Had enough yet

[mark blazejewski]

Such was the observation of President John F. Kennedy who, at a press conference in March 1962, taught Americans the way of the world. Asked about Army reservists being called up to serve in Vietnam despite having “done their time” stationed in West Berlin, Kennedy did not mince words.

“There is always inequity in life,” he said. “Some men are killed in a war and some men are wounded, and some men never leave the country, and some men are stationed in the Antarctic, and some are stationed in San Francisco. It’s very hard in the military, or in personal life, to assure complete equality. Life is unfair.”

Very excellent article Lee.

[Lee Chowaniec]

New York’s proposal to convert to green energy

The Buffalo News presented detailed reports on an energy proposal being debated and business and fuel industry caution on its implementation timeline and associated adverse impacts.

Energy roadmap calls for sweeping changes for WNY home, building owners

A new statewide energy plan being debated would gradually phase out the use of natural gas in homes and buildings, in favor of greater reliance on electricity.

• Starting in 2024, newly built homes in the state would not be allowed to install equipment powered by oil, natural gas or propane for heating, cooling, and hot water. The plan would instead require homes to install a zero-emission system like a heat pump, which is more energy efficient, but costs more than a conventional heating system.

• Starting in 2030, owners of existing homes would face similar restrictions. Once homeowners need to replace their fossil-fuel powered systems and appliances – whether that happens in 2030 or later – they would need to install a zero-emission system instead.

Those upgrades could cost the owner of an older home upwards of $23,000, depending on the duct work and equipment needed, according to National Fuel estimates. The company also estimates that the annual energy costs at an electrified home could about $650 higher, at current rates.

The energy plan is part of the state’s strategy to drastically cut greenhouse gas emissions, while phasing out the use of natural gas, through hitting ambitious targets. The state is aiming to cut greenhouse gas emissions 40% by 2030, and 85% by 2050.

Rudy Wynter, National Grid’s New York president declared: You cannot electrify every single building,” due to factors such as building size, type, and age, he said. Not every customer can afford to electrify. For that reason, Wynter said, there should be an alternative, in the form of a decarbonized natural gas network that blends renewable natural gas and hydrogen.

Those cost differences would be acute on the coldest days of the winter months. “The reality is, we’re a lot colder upstate than downstate, by a meaningful measure. Bauer also questioned the plan’s impact on energy reliability, given its greater emphasis on wind and solar power. The plan would also require the state’s power grid to be dramatically scaled up, he said.

State maps out next 30 years of climate action with aggressive plan

Does any of this even matter, if only New York does it?

A 2019 law that promised to slash New York’s greenhouse gas emissions and revolutionize its energy grid will leave few aspects of life or commerce in the state untouched, according to a draft road map for implementation.

Utility providers will have to ramp up wind and solar. Millions of drivers will need to buy electric cars. And before submitting their final recommendations to Gov. Kathy Hochul later this year, the state-appointed climate board that crafted

Once finalized, the plan is intended to steer regulatory decisions – as well as state budgeting and legislation – for years to come. State representatives will hold a meeting at the Buffalo Central Library today to first gather public feedback, following similar hearings in cities including Albany, Syracuse, and Binghamton.

Q: What does the plan recommend?

A: In a word: a lot. When it comes to cutting emissions, however, the scoping plan focuses on the four sources that generate 85% of the state’s greenhouse gasses: buildings, electricity, waste, and transportation.

Q: Will everyone have to switch to electric cars?

A: Eventually, yes: To meet emissions goals, three million drivers will have to trade in their gas-guzzling cars by 2030, and an additional seven million by 2050. But the plan calls for plenty of infrastructure investments and buying incentives first. One idea, called a “feebate” program, would offer direct rebates on EV purchases, supported by a new fee on the purchase of fossil-fuel vehicles.

Q: What’s going on with gas stoves?

