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Become an Extreme Couponer

January 1, 2012 By 1 Comment

Canastota Public Library News

By Elizabeth Totten

(Canastota, NY – Jan. 2012) The Canastota Coupon Clippers welcome Jessica Jones who will provide an “Extreme Couponing” program on Wednesday Jan. 4 at 6:30 p.m. at the Canastota Public Library.  You will learn all the ins and outs of couponing at this event. This class starts promptly at 630 p.m. and ends at 8.p.m.

Jones began extreme couponing and stockpiling at the end of May of this year and has saved over $1,700 since that time.  She has been featured on local television news shows and in newspaper articles.  Jones also blots and can be found on Facebook at CNY’s Extreme Couponing.

The cost for this program is $10 per person.  With the fee, you will receive a binder and handouts including information on store policies, stockpiling, stacking and giveaways.  Jones also includes some demonstrations as a part of her presentation. For this presentation at the Canastota Public Library, if you are one of the first 20 people who sign up to attend the program, you will only pay $5.

The Canastota Public Library’s Coupon Clippers meet the first and third Wednesday every month at the library at 6:30 p.m.  The group trades coupons, shares coupon deals and talks about coupons and couponing. There is no cost to join this group.

Elizabeth Totten provides public relations for the Canastota Public Library. The library is located at 102 W. Center St.

 

Filed Under: Calendar of Events, Canastota, Clockville, Economics, Lenox, Libraries, Whitelaw Tagged With: , , ,

Shades of Green in Madison County: A Green Living Experience

December 30, 2011 By Leave a Comment

(Wampsville, Morrisville, NY – Feb. 2012) Madison County is proud to announce the first Shades of Green in Madison County: A Green Living Experience event, which is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 24, from 8 a.m. through 5 p.m. in the STUAC Conference Center at Morrisville State College in Morrisville.

This exciting free, full-day event is an initiative of the Madison County Community Economic Development Committee formed to implement the Health Improvement Plan for Madison County.

It is the first event of its kind in the county.

The purpose of the sustainability workshop is to help individuals, businesses and communities advance green initiatives throughout Madison County to achieve more economically viable, sustainable and healthier places to live, go to school, work, shop and enjoy.

The event is free and open to the public, although attendance is limited to 200. There is space available for exhibitors. Breakfast and lunch will be provided. For more information and to register, visit greenmadisoncounty.com/.

The event will have something for everyone, from the home- and business-owner to the community leader, as it will feature more than 25 speakers in four breakout sessions with three tracks.

Peter Fleischer, executive director of Empire State Future, and Cornelius B. Murphy, the president of the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, are the keynote speakers. The presenting sponsor of the event is Sysco, a food product distributer serving restaurants, healthcare and educational facilities, lodging establishments and other customers.

Speaker and topics include: Greg Olsen, acting director, state Office for the Aging; Raymond Denniston, Farm to School Network; Jean Bonhotal, associate director Cornell Waste Management Institute Department of Crop and Soil Sciences; Amanda R. Lewkowicz, Preservation Program coordinator, Preservation League of New York State; Brian Pincelli, Energy $mart Communities coordinator, Central New York Regional Planning and Development Board; Steve DiRaimo, project executive, EYP/Energy; Linda Wimmer, master gardener; Bj Adigun, Onondaga County Save the Rain Program; Samuel Gordon, Energy $mart Communities coordinator, Central New York Regional Planning and Development Board; John Pumilio, sustainability coordinator, Colgate University; Scott Ingmire, executive director, Madison County Planning Department; Dave Evans, director, Nelson Farms; and Michael W. Scanlon, president, Sysco Syracuse, LLC.

For more information, call Jamie Hart at the Madison County Planning Department at (315) 366-2376.

Filed Under: Business & Finance, Calendar of Events, Economics, Education, Environment and Nature, Health & Medicine, Madison County Agencies and Organizations, Morrisville, Top Stories, Wampsville Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

‘Move Your Money: A Local Banker Speaks Out’

November 23, 2011 By Leave a Comment

(Hamilton, NY – Dec. 2011) In response to the national “Move Your Money” campaign, local community organizers invite the public to an evening of empowering individuals to divest from the “Too Big to Fail” Wall Street banks with a focus on local banks and their ability to support a responsible and community-oriented banking system.

The event will take place Thursday Dec. 1 at 7:30 p.m. at the Hamilton Public Library community room.

