Mountain View
Eric Niemietz
Oneida Indian Nation Powers Central NY Economy
The Oneida Indian Nation began their rise to economic power in 1993 with the opening of the Turning Stone Casino in Verona, NY. Originally a modest venture in a rural area. it has become a major destination with continuing expansion and renovation.
Year-Round Schooling in Florida: A Pilot Program for Selected Schools
A plan which has kicked around for years, if not decades, to have children stay in school year round, will get a chance to be tested this year in several schools in Gainesville, Florida. The pilot program will begin year-round starting in July.
Nones Now the Largest Religious Group in America
The largest religious group in the United States is now the religiously unaffiliated, or None. 28% of responders now say they are agnostic or atheists, up from 16% in 2007. They now comprise a larger group of American adults than Catholics (23%) or evangelical Protestants (24%).
(Opinion) DeSantis to Send "Personal Army" to Texas
Ron DeSantis, in an apparent show of his hard right policies returning to Florida, wants to send 1,000 state guard troops to Texas to "guard" the border. A bill being considered by the Florida Legislature (HB 1551/SB 1694) would allow DeSantis to send the state guard to other statesd. Presumably, that would imply that is it currently illegal. (The State Guard, which became inactive in 1947, was originally established in World War II to replace deployed Florida National Guard members.
Trump Nominated Judge Dismisses Disney's Retaliation Suit Against DeSantis
Judge Allen Windsor dismissed the Walt Disney Company's First Amendment lawsuit against Governor DeSantis accusing the Governor of retaliation. The judge also found against Disney's free speech claims, saying Disney lacked legal standing to sue Desantis or the Commerce Secretary over constitutionally enacted laws.
IRS Gets $80 Billion to Chase Rich Tax Avoiders, Gains $200 Million
The IRS has a new Commissioner and a new mission. In short, the plan is to go after rich people who don't pay their taxes. They have hired 5000 new people under the Inflation Reduction Act to help process paper returns. The paper will be scanned before it leaves the IRS mailrooms to create digital copies.
DeSantis Proposes Constitutional Amendments to "Fix" Washington
Governor DeSantis, in conjunction with House Speaker Paul Renner, is proposing 4 amendments to the U.S. Constitution to "fix" Washington. He wants to make Washington more like Florida, according to his proposal. The proposals are:
Hochul Wants to Raise Temporary Disability Benefit for Sick or Injured Workers
Governor Hochul's new state budget includes a proposal to increase the benefit available for temporary disability when someone is unable to work. The benefit includes pregnancy related conditions. Short term disability is not work related, on the job disabilities fall under workers compensation benefits. Short term disability often requires periodic doctor's reports on progress as well.
(Opinion) Tax Season Begins in New York State; Leader in High Taxes
New York State has declared the income tax season is open! The Tax Department and the IRS begin processing income tax returns. New York ranks as the highest for state and local tax burdens. Tax burden is defined as the proportion of a person's income that goes toward taxes. The concept of income tax is always confusing and generally resented by the average taxpayer.
Largest Solar Energy Project goes On-Line, Powering Quarter Million Homes
A solar array and storage facility near Edwards Air Force Base in California is now operational. The Edwards & Sanborn Solar + Energy Storage project contains 1.9 million solar panels, made in the U.S. and covering 4600 acres.
Governor Hochul on Roe v Wade Anniversary, Protect Abortion Rights
The Governor's spoke before a planned parenthood group, two years after Roe v Wade was overturned, announcing new support and a ballot amendment to make New York a haven for legal and safe abortion procedures for women. Roe v Wade was enacted 51 years ago.
DeSantis Scraps University Sociology: Threat to Right-Wing Agenda
Ron DeSantis apparently doesn't understand sociology, or like it being taught in college. Educators in Florida are warning that enrollment will plummet under the new orders. “Sociology is the scientific study of social life, social change, and the social causes and consequences of human behavior, which are at the core of civic literacy."
Half of U.S. Renters Can No Longer Afford Housing
A newly released report from the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University found that since the pandemic spike in rental prices in 2022, fully half of renters pay more than 30% of their income for housing, which includes rent and utilities.
Ebay's Remote Layoffs: Personalized Terminations for 1000 Employees
Ebay, the once dominant online marketplace, has seen it's employees and expenses grow faster than it's business. As a result, they plan to lay off 1000 employees. To facilitate this, they asked US employees to work from home on January 24th so they can be terminated with zoom calls individually. (There is nothing like the personal touch)
Governor Hochul's $419M Budget Cuts in School Aid; Impacts on Rural Schools
Governor Kathy Hochul's recent budget proposal would cut $419 million dollars from school aid, and affect nearly 700 school districts in NY, many of them rural. The Foundation Aid program was supposed to even out the allocation of funding to help districts in greater need in rural areas.
Saratoga Casino Celebrates 20 Years
Once known as Saratoga Casino and Raceway, it opened in 2004 with 1300 slot machine. The property has evolved over several incarnations, survived the pandemic lockdown, and now boasts a 117 room hotel including event and meeting space, live entertainment at Vapor's night club, a steak restaurant, and expanded gaming. An indoor pool and fitness center are also available.
God tells Pastor to Pocket Investments; Pastor Expects God Will Pay Back Victims
A pastor in Colorado told his congregation that God had told him to start selling crypto-currency, following prayers and "cues" from God. Denver pastor Eli Regalado and his wife Kaitlyn started INDXcoin.
3,200 New Jobs Expected: Wind Turbine Component Manufacturing on Hudson River
New manufacturing facilities at the Port of Albany’s Bethlehem site and at the Port of Coeymans will create parts for offshore wind turbines being planned for the coast of Long Island as part of New York's climate change law of 2019. The sites would also support 10,000 new construction jobs, according to consulting firm Karp Strategies of New York City.
Eric Niemietz
551+
Posts
5M+
Views
Writer and Author. Travelled extensively in U.S. and abroad. Interests include history, natural history, outdoor activities, painting, and writing. C.P.C.U.
It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency:
Our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. As a platform hosting over 100,000 pieces of content published daily, we cannot pre-vet content, but we strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation.