With so many problems facing New York, why do the politicians have to keep looking for complex and complicated solutions? Of course, with any bureaucracy, those proposing solutions or writing the regulations like to make it as wordy or difficult to comprehend as possible. I guess they think it makes them look educated and intelligent.

Let’s start with some basic criminal acts that need attention. The stupid politicians believe that because of the problem with drive-by shootings, there should be more gun control. Well, there are more than 22,000 federal, state and local gun control laws on the books now. They don’t seem to have any effect on criminals.

The political idiots haven’t realized that criminals ignore laws. That is one of the definitions of the word “criminal.” What will another law for them to ignore do? Instead, wouldn’t it be more sensible to add drive-by shootings to the list of murder one crimes? After all, what is more pre-meditated than getting into a vehicle with a weapon with the purpose of killing someone?

Of course, to pacify the bleeding-heart liberals, there would have to be a homicide as a result of the drive-by to justify the charge. Then, there would have to be a provision that would allow the DA to take a plea for murder two so the poor misunderstood criminal would be able to skip the life without parole sentence.

Actually, from a practical point of view, that would save the taxpayers a lot of money by not holding a trial for murder one. That would be a very practical aspect of the proposed law.

Another problem in New York is the taxing of cigarettes on Indian reservations. Non-Indians are able to buy cigarettes at a much lower cost on Indian Territory than they can at the local stores. They save at least a buck-and-a-half per pack and the Indians are making a small fortune with the high sales volume.

The Indians should not pay taxes to the United States since they are a sovereign nation and by treaty, they believe they are exempt from charging taxes. They have a good point. Besides that, why should they do bookkeeping for the state? However, the state is losing millions of tax dollars by non-Indians who don’t pay the tobacco tax.

The simple solution is to make the possession of cigarettes without the tax stamp by non-Indians a misdemeanor, or at least an offense, with an automatic fine of $100 per pack. If Joe Cheapskate is caught leaving the reservation store with ten cartons of cigarettes he would automatically be subject to a $10,000 fine.

A couple of well-publicized incidents of this nature would drastically cut down on sales. Perhaps then, the Indian merchants on the reservation would agree to a more equitable distribution of their profits to satisfy the state’s desire to get more money.

That way, there would be no controversy regarding treaties and only those who are not entitled to tax-free cigarettes would be affected. When the risk is much greater than the reward, people are much more likely to obey the laws.

The major problem with laws is enforcement. A law without enforcement is nothing more than advice. Most people are not enthusiastic about taking advice, so if a law is passed to solve a problem, it has to be obeyed. Heavy penalties for the drive-by shooting places the punishment where it belongs. The person responsible for the death of the victim should be put in prison for the rest of his life.

The person who wants to circumvent paying the proper tax on cigarettes should be subject to a heavy fine. The thousand-dollar fine per carton of cigarettes would make it economically foolish for a person to take the risk of breaking the law.

Why can’t the politicians use simple common sense when addressing problems? We should always ask them why they do something that we don’t approve of (like nuisance taxes) or why they don’t do something to solve a real problem. Most of them don’t see the light until they feel some voter heat.

It is easy to place labels on people, and much of it comes from the media. They use the labels for their convenience. There are the political parties, but mostly we identify with two factors, which are liberal and conservative. Those are pretty definable and represent opposing political viewpoints. However there have been indications that the line between the original philosophies has been a bit smudged.

Traditionally, the liberals have been linked more to socialism whereby government is supposed to take care of the people. They pay high taxes that the government uses to supposedly provide them with whatever they need for a good life. The government will give them medical care, education, recreation and provide them with public services and protection.

Conservatives believe that government should provide people with services that they cannot provide for themselves. There is much room for compromise with that philosophy and it is evident when it comes to state governments. Benefits vary from state to state, but there are federal mandates that seek to standardize benefits. Some are good, and some need adjustment and improvement.

Medicaid is a good example of the variances. Some states make it a last ditch relief for medical care, and provide minimum benefits. New York took practically every opportunity to expand benefits and cover more conditions than any other state. The benefits are so good, that people move to New York just to partake in the state’s generosity. The downside is that it is a major reason that the Empire State is at or near the top of states when it comes to total taxes.

Liberals seem to believe that more money will solve problems, and that translates to the high tax problem. Conservatives believe that people should be more responsible for their own destiny and provide for themselves. Liberals believe a major function of government is the redistribution of income, and that everyone should have a high standard of living, whether or not they are willing to work for it.

Conservatives, as a rule, have great sympathy for those who can’t provide for themselves. They don’t have a lot of sympathy for those who won’t help themselves. Poverty is a problem and liberals want to erase that problem with “entitlements.” Conservatives would rather give people opportunities to be self-sufficient instead of keeping families on the dole for generations.

Conservatives think education should be improved by using the voucher system rather than depend on the public schools. They believe the parents should be able to send their children to a school of their choice. The public school system is very expensive and school taxes are among the highest regarding property taxes. Many taxpayers don’t think they are getting proper value for the money spent.