Topics include: Why should I move my money?  Will moving my money really make a difference? and Which banks should I be avoiding?

 

Filed Under: Business & Finance, Calendar of Events, Economics, Hamilton, Libraries Tagged With: ,

Healthy Supermarket Shopping

November 22, 2011 By Leave a Comment

 

Healthy Communities

By Chrystal Johnson

(Wampsville, NY – Nov. 2011) With an unstable economy, most of us are looking for ways to be smart shoppers and stretch our food dollars. Here are some tips for making wise choices on a limited budget.

Make a list of needed items ahead of time. Your list may change due to what is on sale or not on sale. It is important to be somewhat flexible. Look at the Sunday grocery ad circular in the paper or online and plan meal choices based on what is on sale.

If grocery staples are on sale, stock up.

Shop on a full stomach. You will be less tempted to buy unneeded products that can hurt both your budget and waistline.

Use the store’s major promotional sales. Take advantage when stores offer what they call “BOGO” (buy-one, get-one-free) sales. Some stores offer “ten for $10” sales that are also a great sale for the shopper to use to stock up on regularly used household items.

Shoppers also can benefit from seasonal savings on lower-priced seasonally related items.

Clip coupons. Coupons are as valuable as money and very important in keeping costs down. Would you throw away $1, $5, $10 or even more in the garbage each week? Coupons can be found in the Sunday papers and online at the stores’ websites. Some other coupon sources include the online sites coupons.com, coolsavings.com and redplum.com.

Stores will usually double coupons up to 99 cents, but if you have questions, ask the store about their double-coupon policy. Compare your shopping list with the coupons that you have, and remember to stick to that list.

Read food labels. Compare similar products to find the healthier choice in fat, calories or sodium.

Choose produce when it’s in season. You’ll pay higher prices for fresh produce when it is not in season. For better off-season bargains, choose frozen fruits and vegetables without sauces to use in recipes and serve to your family.

Canned fruits and vegetables can also be found at good prices. For those concerned with sodium or syrups, just rinse the canned fruit or vegetable to help get rid of unwanted calories and salt.

Shop the perimeter of the store. Studies show that the perimeter of the grocery store is filled with both the healthiest and the freshest food. Avoiding the center aisles will save you calories and may just save you money.

Perimeter shopping is the easiest way for a shopper to ensure they are making healthy food choices while maintaining diversity in their diet.

Do some of the work yourself. Increased prices can be linked to convenience, which is generally due to higher packaging and labor costs. Single-serve packs can be more costly.

You may want to buy a larger pack and divide them into small bags for later use. Skinless chicken breast will cost more than chicken breast with the skin still on. Buying precut vegetables will cost more than if you did the chopping yourself.

Try the store’s private label products. Private label product quality has dramatically improved over the years. Most consumers do not realize that the private labels brands are in most cases manufactured by some of the more well-known national brands.

In taste tests, some consumers have even preferred the store brand over the national brand. You can get good products at a great price.

Use your store’s loyalty card always at the checkout. This will give you pricing discounts, rebates, coupons and make you eligible for other offers.

Visit the store’s website. Besides the circular ad, coupons and recipes, the websites offer other money-saving ideas and health information.

Don’t wait. Get started on your healthy supermarket shopping this holiday season and see just how far you can stretch your food dollars on those healthy foods you and your family love.

Chrystal Johnson, MS, is a public health educator II, a certified health education specialist and certified child safety seat technician with Madison County Health Department.

Filed Under: Economics, Health & Medicine, Madison County Agencies and Organizations, Opinion-Editorial, Top Stories, Wampsville Tagged With: , , , ,

Most Stores are Not for Men

November 18, 2011 By Leave a Comment

 

The wRIGHT Way

By Ron Wright

(Cazenovia, NY – Nov. 2011) There are exceptions, of course, but when people go to malls or most department stores, the presentation that greets you is primarily feminine. This is probably a marketing decision, but why not give the guys a chance? Most men also have money.

While I have not yet seen a ‘Males Not Welcome’ sign at a mall, perhaps that will happen in my lifetime.

Starting with clothing, for example, you observe row after row of crisp, packaged cloth of all descriptions looking like you should not touch for fear of marring the protective plastic container with common finger prints or other DNA. How long will that piece of cloth remain antiseptic after being exposed to the air and to you? A pretty short sterile shelf life will vanish as soon as the plastic film is broken open.

