Fresh!

BY ANTHONY J. BAZZO Do you think the public always deserves to comment on the wisdom of every law being deliberated by its local government? I do not. Where a business, especially a regulated business, is located should not be influenced by what the public thinks. The government’s role in this includes 1) Is it zoned properly? 2) Will it fall down? 3) Will it catch fire? 3) Will it flood the neighbors?  That's it. As far as the public is concerned, their only voice and vote should be with their pocket books and wallets. Either they will patronize the establishment or they won't. I recently spoke at a public hearing before the Peekskill City Council on whether Peekskill should lift its ban on tattoo parlors, and where should they be allowed to operate? It’s a given the one place they would not be permitted to conduct business is in a residential area.

BY ANTHONY J. BAZZO Peekskill needs more boutique shops. Peekskill needs more 35-and-up consumers to feed its economy. Peekskill as a destination for out-of-towners is undermined by a persistent perception it is not safe enough. Those are top-line highlights of a year-long survey commissioned by the City of Peekskill with taxpayer dollars: "Peekskill Downtown Retail Recruitment Study." The goal was to solicit ideas for commercial development on the waterfront and downtown. Conducted by Larisa Ortiz Associates, the survey’s results are derived from 1,711 respondents, about 60% of whom said they live in Peekskill.  Realizing the available retail space and parking cannot accommodate big box stores, the respondents said they wanted more boutique businesses specializing in goods and services such as clothing and food. 

BY ANTHONY J. BAZZO Here is why I continue to believe that Mitt Romney can beat President Obama. If Obama wins, the majority of Americans will be hit with a tax increase this country has never seen: an unprecedented $494 billion tax hike. When the majority of voters learn this, Obama and Congressional and Senate representatives in favor of it -- Republicans and Democrats both -- will be toast. Thirty-four percent of the tax increase comes from the expiration of the 2001 and 2003 Bush tax cuts. These cuts are best known for reducing marginal income tax rates, but they also reduced the marriage penalty, increased the Child Tax Credit and the adoption credit, and increased tax breaks for education costs and dependent care costs. Another 25 percent comes from the expiration of the once-temporary payroll tax cut.

BY ANTHONY J. BAZZO As we await the Supreme Court ruling on the constitutionality of the "individual mandate" within President Obama’s health care bill, which forces citizens to engage in commerce whether they like it or not, under penalty of fine and/or imprisonment, Washington, D.C. online publication TheHill.com reports, "The Obama administration is quietly diverting roughly $500 million to the IRS to help implement the president’s healthcare law. The money is only part of the IRS’s total implementation spending, and it is being provided outside the normal appropriations process."

BY ANTHONY J. BAZZO Here is why I continue to believe that Mitt Romney or Newt Gingrich can beat President Obama. By 2013, if Obama wins, the majority of Americans will be hit with a tax increase this country has never seen: an unprecedented $494 billion tax hike. When the majority of voters learn this, Obama and Congressional and Senate representatives in favor of it, Republicans and Democrats both, will be toast. Thirty-four percent of the tax increase comes from the expiration of the 2001 and 2003 Bush tax cuts. These cuts are best known for reducing marginal income tax rates, but they also reduced the marriage penalty, increased the Child Tax Credit and the adoption credit, and increased tax breaks for education costs and dependent care costs. Another 25 percent comes from the expiration of the once-temporary payroll tax cut.

BY ANTHONY J. BAZZO Do not let the high-profile Republican primaries fool you: the establishment never lets you pick its standard bearer. The race may not always be to the swiftest, nor the battle to the strongest, but that's the way to bet. So said my father to me over and over again. People may root for the underdog, but they stand with the top dog. Nobody likes to lose, which is why the establishment usually wins. They look at the odds, see the lay of the land, write rules that favor themselves, and finally follow the money. 

BY ANTHONY J. BAZZO   Who is the greatest profiteer in regards to oil? Is it the oil companies? The refiner? The gas stations? The government? According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, it is New York State, followed by the federal government. Using the New York City average pump price of $4.04 per gallon, here is how it pays out. After expenses, lowest on the totem pole is the refiner, which nets 2 cents. The gas station, 3 cents. The federal government tax is 18.4 cents. The oil company nets 19 cents. Sitting on top and leading the nation (yes, even more than California) is New York State at 52 cents per gallon in various taxes.