A: Homes and apartment buildings are a major source of New York’s greenhouse gas emissions because they frequently rely on natural gas for heating, cooking, and other applications. The plan proposes that state codes require all-electric construction by 2024, a move that New York City made late last year. The Climate Action Council has also backed regulations that would require current homeowners purchase zero-emissions appliances when it’s time to replace their current models.

Q: Will the plan raise energy prices?

A: This is also a concern among business groups, who have in the past touted low electricity costs as a reason to relocate to Western New York. For manufacturers, in particular, cost increases could prove debilitating – as could brownouts or other power disruptions, which could potentially result if electricity supply can’t keep pace with demand over the next 30 years.

Q: Does any of this even matter, if only New York does it?

A: There’s no doubt that an aggressive, binding national climate policy – or even better, a global policy – would do more to address greenhouse gas emissions than New York’s efforts will. And there’s also little doubt that the lack of federal support contributes to many of the trade-offs New York now faces. If every state was moving to renewables, for instance, New York wouldn’t risk becoming less competitive than its neighbors if electricity prices go up.

Q: What comes next?

A: Buffalo’s public hearing will take place at 3:30 p.m. today in the Mason O. Damon Auditorium at the Central Library. Attendees who register in advance online have priority for seating and speaking, as well.

[Lee Chowaniec]

Has the left lost its cool? Has the woke become a joke?

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world...97a3b2d1586d81

INGRAHAM: We are the ones, though, who knocked billions off Disney's stock price. They're the ones who won't do anything to fight for human rights except talk about it. But we're the ones who hit China with tariffs. It's very uncool to punch down, and that's all they do.

They wage war against small businesses like cake shop owners with religious views, or health club owners who try to survive the shutdowns. They target selfless nuns like the Little Sisters of the Poor, and they fire beloved high school football coaches who pray after games.

What do we do? We go after the multinational corporations and celebrity athletes who bully Americans on social issues while they make billions by sucking up to China. We fight the censors at Big Tech and the open borders, anti-tariff cabal at the Chamber of Commerce. Some of the worst people on Earth are the Westerners helping the CCP, including many in the old Republican Guard. But the new, more populist conservatives like Tom Cotton, Bill Hagerty and Josh Hawley, they are not afraid to challenge our own leadership on these issues.

Who out there is actually standing up to Goldman Sachs and BlackRock as they build their portfolios in Shanghai and Beijing? It's not the woke left, I can tell you that. The big banks selling out their country and selling out freedom - they're the opposite of cool. And it's where the modern left is.

[Lee Chowaniec]

It’s the economy, stupid!

'The Hill' opinion contributor Brent Budowski suggested today of a real possibility of a Biden comeback. “Today we will emphasize the health care and personal safety issue of COVID-19, where Biden has been an outstanding leader and manager, and the illegal Russian invasion of Ukraine, where Biden has been a far superior commander in chief than his predecessor, President Trump, and his wartime nemesis, Russian despot and strongman Vladimir Putin.”

“In the near future I will write part two of this column involving economic and domestic issues,” wrote Budowsky. Apparently, like his president Mr. Budowskyi doesn’t believe in the polls.

Budowsky was an aide to former Sen. Lloyd Bentsen (D-Texas) and former Rep. Bill Alexander (D-Ark.), who was chief deputy majority whip of the House of Representatives.

As inflation soars, Americans’ confidence in the economy is crumbling

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/mark...97a3b2d1586d81

Americans are quickly losing confidence in the U.S. economy, according to a new survey published this week, reflecting heightened concerns among consumers about sky-high inflation and the rising price of everyday goods.

A Gallup survey published Wednesday shows Americans have low levels of confidence in the economy, with 42% rating the current economic conditions as "poor" and 38% describing it as "fair." By comparison, 2% of respondents said the economy is "excellent" and only 18% described it as "good," according to the poll, conducted between April 1-19.

What's more, most Americans expect the economy to deteriorate further: About 76% said they think the economy is getting worse, compared to 20% who believe it is improving.

