CLIMATE SECURITY AND ECONOMIC RUIN
By Bob Confer, www.BobConfer.net

We live in an era of much unrest in which people fear for their security, be it socially (terror threats), economically (recession), or environmentally (global warming). Feeding off this, our elected officials have been quite successful in using fear-mongering to introduce endless amounts of legislation that do much more harm than good.

The terror fears have been addressed by the Patriot Act, a series of intrusive laws that are unconstitutional and un-American. The economic fears have been satisfied with an economic stimulus package which has produced reams of worthless fiat money.

Up next on the list is global warming, a fear yet to be rectified. What could sound more comforting to the masses than something called “America’s Climate Security Act”? This act, also known as the Lieberman-Warner Bill, will be debated by the US Senate this week. One can only hope that the many atrocities of this bill come to light over the next few days, preventing its adoption. Its scope is more insidious than that of the aforementioned pieces of legislation; were it to be passed, continued economic ruin of the American Empire is guaranteed.  

The bill does what everyone under the influence of the Pied Piper and flute (Al Gore and his Inconvenient Truth) wants: it caps greenhouse gas emissions. Essentially, the government would make the right to produce CO2 a pay-to-play affair. The bill would introduce a system of cap-and-trade through which businesses (utilities, “Big Oil”, manufacturers) would be assigned a cap on the amount of their greenhouse gas emissions. If they don’t meet the cap, the affected businesses can sell or trade their remaining allotments to those who need to emit more. The federal government will also auction off unused and new allowances to industry. This glorified tax would net the federal government $1.2 trillion from 2009-2018.  

This is not only a cap on greenhouse gases. Above all, it is a cap on the US economy. It will severely limit what manufacturers can produce, therefore making it logical to send even more jobs to nations with less-restrictive regulations such as China and India. Senator James Inhofe, an opponent of the bill, says the bill will force 3.4 million manufacturing jobs overseas in the ten years following its passage. Even the Environmental Protection Agency, an agency one would think would spin this bill in a way to suit its needs, admits that it would reduce the growth of our Gross Domestic Product by nearly 4% in the next two decades. Those numbers are significant. You think we’re in a recession now?

Speaking of recessions, the current one is being strengthened by escalating oil prices. This bill does nothing to satisfy that problem and will only make matters worse, even though we’ve been hearing for months that Congress will do their best to lessen the pain at the pumps. The double-speakers supporting the Climate Security Act will ultimately forgo overall national security (by increasing the reliance on foreign oil) so they can win votes now by pushing the currently popular green agenda. Because of the limitations of the cap, oil companies will wisely invest overseas. The American Petroleum Institute says investment in domestic oil research and production will decrease by $3 billion per year in the very near future and ten years out that loss of investment in the America’s will reach a frightening rate of $11.5 billion per year. Those who do remain will be forced to increase the costs that they pass on to consumers. The bill alone will account for an immediate (5 year) growth in gas prices in the range of 25 to 29 percent.

The Lieberman-Warner Bill will have no positive impact on our economy and therefore our society. Our quality of life will tank. Reasons like that accounted for America’s disdain for and disinterest in the Kyoto Protocol. Yet, here we are 11 years later, our elected officials attempting to ram down our throats legislation much more onerous. This at a time when Europe - the holier-than-thou hypocritical supporters of the Kyoto Protocol - are investing in 67 coal-based electrical generation plants that will break their own promises to the tune of 700 million tons of new carbon dioxide emissions every year.

Fortunately, George W. Bush has sworn to veto the Climate Security Act were it to make it to his desk this year. But, that is only a temporary reprieve. The two main presidential candidates - Senators John McCain and Barack Obama - have expressed their support for the bill. So, anyway you put it, there’s a very good chance this bill could become law in the next couple of years, much to the detriment of America as we know it. 

OPTIMISM IS MISSING IN ALBANY
By Bob Confer, www.BobConfer.net

This year’s Leadership Niagara class headed off to the state capital last week to experience state government. I went along as one of coordinators. We met with elected officials, government employees, lobbyists and pundits. Many in the class were in shock – and often outraged - at what they heard from our guest speakers. It was a real eye-opener for them because they, like the majority of New Yorkers west of Syracuse, don’t follow state government and know little of the engine that drives our economy.

I’ve experienced Albany before and being that state government is something I study in detail, I knew what to expect. But, even so, I was still taken aback by the lack of optimism in Albany.

