Where Was the Press Conference Held?

It's official: Erie Canal ends at Buffalo. Sam Hoyt got his first "meaningful" piece of legislation through both houses and signed into law. It would have been great to see them hold the press conference at the terminus of the canal, except for the fact that IT ISN"T THERE!

All Your Bases are Belong to Us

I rmember playing a similar game at Crystal Beach. My favorite quote has to do with the faulty instructions. Reminded me of this

APB!

Anyone know what the deal is with Raspberry Pop Tarts? Wegman's doesn't even have a space for them on the shelf anymore.

Privacy Concerns?

In both today's New York Times and today's Buffalo News decry the use of technology to fight crimes. To make their case, they cite privacy issues.

First of all, there is no "Right to Privacy" to be found anywhere in the Constitution that I have ever seen. Secondly, what presumption can I make about my privacy when I am walking out of a liquor store or into a sporting event?

While no one has seemed to notice, we already spend a fair amount of our day passing by cameras - at ATMs, in stores, even at the gas pump. You don't have to be a fan of "24" to know that there is no "privacy" in public.

On the other hand, if that technology can either help deter crime or help investigators put those responsible behind bars, isn't that a good thing?

Huh?

I am not sure I fully understand this legisaltion. In fact, I have not read the bill. But regardless of whether this bill becomes law you cannot change the facts that the Erie Canal does not extend to Buffalo, nor can you change the fact that it once did.

In a state that is bleeding population and hemorraghing jobs, is this what our state officials should be spending their time on?

Sanchez

Donn Esmonde has something that he abhors more than Bass ProDonn Esmonde: Punishment for Sanchez seems lacking. I am going to have to re-read it, but somewhere between the lines I think I found an argumnet for the death pernalty....

More Warming

Let me preface this by saying that conservation in general, and energy conservation in particular is a prudent course of action. It is becoming clearer and clearer however, that the hysteria that Gore and others have whipped up is not necessary. The left can no longer hide behind the claim that not everyone who is not running around claiming that the sky is falling works for Halliburton.

IS it hot in here?

Must have been all those Model T SUVS back the...

Tight Formation

Air Show

Brain Drain

Dr. Richard Deitz, a respected economist with the Federal Reserve, has posited a theory that WNY out migration is not as big an issue here as we might have been led to believe. He makes a distinction between "Brain Drain" and "Brain Gain" as representing out migration of educated workers and in-migration of educated workers, respectively.



His research is based on census data from 2000 and census projections from 1995. Given that the census questionnaire is anonymous, (and therefore difficult to track individuals, as opposed to communities) I am not sure how you can track those who have moved. There may be a question relating to immigration on the form, but I don't remember answering it seven years ago.

It is all basically an academic exercise, however. The fact is that there are fewer "brains" here, and we are losing them at a faster rate than many parts of the country.

The area is losing people at a troubling rate. (Apologies for the tables)

Erie County Population
1990 ```````2000``````2001 (est)`````2002 (Est.) `````2003 (Est.)
968,532 ````950,265 ``````946,209 ````942,794 ```````941,293
````````````-18,267 ```````-22,323 ````-25,738 ```````-27,239
[i] Bureau of the Census http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/36/36029lk.html

While this is, in itself, a problem; drilling down a little further we see the problem is far worse.


Population Decline among 20-34 year olds (Bureau of the Census)

``````````1990 `````````2000 ``````Net Change
20-24 ```61,162 ```````57,441`````````` -3,721
25-34 ``159,712 ``````119,168````````` -40,544

Total ``220,874 ``````176,579 `````````-44,265

So, while we are bleeding population, we are hemorrhaging young people.

The underlying problem to this, I would suggest, is the paucity of "good jobs". While some would argue that our loss of people in the 20-34 age bracket indicates those without a great deal of education or training, I can only respond rhetorically - what group is more likely to be lured away to Arizona or North Carolina - those whose education and skills are in high demand, or those who do not have this advantage?