BY ANTHONY J. BAZZO When it comes to New York State’s public sector unions, everybody lies: the governor, the unions, the legislature, the media. They lie because it works. It works because residents of New York cannot accept government is not only at economic war with you, but you are held in contempt because you vote party line no matter what. Governor Cuomo is pushing for a new "Tier VI" pension plan, which requires higher retirement age and larger health and pension contributions, but applies only to new hires, not current union members. The lie is his claiming this will save the state $113 billion over 30 years. Like all budgets, this year's budget only affects this year's money. Nothing in the future is carved in stone and can change at the whim of future governors and legislatures. This is what happened to Tiers II though V. 

  BY ANTHONY J. BAZZO   A magician's success rests on misdirection.  In politics, a candidate failing at the polls also uses misdirection in an effort to change the topic and hopefully the poll numbers. The idea is to get you to forget that which they are failing at, to create a straw dog issue in which they could be seen the hero and have you focus your anger on another perceived bogeyman.   You have been witness to this misdirection in the recent hoopla over contraception. The real issue is whether the President by dictate can force a church to provide a service that is against its religious doctrine?  Can a President by dictate force a private company to provide a service, and at what price, in this case free? 

  BY ANTHONY J. BAZZO   March 23rd, 2012 -- New York State Assembly member Dr. Steve Katz (District 99) has been taken to task by opponents of his proposal that voters must produce a picture I. D. to prove who they are before casting a ballot. Objections are that it would stigmatize the elderly, poor and minorities who may not have or cannot afford a photo I.D. Apparently, they didn’t get the memo that a photo I.D. can be acquired at the Department of Motor Vehicles for under 10 bucks, it's valid for 5 years.

BY ANTHONY J. BAZZOWhen it comes to New York State’s public sector unions, everybody lies: the governor, the unions, the legislature, the media. They lie because it works. It works because residents of New York cannot accept government is not only at economic war with you, but you are held in contempt because you vote party line no matter what. Governor Cuomo successfully pushed for a new "Tier VI" pension plan that just passed and requires higher retirement age and larger health and pension contributions, but applies only to new hires, not current union members. The lie is his claiming this will save the state $113 billion over 30 years. Like all budgets, this year's budget only affects this year's money. Nothing in the future is carved in stone and can change at the whim of future governors and legislatures. This is what happened to Tiers II though V. 

BY ANTHONY J. BAZZO N.Y. Senator Charles Schumer’s answer to the unrest in the Middle East and fears of tightening oil supplies is to pressure a country that at times has not had our best interests at heart, Saudi Arabia, to pump more oil.

BY ANTHONY J. BAZZO It is time for the usual rush to raise the minimum wage, with state and federal elections in view. Statewide, the push is to raise the hourly rate to $8.50 from the current $7.25. At the federal level, there’s a provision that ties the hourly wage to the rate of inflation; it just would increase automatically, relieving Congress from having to vote on it again. Similarly, the 2008 Democrat-controlled Congress voted to give itself automatic raises unless voted otherwise. You may think $8.50 an hour is fair, since it costs so much to live in New York. How can a person feed his family on the present $7.25 an hour? Well, the minimum wage never was designed to feed one's family.  It exists so people entering the workforce can be fairly compensated as they acquire the skills to become productive employees. If anything, it is an unfunded mandate levied on businesses. Government is telling employers what a job is worth. Businesses are created to turn a profit and will employ those deemed necessary to that end.

BY ANTHONY J. BAZZO In 2008, presidential candidate Barak Obama promised to fundamentally change America. As President, he has succeeded beyond anyone's dreams. We now have a Declaration of Dependence.  Dependency is up 7.5 percent the past two years. Government dependency jumped 8.1 percent in the past year alone.  According to data, one in five Americans [20 percent] relies on the federal government for everything from housing and health care to food stamps and college tuition, and even cell phones. In 2011, the federal government paid $1.6 billion to cover the cost of cell phones and the monthly bills of 12.5 million wireless accounts. It is the result of Obama's economic policies. The "hope" of people to keep receiving assistance, the "change" from independent nation to dependent nation.  

