The Tenth Amendment Movement

From the 13 April 2009 Greater Niagara Newspapers

THE TENTH AMENDMENT MOVEMENT
By Bob Confer

I always keep a copy of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution in my pocket. You could say that it’s my Bible.

It never ceases to amaze me that these documents, which clearly define what our federal government is supposed to be, can so neatly fit into a small, unobtrusive booklet. Our Founding Fathers knew full well that an oversized government would do us in. They were fearful that a federal entity of any real size would bring to American soil the very ills they tried to escape from. Before freedom was declared, Great Britain’s oppressive governance stripped them of their liberty, stifled their prosperity and robbed from them their hard-earned money. So, they carefully outlined a federal system quite small in scope, yet, at once, vast and restricted in its importance.

The founders believed that proper rule begins locally as that is the only way that power can truly be vested in the people. In their plan the state was supposed to be the most powerful ruling force, each state being, in theory, its own nation. The purpose of the federal system was limited to only three tasks: managing the unity of those states, overseeing the trade between them, and providing for their collective defense.

Much has changed since the 1700’s. My Bible has become but an afterthought. Local rule is near-powerless and the states – and therefore, we - are subjects of our federal government. Thousands of agencies and departments have sprung up over the years, each assuming ultimate power and dictating to the states and citizens what we can and cannot do. Related to that, laws and regulations created and enforced by a federal system that has become non-representative are virtually without limit, and a million documents the size of the Constitution could not contain them. It can be said that the Founding Fathers’ greatest nightmares have been realized…the USA is the Great Britain of old, and then some.

The time has come to take back our rights. We should have done that many decades ago, but now, more so than ever, it has become evident to the layman that the US has turned into a rabid beast, uncoordinated but deadly. We see the economy falling apart around us, a collapse that was based on excesses. Yet, in some perverted fashion, the government in its effort to “save” us finds it necessary to unleash unprecedented excesses in the form of trillions of dollars in loans, giveaways, spending, corporate and social welfare, and things misnamed as stimulus packages, all such tasks weakening our dollar, our economy, and our prosperity. If anything, the USA is only driving another nail into our coffin.

Before the next nail can be set, we must weaken the beast. To do so, power must be returned to us. And, there is a movement afoot to do just that. The grassroots effort called the Tenth Amendment Movement focuses on getting back to the basics of the Constitution which so succinctly and effectively says: “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”

When you read that amendment you become aware that over the years our entire system has become unconstitutional – illegal – because of a flip in power: Rule was supposed to go from the bottom up, and, now, it goes from the top down. The Movement hopes to flip it once again.

Quite a few elected officials have seen the well-founded logic behind the Movement’s efforts to return a semblance of legality to our nation and they have introduced bills reclaiming their state’s sovereignty. Such legislation has been brought to the Capitol floor in nearly two-dozen states (New York is not one of them). In two of them victory has been achieved: Just last month, sovereignty resolutions were signed by both houses in Oklahoma and South Dakota.

It would behoove every state to follow suit and take back that which was once theirs. It is in the best interest of the people. Trillions of dollars are wasted annually on the redundancy and bloat that is the federal government and if that money were in our hands, the economy would be on the fast track to recovery. But, more important than the financial rewards of the Tenth Amendment are the rewards of Liberty that it grants us: If power was wrested from the government and put back into our hands, we’d be able to live the life we want, the life we deserve and the life our Founding Fathers had intended for us. Then, maybe, just maybe, my “Bible” might once again mean something.

Erin's Law would hurt families

From the 06 April 2009 Greater Niagara Newspapers

ERIN’S LAW WOULD HURT FAMILIES
By Bob Confer

Fear is one of the government’s greatest weapons. Those in power use it to manipulate the masses, scaring them into finding value in the unjust expansion of government’s powers. Look at the moxie with which this tool has been used in just the past seven years alone. Using the fear of terrorism to its advantage, the Bush Administration easily persuaded Congress to pass legislation like the Patriot Act, stripping us of our rights to privacy and due process of law. Their successors in the Obama Administration have used our fear of depression to sully the wonders of capitalism and institute the greatest federal controls ever exerted on the free market.