Most women appear to like this landscape, even if they don’t happen to be avid shoppers. Men, not so much; at least 95 percent, I would estimate. And continuing on with the clothing scenario, by direct observation, you can be sure by the expressions on her face, the clothing displays of most layouts are highly interesting to a woman.

For a guy who hears one more time a TV spokesperson guaranteeing, “Man, will you love how great you look after purchasing this suit!”….well this falls pretty much on deaf ears.

Mr. Spokesperson, we really could care less. Mirrors for men are just for shaving. That’s about it.

Can’t we get things interesting for the average male who was coerced into going to the mall? Again, it is the money thing, unless those stores really don’t want the male dollar? Other than the eateries, of course, because most people are into chow of various kinds.

A store list may help. Let’s see: shoe store, earring store, ear piercing store, nose piercing store, finger and toe nail repair store, hair store, linen store, kitchen pot-and-pan store, baby clothing store, perfume store, jewelry store, electronic eyelash curler store, cell phone store, dress store, upscale store and on and on.

Excuse me while I yawn.

Of course, another scary thing about stores and malls is that you are expected to spend money. Generally, lots of it. For stuff not even made in this country.

I could never get over the idea of spending $49.95 for a nine-inch ceramic statue of a garden gnome at some boutique shop and seeing the same item in the 25-cent box at a rummage sale next summer.

Should not surprise you that it cost the foreign country about 25 cents in labor cost to make the little green thing.

Lots of malls seem to have no car parts store, or hunting clothing store, or gun and ammo store, or second hand car (junk yard) parts store, or pistol range store, or antique aircraft display store.

Just imagine being able to sit around in a Mall Guy Cave drinking your coffee (while the ladies are shopping) and you and your buddies are intently watching the preferred step-by-step procedure for field dressing and skinning a genuine South African warthog. That will keep you awake for quite a while.

Imagine, chomping down some jalapeno hot wings while that hide gets ripped from tail to snout.

Or how about mall workshops where the husband could bring in damaged furniture and faltering appliances and work on them? They set their watches.

The goal is if that broken recliner base could be repaired before she bought a new one….well think of the money the family would save. She gets a workable reconditioned recliner and he keeps the credit card from maxing out.

A win-win for the relationship, the repair shop in the mall gets a modest hourly fee.

Ever see a hearse pull up to a mall? I recall a number of years ago the sobering report of a middle-aged man who was finally found in a mall several weeks after entering. The story goes that he pleaded with his wife not to be forced to look at boxed 12-place settings of dinnerware for hours on end. How many different stenciled floral patterns can one man appreciate?

The body was found in a fetal position between rows of matching pastel washer-dryer combos. He appeared to have crawled there after closing looking for an exit. The coroner ruled the cause of death as terminal boredom.

Some men outside were actually weeping as the body bag was carefully loaded into the waiting vehicle. Reporters were not sure whether they were more upset about the fatality or the frightening prospect of additional shopping.

Ron Wright of Cazenovia is a retiree with keen interest in his family, history, politics and his church. He began putting his thoughts on paper a little over a decade ago to share with family and friends. He can be reached at madnews@m3pmedia.com.

Filed Under: Cazenovia, Economics, Opinion-Editorial Tagged With: ,

Reiterates Olbermann’s Statement on ‘Occupy Wall Street’

November 5, 2011 By 1 Comment

To the Editor:

On October 5, Keith Olbermann read on the air the first collective statement of Occupy Wall Street. To my knowledge, he is the only journalist to have done so. As part of the 99 percent, I repeat their statement here for everyone who didn’t see the broadcast or has no computer to access its electronic distribution.  As someone who has been for years writing about and criticizing corporate abuses and malfeasance, the statement below is a welcome clarion call.

“As we gather together in solidarity to express a feeling of mass injustice, we must not lose sight of what brought us together. We write so that all people who feel wronged by the corporate forces of the world can know that we are your allies.

As one people, united, we acknowledge the reality: that the future of the human race requires the cooperation of its members; that our system must protect our rights, and upon corruption of that system, it is up to the individuals to protect their own rights, and those of their neighbors; that a democratic government derives its just power from the people, but corporations do not seek consent to extract wealth from the people and the Earth; and that no true democracy is attainable when the process is determined by economic power.

We come to you at a time when corporations, which place profit over people, self-interest over justice and oppression over equality, run our governments. We have peaceably assembled here, as is our right, to let these facts be known. They have taken our houses through an illegal foreclosure process, despite not having the original mortgage. They have taken bailouts from taxpayers with impunity, and continue to give executives exorbitant bonuses.

