Politics

Donald John Trump signs

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While I’m no fan of Donald Trump, I have to admire the homemade roadside signs and displays you see in favor of his candidacy along rural road sides.

There is something neat about home painted signs or even displays like that of a model Donald Trump riding a snowmobile in North Brookfield, NY or riding a fake missile in Bald Eagle, Penna. It’s just piles of junk bolted together but it shows creativity and passion, far more than just store bought political sign placed on a lawn briefly before chucked in a burn barrel or sent to the landfill.

The industries causing the climate crisis and attacks against defenders | Global Witness

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The industries causing the climate crisis and attacks against defenders | Global Witness

Since 2012, Global Witness has been gathering data on killings of land and environmental defenders. In that time, a grim picture has come into focus – with the evidence suggesting that as the climate crisis intensifies, violence against those protecting their land and our planet also increases. It has become clear that the unaccountable exploitation and greed driving the climate crisis is also driving violence against land and environmental defenders.

Am I a Conservative?

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Am I a Conservative?

The answer is probably no, although I respect the ideas and agree with conservatives on some issues. I am not a big believer of tradition for the sake of tradition nor do I salute government employees just for serving the people, whatever that really means.

You might say I’m a libertarian, skeptical of government power which I often see as driven by bigotry and a misunderstanding of others rather than an actual desire to do good.

That said, there is a role in government for protecting citizens from misdeeds of large corporations and for investing in the commons that can be enjoyed by all like our wild lands and libraries.

I do worry about the costs of an ever growing government that increasingly is unwilling to confront its own supporters for the sake of what’s right or fair, one that’s unwilling to take on the hard problems like climate change or even the growing debt on all levels of government. Problems don’t go away by ignoring them.

I’m not sure what all the answers are, but I am skeptical of all political power and just see more and more of government driven by biogtry rather than thoughtful debate and discussion.

February 2021 Active Enrollment by County

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February 2021 Active Enrollment by County

DEM REP CON WOR OTH BLANK
COUNTY
Albany 50.8 18.1 1.7 0.4 4.7 24.3
Allegany 21.5 50.7 1.7 0.5 5.3 20.3
Bronx 74.8 5.8 0.4 0.4 2.0 16.6
Broome 37.0 34.4 1.3 0.5 5.7 21.1
Cattaraugus 29.1 40.7 2.4 0.5 5.4 21.9
Cayuga 31.6 36.7 2.9 0.6 4.6 23.6
Chautauqua 31.2 34.9 2.5 0.6 5.9 24.9
Chemung 29.4 40.6 1.6 0.4 6.0 21.9
Chenango 24.2 44.5 1.7 0.5 5.8 23.2
Clinton 36.3 30.8 1.1 0.5 6.9 24.4
Columbia 39.2 26.9 2.3 0.5 5.7 25.4
Cortland 31.6 36.1 1.6 0.4 6.0 24.3
Delaware 28.5 42.3 1.7 0.4 5.7 21.4
Dutchess 37.0 27.7 1.9 0.4 5.7 27.2
Erie 47.2 25.1 2.4 0.5 4.1 20.6
Essex 29.8 42.1 1.0 0.2 6.9 20.1
Franklin 37.4 33.7 1.3 0.4 6.1 21.1
Fulton 22.6 48.9 1.9 0.5 5.5 20.5
Genesee 23.4 44.6 2.6 0.4 5.4 23.6
Greene 27.4 37.9 2.5 0.4 6.0 25.7
Hamilton 21.2 58.0 1.6 0.1 4.1 15.0
Herkimer 24.5 47.7 1.8 0.3 6.9 18.8
Jefferson 27.3 41.9 1.6 0.4 4.9 23.9
Kings 70.5 8.7 0.3 0.3 2.0 18.2
Lewis 22.5 52.1 1.8 0.2 5.0 18.4
Livingston 26.0 43.3 2.3 0.3 5.2 22.8
Madison 27.4 38.5 2.1 0.5 6.8 24.7
Monroe 42.3 26.2 1.7 0.4 4.6 24.9
Montgomery 31.2 35.6 2.4 0.4 5.8 24.6
Nassau 39.6 30.7 1.0 0.2 3.4 25.2
New York 70.7 7.8 0.2 0.2 2.5 18.7
Niagara 37.0 33.8 2.6 1.0 5.5 20.1
Oneida 33.0 37.8 1.6 0.4 6.4 20.8
Onondaga 38.5 27.4 1.6 0.4 5.2 26.9
Ontario 30.1 37.0 2.0 0.3 5.5 25.2
Orange 37.7 30.3 1.9 0.4 5.4 24.3
Orleans 21.9 47.8 2.4 0.5 4.7 22.7
Oswego 23.8 45.5 2.4 0.4 5.0 22.9
Otsego 31.6 38.1 1.5 0.4 6.2 22.3
Putnam 31.2 33.8 2.6 0.3 5.5 26.6
Queens 63.7 11.0 0.4 0.3 2.3 22.3
Rensselaer 31.6 24.7 4.3 1.9 7.2 30.3
Richmond 41.3 31.1 1.4 0.3 3.3 22.5
Rockland 46.4 23.2 2.3 0.4 3.8 24.0
Saratoga 29.4 37.0 1.6 0.3 5.7 25.9
Schenectady 40.3 23.9 3.3 0.8 5.1 26.7
Schoharie 25.4 39.9 2.8 0.5 6.9 24.6
Schuyler 27.6 41.0 1.9 0.5 6.3 22.7
Seneca 30.6 38.7 2.1 0.5 5.6 22.3
St.Lawrence 34.7 35.1 1.6 0.4 6.1 22.1
Steuben 23.9 49.4 1.7 0.4 4.7 19.9
Suffolk 34.5 30.9 2.0 0.4 4.5 27.7
Sullivan 36.2 30.9 2.3 0.5 4.7 25.4
Tioga 25.8 44.6 1.6 0.3 5.9 21.8
Tompkins 54.9 18.7 0.7 0.4 4.3 20.9
Ulster 41.4 23.1 2.0 0.5 4.9 28.2
Warren 27.4 42.3 1.6 0.3 6.1 22.2
Washington 25.1 41.7 1.9 0.4 6.2 24.6
Wayne 24.4 40.8 2.8 0.5 5.1 26.5
Westchester 50.2 20.0 1.2 0.2 3.7 24.7
Wyoming 20.8 48.4 2.5 0.4 4.3 23.7
Yates 24.2 47.0 1.8 0.4 5.5 21.2

Data Source: New York State Board of Elections, Percentage of Active enrolled voters. Darker colors represent counties with the highest percentage of voters enrolled in that particular party.

Ostrichs!

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Some humor from a guy that I find often quite funny.