Similarly, it’s fear that drives many pieces of odious legislation at the state level. One such bill is currently a topic of discussion in the Assembly, feeding on concerns for children’s safety. Erin’s Law was introduced by Assemblywoman Joan Christensen and has over three dozen cosponsors and multi-sponsors (among them Niagara Falls’ Francine DelMonte). It is in memory of 11-year-old Erin Maxwell who was found dead in her Oswego County home last August, the victim of sexual assault and strangulation, her stepbrother the suspect. The law was proposed in hopes of guaranteeing that the needless death of a child would never occur again. It would make up for supposed inefficiencies in child protection that appeared during the investigation of Erin’s death. Social Services visited the home a few times in the years prior to her murder and never found just cause to remove her from the home.

To the naïve, there’s nothing wrong with this bill. In their mind, who wouldn’t want to protect our children and ensure that they live in a healthy home? But, like most fear-mongering bills, the end result of what the legislation will impose far outweighs what is the actual risk of recurrence under current practices. In reality, Erin’s Law will probably do nothing to prevent the abuse or murder of a child and will do plenty to tear apart some pretty good families.

It all comes down to interpretation.

The bill sponsors want to change the definition of what constitutes a “neglected child” under the Family Court Act. Currently, neglect occurs when a child’s physical, mental or emotional condition is impaired or in danger of becoming so. That language is more than sufficient. But, even so, they would like to alter it to be more specific and, interestingly, more nebulous. Under guidelines proposed in Erin’s Law, a parent or guardian would be required to, among other things, provide the child with a warm living environment while ensuring that he is kept free of disease and given the psychological and psychiatric care he needs.

Let’s look at how the government could – and will - abuse that law.

First of all, what are the parameters for a warm environment? Hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers are unemployed right now and those of us who still have a job are saddled with high taxes and worry for the economy. In such times, all of us are looking to save money any way we can. In most homes, that means turning down the thermostat to 65 degrees or below. Does that mean that any parent who does this in order to put food on the table is guilty of neglect for failure to keep a child warm?

Secondly, what is disease-free living? Many parents, through no fault of their own, have raised kids who were chronically sick in their younger years. They may have been battling asthma and allergies or were susceptible to the cornucopia of disease present in elementary schools. At what time does their regular absence from school - or struggle with ailments – signal neglect? Is it really the parents’ fault?

The last point (psychiatrics) is just as tricky, if not more so. We have heard countless reports of how school administrators and teachers have over-stepped their bounds and, despite not being doctors, have demanded that a parent medicate her child for hyperactivity or lack of attentiveness. In most cases this is unwarranted - for it’s kids being kids - and, in all cases, it is completely wrong for schools to force the parent’s hand in this matter. Were Erin’s Law to pass, a school could turn-in unwilling parents to Social Services who would then be required – by law – to exert medicinal mind control on their children. Failure to do so would be classified as neglect.

Flaws like these are often overlooked by those intent on passing laws of fear. In many cases, though, they are known to exist, but the government sees them as being fit, a means to an end. In the case of Erin’s Law, it might mean an end to a good family.

Bob Confer: Terrorist

From the 30 March 2009 Greater Niagara Newspapers

BOB CONFER: TERRORIST
By Bob Confer

Long-time readers of this column probably have a good idea about who I am. You’ve been subjected to my rants about and against illegal immigration, gun control, abortion, the North American Union, the Federal Reserve, taxes, and the economic irresponsibility of the government. You’ve read of my support for the Libertarian Party and third-party candidates. Chances are you’ve also heard me on Scott Leffler’s talk show denouncing ballistics tracking, Constitutional Conventions, and government in general. You might also know that I travel with a CB radio in my vehicle and I use social networking sites like Facebook to share my views and rally support for them. And, you can probably judge by my mugshot that I keep my hair closely-cropped – some might even say I’m a “skinhead”.

I’ll bet, though, that you didn’t know that I’m a terrorist.

Yes sir, I’m an honest-to-goodness right-wing domestic terrorist. You know, one of those “militants”.

I didn’t know I was one, either. There have been times when I wondered if the feds might think I was a terrorist, an enemy of the state thanks to my pithy columns. But, now, I am totally confident that I’ve been lumped together with guys as despised as Tim McVeigh, David Koresh and the Unabomber.