There is a difference between pessimism and a lack of optimism. Pessimism requires that you have a completely negative outlook on life and expect if not demand negative consequences to your actions and those of the world around you. A lack of optimism is a little different: You go about your business and do what you have to do in a positive fashion while understanding that there’s a very good chance that your desired outcome won’t happen.

Based upon what we heard in Albany, it seems that our area’s elected officials live that way. Senator Maziarz and Assemblymen Schimminger, Hayes, Hawley, and Cole are all hard-working men who care about the economic and social health of our people. They have for years applied this care to their actions, introducing bills and pushing ideas that would make New York a much better place to live and work. But, alas, most everything they try to do gets tossed aside – even outright ignored - by their legislative brethren who hail from the NYC metro area and dominate the flow of public policy.  

“Because of downstate” was an answer we heard over and over again. It was the fallback response to most questions asked by the class when they wanted to know why a variety of meaningful and logical bills have not passed. That quick comeback from the elected officials may be perceived as some to be a cop-out or cover-up to their own weaknesses, but it’s not. They really are up against an almost impenetrable wall of downstate self-interest. NYC officials look out only for the health of New York the City and not New York the State. It’s something we also heard from people who are not politicians. 

Ken Adams, the CEO of the Business Council of New York State, started his great presentation by describing the economic history of the NYC area, how it was once like our region used to be, a manufacturing Mecca. It then transformed itself into the financial capital of the world and a place that is still experiencing economic boom. We have not had that same success because NYC’s representatives see only the growth in their Metropolis while overlooking the blight elsewhere. Thinking of business costs as a non-issue because of the uniqueness of their economy, they pass legislation that has caused the state as a whole to achieve a “D” in the Council’s grading of our economic climate. He suggested that the grade might remain the same for the foreseeable future with downstate interests demanding paid family leave and having no interest in a true property tax cap (because it doesn’t affect them).

Jay Gallagher, Albany bureau chief for Gannet News, told us some horror stories which highlighted downstate control. His most damning story spoke of Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (a Manhattanite) and his dubious control over the Assembly. A few months back the topic of congestion pricing for NYC came to the Assembly. It should have been debated. It wasn’t. Silver never let it get to the floor because he took a “straw poll” that showed the Assembly was against the plan. Gallagher said this was because the downstaters wanted to protect themselves in the November election. Think about that:  a NYC politician, one who is the king of the assembly, can choose what gets debated or not by the other 149 as a means to protect his fellow urbanites. It doesn’t even sound legal.

At the very start of his speech Gallagher mentioned it was difficult to be upbeat with state government. It was fitting that he was our first speaker, for that comment was prophetic, setting the tone for trip. The class was bombarded with bad news that leaves one feeling that there’s no hope for Upstate. Our economy and our people are broken - and will remain so - despite the best efforts of our local politicians. 

Optimism is gone. It seems that it can only return by one day seceding from downstate.

Yeah, like that’s going to happen. 

ALTERNATIVES IN ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
BY BOB CONFER, www.BobConfer.net

It’s rare that the federal government will admit that it made a mistake. Usually, the Democrats will blame the Republicans for bad policy and vice versa. That’s why it’s so stunning to see the recent surge in criticism towards ethanol from members of Congress who reside on both sides of the aisle. Many are beginning to believe they jumped the gun with the promotion of this corn-based alternative fuel.

It’s not yet three years since the signing of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and the world is already topsy-turvy because of this legislation. The Act called for incremental increases in the amount of biofuels (mostly ethanol) sold in the United States with 7.5 billion gallons being the goal for 2012. Due to the popularity of the green movement and government-subsidized capitalism run amok, ethanol production exploded out of the gate and 6.5 billion gallons were produced in 2006 with 7.7 billion expected for 2008.

Because of the associated increase in demand for corn, its price has reached truly unfathomable levels. Up until two years ago corn sold for around $2.30 per bushel. Earlier this month it nearly reached $6.40 per bushel. This, in turn, has caused prices to rise at the grocery store. Consumers are shelling out much more for everything made of corn, from goods concocted from corn syrup to the pork and poultry which are raised on corn. Many economists believe that food inflation will exceed 8% this year.

This dire economic situation might only get worse: The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 demands 36 billion gallons of renewable fuels by 2022.

Other than cancelling all this legislation (unheard of in federal circles), the only way that the federal government can save face and correct this disaster is by working hand-in-hand with the private sector to develop other forms of biofuel technologies as soon as possible. Two such alternatives can exist in the form of cellulosic ethanol and algae ethanol and oils.

