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Sweden’s Lessons For America

About six years ago, economist Johan Norberg produced a documentary about Sweden’s recent economic transformations entitled “Sweden: Lessons for America.” The program is very informative as well as entertaining, and will challenge what you thought you knew. You can still catch it on YouTube (highly recommended). Sweden was one of the poorest countries in the world prior to 1850 when many fled to avoid the grinding poverty. (The first Swedes came to Jamestown in 1849; immigration locally continued through the World War 1era.) Later, Sweden adopted free markets to become one of ...

Langworthy Complicit In Violating Constitutional And Democratic Norms

The Post-Journal’s recent column, “Trump’s Return, Agenda Energizes Langworthy” is an example of normalizing—“sane washing”—the actions of the Trump administration. It opens with an account of Rep. Langworthy’s visit to Fredonia’s revitalized White Inn, then abruptly pivots to the Trump administration’s “whirlwind” early days, implying an unsubstantiated connection between the Inn’s success story and the administration’s actions. The article says, “It is a bit like the second chance voters gave President Donald Trump last November,” but claims that ...

Old Fashioned Winters Have Way More Snow Than This

To be sure, this winter has blessed—or cursed, depending on your perspective—us with more snow than several recent winters. Yet this winter has been no old-fashioned winter. Old-fashioned winters have way more snow than this. ♦♦♦ An old-fashioned winter in Western New York is one in which Mayville’s public tally of snowfall runs into the multiple hundreds of inches. An old-fashioned winter in Western New York is one in which—even in some places less susceptible to snow—storms dropping a foot of the white stuff are at least weekly events. An old-fashioned ...

Resources Available To Better Understand Medicare

Question: I am getting close to my 65th birthday, and wanted to understand Medicare. Could you direct me to some useful resources to begin this learning process? Answer: Turning 65 is one of those significant birthdays that we have during our lifetime. What you need for insurance before and after 65 can be very different. The rules are consistent for every individual, but how they impact your decision is unique. The answer is different for each individual. There are some very useful resources out there to help you learn about Medicare. The first resource I will give you is ...

Facts Of Life

In one of my old cookbooks, I found this quote about the length of a human life. It is dated 1898. “The average of human life is about 33 years. One quarter die before the age of six, one-half die before reaching seventeen. To every one thousand persons only one reaches one hundred years of life. To every one hundred only six teach the age of sixty-five and not more than one in five hundred live to eighty years of age.” This got me thinking about Social Security and the impact our age has to do with it. When the Social Security Act was passed in 1935 those age expectancy rates had ...

Congratulations To A Super Bowl Champion!

Yes, I know it was the Philadelphia Eagles who won the Super Bowl, but, for us here at home, the big winner was Nick Sirianni. “Local boy makes good,” real good! After the Bills lost to the Chiefs in the playoffs, I sort of lost interest in watching anymore football. But, I will have to admit, that I was cheering on the Eagles … primarily because a local guy and graduate of Southwestern Central School was coaching them. I have never met Nick Sirianni, but you felt like you got to know him with all of the press coverage leading up to the big event. Locally, he will be honored ...