At least that’s what the Missouri Information Analysis Center would like people to believe. The MIAC is one of 58 fusion centers across the United States, created by the Department of Homeland Security to study the habits of, and create a unified plan against, terrorists. A few weeks ago, the MIAC issued an 8-page briefing entitled “The Modern Militia Movement” in which they have identified the mentality and distinguishing characteristics of domestic terrorists. It’s a field guide of sorts to aid law enforcement in determining if you or I might be someone to keep an eye on.

There just might be an intelligence agent watching me right now because I’m the perfect example of what a militiaman is supposed to be. Based on the criteria they’ve laid out in the report, I’m 0-for-15 in the model citizen department just because of the things I’ve mentioned in the opening paragraph alone. Every one of those items is listed as a tell-tale sign of a militant, so, I am, in their eyes, a danger. Consider that from the get-go, there are 15 strikes against me. In total, that’s impressive, perhaps frightening by MIAC standards. Many are quite damning if you consider how hard some of my stances have been regarding the issues.

Think about the stupidity of Homeland Security’s logic: believing in the American Way supposedly predisposes people like me to be wishful of its destruction. And I thought I was being a good citizen. Never have I initiated my so-called terrorist ways in any sort of violent intent towards our nation and our people. My written assaults on bad government are always looking out for the best interests of the people, peacefully, logically and with respect for our Constitution. God forbid that I think that important document should mean something. Reports like the MIAC’s show that maybe it doesn’t anymore.

And that, folks, shows how depraved our federal government has become. Hard-earned taxpayer money went into this foolish study, one clearly indicating that those with an outspoken belief in what government should be - and not what it has become - deserve to be looked at with disdain.

Well, at least I can take some comfort in knowing I’m not alone. You’re probably just as guilty as I. All of you who complain about taxes, are disgusted with Congress and read this subversive newspaper deserve to be saddled with this ill-begotten stereotype and can count yourselves as a member of a militia movement.

I trust, though, that you, like me, won’t be deterred by this name-calling. If what I do and what I am makes me a threat, then so be it: I’m a terrorist and proud of it!

Obama declares war on our vets

From the 23 March 2009 Greater Niagara Newspapers

OBAMA DECLARES WAR ON OUR VETS
By Bob Confer

The lingering physical trauma and mental anguish of war are things that most Americans will never experience.

We will never know what it feels like to have limbs ripped from our body by a bomb blast or a hole run through us by searing hot lead. The long road to recovery – or adjustment to a new reality – that comes from such a horror is something completely foreign to us.

Nor will we will ever understand the psychological pain that many a vet carries with him for his lifetime. We know not the vivid imagery trapped in a soldier’s mind that plays like a recurring nightmare, one where his friend is gunned down before him or where he happens upon the remains of women and children defiled by our enemies.

Most of us will never have to suffer those “living casualties” of war because we are blessed. Our national interests and the defense of our nation and other nations much less fortunate are upheld by our impeccable armed forces. More than 26 million men and women count themselves as veterans of our defense, having served and sacrificed so that we may go about doing what Americans do and living in peace and liberty. It is to them that we owe our lives.

It is to them that we owe their lives.

They have given much, and seen plenty, and it is our responsibility as citizens – especially as citizens who did not share in their higher calling – to take care of them, as they did us, when they return to the home front. Many of the vets went about their military business selflessly and with no expectations but to maintain Americana. Regardless of that, we do have an obligation to them, to return the favor in kind and provide them the care they need, both physically and mentally, in their efforts to become whole again. It’s the very least that we can do for them. And it’s still not enough.

Not everyone sees it that way. Remarkably, President Barack Obama, the Commander-in-Chief, is one who doesn’t see their well-being as our full responsibility.

Last week Obama held a meeting at the White House with various veterans organizations at which he dropped a bomb: His Administration is putting serious thought into cutting back on the medical treatment of service-related injuries. Much to the chagrin of veterans everywhere, he believes that their expenses should be covered not by VA funds but by the private health insurances that veterans have access to. Obama looks at this potential move as a revenue generator for Veterans Affairs, believing it will rake-in more than $540 million in new monies.

So, while most people look at the sacrifices of our vets as something priceless, Obama chooses instead to attach a price tag to them. You must assume that if he’s looking at the insurance transfer as a profitable proposition he’s looking at the current system as a losing endeavor. Such thinking further represents the government’s growing mountain of hypocrisy. Our federal government bleeds money and wastes at it every chance possible (see the stimulus package and the glut of bailouts), yet here it is nickel-and-diming the men and women who believe more so than most in what that government should stand for. When you look at it, that $540 million is one of the very best investments we can ever make.