In the case of cellulosic ethanol the fuel is derived from fermentation and distillation of the cellulose (structural material) of plants such as switchgrass and corn. This process makes perfect sense because the corn is being grown anyways for ethanol and food and the five-to-six-foot tall stalks are put to waste. The stalks – just like the plants of all consumer fruits and vegetables - could be put to good use. Surprisingly, two-thirds of everything put into landfills could be used as a source of cellulosic ethanol.

This process is not very popular at this time because mass production is not achievable with current technologies. It requires the use of enzymes to break down the cellulose and, unfortunately, these enzymes have to be extracted from microorganisms. But, scientists are working on methods to create a new hassle-free microbe that will be incredibly efficient and can be “manufactured” at the rate needed for widespread use. This has become a very competitive endeavor in biological exploration, one for which British Petroleum alone has donated $500 million to two universities. It is hoped that the federal government follows suit and diverts its subsidization of corn ethanol to the research and development of these sciences at the university level. It could prove to be a real winner.

The other alternative - one that can be used for ethanol and biodiesel – is algae. It is currently looked at as a novelty, but nonetheless it has the potential to be the future’s ultimate fuel source. Algae is one of the simplest forms of life and can be grown in the best or worst of waters. In the warmest environments the crop can replicate itself to the point that it can be harvested daily. An acre of algae can produce enough biofuel oil (10,000 gallons per year) that it makes other more-popular choices looks insignificant: Soybean oil yield is 50 gallons per acre per year.

Once again, we are at the leading edge of the learning curve with algae. Many firms are investing countless millions into the development of technologies. The government has been slow to invest, but it may soon change its ways, for, at its own admission, algae is without peer: the Department of Energy says an area one-seventh the size of the USA’s current corn crop will yield enough algae to replace all of our petroleum needs.

So, yes, while times are tough now - and probably will be for a decade – because of a bad policy decision with ethanol that was “too much too soon”, there is some light at the end of the tunnel. Other alternatives exist in alternative fuels and with a little teamwork between the public and private sectors they can be unleashed. 

DOWNSTATE INTERESTS CAUSE GAS PAINS

By Bob Confer, www.BobConfer.net

Last week the New York Senate voted for a holiday on the state’s gas tax, calling for suspension of the government markup during the summer months (Memorial Day through Labor Day). Sure, it’s most definitely an election year tactic by the Republican Senate, a sort of sales gimmick for incumbency, but nonetheless it is still a welcomed and much-needed gesture.

The Democrat-led Assembly, on the other hand, doesn’t see any value in neutralizing the tax.

At first glance, one might see this as petty party politics. It’s not. This contrast in opinion is founded in the rift that separates Upstate New York from the NYC metro region. The Assembly’s 150-person membership is dominated by the voices of downstate officials whose control the Assembly both in numbers and in leadership (Speaker Shelly Silver is from Manhattan). It’s this urban-centric mindset that has allowed the Assembly to dictate what happens in the State in a manner that is routinely beneficial to the downstate region and detrimental to we here in Upstate. The denial of the gas tax holiday exemplifies this situation. It shows in all its glory the self-centeredness so common to the Democratic Assembly.

Upstate folk understand what it means to be a New Yorker (as in the Big Apple). We can’t help but be because NYC arrogantly looks at itself as the place to be and it does a good job in spreading that boast. Its mystique and way of life have been force fed to us through the years in news and entertainment media. They, on the other hand, choose not to be so knowledgeable about what happens beyond the Catskills, having nothing but complete indifference towards the way of life in the rest of the State.

It’s from this that they see no need in cutting the price at the pump, even if temporarily. The residents of the metro area do most of their travel via public transportation like subways or buses because the structure of the City and potential for congestion (and lost time) makes it the most logical thing to do. Many of them don’t own cars and, if they do, it’s rarely put to use and only for short distances. So, gas prices have almost no impact on the constituents of the downstate politicians.

They look at this as the norm and choose not to be empathetic to Upstate needs, feigning ignorance to the very different ways of transportation here. With population bases spread out, no singularly-dominating City on the landscape, temperate job prospects, and minimally-convenient public transportation, workers here have no choice but to commute by car. The average WNY worker drives 23 minutes to the job and, according to federal statistics, over the course of the year he/she will see no more than 10 total hours in delays, meaning that we all travel great distances (I drive 25,000 miles per year and know many who do the same) and consume plenty of gasoline.

