathy Hochul was the winner in the special election to replace "Shirtless" Chris Lee in NY's 26th Congressional District. Hochul defeated Jane Corwin and Jack Davis for the seat.

I'm sure that by now, most of you have heard that (according to Democrats) Hochul's win was a referendum on the GOP's medicare plan or (according to Republicans) that the result was simply a matter of Corwin and Davis splitting the majority conservative electorate allowing Hochul to slip in.

There may be some truth to both sets of "talking points" but my main impressions of the election were somewhat different. First, Corwin really ran a crummy campaign. She had a significant GOP enrollment advantage, so she may have figured she didn't need much of an effort to win. Further, her campaign worker's "ambush" of Jack Davis backfired incredibly. The video of the encounter was a massive embarrassment to the Corwin campaign.

Most of all, however, I was astounded by the nature of the campaign ads. I'm not a "negative ad" naysayer. Some "negative" ads are appropriate for exposing particular flaws or positions of an opponent. In this race, however, I rarely saw a positive ad. There were three candidates and yet there were few ads giving voters affirmative reasons why they should vote for any one of them. The three candidates mainly went on a round robin of attacks against each other. If I had been in that district, I might have considered not voting at all.

A final word on the medicare "debate". I do not think that this election was a referendum on medicare although it was an important factor in the race. The reason I do not think it was a referendum was because Jane Corwin never defended or promoted the Ryan/GOP medicare plan after she fell under attack for saying she would have voted for it. The lesson the GOP ought to take from this election is that they need to have clear and direct defenses for their plans or the Democrat demagoguery machine will grind them up.

Memorial Day

2011-05-30T11:16:00.000-04:00

I attended the annual Town of Gates Memorial Day service this morning.

I have been going to this event each year for over 20 years. I am happy to say that it has not become a "bother" but remains an event at which I am inevitably moved by a poignant story or two about men and women who gave that "final measure of devotion" to their country.

The numbers of veterans who attend have been dwindling. It appears that few Viet Nam era vets have joined the VFW's and Legion Posts around here. I imagine that the less than warm reception many of them received from their fellow citizens may have led them to keep their service history more private. I wonder if the veterans from our current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will feel differently, given that military is held in somewhat higher esteem today. I hope so.

I made sure to bring my kids go to this event, over the years, as well, (although my daughter now attends as a member of the High School marching band). I want them to hear the stories and see the aging veterans so that they may have some bit of appreciation for what these people did for us. Its so easy in our wired world to plug in to an ipod or laptop and ignore what is going on around us.

For 60 minutes, I am glad to take a break and quietly remember people who gave everything so that we could enjoy the many blessings of life. It is so very important not to forget what these people did for us.

Obama's Media Induced "Bounce"

2011-05-11T14:01:00.001-04:00

Many pundits have speculated that President Obama's decision to kill Osama bin Laden would lead to an increase in Obama's poll numbers. Some have gone so far as to say that this act has guaranteed his re-election.

Not so fast, please.

Most polls have showed a smaller than expected "bounce" for the President. I guess that after everyone went home from the parties celebrating the take-down of bin Laden, many went to buy gasoline and realized that it still cost $4.00 + per gallon.

Well, the main-stream media can't let their favorite liberal President down. They said he would get a bounce, and dammit, they got him one. An AP/GFK poll was released today which showed the President's overall approval shooting up to 60%! One small problem, though, the poll was heavily skewed to get Democrat respondents. Check out this post which notes that the poll had almost twice as many Democrat as Republican respondents.

That's what I like about our current media. If the news isn't telling the story they want told, they'll just make something up that fits their worldview.

As I've written many times, somewhere, Thomas Jefferson is weeping over the demise of the fourth estate.

RCSB Strikes Again

2011-05-11T13:39:00.000-04:00

The news today that Bolgen Vargas would be named as interim Superintendent of Rochester City Schools is quite amazing. An outside observer would have to assume that the School Board members are incapable of making a good decision regarding school leadership.

Teacher's Union President Adam Urbanski welcomed the news. Frankly, that's about all you need to know regarding the wisdom of this choice. Vargas is a former President of the RCSB and is currently a guidance counsellor in the Greece School District.

I don't like Tom Richards much, but I'd say the time for Mayoral control of the City Schools has definitely come.

The D&C Wonders About Gas Prices

2011-04-26T03:33:00.001-04:00

The opinion page of the Democrat and Chronicle often provides my first laugh or frown of the day. It was a laugh Monday morning with this editorial.

The editorial headline asked "what's behind rising gas prices?" The editorial board apparently thinks like the President that speculators are the culprits. I guess these guys never heard of supply and demand. The President's policies have made it virtualy impossible to explore for and/or drill for new oil in this country. That has an obvious impact. The President (and the D&C) do not want to accept that fact.

Meanwhile, President Obama congratulates Brazil on their new oil discoveries and suggests that we can't wait to be a customer. Why don't we look for our own oil? Oh, yes, I've heard the President say we only have 2% of the world's proven oil reserves. Of course, that's mostly because our domestic oil companies aren't allowed to explore in the US, once agin, due to left-wing politics.

President Obama is trying to distract the public from the high price of gas (and food) by blaming "speculators". I don't think its working. $4.00/gallon gas is dragging down the economy. It may well drag down the President, as well.

The Devil's Advocate

2011-04-26T03:16:00.001-04:00

I often feel the heat being an attorney who represents mortgage lenders. But after reading this PowerLine post I don't feel so bad.

Unlike the lefty "white-shoes" at King and Spalding, I remain willing to zealously represent my unpopular clients.

Prayer to the Blessed Virgin

2011-04-17T09:57:00.001-04:00

As you faithful (no pun intended) readers know, I am a Roman Catholic and I believe in the power of prayer.

I have made a prayerful request for intervention on my behalf by the Blessed Mother. The request includes a special prayer and calls upon the supplicant to announce his or her belief in the power of the prayer and in the Blesssed Virgin Mary, by "publishing" the prayer. The prayer follows:

O most beautiful flower of Mount Carmel, Fruitful Vine, Splendour of Heaven, Blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me in this my necessity. O Star of the Sea, help me and show me herein you are my Mother.

O Holy Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth, I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart to succor me in this my necessity. There are none that can withstand your power.

O, show me herein you are my mother, O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee (three times).

Holy Mary, Sweet Mother, I place this cause in your hands (three times).

UPDATE: The prayer's power remains intact.

Failure of the Fourth Estate

2011-03-31T22:18:00.002-04:00

I am really amazed by the complete abdication of journalistic standards by the mainstream media regarding coverage of President Obama and major political issues.

There are four items which really make me shake my head. First, the incredible turnaround by so many Obama apologists on his Libya war (or should I say limited kinetic engagement) policy. Some of them, like Andrea Mitchell and Jonathan Alter were almost pathetic in their attempts to rationalize their praise for Obama's "measured" and "nuanced" policy with their prior views on pre-emptive war ala Bushitler.

The other three are things not being reported. Despite the calls for civility in the wake of the shooting of several persons in Arizona, the media has gone silent in the face of partisan violence, intimidation and insult in Wisconsin. Why, you ask? Because the violence is by progressive unionists, not Tea Partiers, so in the minds of today's leftist media, it isn't a story.

Similarly, there are hardly any stories dealing with the staggering increases in gasoline and food prices. The price of gasoline has doubled since Obama took office. When Bush was President, there were two Congressional investigations into "price gouging" by "Big Oil", widely chronicled by the press. Today, hardly a peep. Apparently, the nation is taking the price rise in stride.

Finally, there was the ridiculous spectacle of Senator Schumer schooling his colleagues in the "proper rhetoric" for a phone session with reporters. Unfortunately for Chuck, he forgot to push the mute button and the reporters heard him telling the assembled Senators to characterize the GOP as extremists and to use other pejorative terms whenever possible. Of course the story was page one news, right? No, barely a mention and then only under the headline "How News Is Made". That seems to be the problem. Our current leftist media doesn't mind reporting news made to fit their partisan views.

Somewhere, Thomas Jefferson is weeping.

In Over His Head

2011-03-20T09:04:00.001-04:00

If you have ever read this blog, you know that I am not a supporter of Barak Obama. Despite that, I started off, like most Americans (including those who voted for McCain or others), wishing him well and hoping for positive results for the country. At this point, however, it is difficult to avoid the conclusion that President Obama is not up to the job.

The simple fact is that we elected a man who did not have sufficient experience or sufficient skill to be President. He campaigned skillfully, but now that he has had two years in office, we see that it was all tightly scripted smoke and mirrors. Left to his own devices, forced to make tough decision, asked to lead on divisive issues, he has proven to be the proverbial "empty suit".

Lately, this has become clear to many people. I have collected a number of articles below, by writers much more skilled than I, which outline some of the main criticisms of the President. Granted, the writers are conservatives who are no fans of Obama, but if you read the articles, you will recognize that they ring true.

Victor Davis Hanson of NRO: March 17th.
Mark Steyn of NRO: March 19th.
John Hinderaker of PowerLine: March 15th, March 18th, March 19th.
Charles Krauthammer of Fox News/WaPo/ NRO: March 11th, March 18th.

There were many more articles I could point to, but they all lead to the same conclusion. Jimmy Carter is starting to look good to a lot of people.

No Surprise

2011-03-20T08:24:00.001-04:00

The Democrat & Chronicle today endorsed Tom Richards for Mayor of Rochester. Why did they waste the ink? Was there anyone in the area who thought they might do otherwise?

The D&C has toed the party line since the beginning of the process to replace Bob Duffy. They touted the undemocratic "special election" plan that Democratic party bosses wanted, they kept silent when the City Council effectively decided on the plan during a non"Open Meeting" (oh, where was the "sunshine"?), and they have criticised Bill Johnson and his effort to derail the coronation of Richards.

Frankly, I don't really like Richards and I wonder what real accomplishments he has in government. He thinks highly of himself, but the problems Rochester is facing are going to require more than hot air to fix. While I don't care that much about the outcome, I am hoping that Johnson wins, because it will be a win for the democratic process over the Democrat party.