This makes you wonder who’s on whose side. Back in the late-1960’s some Vietnam War vets, upon coming back home, were spit on by antiwar protestors. Here it is decades later and they (as well as all other vets) have been spit on again. But this time, their efforts weren’t punished by protestors. Their current offenders are their own president and his staff who seem to look at the health of those soldiers as a waste of taxpayer money.

It’s really a sad state of affairs in Veteran Affairs.

The fast train to nowhere

From the 16 March 2009 Greater Niagara Newspapers

THE FAST TRAIN TO NOWHERE
By Bob Confer

After hearing Governor Paterson’s press conference about the prospects for a high speed rail line that would cut across the Empire Corridor, many people enthusiastically jumped on board with the idea. It seemed that citizens and press all to a man followed the political class, repeating in earnest what local, state, and federal officials had said…that it will be a boon to the economy.

I hate to burst your bubble, but this train will not be the cure for what ails our economy. Not even close. As a matter of fact, it might turn into one of the symptoms: 10 years from now, when its mostly-empty cars pass by your home, the train will be but a recurring reminder of how stale the local economy has become.

A lot of readers will think that I’m being pessimistic here. No, I’m being realistic.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m a fan of railroads and a supporter of their future development (refer to my column “America’s Rail Crisis” from July, 2008). But, I know that when keeping our nation’s economy on track two things are first and foremost for rail development: One, moving freight great distances efficiently and affordably and, two, transporting people short distances for the purposes of commuting to their employment (much like the NFTA’s MetroRail does).

The high speed rail fails to address either.

I wrote the following in the aforementioned column: “There are 140,000 miles of track in the US, over which 2 billion tons of freight are moved annually. This accounts for approximately 15% of all freight tonnage transported across the States and its contribution has been growing at a 5% annual rate. This tame growth in rail freight is expected to explode in the next few years as high gasoline prices stifle development in truck transportation. Because of….road congestion brought on by our rapidly-growing population (there will be a third more Americans by 2040)….the expectations for rail freight are expected to double by 2030.”

With such an explosion, logjams and delays will be the norm. In some places, like Chicago, they already are. So, by making freight an afterthought, our government fails to focus on what matters most to the greater good. To stimulate the economy, and thusly employ people, ease of trade must take precedence.

Their logic behind the focus on moving people has me shaking my head and asking questions. Are you telling me that everything will work out just right so that thousands of workers can commute from Buffalo to Rochester daily and have easy access to their jobs? Do you really think that their employer will be located near the train station or is accessible by other forms of public transportation?

That thinking may have worked back in the 1800’s or early 1900’s when development was centralized in the heart of the big cities. But, now it won’t work because the jobs are more widespread. For most of the Upstate region the best and most numerous employment opportunities for the average person are no longer to be had in the hearts of metropolises. The city limits and the suburbs are where it’s at. Centralization is a thing of the past in Upstate, and in many of the other regions that have applied for funds.

The transportation argument continues with state officials saying that this train will incite economic growth by facilitating business and tourism travel. We can see the fallacy of that claim already in this region. In recent years the Buffalo Niagara airport has become home to a bevy of affordable airlines that all service popular destinations. The world is accessible to Western New York and vice versa. On top of that, the Department of Transportation says that among the top 100 airports, it has the eleventh-cheapest fares. So, if cheap and easy transportation is the magic elixir for a sick economy, why hasn’t the air situation, which meets those standards, done anything to jumpstart the local economy?

That said, it’s a no-brainer that the $8 billion of stimulus money is better spent on upgrading the existing rail system, improving the delivery of freight and not people. But, Congress and the States don’t see it that way because they prefer to be salesmen instead of statesmen. The 2030 deadline is too far out there for our elected officials. They don’t think in the long term. They’re more concerned with short-term “victories” because that’s what wins elections. And, so do low-impact ideas that sound sexy - like high-speed rail - because they win the confidence of the average voter who doesn’t see the big picture for what it is…a big picture that shows an economy that could easily get derailed.

