A Vacation from Gas Prices?

The following is an Op-Ed piece by Jon Powers, Democratic candidate for Congress in NY-26: as seen on Rochester Turning (Summer Relief at the Gas Pump)

Summer Relief at the Gas Pump

 

 

As Memorial Day approaches, many working families across Western New York are preparing their summer plans and struggling to find ways to afford our skyrocketing gasoline prices.  The price for a gallon of gasoline is now over $3.85 and approaching $4 in Western New York, which means that car owners who have a 15 gallon gas tank are now paying almost $60 to fill up at the pump. 

 

This is a direct reflection of Congress’ lack of foresight on a clear energy policy that shifts the focus from the consumption of foreign oil to innovations that allow cars to get better mileage and alternative energies that we can create right here in America.  This new direction would reduce our dependence on foreign oil, create good jobs right here in America, and ultimately reduce the costs of fueling our cars.  Any shift in policy that moves away from foreign oil is going to take time, but the truth is, Congress has had 30 years of time to address this problem.

 

In 1975, the United States created the Strategic Petroleum Reserve as a result of the 1973 energy crisis.  The purpose of the reserve was to mitigate supply disruptions so that Americans would not be left dry and allow the United States a safety net while Congress moved aggressively to create a sustainable alternative energy resource.  Basically, it was created for times like these, times when our gasoline prices are going through the roof as a result of our addiction to foreign oil.

 

By adding oil to the reserve when prices are low, Congress made a sound investment that can provide a buffer to the economy and avert a crisis now that prices are high.  But by continuing to stockpile oil at today’s high prices, Congress is actually making the problem worse for consumers by simultaneously increasing demand for oil and reducing the supply available to the rest of us.

 

Today, Congress is voting on a bill sponsored by Senator Byron Dorgan of North Dakota which may have a temporary solution to the oil fix America finds itself in today.  This legislation, experts say, could lower the price of a gallon of gasoline by as much as 24 cents.  That could save car owners approximately $3-$5 each time they fill up at the pump.  Senator Dorgan wants to divert 70,000 barrels of oil deposited into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve each day into our economy in order to help increase access to oil and thereby lower the price of gasoline.    

 

The Strategic Petroleum Reserve currently contains 702 million barrels of oil and is filled to 97% of its capacity.  Using 70,000 barrels is not the answer to our long term problem, but in the short term it will provide some of the relief that many Americans need this summer. 

 

A lasting solution requires developing an energy policy that weans America from our oil addiction and allows us to be self-reliant with regard to our energy needs..  I hope that Washington will have the courage to do that now, and developing such a plan would be one of my top priorities in Congress.  But, in the meantime, Congress should pass Senator Dorgan’s bill and give us all a brief reprieve from ever-escalating gasoline prices.  This is a summer break that many Americans need.

 

 

Presidential Candidate Tax Plan Comparison

	John McCain	Barack Obama
Marginal Individual Income Tax Rates View Research Area »	Maintain current (Bush tax cut) rates. (Source)	No specifics; “Repeal Bush’s tax cuts for top 1%” (Source) Eliminate income taxes on seniors earning $50,000 per year or less. (Source)
Corporate Income Tax View Research Area »	Cut to 25% (from current 35%) (Source)	No specifics available. Proposes eliminating “preferential loopholes” and “cracking down on offshore tax havens.” (Source)
Tax Reform View Research Area »	No specifics; suggests a system that’s “simpler” and “fairer” with “lower” rates.	Have the IRS send out pre-populated tax forms based on employer-provided data, allowing tax return completion in “five minutes.” (Source)
Estate Tax View Research Area »	Modify to apply to estates over $10 million, taxed at 15% rate. (Source)	Opposes repeal; no specific plan proposed
Social Security Payroll Tax View Research Area »	No specifics; opposes tax increase as solution. (Source)	Increase the wage cap, causing more in wages to be subject to the tax. Possibly include a “donut hole” to exempt income just above the current cap (now $102,000). (source)
Alternative Minimum Tax View Research Area »	Permanently repeal. (Source)	No plan
Other Tax Policies		- Would create a new “Making Work Pay” tax credit of up to $500 per person, or $1,000 per working family. This refundable income tax credit would “provide relief… from the payroll tax system.” It would offset the payroll tax on the first $8,100 of earnings while still preserving the important principle of a dedicated revenue source for Social Security. - Would create a universal 10 percent mortgage credit. Non-itemizers would be eligible for this refundable credit, which would “provide the average recipient with approximately $500 per year in tax savings.” - Would give full-time workers making minimum wage an EITC benefit up to $555. If the workers are “responsibly supporting their children on child support,” the Obama plan would give those workers a benefit of $1,110. - Would create an “American Opportunity Tax Credit.” This universal and fully refundable credit would “ensure that the first $4,000 of a college education is completely free for most Americans.” - Would reform the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit by making it refundable.