Finally, the D&C's performance on this issue, like so many other things it does, confirms that it is aptly named. Few would dispute that the D&C feels its high calling is to "chronicle" the Democrat party line on every issue.

Please, Sir, I Want Some More.

2011-03-13T11:58:00.000-04:00

No, I'm not referring to Oliver Twist, instead my heading refers to John Halstead, the President of SUNY Brockport. He wrote this essay in todays Democrat & Chronicle suggesting that SUNY tuition should be allowed to increase.

His essay outlined his arguments justifying a tuition increase. He also described the potential negative ramifications of a failure to do so.

I don't have a big quarrel with his argument about possible service cuts, but I think there is an underlying question that his essay left begging. I would like an explanation from an educator like Mr. Halstead regarding the reasons that college education costs have outpaced inflation by a factor of four. Are there some unique factors which have necessitated such cost growth? Everything costs more than it did 20 years ago, but the costs of higher education have skyrocketed. Details, please.

Mr. Halstead's arguments are reasonable if the current cost structure is reasonable. I'd like a discussion in that vein before we simply agree to more of the same.

Selective Sunshine

2011-03-13T10:04:00.000-04:00

Today's Rochester Democrat & Chronicle included a front-page story and an editorial dealing with open government issues.

Frankly, I have little sympathy for the D&C's sunshine agenda. Like almost all of its efforts, this one is partisan and is only aimed at targets that the Editorial Board thinks appropriate. As I noted in this recent post, the D&C only cares about openness when it will allow for a story critical of a GOP run entity.

Today, for example, the story and editorial deal with the difficulty of obtaining payroll information from local governments. For some reason, school districts were left out. If schools had been included, none of the 20 top earners listed in today's paper would have made the list. But school districts are one of the groups that are favored by the D&C, particularly since they fought Maggie Brooks and the FAIR plan.

As I noted in the post I referenced, the D&C's failure to criticise the City Council for its non-transparent decision to hold a special election, is proof that this paper's sun need only shine on its targets, not its friends.

Drowning In Red Ink

2011-03-01T17:56:00.000-05:00

Charles Koch writing in the Wall Street Journal, outlined some shocking numbers regarding the massive debt Americans face.

Read the whole thing, but here is the stunning fact from the piece:

"Federal data indicate how urgently we need reform: The unfunded liabilities of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid already exceed $106 trillion. That's well over $300,000 for every man, woman and child in America (and exceeds the combined value of every U.S. bank account, stock certificate, building and piece of personal or public property)".

That's 1.2 million for my family!

Seriously, how can politicians continue to advocate more spending in light of this crushing debt? Nero was a piker compared to our so-called leaders.

The Battle For Wisconsin Is A Battle For The Nation

2011-02-27T19:51:00.000-05:00

The effort by Wisconsin's Governor, Scott Walker, to rein in State Employee unions, has gripped the nation. It seems that most people grasp the significance of the struggle.

Frankly, many states, like New York, are going broke and one of the main reasons is compensation of public employees. At one time, public employees were underpaid versus the private sector, so enhanced fringe benefits made sense. Today, however, public employees have higher average compensation. Public employee wages and pensions threaten to bankrupt many states.

Clearly, the battle lines are being drawn. The Democrats strongly support the unions in this battle, because public employees, particularly teachers, are the backbone of the party. Republicans seem determined to get these unions under control, arguing that the system is broken and unsustainable. This fight may well be a defining moment for our nation.

Charles Krauthammer thinks so. Read his take on the issue from National Review Online.

Washington Claims Another Victim

2011-02-09T18:02:00.000-05:00

Fox News is reporting that Congressman Chris Lee is resigning over the "topless" picture of himself which was posted on Craig's List.

Initially, Lee denied having posted the picture, indicating his e-mail account was hacked.

Lee would be the second Upstate NY Congressman who resigned due to "personal impropriety" in two years, following Eric Massa's exit early in 2010.

He's No Mr. Smith

2011-02-08T19:22:00.001-05:00

Senator Richard Lugar, Republican (so called) of Indiana, had harsh words for Tea Party members who criticised his support of the new START Treaty with Russia and his votes in favor of confirmation of Obama nominees to the US Supreme Court.

Talking about how some tea partiers had criticized his support of the treaty, Lugar said, “I’ve got to say ‘get real’". He also suggested that votes against liberal justices would lead to difficulty in confirming conservative judges appointed by Republican presidents.

Wow, no kidding? Does he really think that might happen? Oh, yeah, it has been happening since Reagan nominated Bork. Has Senator Lugar been asleep?

Its pretty clear that Lugar has been in Washington too long. He is one of those "Washingtonians" who lose track of what the people who elected him really want. He "knows" more than "they" do. "They" just don't get it. "They" need to 'get real'.

No Senator, you're the one who doesn't get it. But I have a feeling that in 2012, you just may.

Super Bowl (Final)

2011-02-08T19:07:00.000-05:00

One last Super Bowl post.

This one is from Crabbylami. She outlines the real reason the Steelers lost Super Bowl XLV here. Karma is everything, you know.

Make sure you check out the picture of the Primanti Bros.-like sandwiches we ate. The food and the Iron City beer were the only highlights for me.

Super Bowl II

2011-02-08T14:10:00.000-05:00

Well, Aaron Rodgers is going to Disney World. And deservedly so.

Unfortunately, the Packers defeated my beloved Steelers in the big game. Rodgers was the main reason. He lived up to the hype and played a great game. Had his receivers not dropped several passes, he may have gone over 400 yards passing.

The Steelers never led, but they never quit. They fought right down to the wire and had a last chance to pull it out. Alas, it was not to be.

Congratulations to the Pack. They are deserving champions. I'm rooting for a rematch in Indy next year!

Super Bowl

2011-02-05T19:30:00.000-05:00

As you probably know, I am a long-time and dyed-in-the-wool Steelers fan.

Green Bay seems to be the favorite. I guess they are the trendy pick and Aaron Rodgers is the poster boy QB everybody wants to succeed.

I had wondered if I could root for the Steelers with Ben at QB. I found that I could and I do. Ben has proved to be a tough and tenacious leader on the field. I have found a way to respect that part of his persona, while reserving judgment on the rest.

I think that Ben Roethlisberger is the better quarterback. I agree with many, though, that he still has much to prove. Not on the football field, but in the field of life. He still needs to prove he has changed from the arrogant, boorish heel that he had been through his brush with the law in Georgia. According to many close to the team, he has changed his behavior. But the jury is still out.

I'll be rooting for the Black and Gold on Sunday. I hope they and Ben prevail. I also hope that Ben, like Michael Vick, has really had that sort of epiphany that allows a person to change for the better. I am rooting for Ben in that game, as well.

Gas Prices Going Up (Quietly)

2011-01-15T13:03:00.000-05:00

I travelled to New York by car this week and noted that the price of gasoline is well over $3.00 per gallon. Funny, there hasn't been much news about the increase.

The last time gas prices rose to these levels, Democrats like Sen. Chuck Schumer called for investigations to insure that the oil companies were not price gouging. I wonder why so little news this time around?

Could it be that the Administration and its media and Congressional allies don't want people to focus on any bad economic news? Could it be that despite protestations to the contrary during the presidential campaign, Mr. Obama is just a traditional liberal who thinks the price of gas in the US is too low?

I heard the inflation numbers yesterday. inflation was up at a higher rate than it has been for quite some time. The news report sounded an optimistic note, however. The report stated that if energy and food prices were not included, inflation only went up 1/10th of one percent. Gee, there's some good news. As long as you don't need gasoline or food, you don't have to worry about inflation!

Seriously, though, the increasing price of gasoline is likely well derail any recovery that may be underway. it seems that the price of oil is increasing and will soon reach $100.00/barrel. There is great concern in England and Europe. So far, that concern has not leaked out in the US media. But the fact is we all use gasoline. As the price goes up, the effects will be felt and those effects will not be positive. Keeping quiet about it will not save us (or the Obama administration) from the pain.

All The World's A Stage

2011-01-15T12:50:00.001-05:00

I realize that this post will go against the grain of the way we are supposed to act in the aftermath of the Tuscon tragedy, but I've never been that much of a PC guy anyway.

First, its been stated, ad nauseum, but all of the pundits who felt the need to blame the right for the shooting ought to be ashamed of themselves. They didn't wait to get any facts or even to learn of the final toll of victims. They just seized the opportunity to blame Palin, Limbaugh, Beck, the Tea Party and all of the other "usual suspects" for "inciting" the shooter due to "inflammatory rhetoric". Now that its clear that the shooter was not a right-winger, the lefty pundits have fallen back to their default position, gun control. They never tire of the same old stuff.

Second, the President's speech left me a little cold. Some have said that his speech was not the problem, but the crowd's "pep-rally" reaction that was to blame. But I have to disagree. This President cannot give a significant speech unless he has a large adoring crowd before him. The big difference between President Obama's speech and those given by Presidents Reagan and Clinton regarding the Challenger and Oklahoma City, was the setting. Reagan and Clinton gave their solemn but uplifting speeches from the Oval Office. No cheering crowds for them. Obama had to go to the scene, had to have t-shirts printed with a theme for his speech, had to give the speech in an auditorium. His words were fine, but the setting made the speech more about him than it should have been.

Third, the "no-aisle" idea for the State of the Union is pure BS. Maybe I'm a cynic, but I think its high time members of Congress spent their time and energy thinking up solutions to real problems, not trying to hold hands and sing "Kumbaya". This idea is nothing but show and is probably part of the Democrats' plan to keep the GOP from really trying to move its agenda. I expect to see efforts to do those things challenged as overly partisan, particularly in light of the "need to heal" after the Tuscon matter. Just do the job you were elected to do; leave the psychology to professionals.

Very Special

2010-12-16T22:29:00.000-05:00

The Democrat & Chronicle reported on the City Council's "informal" decision to use the Special Election process to select a replacement for departing Mayor, Bob Duffy. The Council met in a closed door "caucus" and took a vote intended to express intentions until formal action could be taken. Apparently, though, this "informal" vote is something the Council members intend to "stand by" until the formal vote

This situation is fascinating on many levels.