The poll comes shortly after the government reported that consumer prices soared 8.5% in March from the previous year, the fastest pace since 1981. Key staples have skyrocketed in price over the past year, including food (8.8%), gasoline (48%), electricity (13.5%) and rent (5.1%).

[mark blazejewski]

"Global control" over Russia's nuclear arsenal, really?

I thought that U.S. policy was to reverse the Russian invasion of the Ukraine?

I support U.S. efforts to supply arms to Ukraine in such a way as to reverse the Russian invasion , return peace to the Ukraine, and to assist the victimized Ukrainian civilian population, but to do so without starting a nuclear World War Three.

With that said, I am very concerned about this comment made by Secretary Austin earlier today:

“...we want to see Ukraine remain a sovereign country, a democratic country able to protect its sovereign territory, we want to see Russia weakened to the point where it can’t do things like invade Ukraine.”

Can anyone connect the dots between Austin's comments with these words, hmm?

Zelensky demands ‘global control’ over Russia’s nuclear capabilities

By Tyler O'Neil, Fox News

April 27, 2022 7:12am Updated

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky marked the 36th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster with a speech condemning Russia’s “completely irresponsible actions” around nuclear power plants during its invasion and calling for “global control” of the Kremlin’s nuclear capabilities.

“Every year on April 26th, the world remembers the Chernobyl disaster, the worst nuclear disaster in human history,” Zelensky began. “But this year it is not enough just to remember Chernobyl… because this year, Russia created new threats that could surpass even the worst accident.”

The president recalled the night of March 4, when a fire broke out at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant after Russian forces started shelling the plant amid the invasion. “They knew exactly which object they were firing at,” he said. “But they had an order to seize the object at any cost. They did not care about anything. They did not care that the Zaporizhzhia station was the largest in Europe. They didn’t think about how many power units there are and how the shelling could end.”

Zelensky recalled speaking with world leaders that night, including U.S. President Joe Biden.

“It is even surprising how quickly and completely Russia, the whole country, can forget about the worst catastrophe that its people have experienced as well,” the president added, noting that Russians suffered in the wake of the Chernobyl disaster on April 26, 1986.

Rather than commemorating the anniversary of the disaster – which killed less than 100 people directly but increased mortality over the following decades in the surrounding area – Russia has escalated the situation, Zelensky charged.

“Instead, today they launched three missiles against Ukraine so that they flew directly over the blocks of our nuclear power plants – over three nuclear power plants at once, over Zaporizhzhia, Khmelnytskyi, and South-Ukrainian NPPs,” the president said. “What is it? Are they threatening? There are no words.”

“It turns out they do not realize what Chernobyl is. At all,” Zelensky said. “Russian troops that were trying to attack Kyiv through the Chernobyl zone used the restricted area as a military base. They set up positions on land where it is forbidden to even stand.” He also noted that Russian forces looted the Cernobyl radiation monitoring system – “they looted a nuclear analytical laboratory.”

“Only thanks to the professionalism and conscientiousness of our specialists working at the Chernobyl station… we managed to save Ukraine, save Europe from another catastrophe,” he said.

Zelensky noted that International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi met with him in Kyiv to commemorate the Chernobyl disaster and pledge his support.

An incomplete reactor at Chernobyl nuclear power plant, in Chernobyl, Ukraine.AP Photo/Francisco Seco

“We discussed all the dangers created by Russia and ways to possibly influence the situation to protect Europe and the world from completely irresponsible actions of the Russian Federation,” the president said. He then called for a global takeover of Russia’s nuclear capabilities.

“I believe that after all that the Russian military has done in the Chernobyl zone and at the Zaporizhzhia power plant, no one in the world can feel safe knowing how many nuclear facilities, nuclear weapons and related technologies the Russian state has,” Zelensky said. “If Russia has forgotten what Chernobyl is, it means that global control over Russia’s nuclear facilities, and nuclear technology is needed.”