Abolish the Federal Reserve

From the 09 March 2009 Greater Niagara Newspapers

ABOLISH THE FEDERAL RESERVE
By Bob Confer

The Obama Administration’s so-called economic stimulus package has been a lightning rod of controversy. It has, like most political issues, divided America. It’s rare that you find one sitting on the fence; many people think it’s a great idea, a fine example of representative government doing what it can for its citizens while an equal number of folks believe it to be one of the government’s most excessive and wasteful investments.

Both sides have gnashed their teeth at one another over what they perceive to be the rights and wrongs of the deal. You’d have to expect that with a price tag of $787 billion and future implications that will far exceed that sum. But, as mammoth as the bill may be, it’s a pittance in the whole scheme of things.

“A pittance”, you ask?

It is. To understand that, we must distance ourselves from this contrived two-party conflict over the stimulus package which is itself a distraction created by the government and promoted by the press. We must focus not on the ranting of the rodeo clowns in Congress but rather on the reality of this day and age. Our world is so out of sorts that this $787 billion pales in comparison to everything that the federal government and its cronies have done and have promised to do since last summer. The real price tag for the total recovery process – whether by bailout, loan or donation – now exceeds $9.7 trillion. It’s really quite unbelievable that we’re nearing $10 trillion in giveaways. It’s unbelievable, yet it’s reality.

Unfortunately, it’s a reality that we as citizens cannot control. As a matter of fact, neither can our elected officials. You see, most of those trillions were not spread about by the representative arm of government. Instead, they were spent – even created out of thin air - by the ultimate monstrosity of Government Gone Bad: the Federal Reserve.

The Federal Reserve is our central banking system, created by an act of Congress signed in 1913. Feeding off of the lingering fear created by the Panic of 1907 when the Stock Exchange dropped by 50% from the previous year, it was an easy sell for the Wilson Administration. They blamed the Panic on the nation’s lack of a central bank (which we had been without since 1836), so, to casual observers, it made sense for Congress to fashion The Federal Reserve as the means to supposedly prevent all future panics and recessions.

It has not lived up to that purpose. Truthfully, it has failed miserably. Many economists agree that the Fed was solely responsible for the Great Depression because it had interfered far too much in the free markets, pumping reams of new money into the economy in the boom of the 1920’s and then overcompensating so much after the Crash that it delayed the market’s ability to correct itself and right its wrongs, prolonging the agony (this sounds eerily similar to today’s situation).

These problems continue and are exacerbated by the Federal Reserve’s unmatched and unrestrained power. It is a private cartel of banks that is not an entity of our federal government, even though it is counted as one. It is the world’s controlling hand, the rule of which is dictated only by its internal powers. It issues our currency at its whim, not at the discretion of our President or Congress, inflating the money supply and devaluing its worth. It can dictate the ebb and flow of credit in the marketplace. Because of all this, we don’t have a true free market system in the United States or the world because the Fed can dictate – rather than maintain - how much money is in the economy and it can charge a fee for its use.

The Federal Reserve can make or break our economy and there’s not a thing we can do about it. And, that’s what makes it a roadblock to a successful recovery from this recession/depression. Our elected officials - and therefore we - have absolutely no say in how our money is managed. It’s wrong and it’s illegal: Article I, Section 8 of the US Constitution states that “The Congress shall have power to…coin money (and) regulate the value thereof”.

In 1913 it gave away that power, our power. It’s time that we took it back and lived by the Constitution. Our government must abolish the Federal Reserve if not bring intense accountability and transparency to it. If it doesn’t, then there’s a very good chance that in only 100 years of its existence the Reserve will have destroyed our once great nation.

A eulogy for America

From the 02 March 2009 Greater Niagara Newspapers

A EULOGY FOR AMERICA
By Bob Confer

Life is fragile. Its brevity is inescapable; there is not one of us who can live forever. No matter how virile, how powerful we once were, we cannot prevent the inevitable. We may be able to delay it, but, alas, when our time has come we will pass on. The sudden onset of illness or the gradual and overwhelming decay of old age will sap us of the invincibility we once thought we had much earlier in life.

Even though we understand this and know that we can’t prosper for all eternity, it still shocks us when Death unleashes his steely grip upon our loved ones. In a way we expect death but then again we never do.

Maybe that’s why the death of our dear friend America is so difficult to fathom. We all thought she would outlive us, but she hasn’t.