First, it's quite remarkable that the Democrats are so unconcerned about public opinion that they would openly defy the clear majority of Rochester voters who favor the primary option. I guess the saying "once burned, twice shy" really applies to our local Democratic party. The last two Democratic Mayors were not the choice of the party apparatus. It appears that the Democrats are not going to make the mistake of letting "the people" thwart their choice this time around.

Second, the fairly muted reaction of the D&C to this clear Open Meetings Law violation is quite telling. Unless James Lawrence does a critical editorial in the next day or two, nobody is going to bother reading the next big story he writes about the need for "openness in government". If the D&C only calls for "sunshine" when GOP controlled bodies are involved, its hypocrisy regarding local politics will be quite out in the open (pun intended).

Mr. Gantt Saves Taxpayers Money!

2010-12-16T22:09:00.000-05:00

Today's Democrat & Chronicle contained this story about Assemblyman David Gantt and other New York lawmakers filing to receive their pensions despite the fact that they will continue to serve in the State Legislature.

This is the infamous practice known as "double dipping", which was allegedly one of the things that Governor-elect Cuomo vowed to take if elected. (I'll not hold my breath). The practice is legal and both Republican and Democrat members have taken advantage of the opportunity.

I won't bore you with my criticism of Gantt and his fellow crooks. Radio, TV, blogs and water cooler commentary have all uniformly excoriated this practice. I simply wanted to remark on Gantt's comment that he was actually saving taxpayers money by taking the pension now rather than allowing it to continue to accrue. He's right that his annual pension amount will be bigger in five years if he doesn't start taking it now. But is this move saving us money?

Sorry, Dave, you're math is off. If you take the lower annual amount now, plus your annual salary, you will be taking more total dollars out of the system than if you waited and took only the "larger" pension later. I guess you applied the same math skills when casting your budget votes all these years. It all makes sense to me now.

Sign of the Apocalypse

2010-12-11T08:07:00.001-05:00

I know I'm getting old, but I really don't get Facebook, Twitter, etc. The whole world of texting, social networking, reality TV and the like, seem to be the realm of the young (but often, in my view, the inane).

In any event, this post by Crabbylami, pretty much sums up my view on the topic. The author has the same "mature" (read: older person's) take on the state of celebrity worship, reality TV and social networking. It's a smart and humorous piece and an enjoyable read. It will remind you of Erma Bombeck (if you're old enough to remember her columns).

Yes, We Do!

2010-11-27T17:24:00.001-05:00

That's my answer to the question in the title of this post by Joel Dreyfuss.

Dreyfuss questions whether or not we Americans are really interested in substituting the personal scrutiny and profiling of air travellers employed by the Israelis for the naked image scanners and intrusive "pat downs" used by TSA.

I say yes, let's do the obvious profiling that would actually protect us, rather than the fake, ineffective but "even-handed" scanning and/or pat downs we all now have to suffer through.

I don't want to get blown up any more than anyone else, but law enforcement works best when it can use all of its tools. Profiling is a valid tool. We should not take the best tool out of the TSA's hands. The current TSA methodology is a poor substitute which has been foisted upon us by political correctness.

Steelers vs. Bills: Live at the Ralph!

2010-11-27T17:04:00.004-05:00

Tomorrow, I am going to a live football game for the first time in some 20+ years.

When I last went to see the Bills play, the stadium was called Rich Stadium and I think Joe Ferguson was the Bills' QB. I'm pretty sure I would be more comfortable at home watching this on TV, but my kids have never been to an NFL game and, since they are both Steeler fans, we're going to Buffalo.

I'm expecting it to be a fun (if a bit cold) experience.

UPDATE: Those who saw the game know the Bills should have won it. The Steelers started strong but then went to sleep. This Bills team just does not quit. If their talent was on a par with their heart, they would be a formidable team.

Also, there were so many Steeler fans in the stands that the Bills may have wondered if it was an away game. There was even a Steeler vendor outside the stadium, selling terrible towels and the like. Its pretty rare that the vendors go to an away game and can still sell enough stuff to make the trip profitable.

GOP Beware!

2010-10-30T15:10:00.001-04:00

As much as the election looks like a big night for Republicans, they would be wise to be very careful interpreting the "mandate" they may appear to receive from Americans. This is Mona Charen's point in her NRO article entitled "GOP: Hold the Hubris".

The Republican party is likely to be the beneficiary of the Tea Party movement and America's rejection of Democrat over-reach. But the GOP should be careful not to assume that the Tea Party wants the same old, same old GOP policies. They don't.

I have read that certain Republican congressmen, who will likely become committee chairs, may be RHINO's. I have also heard that the GOP commitment to ending earmarks may be wavering.

If the GOP doesn't heed the voice of the American people, 2012 may be the year that the Tea Party throws them overboard. The Democrats will survive this year's thrashing; the GOP would not survive a 2012 purge.

The Real Deal

2010-10-30T14:36:00.001-04:00

We are all probably a bit cynical when it comes to politics and the impact of elections, but I truly believe that the election that is on tap next Tuesday is really as important as its being promoted to be.

It is clear in many realms of our lives there has been an erosion of personal responsibility. The "nanny state" has made wards and/or victims out of an increasing number of us. The number of people who are willing to accept responsibility for all aspects of their lives is actually decreasing as the amount and extent of government intervention in our daily lives increases.

It is quite clear that President Obama and the Democrat leaders of Congress took their election victories in 2008 as a mandate to dramatically increase the role of government in our economic and political lives. The stimulus and the health care bill were passed despite clear opposition from the American people. Frankly, the Democrats at all levels of government, basically told us that we should just mind our place and let them handle these important matters.

If the American people do not rise up and soundly repudiate Obama and the Democrats on Tuesday, I fear our chance to ever stop the inexorable march to the left will be lost for good. We are too close to the tipping point in America. If we don't stop the Democrats now, there will not be an America left as we grew up knowing it. It will become a European style social democracy (leaning towards a socialist state). As Reagan once said, "if America goes, liberty is lost because there is nowhere else to go".

As Tuesday approaches, I am hopeful and optimistic. I pray that the wave will surprise even those pollsters who predict a Tea Party victory. Failure in this is simply not an option.

GOP Judicial Sweep in Monroe

2010-09-15T00:27:00.000-04:00

GOP candidates for Monroe County Court and Monroe County Family Court swept the field in the Conservative and Independence Party primaries held Tuesday.

The winners included Vince Dinolfo, Jim Piampiano, and Vicky Argento in County Court races and John Gallagher in the Family Court.

Having these third party lines will greatly strengthen the GOP candidates chances of winning in the general election and since they defeated their Democratic rivals in these contests, it further bodes well for them in November.

Stunning?

2010-09-15T00:20:00.001-04:00

The New York Times used that term in this report describing Carl Paladino's rout of Rick Lazio in the GOP primary for New York Governor. The Times called Paladino's win a "stunning and decisive victory over his establishment rival".

But was it such a surprise? Lazio was a lackluster candidate perceived by many as a retread with little chance of winning. While I assume that most people have no illusions about Paladino's chances against Andrew Cuomo in the general election, it is clear that Paladino touched a chord with conservative voters in New York who have had enough of business as usual.

Christine O'Donnell's win over Mike Castle in the Delaware GOP Senate primary is more evidence that many in the Tea Party (and many in the GOP, as well) would rather vote for what they want in a candidate than focus solely on electability.

November should be interesting.

UPDATE - 9/15/10: The D&C weighed in this morning. The headline reads "Angry Voters Pick Paladino In Upset". It made me wonder what the mental state of the Lazio voters was. Resigned?

Chris Christie For President

2010-09-11T13:34:00.000-04:00

I have become a huge fan of Chris Christie, the Governor of New Jersey. This guy is the real deal. I have seen several video clips of Christie dealing with critics. He is consistently able to articulate his views both forcefully and fairly.

I love the fact that his opponents claim he is harsh. What that means is that he disagrees with them, exposes the hollowness of their arguments, and refuses to back down in the face of their criticism.

This guy should be the front-runner for the GOP nomination for President. He is the man for the times.

Check him out in the video at the end of this post. It is worth watching.

That Religion Of Peace

2010-09-11T13:03:00.001-04:00

Let me start off by stating that I think that the plan to burn the Koran was wrong-headed. There are far better and less inflammatory ways to make a point about 9/11, Islam and/or the Ground Zero Mosque.

I have been stunned, however, by the reaction of liberals in government and the media. Outrage, condemnation and fears of Islamic reprisal for the act. Funny, I never see such concern shown about how Westerners will react to acts of Islamic terrorism or insensitivity. There is little fear that we will erupt in violence over such things.

Ah, but Islam, that religion of peace, and its majority of moderate, peaceful, tolerant practitioners. Please don't burn a Koran or draw a cartoon image of Mohammad. Such acts will incite these otherwise benevolent and docile practitioners of this peaceful religion to violence and jihad.

John Hinderaker said it well in this post at PowerLine.

UPDATE: Victor Davis Hanson weighs in.

A Good Use Of Our Money

2010-09-07T13:55:00.000-04:00

Today's Democrat & Chronicle contains an article regarding President Obama's Labor Day speech on the economy.

The President is seeking a $50 billion spending boost to create new jobs. The story, as reported by the McClatchy Newspapers, indicated that the $50 billion spending plan was..."a move he (Obama) said will create jobs and which Democrats hope will improve their election prospects in November".

I realize that politicians use our money to bribe us and try to ensure their re-elections. I just never saw it stated so openly.

Once again, we get to see the disdain in which we are held by the Democrats and their media minions.

Ground Zero Mosque

2010-08-18T07:57:00.000-04:00

This issue seems to be a simple one to me.

There are certain truths we should agree on. First, Moslems have a right to practice their religion freely in this country, as do members of every faith. Second, a landowner has a right to build a structure and use it for any purpose permitted under applicable laws and rules. Given the foregoing, the Mosque proponents have a legal right to build the Mosque as and where they want.