They have perpetuated inequality and discrimination in the workplace based on age, the color of one’s skin, sex, gender identity and sexual orientation. They have poisoned the food supply through negligence, and undermined the farming system through monopolization.

They have profited off of the torture, confinement, and cruel treatment of countless nonhuman animals, and actively hide these practices. They have continuously sought to strip employees of the right to negotiate for better pay and safer working conditions.

They have held students hostage with tens of thousands of dollars of debt on education, which is itself a human right. They have consistently outsourced labor and used that outsourcing as leverage to cut workers’ healthcare and pay. They have influenced the courts to achieve the same rights as people, with none of the culpability or responsibility.

They have spent millions of dollars on legal teams that look for ways to get them out of contracts in regards to health insurance. They have sold our privacy as a commodity. They have used the military and police force to prevent freedom of the press. They have deliberately declined to recall faulty products endangering lives in pursuit of profit.

They determine economic policy, despite the catastrophic failures their policies have produced and continue to produce. They have donated large sums of money to politicians supposed to be regulating them. They continue to block alternate forms of energy to keep us dependent on oil.

They continue to block generic forms of medicine that could save people’s lives in order to protect investments that have already turned a substantive profit. They have purposely covered up oil spills, accidents, faulty bookkeeping, and inactive ingredients in pursuit of profit. They purposefully keep people misinformed and fearful through their control of the media.

They have accepted private contracts to murder prisoners even when presented with serious doubts about their guilt. They have perpetuated colonialism at home and abroad. They have participated in the torture and murder of innocent civilians overseas. They continue to create weapons of mass destruction in order to receive government contracts.

To the people of the world, We, the New York City General Assembly occupying Wall Street in Liberty Square, urge you to assert your power.  Exercise your right to peaceably assemble; occupy public space; create a process to address the problems we face, and generate solutions accessible to everyone. To all communities that take action and form groups in the spirit of direct democracy, we offer support, documentation, and all of the resources at our disposal. Join us and make your voices heard!”

This is not a Democratic or Republican issue; it is a worldwide disease that is out of control.  Corporate power and influence underlie nearly every ill that our society grapples with today, from decaying schools and crumbling infrastructure to unaffordable healthcare and poisonous food.  It must be abolished.

Chris Hoffman

Sherburne, NY

 

Filed Under: Economics, Opinion-Editorial, Sherburne

Colgate Targets 2019 Bicentennial for Carbon Neutrality

September 29, 2011 By Leave a Comment

(Hamilton, NY – Sept. 2011) Colgate announced last week it has set an ambitious target date to become carbon neutral by 2019, the university’s 200th anniversary. In so doing, President Jeffrey Herbst confirmed the high priority of sustainability practices on campus.

That aggressive target date will be attained through the implementation of 27 proposed on-campus mitigation projects, each outlined in Colgate’s Sustainability and Climate Action Plan, submitted to the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment.

For purposes of the ACUPCC, climate neutrality is defined as having no net greenhouse gas emissions, to be achieved by minimizing GHG emissions as much as possible, and using carbon offsets or other measures to mitigate the remaining emissions.

“Our aggressive time frame makes sense in terms of good global citizenship as well as Colgate’s academic mission,” Herbst said, “but it is also fiscally responsible.”

Of the plan’s $8.1 million one-time implementation cost, $7.3 million is earmarked for a future, necessary upgrade of Colgate’s aging heating plant that will ultimately eliminate consumption of fuel oil #6 on campus and lower the university’s annual heating expenditures.

The innovative plan also includes several low-cost, high-impact strategies that encourage behavior changes in offices and residence halls. It suggests the purchase of electric and hybrid-electric vehicles, potential use of wind and solar power, adaptive computer power management, on-site composting, and the purchase of carbon offsets from Patagonia Sur, as recently announced.

Many of the ideas in the plan were investigated by Colgate faculty, students, and staff, particularly through the committees and subcommittees of the university’s Sustainability Council. Carbon-reduction strategies were researched in courses such as “Community-based Study of Environmental Issues” and “Global Change and You.”

In addition, 10 groups involving more than 100 students actively promote sustainable practices on campus. The Green Thumbs, for example, promotes local and sustainable agriculture and maintains Colgate’s community vegetable garden.