BY ANTHONY J. BAZZO The 8.2 percent unemployment numbers released Feb. 1, 2012 are based on the removal of another million-plus jobs. There are less jobs available now than in 2008. Until the jobs number increases, unemployment figures will not reflect the recession’s true depth. No President since Franklin Roosevelt has been re-elected with an unemployment rate of 8 percent. That’s why this administration and those in the media who support Democrats want you to think unemployment is going down. 

BY ANTHONY J. BAZZOI am part owner of a taxi company. Taxes were due Jan. 31, 2012 for income earned in the fourth quarter of 2011.  In the packet I received, there was a new tax to be paid. Even though ours is a small company, it will cost us hundreds of dollars. This is to repay the Federal Government what New York State had to borrow to cover the extension of unemployment insurance. 

BY ANTHONY J. BAZZO What is an enabler?  It is one whose action, inaction or silence allows an injurious action to continue. In personal life, it is one who buys or gives money to an addict to acquire the addictive substance. In politics, it is one who stands by while something they know is wrong goes on. For example, when an elected official stands silent while another party member is engaged in something not quite right. This is the most common form of enabling in politics.

BY ANTHONY J. BAZZONORTH COUNTY NEWS + VIEWSI was recently described as "a voice in the wilderness" by one whose opinion I respect. There is truth to that statement. Voices like mine do not get heavy play in the media because we do not adhere to the conventional template.  Page after page, day afteday, and even parts of two "Bruce the Blog Goes Bazzo!" cable shows -- which I co-host with Mayor of Pennysaver Community Bruce Apar – focus on the Occupy Wall Street (OWS) movement as if it actually represented mainstream sentiment. The OWS movement and their "we are the 99%" battle cry was accepted and repeated as gospel.   Yes, even I got caught up in that, because alternate or opposing opinions were not given anything close to equal exposure in the media. Now it comes out there was a Gallup Poll that showed only 2% consider the divide between rich and poor a primary concern this election cycle. Top concerns are jobs, the national debt, continuing economic decline, outsourcing, and politicians' bickering. The divide between rich and poor is at the bottom of the list.

BY ANTHONY J. BAZZO Welcome to 2012.  It may be a new year with new resolutions for us all, but inevitably many things are still un-resolved.  As usual we’ve been inundated the past few weeks with Top 10 lists. The one that intrigued me most was Top 10 News Stories of 2011.  Not No. 1 on any list was the economy.  In fact I did not read one list where the economy was in the Top 5.  If you believe our elected officials are out of touch with the electorate, maybe it’s because the media they read and feed is out of touch with the electorate.    In New York, there are two possible private sector job creators on the horizon. One is hydro-fracking, the other is casino gambling.  Both are viewed favorably by Governor Cuomo. In the case of casino gambling, we will need a constitutional amendment for it to become legal statewide. The Governor wants the legislature to pass it this year to start the process. We will not get to the end, which is a public referendum, until 2013 at the earliest. However, legislators in both houses who represent small factions in the state could stand in the way. The Governor, who represents the whole state, says there should be a public referendum and let the people decide. Hard to argue with that logic.

BY ANTHONY J. BAZZOEight and a half percent unemployment, and the economy is back. So we were told last week. The administration's economic policies are working.  The media have so dumbed down our expectations that this is supposed to be good news.  It wasn't three years ago whenunemployment was at 5% and we were told we were in a recession.  Told you that in this political season, with the mainstream media in bed with the establishment politicians, truth would be the first casualty. It is being killed by the death of a thousand cuts. There was a reported 200,000 jobs created in December. However, the dirty little secret is 42,000 of them are seasonally adjusted couriers and messengers. They won't be there in January.  The fact is the universe of available jobs is way down.  The truth is if the same number of jobs existed in the country today as existed when Obama was inaugurated, the unemployment rate would be 10.9%   We are being conditioned to accept the notion of a systemically high unemployment level as the new normal.