Manifesto/Bio
Recent Comments
Re: “College students in fossil fuel fight”
There is nothing wrong with students’ youthful idealism especially when they are correct in trying to protect their health, environment, and their future. They have learned that inevitably return on investment in renewable energy will trump investment in diminishing fossil fuels. So let our students show us how to fix our economy, our climate, our health, our security, that improves future prospects for us all. They know that there is no future in a wrecked environment, ruined aquifers, tar-sands, pipelines, strip coal mines, offshore oil drilling, hydraulic fracking, and nuclear power; or in endless energy resource wars. Renewable energy technology is here now, and it is affordable. All it needs is a fraction of the start-up funding that fossil fuel companies continue to receive from our government.
BTW, exorbitant student debt is a different issue that is not caused by students.
Re: “West Main Street church keeps 'historic' label”
It's not so much about a 'church' as it is about what this architecture symbolizes as a cultural building block of the Rochester-German society and its contribution to the success of our region. Kudos to the Rochester Zoning Board and the National Register of Historic Places for supporting our history legacy, and for reminding us of our social values. For me this building still resonates with my dad's voice as a member of the German Liederkranz Club.
Re: “America for sale”
Agree with Sam Fidele and Dave McLaughlin and the MTA’s strategy to change the US Constitution to defang rampant corporate abuse of power. But I would go further and bring the US voting process and technology into the 21st century. For the same reason that we have federal standards for our national highway and railway systems our Nation can and must nationalize its voting system. Like 32 other democracies in the world, the USA can ‘mandate’ that its citizens exercise their democratic right to vote. Remember the no-smoking mandates and seatbelt mandates that we thought could never happen here? Until they did, and saved many lives. To eliminate waiting lines the voting process must be re-engineered as an on-line application, like what the DMV and IRS provide to citizens today. Models of efficient on-line voting systems can be found in the Netherlands, Australia, and Canada. The net effect of a more efficient voting system will be to eliminate the need for exorbitant tax dollar funding, volunteers, and voters’ time required to exercise our voting obligation. And it virtually guarantees that EVERY citizen has an opportunity to vote; no more excuses. It also eliminates the lure of partisan politicians and vendors to ‘game’ the system. Is this ‘mandate’ too draconian for American sensibilities? Consider that the bi-annual Rube Goldberg system that hobbles US voters today is exponentially more draconian. We can shed this albatross before we are forced to endure one more election debacle.
Re: “Hemlock-Canadice plan not clear enough on drilling”
Over a century ago, in its wisdom and foresight the City of Rochester cleared the shorelines of Canadice and Hemlock Lakes to ensure a pristine and untainted source of drinking water for its residents. That tradition must now be defended to protect these lakes from unscrupulous exploitation by carpetbagger hydrofrackers that would use these lakes for their private sewer. Remember Love Canal? It is still leaching toxins into our Niagara River and Lake Ontario ‘drinking water’.