That does not make it the right decision. Ground Zero is, for most Americans, hallowed ground like the Gettysburg and Pearl Harbor battlefields. Generally, memorials to those who sacrificed their lives there are erected at such places. I think it is fair to believe that the proposed Mosque and cultural center amount to a monument to a great Islamic "victory".

If the motives of the developers are pure, if it is true that they believe in fostering understanding and cooperation between Islam and America, then they should look for an alternative location. Putting the Mosque so close to Ground Zero, given the passions that have been stirred, cannot achieve those goals.

More Of The Same

2010-08-04T07:43:00.001-04:00

The Democrat & Chronicle reports this morning that we finally have a State Budget.

As we all know, the budget is over four months late. You might be tempted to think that the delay resulted from efforts to rein in spending and cut the $9 billion deficit the State is facing. If you did, you'd be wrong.

The budget "highlights" include the fact that State spending will increase by 7.6% and there will be over $1 billion in new taxes. One of the tax increases is the elimination of the exemption on sales taxes for clothing and shoes costing less than $110.00. That ought to help people with lower incomes struggling to balance their budgets.

I was particularly impressed by the fact that the one bi-partisan vote taken in connection with the budget was a 51-8 vote in the Senate to cap local government's ability to raise property taxes. This was largely symbolic since Speaker Silver will not bring the cap to a vote in the Assembly. Still you have to hand it to our State Senators. They clearly believe in limiting spending and taxation....at any level of government but their own.

New Day, Same Story

2010-08-01T09:02:00.004-04:00

The Democrat & Chronicle is, at least, consistent.

Today contained yet another story telling us that New York has too many local governments, special districts, etc. While that may be true, the fact that there are numerous taxing entities does not (as they imply) prove that those units of government are the main source of New Yorker's over-taxation.

As I have previously noted (e.g., here), I am sure that consolidation of some of those districts or cooperative service arrangements between them would save taxpayers money. My issue is that the D&C and certain politicians, (i.e., Andrw Cuomo) contend that this is New York's biggest tax problem. The consolidators have grossly oversold the tax savings value of consolidation.

The real taxation problem in New York is obvious to everyone who wants to face it. Our incredibly dysfunctional State Government in Albany is the problem. We have a Legislature that mocks its constituents by gavelling in and out of session without even trying to act on overdue budget legislation. We have a Governor who talks tough but fails to do anything concrete to force fiscally responsible action.

The D&C and others can try to keep the focus on the "big problem" of too many local government units but the fact is that the percentage of our total NY tax bill resulting from local government is peanuts relative to that resulting from the unquenchable need for tax revenue to support our Albany behemoth.

Partisan Decision-Making

2010-07-31T16:44:00.001-04:00

The recent decision striking down part of Arizona's new immigration law was a clear example of "result-oriented jurisprudence".

Judge Bolton simply ignored the proper basis for review of the Obama Administration's request for an injunction and reached the result desired by her liberal instincts. You can read scholarly analysis of the decision at National Review Online

My view is that the Obama administration is blind to the result of their "victory". This is yet another example of liberals in positions of power telling us "unwashed" that we don't know what's good for us. The President tells us that the Arizona law is bad and he sues the State of Arizona to stop its enforecement. This despite the fact that clear majorities around the country think the law is the right idea. A Rasmussen poll out today says that 68% of Americans believe we should complete a border fence.

I can only hope that in November the American people remind President Obama and Judge Bolton that we live in a democratic republic and that "important" people like them derive their power from the consent of the governed. And the governed can withdraw their consent!

Quick Thoughts on Green Nomination

2010-07-14T06:12:00.001-04:00

Monroe County DA, Mike Green, has been tapped by Senator Chuck Schumer as the replacement for retiring Federal Judge, David Larimer.

Many local observers will focus on Green's questionable and unsucessful prosecutions of Andy Moore and James Smith and the allegation that this nomination is the pay-off for those "political" prosecutions. Number me as one of those who feels that those prosecutions had a large political component. I was actually surprised that the Democrat & Chronicle story on the nomination acknowledged the controversey.

No matter what anyone thinks about the nature of those prosecutions, there is a bright side to the Green nomination for conservatives. Mike Green is not an ideological liberal Democrat. Not that long ago most Republicans expected him to be the GOP nominee for DA. Tom Cook and Steve Minarik decided otherwise, however, Green will not likely be an "activist" Federal Judge. His rulings are likely to reflect his moderate to consevative political background.

Given some of the other names under consideration, we could do worse than have Mike Green on the Federal Bench.

To Err Is Human

2010-06-03T21:34:00.000-04:00

Umpire Jim Joyce proved that last night when his bad call cost Detroit pitcher Armando Garralaga a perfect game.

But the real story is the fact that Garralaga had the grace and class to forgive Joyce despite what had to be a huge disappointment. Meanwhile, Joyce showed class by accepting the blame for his mistake.

As one person said "it gave the world a chance to see how adults are supposed to act".

Duffy: Unfinished Business

2010-05-31T15:38:00.000-04:00

I have been discussing Bob Duffy's run for Lt. Governor with friends and family. I have been fairly surprised by how many of them see this as a cynical, political move by Duffy.

Actually, it is not the run for Lt. Governor that they see as cynical, it is his former protestations that he was not a "politician" which has been exposed as bull and some of his policy initiatives, which now look like political ploys. Even the Democrat & Chronicle went from lauding his "ascension" to questioning his motives and asking what his departure will mean for the City of Rochester.

I'm not sure how to read this. I have nothing against the Mayor. I did not understand his sinking of Ren. Square or his plan to take over City Schools. I also don't think he's done anything notable to improve the City. He's been a pleasant guy, but he's done very little of substance and certainly nothing to have earned the incredibly fawning press coverage he got from the D&C.

Frankly, his legacy to Rochester may ultimately be that he sucessfully unloaded the Fast Ferry. Other than that, it hasn't been a memorable run. Maybe his term as Lt. Governor will lead to something more. Only time will tell.

Obama's Responsibility

2010-05-31T15:23:00.003-04:00

There has been a lot of criticism of President Obama lately. While I consider myself a fairly strong critic of the President, I think some of the recent charges go too far.

First, I've see a lot of commentary regarding Obama's taking a vacation in Chicago rather than laying the wreath at the tomb of the unknowns. I think this is a bit over the top. Both Presidents Bush took vacations on some Memorial Day week-ends. The President is entitled to some time with his family. Further, as I understand it, he is going to a ceremony at the Lincoln National Cemetery today. So, let's drop this one.

More notably, the President is coming under increasing fire regarding the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. I really have mixed emotions about this one. It is not at all clear that the Federal government could have done much in the wake of the explosion. I think people have outsized expectations about what a President and the government can do, in any event.

Perhaps that is the legitimate criticism of the President. He, like many of his Democrat colleagues, tout the almost unlimited ability of the Federal government to solve virtually any problem. Perhaps its fitting that he get some blame as the oil continues to spill from the damaged BP well and the Feds look helplessly on.

Still, like Bush with Katrina, I do not think it is fair to lay the entire matter at the President's feet. This is a true environmental disaster. We should take a close look at all of the reasons why it happened (including why our oil companies have to drill in deep water when there are shallow coastal areas, and remote land areas [like ANWR] where drilling is safer and easier, that are off limits). The response by the Obama Administration may ultimately be deemed insufficient, but at this point, I think its too early to make a definitive determination.

I am always afraid that people will stop listening if they think criticism is knee-jerk and unwarranted. I'd rather restrict my catcalls for Obama's clear and unequivocal mistakes (of which there are many). Lets keep our powder dry on weak issues so that our valid "indictments" of Obama are returned with a guilty verdict.

UPDATE: If you want to read some opinions which outline serious and damning criticism of the President, take a look at this and this.

Does He Really Want This Job?

2010-05-26T18:30:00.000-04:00

As you all know, Andrew Cuomo tapped Rochester Mayor, Bob Duffy as his choice for Lt. Governor. Since Cuomo is a lock, this is tantamount to saying Rochester is getting a new Mayor.

Still, I wonder why Duffy wants the job. The Lt. Governor slot is barely more than a ceremonial office. This job makes being Vice-President look like a super post. I suppose it lends some prestige to Duffy if he runs for higher office in the future, but I don't think that many Lt. Governors have risen to the top job.

On the other hand, given recent history, Duffy may believe that being next in line may be worth something. Maybe Duffy thinks that Cuomo may have a skeleton in his closet similar to those that ruined Elliot Spitzer and weakened David Paterson.

Meanwhile, I think everyone who thinks this appointment will help Upstate NY ought to reserve judgement. Stan Lundine was from Upstate. I don't recall all the benefits he brought us. Cuomo probably looked at prior year's polling results and noted that Monroe County was one of the few parts of the State where Dems don't do well in state-wide races. He probably figured that the Duffy nod would seal the deal in the only (relative) weak spot he was likely to have.

Finally, who will be Duffy's replacement? And, most importantly, who will become the D&C's favorite Democrat?

What's Good For The Goose

2010-05-20T20:45:00.000-04:00

President Obama and Mexico's President Calderon both spoke out against the Arizona Immigration Law. At least Calderon has an excuse. For Mexico, illegal immigration to the U.S. by excess workers is a safety valve. But what is Obama thinking?

I think its typical of his aggogance. He doesn't care that a clear majority of Americans do not support his ideas about comprehensive immigration reform. He knows they are just bitter clingers. He's sure that if he just tells us what he thinks enough times, we'll finally understand. He ought to check the effect that support for immigration reform had on George W. Bush's approval numbers.

But back to Calderon. He was interviewed by Wolf Blitzer. He initially criticised the Arizona Law, saying it violated human rights. Then, however, when asked by Blitzer Calderon if Mexican police asked people for "their papers", he quickly acknowledged that they did. Blitzer then asked if foreigners who entered the country illegally could stay in Mexico. Calderon all but scoffed, saying that they could not.

So, apparently, the law of a US State which is less severe than Mexico's law is discriminatory, while Mexico's Law is apparently fair and reasonable. I don't get it.

