Here are a few things that have been on my mind….
A few weeks ago President Obama visited Nellis Air Force Base where he applauded their 140-acre solar array. He said we need more solar energy systems just like that one. Don’t the green energy and environmentalist crowds realize that every gigantic solar array, whether it’s as large as Nellis’ or one-tenth that size, will destroy and replace that many acres of the environment, be it forest, grassland, field, or desert?
*****
How many of the hundreds of Wheatfield residents who vehemently opposed housing for low-income earners in 2006 and 2007 have now become, as a direct result of the recession, the very kind of individual they did not welcome to their neighborhood?
****
Am I the only one who finds humor in the hypocrisy of the two-party system when it comes to human life? The Republicans like war and the death penalty while bemoaning abortion. The Democrats hate war and the death penalty yet like abortion.
****
In the past 100-plus years not a single president or member of congress has followed the Constitution. Federal organizations like the Department of Education and the EPA are totally unconstitutional, as are activities like surveillance of innocent civilians, pork barrel spending and the bailing out of banks and auto companies. That said, why don’t we charge federal elected officials with treason for failure to uphold their oath of office, one which asks them to support and defend the Constitution?
****
Is reality TV so successful because Americans enjoy watching people fail?
****
If the government can force employers to collect income taxes and garnishments why can’t the employer charge a fee to the government for the services of that debt collection?
****
Why is Americorps considered “service” or “volunteerism” if people are getting paid to do it?
****
Some veterans have recently come up ill with blood-borne diseases like hepatitis and HIV because VA hospitals and clinics did not properly clean their colonoscopy equipment. That begs two questions. One, is this the best care that we can offer our vets? And, two, does government-run health care (which is what the VA’s are) still look attractive to you?
****
When businesses expand or come to the area, people go out of their way to thank the elected officials for all the new jobs. Last I knew, politicians don’t create jobs, the private sector does. As a matter of fact, many will argue that politicians stifle job growth. That said, has anyone ever gone out of their way to thank the entrepreneurs for the new jobs?
*****
If my company had a known carcinogen in the workplace’s air, we’d have to outfit all of our coworkers with masks and respirators. My question is: Prior to the smoking ban, why weren’t bars required to outfit their bartenders and wait staff with masks and respirators since there were extremely high levels of a known carcinogen (cigarette smoke) in their air?
****
If China’s currency manipulation is so evil, why is it OK for the United States and the Federal Reserve to manipulate our money supply?
****
We know that people have been leaving Western New York in droves, so why does it seem that new complexes and developments are always being built?
****
Why don’t taxpayers get an interest payment from the government when they receive their tax refund? Shouldn’t Uncle Sam pay for borrowing your money, just like a bank or debtor would?
Bob Confer is a Gasport resident and vice president of Confer Plastics Inc. in North Tonawanda. E-mail him at bobconfer@juno.com.
Bob Confer
Related Photos
CONFER: Random thoughts from Bob
- Bob Confer
-
-
CONFER: Long-term care, long-term burden
Sometime very soon, the Department of Health and Human Services will iron out details of the CLASS Act and submit information to employers in preparation for enrolling their employees into the voluntary program in 2012.
-
CONFER: Regrowing the Niagara frontier
Green is the buzzword of the 21st century. Businesses and governments everywhere endeavor to pursue green practices in an effort to preserve Earth’s fragile natural world and her limited resources.
-
CONFER: Chris Lee threw away great potential
Famous or not, adultery is a serious character flaw. It’s just that the former pay for it more than the latter once discovered. Former congressman Chris Lee knew that, just as the others did. Yet, they took the risk and suffered the losses.
-
CONFER: A new power struggle
If you’re a regular reader of this column, you know that the high cost of electricity is a recurring theme. As someone whose company is a heavy power user, I can’t help but rail against New York’s exorbitant cost structure and its adverse impact on economic development.
-
CONFER: Wanted: Seat on NYPA board
Do you ever feel like Niagara County is the so-called “red-headed stepchild” when it comes to state governance?
-
CONFER: Stories the trees tell
The Erie Canal towpath was once the interstate for itinerant workers — hoboes, if you will — who traveled from town to town in search of their next farming or handyman gig. While doing so, they frequently stopped over on my family’s farm, which butts up to the canal.
-
CONFER: Why do I stay in New York?
Longtime readers probably wonder what keeps me in the Empire State. You can’t blame them for being quizzical, for a good many of my columns focus on what’s wrong with New York. Usually, it’s a government run amok that creates ever-growing taxes, prevents prosperity and sends long-time residents away.
-
CONFER: The real unemployment rate
The July jobs report recently issued by the labor department noted that total employment was down by 131,000 jobs for the month. Despite the significant drop in employment, the unemployment rate stayed at 9.5 percent.
-
CONFER: Solar is not the answer
Knowing the struggles that my company faces in paying some of the highest electrical rates in the nation — double what our competitors pay — many people have asked me: “Have you ever thought about solar energy?”
-
CONFER: Having a say in school closings
I recently wrote a column in which I discussed the need to return to a more localized approach to schooling, in which the teachers, school boards and parents were empowered to determine the curriculum for their schoolchildren and teach accordingly. Nowadays, such local control is grossly subdued as the federal and state governments dictate what and how the teachers can teach, making for a standardized and markedly dumber student body.
- More Bob Confer Headlines
-
Obama Gives Education Waivers to 10 States
Giffords Aide to Run for Her Seat
LA School in Sex Abuse Scandal Reopens
Winter Slamming North Asia, Parts of Europe
Syrian Forces Renew Bombardment of Homs
States, Banks Reach Foreclosure-abuse Settlement
Raw Video: Italy's Mount Etna Bursts Into Life
Greeks March; Angry Despite Debt Deal
Raw Video: U.S. Pullout Celebration
Raw Video: Annual Empire State Building Run-Up
Man Killed in Courthouse Shootout
Air Force Airlines: Leaders Get Polished Service
Ga Girl Fights Off Kidnapper at Walmart
Nevada Highway Patrol, City Settle Beating Case
Homs Bombardment Continues, Global Outcry Grows
Raw Video: Dog Rescued From Icy Colo. Water
Skip the Coffee Cup and Inhale Your Caffeine Fix