Surprisingly, many of her children are oblivious to her passing, her life coming to an end with so little fanfare. There are those of us, though, who knew what she stood for and we know now that her time has come and gone. She is, for all intents and purposes, dead. And, that is sad.

America was old, older than any of us could possibly dream of being. But, she was doing so well; just a few years ago we thought the old girl could go on forever. As a matter of fact, even in her twilight years she was stronger than she had ever been. She was fruitful and vibrant and all of her peers strived to be just like her.

In those remarkable golden years America had a lot to live for. Her children were prosperous, thriving amidst the liberty she gave them. And, oh, what a Liberty it was! She gave her children the freedom to do what they wanted and make of their lives what they wanted. She gave them a dream to dream and then she stayed out of their way and allowed them to get it. America believed that her children were better off assuming responsibility for their actions and reaping the rewards that were yielded by their hard work, risk, and morality. She was right. Her family achieved things once thought impossible.

Yes, America was such a unique mother, one quite unlike all others. But, children can turn on even the very best of mothers. And many of America’s children did. Basically, they never grew up, so, into adulthood, they leaned on Mother America. They didn’t like the freedom she gave them and they found greater value in security than they did in liberty. They didn’t want to assume any responsibility for themselves and they instead begged their Mother for a bailout to save them from the risks they assumed. They didn’t want to work hard and earn the best life that they could, it was too risky for them. Rather, they wanted the best life that their mother could give them out of her pocket. Too many of them came a-begging and - because there was only so much she could give - the best life that she could award them paled in comparison to that which her children could once achieve on their own. Things became so bad that America herself had to lean on someone: Her prosperous children were forced to pick up the slack for the children who took her gifts for granted.

And that’s what killed America. Her health suffered under such emotional and financial strain. Never before did she have to give as much as she did and it drained her life force. She died penniless because of it. And, she also died heartbroken because of it, for it hurt her to see that her lessons failed, that her children chose to ignore them. Could they ever go back to the way they were? No doubt that was a questioned that haunted her to her grave. Deep down inside she knew the answer was “no”.

But, life must go on.

Her children have since been adopted by something that calls herself America. But this new America is nothing like the old. The real America is dead and her loss is going to leave a void, a depression, in our lives. All of her children - those who learned well from her and those who used her – will suffer without their true mother.

God bless America. I’ll miss her.

One day, you will, too.

New York asks for our help

From the 23 February 2009 Greater Niagara Newspapers

NEW YORK ASKS FOR OUR HELP
By Bob Confer

I recently received an e-mail from a reader in Niagara Falls (whom we’ll call “Pete”) which said the following: “Maybe in one of your next columns, you could list who citizens should contact to voice their concerns instead of putting up with this nonsense. I am not much of a political activist, but I am ready to give someone an earful. We should all be saying, "I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it anymore!"

Well, Pete is not only a concerned citizen, but it seems he’s a clairvoyant, too. ‘Round about the same time that he e-mailed me, Pete’s wishes came true. Just over a week ago, Malcolm Smith, who leads the State Senate, launched an initiative that’s been called an interactive budget forum. Admitting that the Governor’s budget is not the greatest in the world, he has asked that all New Yorkers assist the Senate in crafting a sound budget. They want our ideas about how to balance the budget, cut costs, trim waste, and, last but not least, increase revenues (the only blemish for this cause).

The Senate requests that you flood them with feedback and engage them in conversation. And, they’ve given us plenty of ways to do that. You can go to the website http://nybudgetideas.org where you can submit your ideas. Or, you can shoot them an e-mail to budgetideas@senate.state.ny.us. And, for those who are old-fashioned and not so web-savvy, you can leave a message on their toll-free hotline. The phone number is 1.800.706.9995.

This is a somewhat unprecedented request by the Senate. For starters, it’s the first time that either house has ever opened the floodgates to public comment by openly asking, if not begging, for mass help. And, secondly, it’s a significant change of pace from normal procedure for, you see, the perspective of regular people is actually a fresh one to a good many elected officials who have made lifelong careers out of their legislative adventures. By making a living in the ivory towers of Albany where they are an audience to lobbyists and never their true constituents, lifers (such as Dale Volker, for example, who has been in the legislature since 1972) have become totally disconnected from the Real World. Kow-towing to the lobbyists who represent everything under the sun, from the environment to Big Business to public employee unions, the politicians have forgotten about the special interests that matter the most: The average, everyday people who live back in their home districts, struggling to feed a family, keep a roof over their heads, find a job, or run a small business.