Does Michelle Know?

2010-05-14T07:19:00.000-04:00

President Obama visited the Buffalo area yesterday on his "White House to Main Street" tour. In addition to speaking with workers at a local factory, he stopped for lunch at Duff's, a popular Buffalo area chicken wing restaurant.

The President ordered 10 wings, french fries and onion rings. I was really shocked by his order, given the First Lady's commitment to healthy eating. This link will take you to the website outlining her plan to fight childhood obesity.

What kind of example is the President setting by eating high-fat, deep fried foods? He apparently believes that appearing to be a "regular guy" who likes to try local dishes, trumps his wife's efforts as a food Nazi.

I'm with him on this one!

Where's The Outrage?

2010-05-13T07:16:00.000-04:00

I have been travelling quite a bit by plane and car over the past few weeks.

Yesterday, as I filled my tank, I noted that the price of gas has climbed over $3.00/gallon, just about everwhere. Funny, though, I have not seen any stories in the media nor heard Chuck Schumer calling for an investigation. I distictly remember that the last time gas prices were this high, apoplexy swept through Washington and the news media.

So what's different today? (Yes, it's a rhetorical question.) Obviously, the fact that Obama is in the White House means three dollar gas is OK, while when Bush was in there it was an outrage (and probably a conspiracy).

I guess that with Obama in charge we should not sweat $3.00 gas; its probably all part of some plan of his to make the country better. I can't wait for $4.00 gas!

Kagan Appointment

2010-05-13T02:30:00.000-04:00

As everyone knows, Pres. Obama has nominated Solicitor General, Elena Kagan to replace Justice Stevens who is retairing from the Supreme Court. The nomination has drawn fire from both left and right. I assume that she will be affirmed, however. She seems to be intellectually qualified even though she was never a judge and she has a rather sparse paper trail. I have to assume that she will be a reliable liberal vote on the Court.

Frankly, this is one of the consequenses of Presidential elections. The President gets to nominate judges that he believes think like him. Appointments to the Federal bench are, in my opinion, the most long-lasting and material impacts of a Presidency. During his eight years as President, Bill Clinton appointed a vast number of liberal judges whose rulings have grave impacts on a wide range of issues that affect our lives.

This is the second Obama nominee. While Kagan, like Sotomayor, is a liberal, her confirmation will not markedly alter the make-up of the Court. Both she and Sotomayor replaced other liberals, thus the balance of the Court is little changed.

It is interesting to note that the "liberals" they replaced were both appointees of Republican Presidents (Souter by H. W. Bush and Stevens by Gerald Ford). Its ironic that many GOP nominees move to the left over the years. It never seems to work the other way.

Paterson Postures

2010-05-13T02:12:00.000-04:00

Governor Paterson finally made it official. There will be no special election in the 29th Congressional District.

That was no surprise, but the concerns Paterson alleged as the reasons for his decison were simply bull. He cited the cost of a special election and the possible dis-enfranchisement of members of the military.

Funny, but the costs did not bother him when we had special elections in other districts. The disenfranchisement claim is the real hoot. First of all, he's disenfranchising the whole 29th district by refusing to hold the special election. Moreover, if he was concerned that military members might miss out on the vote, how is it possible that he allowed a special election in the 23rd district, which included Ft. Drum?

The answer is simple: pure politics. The Democrats don't have a credible candidate, so Paterson wants to put off allowing Republican Tom Reed getting into the seat.

Paterson made up his "concerns" to cover the political basis for the decision. We're not that dumb, Governor.

A Closer Look At Property Taxes

2010-04-18T16:19:00.002-04:00

The Democrat and Chronicle had this story on the front of the Local section today. It is the latest installment in their long-running series of articles on the fact that propery taxes in New York are too high and that local governments should be consolidated.

At the outset, let me note my concerns that local property taxes, particularly school taxes, may be too high. But the treatment that the D&C gives to the topic in today's article (like most of their stories on the issue) is far too superficial and leaves many questions unanswered. Further, the statistics listed in the article are not given context which would help us determine their relevance.

The main stat in the story is that Upstate NY counties have among the highest real property taxes as a percentage of home values in the country. On its face, that seems like a damning fact. But how about some context? According to the National Ass'n. of Realtors, real property values in this area are in the bottom ten (10%) percent of values of the 150 largest metropolitan areas in the country (4th quarter, 2007). Given that fact, its not really surprising that taxes, as a percentage of value, are high.

The other regular feature of this type of article is the inevitable statement that property taxes in other states are far less than taxes here on the same value property. What the D&C has repeatedly fails discuss is what is in the basket of goods and services which local taxpayers receive for their money. In Gates, for example, my Town tax levy pays for police, fire and ambulance services, the highway department (plowing, street repair & maintenence, etc.), the library, the parks and recreation department and various other items. If I wanted to compare my taxes with those of someone in Virginia or North Carolina, I would have to know if all of those items were provided by the local government there, or if there were other taxes (for example, in Virginia where there is a personal property tax that covers some items our County property tax is earmarked for) or if there were private entities that provided those services for a fee. Only if we knew the relative cost of the same basket of goods and services in each location, could we make a fair comparison.

I would also like to see another statistic which I believe would be telling. I'd like to know the percentage of local taxes to total state and local taxes and where NY stands relative to other states in that vein. I pay substantially more in State income, sales and use taxes than I do in local taxes. I would be stunned if much more than 10-15% of my total state and local tax dollars went to local governments. When consolidation advocates statrt telling me we will save a lot by cutting down the number of governmental units, I'd like to ask them to show me the proof. We will still have the gaping maw that is Albany!

There is no question we are overtaxed in New York. I am sure that many municipal governments, particularly school districts, could tighten their belts. But in the end, I doubt there is as much disparity between local taxes here and in other states as people anecdotally believe. The real problem remains our State government in Albany. Until they stop spending money like there is no limit to our resources, we will continue to see our State lose people and opportunity.

Broder Misses The Mark

2010-04-18T08:21:00.000-04:00

David Broder penned this column today. In it he described the Obama presidency as one which will be deemed "an era of substantial but deferred accomplishments".

This is at least the second Broder column since the passage of "Obamacare" in which Broder, like so many inside the beltway pundits, has lauded the President's accomplishments and essentially predicted an Obama "comeback" in stature and effectiveness.

The strangest part of this column (at least to me) is that Broder used the President's recent nuclear arms summit as the basis for his views. Broder lauds the President for seeking "a nuclear free world" (I'll leave aside my view that this is more a bumper sticker slogan than a well-defined policy). But Broder goes on to discuss the summit as if it represented real movement towards nuclear arms reduction.

Obama has done little in the real world to stop the growth of nuclear weapons. Broder and others will point to his deal with the Russians to reduce the number of nuclear warheads. But the Russians only did that deal so that they would not have to replace obsolete missles to retain parity with the US. We got rid of useful weapons, they got rid of junk.

Further, I'd argue his inaction on Iranian nukes will lead to a nuclear arms race in the Middle East and virtually insure that terrorists get their hands on nuclear materials. The Israelis cannot let Iran actually develop weapons that the Iranian President says he will use on Israel. As such, Israel must inevitably attack the Iranian nuke facillities. The US has apparently decided it will not acquiesce in such an attack and has denied Israel the "bunker buster" bombs which it would likely have used in such an effort. That will leave Israel with only one choice; use tactical nuclear weapons on Iran. That will set off an effort by every major Middle Eastern arab nation to get nuclear weapons.

Broder though thinks this summit will have the effect of going dramatically further down the path of disarmament. After all, Broder noted that 46 nations sent representatives who expressed their assent to the goal. I wonder if some aging pundit in 1928 waxed eloquent over the banning of war as public policy when more than 50 nations signed the Kellog-Briand Treaty? That worked out well, didn't it?

Sadly, Broder is clearly past his prime. He is wrong on both his belief in the value of the nuke summit and the re-birth of the Obama presidency. I think the November elections should allow for a useful evaluation of what Americans think on this score.

The Rooneys Are Not Amused

2010-04-13T20:27:00.000-04:00

I am proud to be a Steeler fan today.

The Rooney's showed that some things are more important than winning. They think that character counts. Santonio Holmes was dealt for a fifth round draft pick after he violated the NFL's substance abuse policy again. This followed his drink throwing and DUI incidents. The Steelers said good-bye despite his prowess as a player.

Then they made it clear that Big Ben is also on thin ice. Unlike last year's denial speech, none of Steeler management backed up Roethlisberger while he gave his lame "I'm sorry, I was drunk", quasi-apology. Sorry Ben, this excuse isn't cutting it with Steeler management and many Steeler fans.

Ben has a lot of work to do to win back respect. He might start by staying out of college bars and hitting on coeds.

At least the Rooney's aren't just slapping him on the back saying "boys will be boys". I think that another incident will be strike three for Ben, no matter how good a QB he is. Letting Holmes go for a song was a pretty good indication that the Steeler's owners have a tolerance limit.

Good for them!

Failure To Connect The Dots

2010-04-12T14:04:00.000-04:00

This morning's Democrat & Chronicle contained a story about the nuclear non-proliferation summit being hosted by President Obama.

According to the story, one focus of the summit is to prevent the spread of nuclear materials to terrorists, who could smuggle same into the heart of a big city. The President is correct in wanting to keep nukes out of the hands of terrorists, but his actions belie his words.

The complete failure of this Administration to take serious steps to stop Iran from developing atomic weapons undercuts anything the President is doing to stop the spread of nukes. Does anyone doubt that Iran will provide nuclear material to Hamas or Hezbollah or Al-quida or the Taliban? Once Iran has nukes, terrorists will get the capability soon thereafter.

Nothing But Politics

2010-04-03T12:09:00.001-04:00

Governor Paterson announced last week that he was delaying setting a date for a special election to replace Eric Massa, who resigned his seat in NY's 29th Congressional District.

Paterson's statement indicated his concerns about the costs of a special election and the burdens it would place on County governments. What a crock! Paterson has been an Albany pol for decades. He never saw a dime he didn't want to spend. Why does he have "religion" now on the cost of a special in the 29th? Its simply because the Democrats don't have a candidiate.