A conservative would prefer to have fewer administrators and more teachers in any school system in order to give better educational opportunities for their children by providing smaller class size. Liberals believe that school choice would destroy the public school system. This is an ongoing debate.

Conservatives believe in true equal opportunity and that government should provide employment to the best-qualified people for each job. Liberals believe that quotas based on diversity, to correct past social inequalities, should be used to fill jobs. This is another subject that causes controversy.

The upcoming election for president offers the chance for voters to choose which system is best for America. Shall we have socialized medicine, high taxes and more government control over our lives? Or, shall we choose a path of returning to individual independence and the chance to keep at least some of the money we earn to spend as we see fit?

There should be no doubt by now, in the first month of the legislative calendar, that New York City will run (ruin) all of New York State. It will be interesting to see how the upstate legislators will justify their vote for the budget when it is apparent that they have folded to the big special interests and the power brokers who dominate downstate. Not all upstate legislators voted for the budget.

One of the biggest issues is that of taxing health insurance. Out of one side of the politician’s mouth, they talk about making health insurance more affordable. Then, the vote is cast and we can expect ever increasing premiums if we want to be protected from disastrous medical bills.

Of course, the politicians don’t care how high the premiums rise. The taxpayers pick up the tab for them. They, and most government employees and people employed in jobs paid for by taxpayers, get free health insurance or at the very least, a substantial portion paid as part of their contract.

To add insult to injury, many get free health insurance for the rest of their lives when they retire. The gravy bowl on the train runneth over. As the state went completely Democratic, there was no way to stop the NYC Democrat’s practice of solving problems by throwing money at them.

At a time when many people are losing their jobs, it is making it much more difficult for citizens to pay their normal bills, like utilities, mortgage, rent, food and necessities. Yet, Governor Paterson wants to add almost 100 new fees and taxes, to go along with smoke and mirrors financing and budget manipulation.

Even the Upstate Conservative Democrats don’t have a prayer of helping their constituents because the majority of the votes are southeast of the Tappan Zee Bridge. The Assembly is veto proof for the Democrats. For those of us who don’t like to see increased taxes and more money going to the bureaucrats and welfare, it is going to be a tough couple of years.

The governor talks about cutting state aid to education, but increasing welfare benefits by thirty percent. There is also talk about the federal government kicking in enough money to the states during the “bailout” to keep the funding stable for the schools, but it really doesn’t matter.

If the schools don’t get enough state aid, they will raise property taxes, which can start an avalanche of more home foreclosures because people won’t be able to pay the increased mortgage and escrow payments.

The “bailout” is not the answer. The program as passed so far is laden with pork which means the rich will become richer, while the average worker gets laid off or his wages reduced. Nobody with an IQ above that of idiot believes that the bureaucrats, politicians or government employees will feel the pinch anywhere near what the private sector working stiff will feel.

The financial institution CEOs have taken $18 billion in bonuses so far. They should be sued for incompetence to allow the financial axe to fall, but instead, they are handsomely compensated for their mismanagement. And our politicians allow this to happen. Much is said, but little is done to correct this injustice.

It is laughable to hear the feeders at the top of the financial food chain justify the bonuses because they “have to keep the best and brightest employed.” These are the same people who caused the problem. And, where are they going to go if they don’t get a few million dollars in bonuses?

The country is screwed up, and the people running the country and state are very happy with the status quo. They really don’t feel your pain. They are immune to the disease of poverty, because they are well insulated from the financial downturn. They still get their high salaries, perks and privileges.

Until the people get smart enough to call them at their district offices frequently to complain and annoy them enough to get their attention, we can expect more of the same. Slogans and speeches don’t solve the problem. It is time for Americans to expect their elected representatives to represent, rather than try to rule. We get the government we allow.

The Conservative Party of New York held it’s annual Conservative Party Action Conference on February 8, with two prominent politicians headlining the affair. They presented a view from a Republican and Democrat. They were Erie County Executive Christopher Collins and Attorney General Andrew Cuomo.

Seldom is a Democrat a featured speaker, and since Mr. Cuomo once ran for governor on the Liberal line, this was unexpected. Jokingly, many in attendance lauded Andrew Cuomo for destroying the Liberal Party in NY. He didn’t campaign, and the party didn’t get 50,000 votes, which is necessary to maintain recognized party status.

Both speakers had some common ground. Both are dynamic, charismatic and show confidence and competence. Each message met with the audience’s approval.

Chris Collins started by congratulating Erie County Conservative County Chairman Ralph Lorigo for his foresight and that he is, and will continue to be an important player in Erie County politics.

The message Collins conveyed was that government must be more efficient and cost effective by using business principles to achieve that goal. He explained that the Six Sigma principles of management were achieving the necessary changes in running Erie County government. He said the changes so far, has saved the county $2 million.

His first example was how he was negotiating union contracts to keep the system from imploding by modifying the overly generous pension benefits. His first contract was with the county nursing union where he gave appropriate raises in exchange for the agreement to pay a portion for health care premiums.