©2008 Tax Foundation. All Rights Reserved.

Democrat Commends Equal Marriage Ruling

Rochester, New York – May 6, 2008.  Democratic Minority Leader Harry Bronson (D - Rochester, Brighton, and Henrietta) today applauded the New York State Court of Appeal’s decision to reject Monroe County’s frivolous appeal of the recent Appellate Division ruling in favor of recognizing the marriage of a Monroe Community College employee and her spouse.
 
“Today’s landmark decision from the Court of Appeals is a monumental step in promoting our area’s rich history of being at the forefront of many civil rights battles,” Bronson stated. “There is simply no legitimate reason for our friends, neighbors and loved ones to be denied the rights and responsibilities that are derived from a stable, legally recognized marriage.”

The administration’s appeal may also have negative consequences to our local economy, Bronson said. However, today’s ruling may serve to reduce the administration’s self-inflicted economic bungling. “By extending these rights and responsibilities the County, following the example of most companies in the private sector, would recognize the value of their employees. The importance of affording quality of life standards will encourage people to live, work and stay in our community as contributing taxpayers, resulting in true taxpayer protection by stabilizing our tax base,” Bronson explained.

“This ruling is further evidence that the spirit of collaboration frequently touted by this administration is, in fact, non-existent. The administration simply does not understand the overwhelming desire in our community for a government that can work together without regard to ideology. It’s time for the politics of division to end and for the politics of unity to begin. By halting their outdated, divisive rhetoric against gay and lesbian residents of Monroe County, the administration can start down that path to unity and begin addressing real issues like the $29 million budget crisis created by the so-called FAIR plan,” Bronson added.
 

May day and more!

Spring is in the air - it might have been cool air this week, but springy none the less - and you know what that means…Spring cleaning!

The ancients celebrated May 1st and the 5 days following by decorating poles with flowers while children danced and wearing garlands and adorning homes and streets with the freshness of the new life that spring brings into the world that has been cold and dark throughout the winter. The tradition of spring cleaning comes partly from these ancient festivals of life…out with the old way of doing things and in with the new.

Parma needs to declare the month of May spring cleaning month! Here’s the agenda - sign on if you wish in the comment section.

• We the residents of Parma love open space, that’s why we live here - we do not want a sports complex to be built that would take up more of that open space we so cherish - tell Lemcke and the town board to send the developers of the “Comparato complex” somewhere else…if Greece, practically a city in it’s own right didn’t want it, why should we, rural Parma be forced to accept it? We shouldn’t! Call Councilman Ken Blackburn (the only member of town board man enough to put his phone # on the town website) at 392-9169 and let him know how you feel.

 

• We the residents of Parma value the place the village of Hilton holds as the center of our town. We value it as a community gathering place, a center of business and education and as such we believe that removing the library from the village would be detrimental to the life of the village and damaging to the overall experience of residents and visitors in Parma. Any new library and community center should be built inside the village limits to maintain the economy of the village and the central location of such a structure. Contact the library and its board here

 

• We the residents of Parma demand an open an honest link of communication with our elected officials. We believe that a committee of citizen liaisons should be formed at the town level to not only transmit the will of the residents to town officials but also to serve as an ethics board watching the actions of our supervisor, council members and highway superintendent.