The GOP's likely nominee, Corning Mayor, Tom Reed, has been campaigning and he has a fundraising advantage. The Dems are squabbling. David Koon announced yesterday that he was taking himself out of the race. Its simply not clear who they will run.

So once again we have the spectacle of Democrats deciding for us whether or not we get what we want. Gov. Paterson and the Dems would rather let the seat stay vacant, and allow the 29th to be unrepresented in Congress, than cede any advantage to the GOP candidate. They just don't care what we think and they don't care about what's right. They only care about power.

You Wouldn't Like Me When I'm Angry

2010-03-27T19:11:00.002-04:00

In the wake of the passage of Obamacare, several large corporations announced that the new law would have adverse effects on their health care costs and their bottom lines. Notably, AT&T announced that it was taking a One Billion Dollar write down against its revenues due to the effect of the repeal of the 28% Medicare Tax Credit which was contained in the law.

Well, the Commissars, oops, I mean the Democrats, are not amused. Henry Waxman and Bart Stupak have written to several of these companies and have asked them to testify before their Committee about how it's possible that the great blessing of health care reform they bestowed on us all could possibly have any negative effects. I guess the Dems think these CEO's got some 'splainin to do.

Andy McCarthy points out the pernicious nature of this effort in this NRO post. He calls our alleged leaders a "thugocracy". I'm afraid he's not far wrong.

Random Thoughts

2010-03-27T16:52:00.001-04:00

Health Care Vote; Where Do We Go From Here?
The election of 2010 may well determine what kind of country we live in and we leave to our kids. If incumbent liberals are ousted, America as a democratic republic and as the exceptional nation and last refuge of liberty may survive. If not, we will have moved irretrievably down the road to a European-style social democracy.

Violent, Racist Tea-partiers?
The "race card" has been so over-played that it is really beginning to lose its effect. No reasonable people believe the charges of the racial overtones of the anti-health care protests. The libs claims in this regard show how badly they want to change the subject from their arrogant power play in passing the bill. Its not working.

Show Trial?
The James Smith/Robutrad case seems weak from my perspective. It's clear that Smith was concerned about the impact of a criminal investigation on the GOP. I don't see how that translates to criminal behavior on his part. He did not stop the investigation. Furthermore, there is more than one way to deal with employees who violate work rules. Unless there is evidence that Smith had actual knowledge of criminal acts by Bob Morone and his crew (something more than over-long lunches at the Klassy Kat), and having such information, supressing it, I don't think he's guilty of a crime. Bad judgment, yes, a crime, no.

UPDATE: Take a look at this post by Philbrick at Mustard Street. He notes what a weak case exists against Smith, particularly on the main points of knowledge of criminal activity and efforts to cover up. Judge Gerace may well have come to the same conclusion that many observers have; namely that there really is no evidence of a crime here. I think there's a fair chance that he may dismiss the case.

Bad Judgment?
Speaking about bad judgment. Ben Roethlisberger is, at the very least, guilty of that. His being accused of sexual misconduct twice in eight months makes you wonder. He's 28 years old. Why is he drinking at college bars and (to euphemize) "chatting-up" co-eds? I hope he didn't do it, but either way, I've lost a lot of respect for him. He felt the need to hire the attorney who got Ray Lewis out of his murder accessory rap. Wow! Talk about keeping good company.

Reform Over Our Dead Bodies

2010-03-13T13:18:00.003-05:00

Despite overwhelming polling showing that Americans do not want health care "reform" as delivered in the current bill being debated in Washington, it appears that President Obama and Democrat Congressional leaders are determined to cram it down our throats.

Frankly, Obama and company have taken their statist, paternalistic views on government to their logical extreme. They "know" better than we do what is "good" for us, and, by God, they are going to give it to us whether we want it or not. I only hope that Republicans, Conservatives, and Independents pay attention to what is going on and call these arrogant "aristocrats" to task in November.

This is a very real problem that transcends the health care reform bill. Its an issue regarding the consent of the governed. There was a recent poll which indicated that less than 30% of Americans believe that our current government has the consent of the people. Meanwhile, the same poll found that approximately two-thirds of the members of Congress believe that it does have the people's consent. There is an obvious disconnect between our views and the views of those in power (plus, what does this say about the one-third in Congress who believe that the government they are part of does not have the consent of the governed; as one pundit put it "they apparently are not bothered by being tyrants"). Here's a video which discusses the poll and the book by Scott Rasmussen about the consent of the governed.

Seriously, we the people have the ultimate power; the power of the ballot box. The question is whether or not we will exercise it. If we don't do it soon, it may never happen. The changes being sought by Pres. Obama and the Democrats in Congress are intended to dramatically (and possibly, irrevocably) increase the power of government over our lives. The Tea Party movement appears to be a reaction to this arrogant power grab by the statists in Washington (as well as those in Albany, Sacramento and some other state capitols).

Are enough people involved? Can the movement be maintained? Let's pray that the answer is yes.

UPDATE: Sen. Brown gets it. See and hear his address on health care "reform". Here's an excerpt:

“Maybe you remember what President Obama promised in his State of the Union address. He said he was going to finally focus on jobs and the economy for the remainder of this year. I applauded him for that. Well, here it is, it’s almost spring. And what is he out there talking about again? That same 2,700-page, multi-trillion dollar health care legislation.

So, an entire year has gone to waste. Millions of Americans have lost their jobs, and many more jobs are in danger. Even now, the President still hasn't gotten the message.

Somehow, the greater the public opposition to the health care bill, the more determined they seem to force it on us anyway. Their attitude shows Washington at its very worst – the presumption that they know best, and they’re going to get their way whether the American people like it or not.

And, when politicians start thinking like that, they don’t let anything get in their way – not public opinion, not the rules of fair play, not even their own promises. "

Look at the whole address, its pretty much on point.

Tickle Fights? 'Nuff Said!

2010-03-13T12:40:00.000-05:00

Eric Massa denied charges he "groped" male staffers by telling Larry King that all he ever did was engage in "tickle fights" with his staff.

I'm happy to let that be the last word on the quickly becoming little-lamented end of former Congressman Eric Massa's tenure.

Massa Resignation Fallout

2010-03-06T16:35:00.000-05:00

Well, Eric Massa has gone from not running for re-election to resigning in the space of 3 days.So much for the "health scare" theory. It's pretty clear that Democrat leaders did not want Massa staying in office for the rest of the year, threatening to turn his sexual harrassment problem into a "Foleygate".

More interesting to me is the flurry of interest from so many politicians, in both parties, to become the person who replaces Massa. Local contenders include David Koon, Susan John and Sandy Frankel on the Democrat side and Maggie Brooks, Randy Kuhl, and Brian Kolb from the GOP. There is also lots of interest by Democrat and Republican office holders in the Southern Tier, as well.

I initially wondered why Maggie Brooks would be interested in this spot when the likely result (after the Census is reviewed) will be the elimination of the 29th Congressional District. From that perspective, it might seem that Randy Kuhl is a more obvious choice, since he is already at the end of his career. Maggie Brooks, on the other hand, seems to have more of a potential future (although GOP prospects in New York do not seem good in the longer term).

Maggie would be a great candidate and a great Congressperson. She can raise money with the best of them and altthough she's relatively unknown in the Southern Tier, she has both a warm and dynamic personality which would quickly win over support. She would be an articulate and effective spokesperson for our district.

There is some risk in such a run, however. If Maggie were to run unsuccessfully, it could damage her prospects in seeking re-election as County Executive. Another potential consequense of a run by Maggie, could be a succession controversy with regard to the County Executive slot. Several names have bubbled up as possible replacements, including Cheryl DiNolfo and Joe Robach, among others.

The fact that we will now have a special election makes the situation all the more interesting. The 29th should be a GOP seat. Massa won it due in large part, to "Bush fatigue". Randy Kuhl had been a very staunch supporter of the President's Iraq policy. The seat should go back to GOP hands due to both the enrollment advantage and the clearly growing "Obama remorse" factor.

All in all, it makes for an exciting time in local politics!

Comment Problems Continue

2010-03-01T23:49:00.000-05:00

As I wrote back in December, I was having problems with "spam comments". I went to word verification in an effort to stop it. Last week I encountered a new problem. A comment posted on the blog turned out to be a gateway to Asian pornography sites.

Since I really do not want to expose anyone to anything offensive (other than my opinions), I have gone to comment moderation. I will review the comments before they appear so as to block offensive material.

Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause. Please note that I will not block critics. Frankly, I enjoy the contrary points of view most of all.

That Was Fast!

2010-02-22T17:42:00.000-05:00

Did you notice the letter to the editor in this morning's Democrat & Chronicle criticising the "Gang of 41"? The author of the LTE complained about these GOP Senators who sit around and do nothing but "say no" to everything.

I realize that the Democrats intend to paint the GOP as "the party of no", but isn't a little quick to go after the "Gang of 41"? The gang has only existed for about a month. I don't think there have been any major votes in the Senate since Senator Brown was sworn in.

Maybe when Democrat operatives distribute talking points to their minions, they ought to put dates on them so that the criticism doesn't come before the conduct being complained of.

Consolidation Panacea

2010-02-14T07:47:00.000-05:00

This week's Messenger Post newspapers contained an editorial that lauded the consolidation of Nazareth Academy and Aquinas schools and indicated the belief that consolidation of schools and churches, like that of government, was a wise and good thing. This view is shared by the Democrat & Chronicle editorial board which last week had its own editorial in support of the Rochester Catholic Diocese's decision to consolidate schools. The D&C similarly noted that the school consolidation was a good example for local governments to follow.

The missing fact from these stories is that the reason for consolidation of churches and schools in the the Catholic Diocese is declining enrollment. There are too many churches and schools for the community that wants them. The consolidations in the Diocese include the closure of unneeded or under-utilized schools and churches. The analogy to government is not clear.