In order to keep the local and state governments from going deeper in debt, he suggested that the Wicks, Taylor, and Apprentice Laws be repealed and that the state reform the pension laws. These are very costly to taxpayers and cannon be continued. The present financial crisis can be used to make necessary changes in the way government has been run.

Andrew Cuomo started by praising Michael Long, the Conservative Party State Chairman, for being a man of principles and integrity. As Attorney General, he places a high priority on prosecuting government fraud and inappropriate behavior by officials and state workers.

His statement that government doesn’t want change and likes the status quo, got agreement from the audience, especially when he affirmed the principle that government is all about power and money. He also described government as “too big, too many, and too expensive. The old playbook is to raise taxes and cut services.”

His program is to reorganize and condense government. He said we have 10,521 governments in the state. That is the ones they can count. There are sub governments that don’t show up on the screen that also suck money from the taxpayers.

Andrew Cuomo wants a law that will make it easy to abolish or merge governments. This would be an option, not a mandate that could be initiated by a petition by the voters or by the government entities themselves. The big problem is the practice of having a multitude of bureaucracies that provide many benefits to the politicians. Each has a turf like a mini kingdom. Those involved will do whatever is necessary to protect it.

The reform won’t happen unless the voters demand it. That is why we need an easy referendum process to demand the reform.

We are in agreement on at least two of his quotes. “If we don’t have disagreements, one of us isn’t thinking.” And “There is no interest like self-interest.”

Both speakers gave powerful messages and as citizens and taxpayers, we should endorse and demand that the principles be implemented and our legislators pass necessary laws to make it happen. Now is a good time for the voters to contact their legislators to encourage them to get the bills introduced and passed.

They won’t do it unless we make our wishes known and if they want our votes at the next election, it would be in their self-interest to get it done soon.

As we would suspect, the “solution” from our politicians in Washington is to throw billions of dollars at the problem of the recession. Both parties are equally to blame for the present debacle, so some political cynics may ponder the thought that this crisis didn’t just happen by accident.

Politicians love to spend taxpayer’s money. And taxpayers must love to have their money spent, because overwhelmingly, they keep sending the spenders to keep spending. Some of the questions that are already being asked for the first surge of dollars to the financial industries need some tough answers.

The first question is why don’t the banks and insurance companies have to account for every dollar that has been transferred from the taxpayers to them? They are not saying where the money is going or has gone. At least they are keeping big secrets regarding whose pockets are bulging with the unaccounted dollars they were so generously given.

The second big question is with the unbelievably poor showing of the stock markets and other financial institutions why are the taxpayers shelling out $18 billion for bonuses to those at the top of the financial food chain? Usually, the management of a business gets fired when they drive the store into bankruptcy. In this case, they are handsomely rewarded.

The big laugh (although the taxpayers don’t even grin) is that the recipients of the bonuses say they are worth every penny, and the CEOs who distribute them say that they need the big bonuses as the incentive to keep their qualified help.

Qualified? Good grief! They are the quintessence of failure. They encouraged the toxic loans and made rotten decisions. The town drunk or village idiot could do the same thing and not charge as much for compensation.

Now, President Obama wants to give another big surge to stimulate the economy. Think of all the stimulation the country gets with: One billion for Amtrak. There was a time the railroads made millionaires out of investors. Now, railroading hasn’t made a profit in forty years. Maybe the “qualified” people running it are in the same category as those who are running the financial industry.

$2 billion for subsidized child care. With all the layoffs, at least one parent should be able to stay home and take care of the kids. Oops! With our liberal society, many families have only one parent. However, if they are on unemployment, they should be able to look after their own kids.

$400 million for research into global warming. There is getting to be more and more evidence that we are getting colder, not warmer. People in Buffalo will agree with that.

$2.4 billion for projects to demonstrate how carbon greenhouse gas can be safely removed from the atmosphere. That is easy. Stop leveling the rain forests. Trees nicely absorb CO2.

$650 million for coupons to help consumers covert their TVs from analog to digital. With the stress the people feel from the rotten political situation, they need to be able to watch high definition TV to help take their minds off their problems.

$75 million to fund programs to help people quit smoking. Another great idea to waste money. This is a self-solving problem. If people don’t have money, they can’t buy cigarettes.

$335 million for treatment and prevention of sexually transmitted diseases. The obvious answer to that can’t be printed in a family newspaper.

Here is a real necessary expenditure. $21 million to re-sod the National Mall, which suffered heavy use during the Inauguration. It should have been figured in the Inauguration cost and be paid by donations.

Republicans claim that this package will add 32 new government programs at a cost of $136 billion. Just what we need — almost three dozen new bureaucracies. If we are going to get on an even keel, we need to get rid of useless bureaucracies, but the politicians love bureaucracies.

This is not a stimulus bill. It is a $1.7 TRILLION spending bill. And we, the taxpayers, and our decedents will pay for it, while the people at the top of the food chain and the politicians will keep prospering.

Some say we are a nation of intelligent people. This whole program, and the decisions that caused the problem, make this a stupid statement. God help us!