It’s those individuals – We, the People – who feel the financial and emotional pain of what Albany begets. We’re the ones who pay taxes that are the highest in the nation and see nothing good come of it. We’re the ones whose families, friends, and employers have ventured off to greener pastures because of the sociopolitical malaise. We’re the ones who see the excesses in state government that the political class glosses over…things like public authorities, public employee payrolls and pensions, Medicaid, and over-regulation, all of which are a drain on the private sector and the working class.

It’s up to you and me, every one of us, to make our voices heard. While you have that chance, share your thoughts with Senator Smith and Company. There are no ideas too big or too small for them to ponder. Dollars can add up in a hurry and hundreds can quickly become thousands which can quickly become millions. With budget gaps in the billions, every little thing can help. Remember that no idea can be deemed as too obvious, either. If it is, why haven’t they moved on it?

So, be frank, be analytical, be constructive. Above all, be caring: Treat this task with the utmost respect and your full attention, because this is your home and my home that we’re talking about, and it’s our responsibility to clean it up. The time to be passive is long gone. We’ve been suffering for decades and, as Pete said, we’re not going to take it anymore.

Upstate becomes powerless

From the 16 February 2009 Greater Niagara Newspapers

UPSTATE BECOMES POWERLESS
By Bob Confer

The New York Power Authority’s mission hasn’t changed much through the years. The Authority was created for the purpose of developing the economy through affordable electricity and they say that to this day NYPA holds true to that cause. In one of its recent annual reports the organization’s mission statement began with this prose: “We will retain and create jobs in New York State by: Facilitating the transition to competitive energy costs; Mitigating the cost of energy to business, to government and to consumers throughout the State…”

Many a person has said the Authority has failed to live up to that cause, citing the still-high electrical rates in Upstate New York, rates which rank amongst the highest in the nation and account for the mass exodus of manufacturers from this region. When such accusations surface, which is quite often, NYPA goes on the defensive and touts their various cost-savings programs like Replacement Power or Power For Jobs.

One cannot help but turn a deaf ear to such propaganda after seeing how the Authority repeatedly sells out to downstate, furthering Upstate’s demise. The naysayers have been right time and time again, and current developments have shown NYPA deviating from its core mission once again, thanks to some nudging from the state legislature.

In an early-February vote both houses voted to sweep (take) funds from NYPA as a part of the Three Men In a Room’s deficit reduction plan. This plan, in essence, is the legislature’s way of absolving itself of the tough responsibility of making cuts and streamlining operations. They found it easier to decrease the impact of their overspending by creatively finding revenues elsewhere. So, they voted to take an extra $476 million from NYPA’s reserves and put it into the State’s coffers. That brings NYPA’s total contribution to the state coffers to $771 million over the next two budget years.

We’ve always been told that we have no control over state authorities because they are, in theory, self-standing business units accountable to no one. But, somehow, NYPA rolled over quite easily for the legislature and willingly gave up those funds after brief debate. Their kitty, by going into the general fund, will end up in the NYC Metro area where a great majority of the budget funds typically go. This is a major bloodletting of the upstate region for it has been proven many a time that NYPA’s profits come mostly from the Niagara Power Project. So, once again, we’ve been sold out.

This is money that could have been better spent elsewhere. Not to be parochial, but that elsewhere is here. And, there’s a way by which it could have been spent which would have held true to NYPA’s mission of making cheap power available. According to State studies, were those swept funds to be used instead as a power subsidy, every small business in Upstate New York would see a two-cent per kilowatt hour reduction in their power bills, good for two years as we weather the recession. Those savings would be significant, and key to maintaining the economic viability of many a firm. That small token would save my company over $150,000 per year. As I noted in my column two weeks back, my company pays $496,500 more than what our competitors in Ohio would for electricity. The savings would help cut into that competitive disadvantage faced by many. That’s the shot in the arm our local economy needs.

But, unfortunately, NYPA has other plans for the upstate populace…and so do other folks. As much as NYPA may have sold us out to the downstate interests, so did some of our local elected officials. It should be noted that Senator Antoine Thompson and Assemblywoman Francine DelMonte - both of whom have the Niagara Power Project in their districts’ backyards and report to constituents in the once grand Niagara Falls manufacturing corridor that needs the cheap power - voted in favor of taking the money away from NYPA. These are the same individuals who tout the importance of the Project and keeping its power and money in WNY where it belongs. In the end though, it seems that their allegiance to party was stronger than their allegiance to people and principle.