To us mobile New Yorkers, any savings we can get at the pump are vital to our financial well-being. The Senate’s bill would spare consumers about 34 cents per gallon. Over the course of tax holiday - when the standard commute mileage is supplemented with numerous summer pursuits – upstate families can save anywhere from $160 to $320 depending on their driving habits. Those are significant savings, especially now, when not only are gas prices unreasonably high but so are those for things we’ve always taken for granted as being affordable (basic life necessities like groceries).

Those savings brought on by the tax holiday don’t have the same fiscal importance to the NYC crowd. To them it’s out of sight and out of mind. That’s why the bill will never make it through the Assembly….it’s a non-issue to them personally and empathetically. It’s a perfect snapshot of how political power is doled out in Albany: As usual, the downstate region wins and we lose because “we don’t matter”.

 From the 05 May 2008 Greater Niagara Newspapers

CATHOLICS AND THE ALMIGHTY DOLLAR

By Bob Confer

When I tell people I live in Gasport many of them respond with a resounding, “that’s God’s Country!”

That, it is. It’s a beautiful area and a great place to live. But, come June, it will be a little less godly. St. Mary’s Church, the sole Roman Catholic Church in our hamlet, is one of almost 90 Catholic churches that will be – or have been – closed or merged by the Buffalo Diocese.

I don’t claim to be the most religious man in the world. Moreover, I’m not Catholic, but my wife is. So, as someone who is an outsider with an insider’s perspective and one possessed of an understanding of what makes communities tick, I see nothing but harm being brought about by these closings. There are two bonds that can consistently bring together dissimilar peoples of an area. They are the senses of religious belonging and civic belonging. The closing of a church can have wide-ranging consequences on the community at large by actually destroying the aforementioned senses.

This is especially true when it occurs in rural areas. The problem is exacerbated in such locales because entities such as St. Mary’s represent the only venue for a specific denomination. Take that away and the people have nothing. Sure, most will make due by traveling to Lockport or Medina for their worship, but many will lose their religion (and weekly friends) by being unable to make what is for some – especially seniors - a lengthy trip. Lost forever will be the religious and civic bonds that were forged across generations and made that church and its followers unique. The sense of community once vital and beloved by those followers has essentially been squashed. Gasport will forever be removed from Catholicism and vice versa. Because of that, Gasport as a whole will suffer because the tie that binds many of its residents has become unbound.

You can see the agony in the local church community which truly has become a family torn apart by actions out of their control. Gasport’s Father Badding seems deeply affected by it and at a loss of words when he speaks of it in his sermons. The long-term worshippers are visibly shaken by the loss of a church they have been attending for decades, one that their parents did before them. This heartbreaking situation in Gasport mirrors what is happening all across Western New York, be it in smaller towns and villages or in the myriad unique communities that can found nestled within the larger urban areas.

Why would the Catholic Church inflict so much damage on so many people? The Diocese claims it’s due to a decrease in attendance (customers) in churches across the area. It needs to streamline its operations (cost costs) and make the most of its message (increase profits).

That being said, the Church could be considered guilty of participating in the modern day corporate mindset. It is, after all, the largest corporation in the world. It far rivals Wal-Mart in terms of customers (1.31 served and counting!). Its revenues are without peer: The United States Catholic Church alone contributes about $110 billion per year to the Church and World Youth Day itself rakes in over $150 million. Its treasury total is typically kept hush-hush but it is known to exceed the treasury values of most all nations.

This approach to spreading its word and managing its monies makes it obvious that the Church has taken on the downsizing ways of many of today’s biggest moneymakers. It has deemphasized the value of its people and its Almighty God, instead emphasizing the value of the Almighty Dollar. It was once in the business of enlightenment, but now just appears to be in the business of business.   

If the Catholic Church’s management still hung to its core values of spreading the word and not focusing on returns, the act of closures would never have crossed their minds. Most churches in the region, regardless of denomination, have declining membership. Some rural Protestant churches struggle to get 40 attendees a week. Yet, somehow, they stay open and their higher ups want them to stay open.

Such churches understand that they have an important service to deliver to the people, that God’s Word comes first. Money, to them, is an afterthought and nowhere near their driving force. It’s too bad that the Buffalo Diocese and the Vatican’s leadership don’t see things that same way. Corporate greed has ruined them and has hurt Catholics and non-Catholics everywhere.