John Pumilio, Colgate’s sustainability coordinator, organized the yearlong planning effort, which followed the compilation of a comprehensive university-wide inventory of greenhouse gas emissions, and involved dozens of stakeholders.

“The plan spans many years and it must remain a living document — open to new ideas, technologies, and opportunities,” Pumilio said. “Throughout the implementation phase, we will incorporate collective knowledge and insights from our diverse, scholarly and multidisciplinary community.”

Colgate has made significant progress toward climate neutrality since signing the ACUPCC Commitment in January 2009. In 2010, the university reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 17 percent and saved nearly $300,000, mainly through conservation and efficiency projects such as reduced use of fuel oil, electricity and paper.

As a result of these and other efforts, Colgate received the 2011 Climate Leadership Award from Second Nature, whose mission is to support college and university leaders make “healthy, just and sustainable living the foundation of all learning and practice in higher education.”

Filed Under: Economics, Education, Environment and Nature, Hamilton Tagged With: , ,

Michael Watts to speak at Colgate Sept. 26

September 23, 2011 By Leave a Comment

(Hamilton, NY – Sept. 2011) Michael Watts, one of the world’s leading authorities on the political economies and social effects of energy and agro-food production  will speak at Colgate University on Monday Sept. 26 at 7 p.m. in Love Auditorium (300 Olin Hall). The public is welcome. The program is free.

His talk, titled “Economies of Violence: Oil, Conflict and Frontiers of Dispossession,” will focus on case studies from Nigeria, a major oil-producing region in the West African Gulf of Guinea, and other resource-dependent states.

Watts is Professor and Class of 1963 Chair of Geography, University of California, Berkeley. He is author or co-editor of many books, including Global Political Ecology (2010) and The Curse of the Black Gold (2008).

The event is co-sponsored by Africana and Latin American Studies, Geography, Environmental Studies, and University Studies.

For information, contact the Peace and Conflict Studies Program at peace@colgate.edu or (315) 228-7806.

 

Filed Under: Agriculture, Calendar of Events, Economics, Education, Hamilton Tagged With: ,

Amplify Your Savings: Think, Shop, Live Madison County

August 4, 2011 By Leave a Comment

 

(Madison County, NY – July 2011) Shopping near home not only helps keep taxes down and your family, friends and neighbors at work, it is good for the environment.

Supporting local businesses means saving gas (hovering around $4 a gallon), saving steps and reducing emission pollutants that compromise the integrity of our air quality.

If you can’t find what you need from the folks who maintain their businesses here, ask them to stock what you like, and if it’s a specialty item, get friends who use the same item to commit to buying there, too.

It’s handy for you, and you’re providing a guaranteed market for a product or service someone previously hadn’t provided.

Think – shop – live Madison County!

Find us on Facebook and share your business news at facebook.com/pages/Think-Shop-Live-Madison-County/131080236971309. For more information on profiling your business in the Madison County Courier, email MadNews@m3pmedia.com.

Filed Under: Bouckville-Solsville, Bridgeport-Lakeport, Brookfield, Business & Finance, Canastota, Cazenovia, Chittenango, DeRuyter, Earlville, Eaton, Economics, Fenner, Georgetown, Hamilton, Hubbardsville, Kirkville, Lebanon, Lenox, Lincoln, Madison, Morrisville, Munnsville, Nelson, New Woodstock, North Chittenango, Oneida, Perryville, Peterboro, Poolville, Pratts Hollow, Randallsville, Rippleton, Smithfield, Stockbridge, Sullivan, Wampsville, West Eaton, West Edmeston, Whitelaw Tagged With: , ,

Becker Named to State Council

July 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Cuomo Launches Central New York Regional Economic Development Council

Martha E. Conway

(Sullivan, Wampsville – July 26, 2011) In a move to drive local economic development and improve the business climate across New York state, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has created the Central New York Regional Economic Development Council.

Madison County Board of Supervisors Chairman John M. Becker (R,C,I – Sullivan) was named Monday, July 25, to the council, which will be led by Syracuse University Chancellor Nancy Cantor and CenterState CEO President Rob M. Simpson.

“As everybody knows, I’m all about economic development,” Becker said. “I will have to play it by ear and see how it goes; there are a lot of people on that committee.”

According to Cuomo’s office, the group will redesign the relationship between state government and businesses to stimulate regional economic development and create jobs statewide. The Governor was joined by Lieutenant Governor Robert Duffy, local officials, business leaders, and community members to launch the Regional Council at the Convention Center at OnCenter in Syracuse Tuesday.