With elected officials and bureaucrats so willing to give away what few assets our area has left, we’re left with – and will always be left with - nothing. And, because of that, no matter how hard we as taxpayers, workers, and businessmen might try, we can’t gain much ground because the odds are truly stacked against us. It’s no wonder the Niagara Frontier is in such great decline.

"Buy American" takes some heat

From the 09 February 2009 Greater Niagara Newspapers

“BUY AMERICAN” TAKES SOME HEAT
By Bob Confer

Two weeks ago, Germany’s largest newspaper quoted me in a sizable article about protectionism. They pulled a line from my recent column about the importance of buying American-made goods as a means to stimulate our economy. In that same article they mentioned President Obama’s “Buy American” clause in the economic stimulus package, language that requires all steel and iron used in infrastructure projects to be manufactured in the USA.

In both cases, the German reporter and those he interviewed cited our thoughts as “dangerous” and “incendiary”. Even though I don’t agree with him most of the time, it’s an honor to be lumped together with our country’s chief executive when it comes to an issue with such national and, I guess, international implications. But, it saddens me that since then he has backed off on the domestic content requirement, weakening the language to the point of making it powerless. Obama and his advisors just couldn’t handle the pressure put on them from the rest of the world.

That article was just the very tip of the iceberg, one that’s an impossibly-gigantic mass of icy anti-American disdain just hoping to sink our nation like the Titanic. “Bash America” became a recurring theme at the recent World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. This intensely-scrutinized summit began with Russia’s Putin and China’s Wen Jiabao blaming the US for the collapse of the global economy. They bluntly said our capitalist system was flawed and that the world needs some sort of reserve currency besides ours. Even though most attendees looked at their speeches as rants driven by tired old communist philosophies, it left a bad taste in their mouths and set the tone for the rest of the forum.

From that, the biggest hang-up of this meeting became Obama’s patriotic protectionist ways. Everyone to a man was critical of the Buy American directive. It was the general consensus that protectionism is a troubling practice and a contagious disease, one that would cause all nations to return the favor, sending the global marketplace into a tailspin, hurting what they call the “bottom billion” of the world’s population. Noting the disastrous Smoot-Hawley Act of the 1930’s (which in no way mirrors what Obama proposed) the world leaders made an effective yet horribly incorrect case for breaking down the walls.

This being the nation’s first worldly get-together since he took office, it was not a good start for Obama. Maybe not here, but definitely abroad, a great deal of shine came off of his post-inaugural glow. Not wanting to set a precedent for his reign as president, he succumbed to the stress and last Tuesday he changed his way of thinking. He said this on Fox News: "We can't send a protectionist message….I think it would be a mistake though at a time when worldwide trade is declining for us to start sending a message that somehow we are just looking after ourselves and not concerned with world trade."

A mistake? No, it’s a mistake that Mr. Obama is deemphasizing the clause. The stimulus package is using American money – paid for by American taxpayers – to supposedly drive the American economy. That said, charity must begin at home. Spend the money here!
Looking at the big picture, the federal government is, theoretically, a free-thinking consumer in an open marketplace, a consumer that that can make purchases as it sees fit. It can use any criteria it wants to make its buying decisions, just as you or I would at the grocery store. But, alas, the international leaders who always tout free trade are up in arms against it when it’s actually practiced.

That’s the difference between globalization and globalism. In the former, all nations are independent, interacting with one in another in open markets. In the latter, nations forsake their sovereignty and borders and self-rule become a thing of the past, something that is becoming quite common (European Union, anyone?). We’ve fallen into that globalist trap in the past with NAFTA and CAFTA. Now, we’re back at it with our current president selling us out. Sure, he was well-intentioned at the start with the Buy American drive, but by casting it aside so easily, he forgot that the people of the US voted for him to be their president. He was not elected by the rest of the world. He has no obligation to China, Russia, and European Union. First and foremost, he is supposed to look out for America. In this case - one of his very first tests - he failed us miserably.

As Obama promised in his campaign, he gave favor to the working class. Thing is, it just wasn’t here in America.