Grossi also visited Chernobyl and delivered IAEA resources to the plant, which Russian forces held for five weeks until they withdrew on March 31. He thanked staff for their resilience and courage amid the conflict.

“We do not only have respect for you we have admiration for you because you did exactly what you were expected to do,” Grossi told the workers. “You showed professionalism, courage, and of course, patriotism. But you did the right thing so don’t worry, we are here, the IAEA is going to stay.”

Also on Tuesday, Russia escaped the threat of nuclear warfare amid its war in Ukraine by alleging that Kyiv is developing nuclear weapons with U.S. support.

“The need for demilitarization is due to the fact that Ukraine, saturated with weapons, poses a threat to Russia, including from the point of view of the development and use of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons,” Secretary of the Russian Security Council Nikolai Patrushev, said according to state-owned news agencies.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, who met with Zelensky in Kyiv over the weekend, called the comments “very dangerous.”

“I think this any bluster about the use of nuclear possibility, of use of nuclear weapons, is very dangerous and unhelpful,” Austin told reporters Tuesday. “Nobody wants to see a nuclear war nobody can win it.”

Ukraine gave up its nuclear weapons – which the Soviet Union had left in the country – in Dec. 1994 in exchange for security assurances from Russia, Britain, and the United States.

Reference: https://nypost.com/2022/04/27/zelens...-capabilities/

Nothing to see here, eh?

[Lee Chowaniec]

The economy is great. The middle class is mad!

As a pre-boomer, birthing three children in the 60’s and now having a grandson who recently purchased a home, I found this report to be spot on! Some may disagree but those of age will find it relevant.

Lengthy, but well worth the read!

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/th...6c72ab767b7f75

Middle-class U.S. families have been treading water for decades—weighed down by stalled income growth and rising prices—but the runaway inflation that has emerged from the pandemic is sending more than a ripple of frustration through their ranks. The pandemic seemed at first as if it might offer a chance to catch up; they kept their jobs as the service sector laid off millions, their wages started climbing at a faster rate as companies struggled to find workers, and they began saving more than they had for decades. About one-third of middle-income Americans felt that their financial situation had improved a year into the pandemic, according to Pew Research, as they quarantined at home while benefiting from stimulus checks, child tax credits, and the pause of federal student-¬loan payments.

But 18 months later, they increasingly suspect that any sense of financial security was an illusion. They may have more money in the bank, but being middle class in America isn’t only about how much you make; it’s about what you can buy with that money. Some people measure that by whether a family has a second refrigerator in the basement or a tree in the yard, but Richard Reeves, director of the Future of the Middle Class Initiative at the Brookings Institution, says that what really matters is whether people feel that they can comfortably afford the “three H’s”—housing, health care, and higher education.

In the past year alone, home prices have leaped 20% and the cost of all goods is up 8.5%. Families are paying $3,500 more this year for the basic set of goods and services that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) follows than they did last year. Average hourly earnings, by contrast, are down 2.7% when adjusted for inflation. That squeeze has left many who identify as middle class reaching to afford the three H’s, especially housing.

Millennials and younger generations came of age in the worst recession in decades, entered a job market where their wages grew sluggishly, and then weathered another recession at the beginning of the pandemic. Through it all, costs continued to rise. Median household income has grown just 9% since 2001, but college tuition and fees are up 64% over the same time period, while out-of-¬pocket health care costs have nearly doubled. Just half of all children born in the 1980s have grown up to earn more than their parents, as opposed to more than 90% of children in the 1940s. Both millennials and Generation X have a lower net worth and more debt when they reach age 40 than boomers did at that age, according to Bloomberg.

The stress and anger people in their 30s and 40s feel is spilling over into their relationships with their parents’ generation. Today, a family in the U.S. making the median household income would need to pay six times that income to buy a median-price house. In 1980, they would have needed to pay double. But many boomers don’t seem to have much sympathy for their children’s predicament. Jeff Swope’s father was able to support a family of three on a social worker’s salary, and bought a house in Sandy Springs, Ga., for around $50,000. His mother sold it last year for $255,000, and that buyer sold it in March for 30% more than that.