Cantor and Simpson, who will serve as regional co-chairs, will lead the effort to coordinate the economic development of Cayuga, Cortland, Madison, Onondaga and Oswego counties.

“For too long, Albany has imposed one-size-fits-all economic development plans across the state, ignoring the unique assets and challenges of each region,” Cuomo said Tuesday. “Today, we are taking a new approach. With the Regional Councils, we will empower individual areas like Central New York to chart their own courses for job creation and growth, and we will send a clear message that New York is open for business.”

The Regional Councils represent a fundamental shift in the state’s approach to economic development, from a top-down development model to a community-based approach that emphasizes regions’ unique assets, harnesses local expertise and empowers each region to set plans and priorities, Cuomo said.

State officials say New York’s economic development efforts are managed through dozens of separate state and local agencies; Cuomo said the Regional Councils will bring together stakeholders in every region of the state to serve as a coordinated point of contact for economic development.

“Each Regional Council will be chaired by Lt. Gov. Robert Duffy and will be led by two regional co-chairs from the business and academic community,” Cuomo said. “Additional membership is comprised of local leaders from business, academia, labor, agriculture, nonprofits and community-based organizations.”

Each Regional Council will develop a plan for the development of its region. The state will work with the Regional Councils to align state resources and policies, eliminate unnecessary barriers to growth and prosperity and streamline the delivery of government services and programs to help the Regional Councils carry out their plans for development.

Cuomo said he has made changes to the state’s economic development grant application process to support the councils.

“A new Consolidated Funding Application combines resources from dozens of existing programs and allows the councils to apply for $1 billion in state funding for projects they determine to be part of their regional strategy,” he said.

“Gov. Cuomo’s regional approach is exactly what we need to jumpstart growth and create jobs,” Cantor said. “Our Regional Economic Development Council will take cross-sector collaboration to a whole new level by leveraging the expansive array of public-private partnerships we’ve been forging throughout the region and tapping Central New York’s strengths. I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Rob Simpson and all the exceptional community and business leaders who are already collaborating in unprecedented ways to remake our regional economy.”

“Gov. Cuomo’s regional plan recognizes that New York’s economy is as diverse as its citizens and too complex for Albany to take on alone,” Simpson said. “The challenges and opportunities facing Central New York are unique and require more than one-size-fits-all investments by the state. By engaging our region’s business, academic and public sector partners, the governor will get the best from Central New York, and we will be a vibrant contributor to New York’s overall economic health. I applaud the governor’s leadership on this and look forward to working together to forge a more business-friendly Empire State.”

Cuomo created the Regional Councils through Executive Order. The 10 Regional Councils cover the Capital Region, Central New York, Finger Lakes, Long Island, Mid-Hudson, Mohawk Valley, New York City, North Country, Southern Tier and Western New York.

Becker said he’s not thrilled at being an ex officio, non-voting member.

“But I am glad to be at the table and have some say in the matter, representing Madison County and educating other community leaders and decision-makers about the special challenges and assets we have here,” Becker said.

For more information, visit nyopenforbusiness.com.

Martha E. Conway is Managing Editor for the Madison County Courier. She can be reached at 315.813.0124 or by emailing martha@m3pmedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/marthaeconway or become a friend on Facebook at facebook.com/meconway.
Filed Under: All News Stories, Announcements, Bridgeport-Lakeport, Business & Finance, Chittenango, Economics, Employment, Front Page, Government & Politics, Kirkville, Madison County Agencies and Organizations, North Chittenango, Sullivan, Top Stories, Wampsville Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Gas Prices

July 23, 2011 By Leave a Comment

 

From Here & Back Again

By Jim Coufal

(Cazenovia, NY – July 2011) Gas prices blow our minds and make a great topic of conversation, like our weather. We moan, we groan, but we go on living with the gas prices just like we do with the weather.

I’ve even noticed over the years that Gas Station A, which sits kitty-corner from Gas Station B, usually charges several cents more per gallon than B but doesn’t seem to lack business.

Apparently, there are other factors at work that reduce the priority of the gas price.

As a nation, the automobile enchants us. As a status symbol, we think it makes us cool, powerful, elite, sexy or whatever. As a tool, it gives us the apparent independence we desire and cherish.

Why use public transportation, even if our trivial pursuits cost money and pump carbon into the air? Why use our bikes or shank’s mare when we can pay for fitness center privileges and still run our car?