Is there really a decline in the need for public services? Not really. The impetus behind consolidation efforts in our area has been, and remains, the fact that the City of Rochester is a failing (failed?) entity that cannot afford the services (most notably, police services) that it wants to provide to its citizens. Consolidation is a way to capture the tax revenues of suburban communities and transfer those revenues to the City.

How will this be accomplished? Very simply. The public services now enjoyed by those suburban communities will be reduced. In my Town of Gates, for example, the 4-5 police cars which currently patrol Gates 24/7, will be reduced to 1 or 2 per shift under consolidated government. Those other cars will be moved to parts of the community which have a "greater need". Unfortunately, the savings which are promised by consolidation advocates will be negligible, because, unlike the Diocese example, services and personnel are not being cut; for the most part, they will be shifted.

Don't misunderstand me. I believe there are many opportunities for consolidation of municipal governments. I can think of little reason for the existence of certain special districts which encompass entire towns. It is likely that water, sewer and lighting districts could be absorbed by town or county governments and some administrative savings might result. Fire and ambulance districts often overlap and some duplicate services. Where there are obvious duplications, consolidation may be warranted.

My problem with consolidation advocates is that they imply that New Yorkers will no longer be over-taxed if we just got rid of these unneeded local goverments. That's nonsense! We are overtaxed because of our bloated, inefficient, partisan and self-interested State government. Moreover, the proponents of consolidation never admit that they have the ulterior motive of transferring tax revenues and services to the failing entities (usually cities) and away from largely successful and prosperous ones (usually towns and villages). Further, people have the right to as much service as they are willing to pay for. Consolidation advocates want to take that right away from people and create larger regional governments that will "do what's best" for a greater number of people. That's code for taking my money and giving it to someone else.

I wish the consolidation debate was an honest one. Let people understand that the choice is somewhat lower costs along with a greater loss of services. More than that, I wish consolidation advocates could acknowledge that as long as there is no reform in Albany, New York's taxation and spending problems will remain serious and that the savings from the merger of a couple of municpal governments will be a drop in the bucket.

When Will We Ever Learn?

2010-02-12T08:18:00.000-05:00

Have you seen the report that President Obama is now "agnostic" regarding taxing incomes under $250,000?

Has there ever been a presidential candidate who promised to cut or restrain taxes who did not break that promise due to "the realities" of being President? George H.W. Bush told us "read my lips, no new taxes"; two years later he was "forced" to raise taxes to reduce deficits. Bill Clinton said that he'd give a "middle class tax cut"; he wasn't in office three months before he told us that despite trying as hard as he could, he just could not find a way to keep that promise.

Candidate Obama repeatedly and adamantly promised no taxes on incomes under $250,000. Instapundit has video of the pledge here. Now, President Obama is appointing a "blue-ribbon" panel to deal with the budget. "Everything has to be on the table", according to the President, so apparently, if his panel tells him he must raise taxes across the board, he will be compelled to do so.

In the future, I certainly hope that no one casts his/her vote on the basis of a tax promise, unless, that is, the promise is like the one Walter Mondale made, to raise taxes. That's a promise that would have been kept!

The Kennedy Seat

2010-02-12T07:52:00.000-05:00

This morning's Democrat & Chronicle contains a report that Patrick Kennedy won't run for re-election to his Rhode Island House seat. Kennedy said "his life is taking a new direction" outside of politics.

Philbrick at Mustard Street has what I think is an accurate take on the story here. He thinks Kennedy knows Democrats are going to be vulnerable everywhere, even in Rhode Island, come this Fall. By dropping out, he can avoid a difficult and costly (and possibly losing) race and he can move back to Massachusetts and position himself for a run at Scott Brown in 2012.

I don't think the Kennedy's were happy to see a Republican replace Teddy. Trying to retake the seat held by his father has to be too big a pull for Patrick to ignore.

Real World Hard on Repoman

2010-02-12T07:37:00.000-05:00

I'm sorry that I haven't posted much over the past month. Work has been very busy and I think I was burned out after our tough local election campaign in the Fall.

I appreciate the fact that a couple of people actually miss reading my ramblings (I know, hard to believe). I really enjoy blogging so I'm going to make more time for it.

Don't give up on me yet!

Pathetic Displays in Washington and Massachusetts

2010-01-18T07:33:00.001-05:00

The growing possibility that Republican Scott Brown might upset Democrat Martha Coakley in the special election to replace the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, has Democrats in Congress scrambling for strategies to pass the Obama Health Care "Reform" Bill before he can be seated and has the Coakley campaign wallowing in the mud, using any tactic to derail Brown.

This morning's Democrat and Chronicle outlined the frenzied efforts to come up with ways to pass "Obamacare" without the 60 seat super majority the Democrats now enjoy in the Senate; and which they would lose if Brown is elected. One of the possibilities is to hurry the vote while Massachusetts election officials drag out the certification of Brown's election. Democrats in Washington acknowledge that such an obvious defiance of the voting public would bring a "firestorm of criticism". Apparently, however, their agenda is more important to them than democratic principles like honoring the will of the people.

Meanwhile, in Massachussets, the Coakley campaign reached pathetic, desperate depths. One campaign ad claimed (falsely) that Brown would refuse emergency room treatment for rape victims. The PowerLine posts linked here, here, and here, and the related links in those posts, outline the state of the race in the Bay State.

Frankly, this election and the ridiculous spectacle of the "negotiations" to pass a health care bill (which have included what amount to "bribes" to certain states to secure their Senator's vote, at the expense of other states) are among the things driving the growing "tea party" movement.

More and more people have come to realize that our elected representatives do not really feel a need to represent our interests as opposed to the intersts of their political parties, special interest groups and their personal agendas. These officials have become a modern aristocracy whose arrogance and disdain for the average guy has become monumental.

Scott Brown may be a harbinger of the awakening of the American people to the dangers of yielding too much power to statists and special interests. If he does win, it would be appropriate that the first shot in this new revolution was fired in the same state from which "the shot heard 'round the world" was fired.

Let's Make a Deal

2009-12-23T07:53:00.000-05:00

This morning's Democrat & Chronicle had a few items regarding health care reform that I found interesting.

The big headline story was that NY may benefit from the health care reform. The story outlined Senator Schumer's "behind the scenes efforts" to get some breaks for NY seniors. I guess the Senator was stung by criticism that other Senators had gotten breaks for their states, while our Senators sat on their hands. Still, one wonders if so many Senators sought relief from the provisions of the bill, is it a good bill and who is actually paying for it?

There was a smaller story about the inquiry by a number of State Attorney's General, regarding the constitutionality of the deals that several of the states received in order to secure the votes of Senators from those states. This story dovetailed with a LTE from a former teacher who also questioned the constitutionality of the deals. He pointed out that he had always taught his students that the Constitution required [taxes] to be levied uniformly across all of the states. It does make you wonder how people in states which did not get any breaks will feel about the whole exercise.

I guess we should be happy that our Senator sought his bribe "behind the scenes" instead of openly and, apparently, shamelessly, like Senator Nelson did. Although, according to Majority Leader Reid, it does not speak well of any Senator who did not get whatever goodies they wanted added to the bill.

I am beginning to think that our current government is reminiscent of the court of Louis XVIth.

Note To Readers

2009-12-23T07:33:00.000-05:00

I have been getting some automated "spam-like" comments on the blog posts. I believe this is done with automated software, apparently in the hope that someone will try the links that are included in the "comment".

As such, I added word verification. It is a small added step that requires you to retype a word on the screen to have your comment posted. Because this requires human intervention, it should stop the automated spam.

I'm sorry for the inconvenience.

Health Care Reform Question

2009-12-20T21:36:00.000-05:00

The Senate Health Care Bill appears to be a Saturday Night Live caricature of legislation. It appears that there were goodies added on to it (or subtracted from it) to make enough sure that there were 60 votes to get it through.

As a New Yorker, I do have one question. I understand that there were "carve outs" (which will allow states to avoid the new costs of this bill) or other "sweeteners" (you and me would call them bribes) for states like Nebraska, Louisiana, Montana, Vermont, Louisiana, and Florida. So, what's up with our Senators? Why didn't they hold out for some kind of break for New York?

Maybe that's what Chuck Schumer was trying to do when that "*****" made him get off the phone!

Post Newspapers Follow D&C Lead

2009-12-19T18:54:00.000-05:00

It appears that the Messenger-Post Newspapers are headed in the same direction as the D&C. First the D&C got smaller and cut its op-ed pages in half. Now the Messenger-Post has followed suit. Too bad, the op-ed columns were the main reason to read the paper.

From the looks of the latest edition of the Gates-Chili Post, the MP papers are also following the D&C in another way, namely as GOP bashers. Between the guest essay by Democrat County Legislators Esposito and O'Brien and Mark McIntee's partisan LTE, it seems clear that the tone of the editorial page at the MP Newspapers is headed decidedly anti-GOP.

Its OK by me though. The all-out effort by the D&C to keep "GOP scandals" in the paper and the Democrats one issue campaigning was totally ineffective. I guess they did not learn any lessons.

I'm a little surprised at the Post, however. If they took a more balanced approach, they might actually attract some of the readers fleeing from the D&C in droves. Instead they have chosen to be D&C lite. I'll keep reading....for the cuopons.

More Hot Air

2009-12-19T10:08:00.029-05:00

The big Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen ended without any real agreement (thank goodness). The Club For Growth blog expressed satisfaction upon hearing President Obama declare the "agreement" the US reached with China, India, and Brazil as "meaningful". The CFG blogger noted that when politicians say that something is "meaningful" it means it really isn't.

But the real prize for telling it like it is goes to Mark Steyn for this article from the National Review Online. Steyn's takedown of the "climate hypocrites" is hilarious at the same time it is enraging.

Here is one excerpt:

"[The Prince of Wales] was also in Copenhagen last week, telling delegates that there were now only seven years left to save the planet. Prince Charles is so famously concerned about the environment that he’s known as the Green Prince. Just for the record, his annual carbon footprint is 2,601 tons. The carbon footprint of an average Briton (i.e., all those wasteful, consumerist, environmentally unsustainable deadbeats) is 11 tons. To get him to Copenhagen to deliver his speech, His Highness was flown in by one of the Royal Air Force’s fleet of VIP jets from the Royal Squadron. Total carbon emissions: 6.4 tons. In other words, the Green Prince used up seven months’ of an average Brit’s annual carbon footprint on one short flight to give one mediocre speech of alarmist boilerplate."