Some economists believe that the years following World War II were an anomaly—a period of unprecedented productivity growth and prosperity that will never be replicated. Millions of people went to college on the GI Bill, and wages shot up, allowing families to buy homes and cars and televisions. That means that comparing middle-¬class workers with their parents may not be the most useful way to measure their economic state. If their childhoods were built in a period of exceptional economic growth, it’s no wonder that people like Swope and Barela feel left behind today. Moreover, previous generations kept many Americans, including people of color and women, from entering the workforce and from owning homes. “Some of the reasons middle-¬class Americans were able to do so well before is that they were excluding people from the labor market, and they had strong trade unions that got them higher wages than the market would have given them,” Reeves says.

[mark blazejewski]

Lee,

A few weeks back, you asked this question regarding the Russia-Ukraine war and the general worldwide trend:

Hey Mark...So, what is the ‘end game’ here?

This was my response:

Ergo, if there is a World War Three, assuming that our planet remains viable, there will undoubtedly be another "Reset."

I am open to the possibility that what may emerge from a fourth go round will be a Globalist paradise; a wet dream for the Soros breed.

I can envision a severely weakened west and Russia, existing in controlled harmony with a supremely powerful Chinese corporatist state, which will impose a worldwide Orwellian culture.

Well, here is "Exhibit A:"

Published April 28, 2022 9:28am EDT

Critics slam timing of Biden's 'ministry of truth' to police internet for 'disinformation'

Conservatives referred to the move as 'Orwellian'

Reference: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/cri...disinformation

[Lee Chowaniec]

Lee,

A few weeks back, you asked this question regarding the Russia-Ukraine war and the general worldwide trend:



This was my response:



Well, here is "Exhibit A:"



Reference: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/cri...disinformation

This says it all:

"The libs spent the last weeks planting the seeds for the back-up plan in case the Twitter deal actually happened," Republican Congresswoman Lauren Boebert tweeted. "Today's news of a Biden backed ‘Disinformation Governance Board’ is dystopian. They can't afford to let the truth be anything but what they say."

[Lee Chowaniec]

To liberals, 'free speech' means the right to indoctrinate. To conservatives, it means the right to dissent from the elites

Sounds about right and unfortunately, we are in the middle getting caught in the **** stream of disinformation and propaganda!

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/opini...66a1ad3d763176

Hypocrisy is the constant in all politics, and politicians who preach principles (such as free speech) typically wield those principles instrumentally rather than adhere to them religiously.

It’s expected, then, that the American Left would object to the charge of censoriousness. Yes, many on that side have been open about disliking free speech. The ironically named American Civil Liberties Union, a venerable institution of the Left, fretted about Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter because of his expressed “free-speech absolutism.”

“Hate speech” and “misinformation” are labels constantly hurled from the Left, along with the ominous chant that conservative opinions put black people in danger. These are all efforts to curtail speech. Calling whole classes of opinion incitement or misinformation is an attempt to put those opinions and facts outside the safe harbor of free speech.

But Republicans are just as bad, or worse, the media suggest. State legislators are passing bills regulating classroom “discussions.” Legislators and school boards are also barring many books (some reasonable, some not) from school libraries and curricula to the consternation of teachers and librarians.

Put another way, when the Left demands free speech, it wants the government to teach children stuff that parents don’t want to be taught to their children; when the Right demands free speech, it is asking for the right to express opinions and relay facts that clash with elite teaching.

It’s not a matter that is not one of hypocrisy. It’s all about whether free speech is for the power elite or for the dissidents.

[mark blazejewski]

This says it all:

"The libs spent the last weeks planting the seeds for the back-up plan in case the Twitter deal actually happened," Republican Congresswoman Lauren Boebert tweeted. "Today's news of a Biden backed ‘Disinformation Governance Board’ is dystopian. They can't afford to let the truth be anything but what they say."