There is no gasoline shortage; high prices are based on factors other than gas availability. A list of the top 10 corporations that paid NO taxes last year includes four major oil companies.

Exxon-Mobil was number one on the list, with a $19 billion profit and a $156 million tax rebate for a grand total of no taxes paid. Chevron was fourth, receiving a $19 million refund.

Valero was sixth, receiving a $157 tax refund last year, plus a $134 million in tax breaks from 2007 through 2009. And Conoco Phillips was ninth, with $16 million in profits from 2007 through 2009, during which time they also received $451 million in tax breaks.

Does this say anything to you why we have budget deficits and why gas prices are going up?

What keeps gas prices high are greedy corporations, government policies of both exporting and importing countries, Wall Street and futures traders, and consumer demand. Oil industry associations blame President Barack Obama for rising gas prices, but I suggest anything they say must be looked at very carefully in view of their greed and record.

The U.S. consumes 400 million gallons of gas every day, with an almost insatiable demand that also works to create high gas prices. A couple of weeks ago, the average low-test unleaded gas price in the U.S. was $3.818/gallon, the day before that $3.815, a week before $3.750, a month before $3.546, and a year before $2.862.

Change happens rapidly, and our current high prices have but a short way to go to catch up with the highest recorded average price, $4.114 for regular unleaded gas, in July 2008.

A CNN Money report on gas prices around the world recently showed the lowest was $0.12 per gallon in Venezuela and $0.38 in Nigeria, both major oil producers and countries, where the average citizen is not likely to be able to afford a car.

Middle Eastern countries like Egypt ($0.65), Kuwait ($0.78) and Saudi Arabia ($0.91) were also low but if you are a woman, you would not be allowed to drive, and most men couldn’t afford a car.

Royal families rule – and drive or are driven. Major European countries range from $4.55 per gallon in Spain to $6.48 in the Netherlands, with the United Kingdom, Germany and France in the $$5.50 to $5.79 range.

If misery likes company, we’ve got it, but from another perspective, we’ve got it pretty well compared to other developed countries.

Looking ahead, Petrostrategies, Inc., estimates the world has 42 years of oil reserves and 60.4 years of natural gas reserves, not counting unknown/undiscovered oil or gas fields. The U.S. reserves are considerably less, about 12 years for oil and for gas.

The federal reserves are held for emergencies, and it doesn’t seem logical to release them for the purpose of holding gas prices down, which is truly more of an inconvenience than it is an emergency.

Not often mentioned is how much could be saved if military consumption was cut, including the “war” on drugs.

All of these facts and others play into the controversies about hydraulic fracturing, off-shore oil drilling, public transportation, multiple wars, environmental production, nuclear energy and certainly alternative energy development, as well as how to weigh short-term versus long-term considerations.

Americans make great sacrifices when there is a common, well-known enemy. Sacrifices are harder to make when Pogo points out, “We have met the enemy, and it is us.”

In a recent speech, President Obama put it this way: “So this is our vision for America — a vision where we live within our means while investing in our future; where everyone makes sacrifices but no on bears all the burden; where we provide a basic measure of security for our citizens and rising opportunity for our children.”

How do you do this?

How can we do this together?

Jim Coufal of Cazenovia is a part-time philosopher and full-time observer of global trends. He can be reached at madnews@m3pmedia.com.

 

Filed Under: Cazenovia, Economics, From Here & Back Again, Government & Politics, Opinion-Editorial Tagged With: , ,

Amplify Your Savings: Think, Shop, Live Madison County

July 11, 2011 By Leave a Comment
TSL Local

(Madison County, NY – July 2011) Shopping near home not only helps keep taxes down and your family, friends and neighbors at work, it is good for the environment.

Supporting local businesses means saving gas (hovering around $4 a gallon), saving steps and reducing emission pollutants that compromise the integrity of our air quality.

If you can’t find what you need from the folks who maintain their businesses here, ask them to stock what you like, and if it’s a specialty item, get friends who use the same item to commit to buying there, too.

It’s handy for you, and you’re providing a guaranteed market for a product or service someone previously hadn’t provided.

Think – shop – live Madison County!

Find us on Facebook and share your business news at facebook.com/pages/Think-Shop-Live-Madison-County/131080236971309. For more information on profiling your business in the Madison County Courier, email MadNews@m3pmedia.com.

 

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