 

• We the residents of Parma support the safe upkeep of our roads and as such believe that our highway department and it’s employees should receive the full support of the town. Equipment should receive proper maintenance and should be replaced when needed. If this doesn’t occur on a “pay as you go” basis we believe that it will cost town taxpayers greatly in the future - we demand the infighting headed up by the supervisor cease. 

So in the spirit of May day and all the new life that springtime brings let’s get together and breathe new life into Parma, let’s encourage the voice of residents to rise and be heard, let’s demand that our leaders look out for us and our interests first - It’s time to Change Parma for good!

Changing Parma survey results

Here are the long awaited results of the survey posted by changing parma here

When asked: How satisfied are you with town supervisor Rick Lemcke?

66.7% said Not satisfied, 11.1% said Very satisfied, 22.2% said they were moving to Greece

When asked: Do you think that the Parma town board is doing a good job representing you overall?

66.7% said They should all be voted out, 22.2% said They are doing ok, 11.1% said They would voted for them again tomorrow.

When asked: What do you think about the newly proposed soccer complex in Parma?

37.5% said They oppose it, 12.5% said They are for it, 25% said If they build it I will move, and 25% said What happened to open space?

When asked: The library/community center should…

77.8% said Remain in the village, 11.1% said Be moved to town hall property, 11.1% said Be moved somewhere else in the town outside of the village

When asked: If an election were held today who would you vote for?

Town Supervisor: 11.1% Aggie Seneway, 55.6% Ignatius LaDelfa, 11.1% Rick Lemcke, 11.1% Joe Lee, 11.1% other

Town Board: 11.1% Jim Smith, 55.6% Nick Coffee, 22.2% Joe Reinschmidt, 11.1% Other

State Senate: 66.7% Rick Dollinger, 22.2% Joe Robach, 11.1% Sandy Frankel, 0% Willa Powell, 0% Other

Congress: 62.5% Jon Powers, 12.5% Joe Robach, 12.5% Alyce Kryzan, 12.5% Jack Davis

It’s none of your business, or is it?

The protocol of information sharing (or lack thereof) was a major topic of discussion at the April 1st town board meeting. Mr. Lemcke shared with the board that he feels an elected (presumably himself) has the right to seek out information on any subject in respect to the town but does not have an obligation to share that information with the rest of Parma’s elected official unless he feels it is neccessary or decides it’s time to do so. Hmmmmm? see: April 1st minutes

Apparently Mr. Blackburn and Mr. Comardo disagreed, stating that it is an obligation of an elected official to share both the fact and details of his fact finding mission and the resulting information with the rest of the town board. Is Mr. Lemcke keeping secrets? Is there something about his actions that he wants to hide from not only the public at large but his fellow town board members?

A quote from the minutes sums it up well

“Supervisor Lemcke was in favor of being able to gather information and make his own decision on whether it was feasible to pursue further and then provide the Town Board with the information gathered.”

What kinds of decisions is he making about information he receives that he doesn’t share with the remaining board members? Is it really a good policy to leave other members out of the loop? In a representative form of government we have checks and balances - the purpose of a 5 member board is to balance out the decision making process - now we know that Lemcke likes to think that the town is an extension of his landscaping company where he is in full control and calls all the shots, but the town is not his business - it’s the peoples institution and should be run as such. That means that whomever the people elect should be privy to any and all information involving the town and it’s wellbeing whether the information gatherer feels it is worthy or not. Write Mr. Lemcke today and tell him you want him to share any information he receives with the entire board. e-mail him at supervisor@parmany.org

Parma’s getting new gear!

At the March 18th town board meeting (link) highway superintendent Brian Speer proposed the purchase of desperately needed highway equipment to the board members.

A new 1/2 ton truck, a new dump truck and snow plow equipment. We here a CP have been covering issues about the highway department and its need for updated equipment since November of 2007. It is our firm belief that the highway department employees cannot do their jobs well with outdated euipment and therefore they are in need of newer items for the roadwork they do, roadwork which keeps us all safe.