Tucker Carlson's opening comments of April 29, 2022 puts the issue into spot on perspective:

https://muckrack.com/michael-tracey

[Lee Chowaniec]

Frustrated Biden plans to turn things around

Biden has complained in recent private conversations that he is frustrated with what he sees as journalists' lack of reporting about how Republicans have ditched any and all GOP principles solely with the intent of reclaiming the representative branch of government.

Biden laments how much people have stopped focusing on how bad a state he believes the country was in under former President Donald Trump. And so his old line, 'Don't compare me to the Almighty, compare me to the alternative,' has become a midterm mantra around the West Wing.

Biden is even frustrated that Sanders and Warren are signaling they may be interested in making another presidential bid in 2024. The 79 tear-old Biden has made it clear he intends to run in 2024. He feels he bears little, if any blame for the downward spiraling economy, 8.5% inflation, surging crime, the border crises, etc. issues that plague the country.

Biden is so out-of-touch with the country that refuses to acknowledge he is getting trashed in the polls. A recent Gallup poll found that young voters, who overwhelmingly approved of Biden when he first came into office, have deserted him, with support plummeting from around 60 percent to around 40 percent.

Gallup also found about 20 percentage point drops in support for Biden from Black and Latino voters, two other usually strong constituencies for Democrats.

Biden’s approval rating stands at 39%. Yet Senator Elizabeth Warren, a major voice on the left of the Democratic party, says "Republican senators and broken institutions have blocked" Biden's attempts at progress. But the Democrats can save themselves by delivering more of the agenda they promised.

Doubling down on Biden policies that are being rejected by 70% of voters believing the country is headed in the wrong direction? Seriously? Where the Stock Market fell over 900 points today and the likelihood of a recession is being forecast.

If there is a silver lining for Biden, it's that Republican control of Congress would give him a chance to switch the spotlight onto his opponents. Several previous presidents, including Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, took midterm poundings, then recovered to win second terms.

And if Trump seeks a 2024 comeback, there is speculation that the conspiracy theory-peddling Republican is so polarizing that Biden would then suddenly find himself back in demand.

Trump is so hated by many voters that if he does run in 2024, Biden could have a shot at winning re-election. What an ugly situation that would be. America deserves better than to have either one running in 2024.

[Lee Chowaniec]

Trump or Biden in 2024, hopefully not!

As a lifelong unaffiliated registered voter (blank), I found the following media report spot on - and heartening!

DeSantis shows the way forward for Trumpism without Trump

https://www.aei.org/op-eds/desantis-...without-trump/

If DeSantis secures a decisive re-election victory in November, he could prove a formidable challenger to Biden — and an attractive alternative to Trump.

While Biden continues to reach new lows in approval, polls also show most Americans still don’t wish Trump were back in the Oval Office. A Harvard CAPS-Harris Poll survey finds that majorities do not want either Trump (55 percent) or Biden (63 percent) to run in 2024, with almost 6 in 10 saying they would be open to supporting a third-party candidate if faced with a rematch between the two. If they do both run again, Trump holds a mere two-point edge over Biden — a statistical tie.

The fact that Trump is deadlocked with Biden — whose approval has plummeted further and faster than any modern president — should be a red flag for Republicans. Right now, 69 percent of Republicans say they want Trump to run again, according to a CBS News-YouGov poll.

But after seeing the disastrous policies Biden has implemented — the worst inflation in 40 years, the worst crime wave since the 1990s, the worst border crisis in American history — they also know that the 2024 election is one Republicans absolutely have to win. If Republican primary voters are convinced that Trump cannot prevail, they might back someone else.

[mark blazejewski]

As I have written many times, Putin is a butcher, but I have some questions about some on the Ukrainian side, who may have some questionable backgrounds.