Steyn has many more examples. Read it all.

Value For Our Dollars

2009-12-04T17:52:00.000-05:00

The three or four of you who read this blog know that I am a bit of a critic of government spending. For many years, the GOP has been hanging its hat on being the party which will cut taxes. It is the party of smaller government, less entitlements, etc.

Still, as I have written a few times before, what we need most is smart government, not small government. We need to cut taxes but we also need to remember that taxes are the price for the things we get from government. And, by the way, there are some very good things that some of our governments give us. What ought to be every politician's goal is to get government to spend money only on the things it should legitimately do and to tax and spend only those amounts which are reasonable and proper to provide those vital and/or desirable services.

One of the products/services provided by government which is of vital importance is education. Unfortunately, school spending is completely out of control. Education is vital, but the results we get do not appear to match the money we spend. My kids are students in the Gates-Chili School District. I am a fairly satisfied taxpayer and customer of the District. Yet I know that the price I pay for what my kids are getting is higher than it should be.

I attended my daughter's band concert on Wednesday. It was wonderful, as usual. The music programs at Gates-Chili are high-end, and the music directors and instructors there are first-rate, dedicated educators. I am not so convinced about all aspects of the operation, however. Every organization can stand some retrenchment. But, to hear teacher's union representatives speak, you would think that they would almost prefer exile to Siberia than to endure their daily unappreciated and allegedly, underpaid toil. Still, good teachers are worth a lot. The trick is to encourage the good ones and only get rid of the under performers.

All of us in government should strive to give value to the taxpayers for their dollars. The G-C music department should be an inspiration. I am confident that the tax dollars that go to music education at G-C are well spent. I also know that when cuts come, it will be programs like music that are often first to go, even though they are high on the value added scale.

We all as taxpayers should demand responsible spending, but we should also be willing to pay the fair price for the services we want. We need to avoid painting with too broad a brush. Its not correct to say vote against every incumbent and to vote against any spending. We need to take the time to find the good guys and reward them and to identify the bad guys and weed them out. We can't just throw up our hands and say a pox on them all.

If we want responsible spending, stable taxes and quality government services, we have to take action to get them.

Hot Air

2009-11-30T17:17:00.000-05:00

The recent revelations about the faulty science behind global warming claims is mind boggling.

What I find amazing is that President Obama still intends to appear at the Copenhagen conference on climate change and he apparently intends to propose drastic cuts in carbon emissions by the US. I cannot believe that the President remains willing to risk our economy to prevent something that is probably not happening (i.e., human induced global warming).

At a minimum, one would think the evidence of conspiracy to "cook the books" on global warming would make everyone take a time out. The fact that President Obama seems determined to go ahead without more review is disturbing.

KSM Show Trial

2009-11-20T18:12:00.000-05:00

I'm a little behind the curve on this story, but its been busy at work.

I am dismayed by the Administration's decision to try Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in New York in the Federal Court. There is no good outcome that can be had here. The ACLU lawyers who will be representing KSM and his co-conspirators should have a field day. The Bush Administration and America will be on trial. Our intelligence community and useful anti-terrorism programs may be placed at risk.

And what if a jury finds him not guilty? Well, don't worry about that. President Obama, Atty. Gen. Holder and Sen. Patrick Lahey have all indicated that the evidence of KSM's guilt is overwhelming and that there's no doubt about the verdict. Plus, if he was somehow found guilty, the government just won't release him.

Really? If so, why have the trial? I wonder if the ACLU was taking notes when those officials pronounced KSM guilty. That may be a basis for a change of venue, or a claim that he cannot get a fair trial. All this despite the fact that he has already confessed (oh, but he was water boarded; darn, can't use that confession, can we?).

He begged us to make him a martyr. We should have indulged him.

Health Care "Reform": It is a "Crime" Alright

2009-11-11T07:48:00.000-05:00

Heath Care reform (so-called) has moved from the House to the Senate. Regular readers know I think the proposals being debated in Washington are budget-busting abominations. I am quite hopeful that somehow sanity will reign and this effort will be stopped.

I received an essay from a friend on this topic and I wanted to share it with you. The author of this guest essay is local attorney, Patrick B. Naylon.

Why do we have criminal sanctions for certain types of conduct? Is it a crime to make money? Is it a crime to buy a new house, a new car? Is it a crime to go on vacation? Is it a crime to enjoy life? Is it a crime to go to the doctor? People know those things are good for them, and they don’t have to be forced by criminal sanctions to do them! If it is good for you, if you need it, you’ll do it on your own! There is no need for a criminal sanction.

So, in the health care debate, just ask yourself this question: why would the government have to make it a crime for an individual if they fail to sign up for their new government mandated health insurance? If it is such a great improvement, why wouldn’t people be clamoring to sign up? Why would they have to make it a crime not to join? The answer lies of course in the question. Indeed, you might also ask, if that is the solution, why not just leave the present system in place and simply make it a crime to not have insurance? That won’t cost tax-payers anything!

What more do you need to know about this health care reform bill than that it is a crime not to sign up! It means that when you read what you are being given, you won’t want it. Accordingly the only way to get you to sign up, is to make you sign up for fear of criminal prosecution if you don’t. In short, it is just another tax! First the IRS, now the Medical Revenue Service! The fact that it is a crime not to join should tell you all you need to know about this inappropriate government mandate relative to your health care options.

In fact, the manner in which the government has proceeded to “cure” the ailment of our health care system, should serve to demonstrate that the government is not equipped to handle the responsibility for health care for Americans. In health care, before finding a solution, the problem must be identified. What do the Doctor’s do when a patient arrives in the ER? Do they simply start treating the patient before they diagnose the problem? Giving treatment without identifying the issue would be inappropriate, ineffective, and wasteful. When a treatment didn’t work, the physician would repeatedly have to go back to the drawing board, coming up with another treatment regimen until one is found that works. If that were the approach, the patient might very well be dead before the appropriate treatment is identified. Hence, before treating the patient, the ailment is identified.

In its approach to health care reform, the government has not bothered identifying the conditions in need of reform; instead choosing to treat the patient for everything and anything, simply because they have identified the health care “patient” as sick. The treatment is “reform”, of everything and anything, the entire system, rather than identifying the area of need. They have simply identified the patient of “health care” as sick, acknowledged it needs treatment , that is “health care reform.” They have come up with a treatment plan, via their “health care reform bill.” Unfortunately, they have not adequately or appropriately identified exactly what part of the health care system is in need of reform. The solution they propose is therefore inappropriate, ineffective and wasteful.

Is the patient “health care” in perfect condition? No. Is there a need for correction, or treatment, yes. The patient, however, is not in extremis. In fact the patient, happens to be the best health care system in the world! That is an absolutely undeniable fact. So why are the politicians calling a health care system “code blue,” placing it on a ventilator, and transplanting all of its organs? That is government malpractice that will undoubtedly kill an otherwise healthy patient, which is merely in need of a physical exam and recommendations for a better future.

Tell your congressmen and senators to stop with the “cure” until they identify the exact problems and come up with appropriate solutions for the best health care system in the world. Why don’t they identify the exact problem and take appropriate steps toward a solution? Ultimately, you must ask yourself why the government is suggesting and pushing so hard for head to toe surgery on a healthy patient. It is clearly not for the patient’s benefit.

Your senators and congressmen claim to be the physicians ready to cure the health care patient. Demand a diagnosis, consider a second opinion, before they put you under anesthesia and start cutting!

I think Pat has the question right; why are we completely overhauling (at incredible expense) a system that the vast majority of Americans say works fine for them? Clearly, we need to cut the costs associated with health care, but the current legislation will only shift the cost burden to taxpayers.

No, it seems clear that the real reason for this monster is the general left/liberal belief that government should control every aspect of our lives. Between health care reform and cap and trade, the liberals are poised for a take-over of monumental proportion. Our only hope is that the American people wake up to the threat before its too late.

How Much Is That?

2009-11-10T13:58:00.000-05:00

Governor Paterson made an impassioned speech to NY State Legislators yesterday, as they gathered for the special session he called to deal with the State's $3.2 billion deficit.

He said he was willing to take the heat for proposing unpopular budget cuts. Paterson emphasized the point by saying that he was willing to "mortgage his political future" over the steps needed to close the deficit.

Someone should tell him that given his current re-election chances, his political future won't qualify for a mortgage.

Arrogance In Washington

2009-11-08T07:06:00.000-05:00

The Democrat leadership in the House of Representatives rammed through the health care reform bill last night. They did so despite the fact that a substantial and growing majority of Americans opposed the bill. They just do not care what we "little people" think.

Democrat leadership rushed the vote fearing defections by Democrats who might worry that a vote for this bill could cost them re-election next year. I hope voters have a long enough memory.

It is quite clear that the current Congress and Administration are led by the most left/liberal Democrats who have been in power in America for a long time (perhaps, ever). Nancy Pelosi and her Democrat leadership team, are fearless because they operate from safe districts of like-minded liberals. They are apparently willing to sacrifice some of their less secure members re-election chances on legislation like the health care bill and cap and trade, which will fundamentally change the country, or, at least, fundamentally alter the role and power of government in our every day lives.

While it is clear that Americans are more and more coming to understand the risks, and are increasingly in opposition to these liberal efforts, much of what is being done now may prove difficult or impossible to undo, even if the Democrats are thrown out of power in 2010 and 2012.

The "hope and change" crowd included a lot of people who should have known better. They cast cavalier votes for Obama so they could show that they were post-racial, socially astute people. They jumped on the anti-Bush, anti-GOP bandwagon despite the fact that most of them were both safe and prosperous during the Bush years.

I feel sorry for my kids. The costs of the left/liberal agenda that we have empowered will erode America's prosperity and preeminence. The next few generations will look back and wonder what we were thinking.