Mr. Lemcke however has been opposed to the highway departments growth and has turned a deaf ear to its needs. He continued to hold the line on his non-support by voting against the funding proposed for the new equipment at this meeting. It continues to baffle this blogger why Mr. Lemcke has decided that providing for the needs of this department of town government is uneccessary. Doesn’t he realize that if we don’t do this incrementally we will need to do it all at once at some point in the future. Why burden the town with massive expenses at once when you can “pay as you go” over time.

County Democrats’ Proposal Set for Final Passage

Call for Alternate Budget Options to Remedy Crisis Unanimously Supported

Rochester, New York – April 8, 2008.  A Democratic proposal seeking alternative solutions to a possible $29 million budget crisis will come before the full legislature tonight for a final vote. 

Sponsored by Democratic Minority Leader Harry Bronson (D-Rochester, Brighton and Henrietta) the proposal seeks to ensure Monroe County taxpayers are protected in the event the administration’s appeal of the recent Appellate Division decision ruling the so-called F.A.I.R. plan invalid.

“We understand the difficult time the administration is going to have trying to address a $29 million budget crisis, and that is why we put forth this legislation. The planning must began now for the alternative budget. My Democratic colleagues and I are pleased that the Republican Majority has joined this legislation in taking an active role in requesting a budget solution,” Bronson said.

With all 29 Monroe County Legislators signed on to the proposal, Democrats expect it will be passed unanimously.  

What: Full Legislature Meeting
When: April 8, 2008 at 6:00 p.m.
Where: Monroe County Legislature Chambers
               39 West Main St. 4th Floor
               Rochester, NY 14614

Parma wins lawsuit

This weeks Suburban News reported that the town of Parma has won its frivolous lawsuit against the village over the Burrit Rd. annexation. According to the judgment this parcel of land will remain in the town and therefore the town boards decision against the developer will stand.

What was interesting about the article was the statement made by supervisor Lemcke that the town voted against the development because so many of the residents in Unionville Station were opposed to the possibility of new housing going up in their back yards. This blogger seems to remember the same kind of opposition arising over the Fairfield place development a few years ago. But in that situation the supervisor had an interest in the development no? Maybe Mr. Beehler, the owner/developer of the Burrit Rd property should give Mr. Lemcke a cut in the development, because it seems clear from past experience that when Mr. Lemcke has an interest he disregards the voice of the people. Or maybe Mr. Beehler could just give Rick the top soil screening rights to the land as it’s being developed, that might get him to support the project.

One must wonder as well whether or not this new trend of the supervisor listening to the voice of the residents concerned will be followed as the board considers the revamped soccer complex proposal? Highly doubtful. This is really just more of the same, government run by a few which favors those who find themselves somehow connected to those who govern. So for all you open space activists in Parma, you who wish to keep the rural character of your town intact, you who contrary to what some may think are not anti-progress but rather pro-land conservationists, you must take the bull by its horns. Put the signs up again, pass a new petition, contact a few board members (may we suggest calling Ken Blackburn and the newest member Gary Comardo) impress upon them their need to listen to those who live around the site that is in question - tell them in no uncertain terms that you oppose any and all attempts at building a massive sports complex by your homes that coupled with the new mega Baptist church on Mantinou (one that requires police assistance to get out of its parking lots on Sunday) will make entering and exiting your homes and your town almost an impossible task. Let them know how you feel! And then in 2009 you’ll probably have yet another chance to change your government by selecting new leadership that says it sees government as a service rather than a self-serving business - let them know that as well.

In the meantime continue to be the voice of the people and make you voice to be heard!

Remembering an American “prophet” & visionary

40 years ago Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. Usually our nation remembers his legacy through his “I have a dream” speech. While this is comendable it overlooks the many things King had to say regarding the many issues of injustice facing our nation at the time. King, following in the footsteps of Mohandas Gandhi was a prophet of non-violent resistance and he was ardently anti-war.

In the speech that we have posted here “Why I am against the war” Dr. King speaks to a nation at war and calls its actions unjust! He calls for peace and lays out very eloquently why he was opposed to the war in Vietnam. Today these words can speak to us as we continue to face the challenge of an unjust war and occupation in Iraq, these words also show us very clearly just how important Dr. King was to our nation and how important his life is to our heritage as Americans.

Hear the speech here: “Why I am against the war” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.