A party in the Netherlands is interested in the origin of $850 million from Zelensky

April 30, 2022

The Dutch conservative party Forum voor Democratie is interested in the origin of the $850 million fortune of Volodymyr Zelensky. The political force announced the assets of the politician for such an amount on April 25.

“According to various estimates, Zelensky’s fortune is estimated at $850 million. He did not receive most of this amount until he became president,” the party said on its Twitter page.

The political force continued that the origin of these funds is unclear.


“And more importantly, what are they going for?” – concluded in the party.


At the end of March, members of the Forum for Democracy party refused to listen to the online speech of the President of Ukraine in the parliament of their country and did not take part in subsequent debates. They stated that they consider it inappropriate to make a “saint” out of the Ukrainian leader and take his side in the conflict based on emotions.


As pointed out in the party, the Dutch Parliament is “not a platform for unilateral statements.” The deputies recalled that Zelensky’s name appears in the very dubious “Panama Dossier” in connection with financial fraud. In addition, the military of his army often pose with Nazi symbols.


Earlier, a similar situation occurred in Italy, where parliamentarians from the 5 Star Movement and League parties, guided by the principle of equality, suggested that after the speech of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on March 22 in the country’s parliament, they should be invited to speak by Russian President Vladimir Putin.


Earlier in April, a villa was discovered in the Italian resort town of Forte dei Marmi in the province of Lucca, which indirectly belongs to the President of Ukraine. The house is registered in the name of the company of the wife of the head of state, Elena Zelenskaya, Tomasso SRL Luxury real estate expert Elena Yurgeneva estimated the cost of Zelensky’s villa at an average of €4.5–5 million. She noted that the house as a whole is ascetic and modest, but with a garden and a swimming pool. And its price is determined by the prestigious and successful location in the very center of the city.


In November 2019, it was reported that Volodymyr Zelensky declared $36.5 thousand (902.4 thousand hryvnias) from the lease of property. This became known from a declaration published on the website of the National Anti-Corruption Agency (NAPC). The Ukrainian leader received income from leasing property to foreigners Khinui League and Siran Song. However, the declaration did not indicate what exactly he leased.


At that time, it was known that the head of Ukraine owns a number of real estate objects in Kyiv and abroad. Among them is a house with an area of ​​353 sq. m worth about $ 31 thousand at the time of purchase, an apartment of 131 sq. m worth about $ 28.5 thousand, two parking spaces, a land plot of 1.2 thousand square meters. m, several apartments in a joint share with his wife, a house in Italy and an apartment in the UK.


According to the declaration, the politician at that time earned 4.2 million hryvnias ($160,000) at his main place of work – in the Kvartal 95 studio. He received another 5.5 million hryvnia ($210,000) from other sources of income. Recall that after his name was included in the list of defendants in the so-called “Panama Dossier” associated with undeclared income from unclean business.

Reference: https://canadafreepress.com/article/...-from-zelensky

Revealed: ‘anti-oligarch’ Ukrainian president’s offshore connections

Volodymyr Zelenskiy has railed against politicians hiding wealth offshore but failed to disclose links to BVI firm...


...On the campaign trail, Zelenskiy pledged to clean up Ukraine’s oligarch-dominated ruling system. And he railed against politicians such as the wealthy incumbent Petro Poroshenko who hid their assets offshore. The message worked. Zelenskiy won 73% of the vote and now sits in a cavernous office in the capital, Kyiv, decorated with gilded stucco ceilings. Last month, he held talks with Joe Biden in the Oval Office.

The Pandora papers, leaked to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) and shared with the Guardian as part of a global investigation however, suggest Zelenskiy is rather similar to his predecessors.

The leaked documents suggest he had – or has – a previously undisclosed stake in an offshore company, which he appears to have secretly transferred to a friend weeks before winning the presidential vote.

Reference: https://www.theguardian.com/news/202...ymyr-zelenskiy

[Lee Chowaniec]

Chasing net zero

“It is no longer possible to ignore any of this, but it’s also necessary to offer every incentive available to those who aren’t ready to face the start-up costs and higher rates involved in switching to electricity, which probably means most Western New York homeowners.”

