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Protect American semiconductor industry the right way

Any parent knows there is a fine line between supporting a child and smothering a child. Parents want the best for their children, and are usually willing to sacrifice for it. That can mean investing in education and training. It can mean taking an active role in activities. It can mean spending time and energy to make sure the child has opportunities to make lots of money. However, it is possible to do too much and go too far. At some point the parent has done enough, and it is up to the child to succeed. That’s where the country finds itself with semiconductors. The industry has ...

Energy policy belongs at the ballot box, not in a courtroom

Americans need energy that is affordable, abundant and reliable. Right now, a wave of lawsuits is quietly working against all three, and most of the people who will pay for it don’t know and never get a vote. Across the country, 40 lawsuits have been filed by states, counties and cities trying to hold energy producers financially responsible for climate change. Eleven states, the District of Columbia, and dozens of local governments representing more than one in four Americans are asking courts to order oil and gas companies to pay billions in damages. Here is what that means in ...

Heeding the warnings on socialism

CHAUTAUQUA — Let’s pick up where we left off last week. Speaking to Advocates for Balance at Chautauqua, or ABC, on July 20, retired Lt. Col. Allen West discussed remarks by a U.S. senator. Coincidentally, ABC’s July 13 speaker had discussed the same remarks by the same ...

Trump whacks Canada again

You have to think that President Trump must have had a bad trip or unpleasant vacation in Canada, as I can’t think of any other legitimate reason for why he keeps attacking the country. This past week, he announced two major policy decisions/complaints relative to Canada: - he announced a new 50% tariff on many of the goods Canada sells to the United States; and - he blamed the Canadian government for the smoke-filled skies coming from forest and brush fires in that country. It is always interesting to me that our President never seems to accept responsibility for much of ...

What made America strong didn’t come from Washington

As Americans celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary, it’s worth remembering that what made America strong didn’t come from Washington. It came from Americans. Long before Washington debated the size and scope of government, citizens were building churches, charities, civic organizations, schools, hospitals and philanthropic institutions that strengthened communities from the ground up. They saw needs, organized their neighbors, raised private support and built institutions that often outlasted governments. That tradition didn’t simply complement government; it became one of ...

Northeastern states roll back unaffordable green energy policies

For decades, some states have aggressively prioritized green energy mandates over reliability and affordability. Today, many are grappling with energy crises that are entirely self-inflicted. While legislators blame the Trump administration, data centers and energy producers for rising costs, the data show that blame falls squarely on state-level clean energy mandates. Over the last five years, New England energy costs rose 29 percent. New York’s electricity rates are 70 percent higher than the national average. New England electricity rates (29.42 cents/kWh) are 59 percent higher ...