It's time to Split New York State

Image by wallyg via Flickr

Upstate NY knows that the interests of downstate NY are separated by a huge rift. Downstate votes laws that have no benefit for upstate, but they are forced to pay for them. Downstate doesn't even like upstate NY. They snobbishly consider themselves the only part of NY that counts, so it's time to split New York State and allow Upstate NY to persue it's own course. If votes were decided on geographical area upstate would win every vote, but they have the majority of the people. They also cost the state the majority of the money it costs to run the state. So let us have our land, which downstate doesn't care about and have a government that is truly responsive to us. It's time for north and south NY. Just like the Carolinas.
That worked out fine for both halves of the Carolinas and it will work out just as well for north and south NY. Upstate is a totally different environment from downstate and they really don't want us, so cut us loose. We can do what is economically beneficial to us and southern NY will not have to be bothered with us. It makes total sense that when two areas have nothing in common that they separate and persue their own interests. Upstate is rural with a few major cities, that with time and without the straight jacket Albany has put on it, will do quite well. It has vast natural resources and no need for people from New York City or Albany to spend a day here and there in it and decide what's in it's best interest. We don't need the PSC and The Attorney General doesn't recognize upstate, so no big deal there. The governor, the legislature and most of the agencies that should represent us are from Downstate. It makes total sense that they should deal with downstate and allow us to become a separate state that represents itself with people from our geographic region. We are best able to decide what is right for our region economically, politically, and in any other manner that need be considered.
For years upstater's have talkled about splitting the state and I think the time has come. Our issuse have nothing in common with downstate at all and their attachment to us has caused nothing but economic ruin and inconvience for us.
We do not want or need a state that is ruled by monopolies, which drain our wallets and cause the area to be economically depressed, because it is convient for downstate. We have plenty of energy, tons of land that can be developed, and a transportation corridor that is rival to none. All we need is for Albany to release the corrupt strangle hold it has on us and let us develope it. Upstate has the potential to be a tax bastion since we have a very small drain on the economic budget.We don't want or need every hair brained law and ordinance that downstate whimsically places on us.
The time has come people to do what has been socially, economically, and politically logical for decades. Simply split the state.

Made In America, NOT

Image by Henrique Oscar Loeffler via Flickr

American companies are crying, because the economy is bad and people will no longer go deep into debt to buy their products. I am surprised they are not blanketing the airwaves with ads to buy American. The truth be told though they really can't because nothing is made in America.
Huge corporations bought all the companies that made things in America and sold everything that was not nailed down, fired the workers, and sent the jobs to other countries, where they could pay people 2 dollars a day to make the old company's product. They have sent our jobs out of the country, so that they could become indecently rich and we have taken whatever jobs we can find to try to survive.
The turning point in America was when Ronald Reagan fired the Air Traffic Controllers and broke their union. Since that time American companies have followed his example and taken peoples jobs, pensions, and anything else they could get their hands on. Now there are no American Companies. Why should any American show any allegiance to these companies. Let them all fail. Personally I would rather buy a product from a company based on quality and price, because the money is going out of the country any way. Just because a company keeps a token workforce here, so that they can sell the fantasy that their products are American does not mean I have to buy them. I would rather buy from a company that never had American workers than one that laid American workers off, because of their greed.
These companies want nothing more than to make 100% profit every year and they don't care who they have to sell out to do it. Why buy their products, so that they can become obscenely wealthy and hoard all their cash. Let's face it if you didn't have to buy gas for your car you wouldn't spend a dime to help the oil companies. As far as I am concerned the same goes for companies that lay off American workers, so they can outsource. I think as long as it's not made by American workers it's not American and I don't think they should have any more rights than a Japanese company.
Whether it says made in America or not it probably isn't. Half the time the quality isn't there, because the parts were not made here. If 90% of the parts are made in China, then it is Chinese. Bottom line is, we all know that Chinese means cheap garbage. I'm sure that people can remember the Japanese transistor radio when it first came to this country. It was a piece of junk that lasted a day at the most. Well, now we have cheap crap from China that is being passed off as high quality American Made goods. People, pay what it's worth. It cost them 50 dollars or less to make and the money is going back to China. On top of that they want a thousand dollars for it. People pay them what it's worth. Keep your money in your pocket until they stop gouging you, or form a group and buy right from where it's made.
Congress can allow them to say they are American, but we know the truth. Most of it hasn't touched American hands until you've taken it out of the box. All they did was donate huge amounts to Congress for their Campaigns. Money that congressmen and senators will keep when they leave office to live high off the hog. For every dollar they send to help you they are getting 10 to help make themselves rich.
Don't waste your time trying to buy American until the factories that make the things and all their parts are in America and employ American workers.
One last word on the bailouts of Banks. Let them fail. Use the bailout money to bring American jobs back and to insure our money. I guarantee you that if the banks failothers will take their place just as fast as you can say go.
No company is too large to fail. We've all seen big companies come and go and there is always someone to take their place.