The idea is to cut emissions 40% by 2030 and 85% by 2050. For that to happen, all new homes will have to use zero emission systems as of 2024, less than two years from now. By 2030, existing homeowners replacing worn-out furnaces would also be required to use emission-free systems and at least 3 million drivers will be trading in their internal combustion-powered cars for electric vehicles

“Change won’t be easy,” is an understatement. Damn near impossible concept for Americans just getting by. We can all afford this, right. Maybe NOT!

Chasing net zero – Buffalo News Editorial
New York must be faithful to climate goals, but flexible about the means

It’s really happening. New York State’s Climate Action Plan became less of a plan and more of a reality when a draft roadmap was released early this year. Now is the time to say, “change is good” and mean it, because this change won’t be easy.

If the state’s ambitious effort to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions doesn’t include education, financial assistance, and plenty of hand-holding, it will be even more difficult. In particular, state officials will likely have to be flexible with deadlines that, as of now, seem radically imminent.
The change is both necessary and inevitable; the path can be negotiated. Our mantra should be “Faithful to the goal, flexible about the means.”

Of course, the draft plan is still being debated, and there are many questions that can’t be answered for months to come, but one thing we do know: New York’s switch from fossil fuels will be costly. The sticker shock ranges across every possible sector, from utility providers to builders to an entire population of consumers. Need a new car? It will be electric. Building a new house? Say goodbye to gas heating and get acquainted with geothermal.

The idea is to cut emissions 40% by 2030 and 85% by 2050. For that to happen, all new homes will have to use zero emission systems as of 2024, less than two years from now. By 2030, existing homeowners replacing worn-out furnaces would also be required to use emission-free systems and at least 3 million drivers will be trading in their internal combustion-powered cars for electric vehicles.

It’s hard to imagine anyone who will not feel the impact of this monumental transition, but it’s one that is urgently needed. The effects of climate change are no longer expected at some future date. They’re here.

According to the Department of Environmental Conservation, sea levels along New York’s coast – where more than half the state’s population lives – have already risen by more than a foot since 1900. Annual average temperatures have risen about 2.5 degrees since 1970. Severe weather events are increasing; throw heat waves into the mix and there are greater risks for injury and death as well as lasting disruption to agriculture.

It is no longer possible to ignore any of this, but it’s also necessary to offer every incentive available to those who aren’t ready to face the start-up costs and higher rates involved in switching to electricity, which probably means most Western New York homeowners. We also wonder how these costs will affect the state’s ability to retain or attract energy-intensive industries. Both federal and state subsidies, as well as big tax breaks, should be high on this plan’s wish list.

Those who think the path to zero emissions is too steep should remember that most significant progress has initially seemed impossible. And it’s amazing how the infrastructure to support innovation grows as new business opportunities become apparent. It didn’t take long for roadside gas fueling to grow after the first drive-up gas station was built in 1913: By 1929, there were 121,513 filling stations across the country. We hope that charging stations will proliferate even more quickly.

As for expense, history has shown that as new technologies become more commonly used, costs fall exponentially. And, here in Western New York, there’s a flip side: This region – away from any coast, not prone to tornadoes and hurricanes – is expected to become one of a few geographical magnets for Americans looking to escape the punishments of a changing climate. The state and the world still need to lower the risks, but this region could wind up as a net beneficiary of a changing climate.

Finally, we’re not alone. Twenty-four other states have similar plans in place, including California, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Oregon, and others.

In the end, regardless of how many speed bumps we’ll have to endure, this is the road to survival for our children and grandchildren. It’s good we’re starting on it.

[mark blazejewski]

Nah, just another coincidence, eh?

Fire damages food processing plant in northwest Fresno
Monday, May 2, 2022 9:35AM

Reference: https://abc30.com/fresno-food-proces...ated/11811148/