I have seen firsthand the eagerness of employers from the far reaches of the country as they look at our Nursing, Engineering, Accounting and Education graduates.

Unfortunately, the fact that we have had anemic growth in employment (in the good times - outright decline overall through much of the past 25 years) is exacerbated by the perception that things are even worse that they truly are. Some employers struggle to find talented workers right here in WNY.

To fill those positions, employers have three choices: 1) Hire people who are currently here in WNY, 2) Lure people originally raised or educated here to repatriate, or 3) Convince strangers that everything (unflattering) they have heard about Buffalo is untrue.

Clearly option 1 is the cheapest and probably most effective way. Marti Gorman, Chris Smith and others have shown that option 2 is viable as well.

To plug the "brain drain" or accelerate the "brain gain" we first need to create an environment where jobs can be created (selling out for pennies on the dollar in boondoggle money from the power authority didn't help) and then work to help options 1 and 2 above occur.

Economics 101

Saw an interesting post on WNYMEDIA.net. It links to a site whose name implies it is close to the tinfoil hat crowd.

The post is interesting in a JK Rowling kind of way, but not in a Adam Smith kind of way.

At the risk of using facts, let me state an historical fact - lowering tax rates, the way Reagan did in the 80's and Kennedy did in the 1960's stimulates the economy and increases tax revenues.

Budget deficits grow when the government spends more than it takes in.

Every budget that Reagan presented to Congress was increased by that Congress under the leadership of Tip "Big Dig" O'Neill.

Reagan's economy saw an increase in real family income.


Reagan's tax policy resulted in more of the tax burden being borne by wealthier Americans.



These are facts, not opinions.

Where is the fairness?

So, Don Imus should lose his job because, surprise, he is an idiot, but let's hold our judgement of Michael Vick?

Here is the chair of the NAACP Legal Redress team on the Duke Lacrosse case - seems like he is trying the case in the court of public opinion, doesn't it?

And I was stuck doing boondoggle...

Times have changed for summer camp.

What a Surprise!

The Buffalo News: 24 Hour Breaking News: Plame lawsuit dismissed in CIA leak case Let's hope case of the brat from the Pepsi Center sees the same fate.

Where is the Downstream Media on this one?

Patient in life-support fight awakens An interesting twist to the Terri Schiavo case that captivated the media a while back.

C' Ya!

Mayor Bloomberg bids farewell to the Republican Party - Los Angeles Times Maybe he can take "Republican" Giambra with him!

Mr.Mayor, Can you say that again?

When 165 illegal immigrants were arrested the Mayor of Portland said "I certainly understand why federal officials executed criminal warrants against three individuals who stole and sold Social Security numbers. But to go after local workers who are here to support their families while filling the demands of local businesses for their labor is bad policy."

Really? It would seem that when 165 Portland residents break the law, they would be arrested n'est ce pas?

With a 5% unemployment rate in Portland you would think it would be good policy to open up those 165 jobs to the residents of Portland who we assume are legal resident of the community.

Let's go aggressively after those who facilitate this type of illegal activity, but lets go after all of those who break the law.

Finally

A plan to bring some meaningful jobs to upstate New York

Labor Shortage.

Senator Clinton is partially right however she and many of our employers are missing an important part of the picture. When there is a true labor shortage we will see significant upward pressure for wages for those positions. Those wages will begin to attract more people into that field. Raising the H1B cap will help, but only in the short term. For a longer term solution, the wages have to rise enough to put more people into that skill pipeline. Once they are in the pipeline, the need for additional H1Bs will dissipate.

Another public policy solution is to incent study in the areas where we can expect the most severe shortages. Our higher education system provides the same incentives to people like me, who studied political science, as they do who study things that we actually need more of - nurses, engineers, etc. By providing more significant grants to people who enroll in these subject areas and pledge to work in that field for a period of time (or else pay back the grant) would also help fill the pipeline.

Having said that, I recognize that as a society we need and benefit from liberal arts majors. In fact, the senator could use help from some, as a closer look at the sign above will show....