http://www.niagara-gazette.com en-us Copyright CNHI All Rights Reserved. 5 Tue, 30 Oct 2007 12:58:00 +0000 http://www.niagara-gazette.com/bob_confer/local_story_303125834.html http://www.niagara-gazette.com/bob_confer/local_story_303125834.html In the very contentious 2004 presidential elections the national voter turnout was quite extraordinary. Over 71 percent of the registered voters from across the nation turned out for the Bush-Kerry main event. Tue, 23 Oct 2007 12:18:00 +0000 http://www.niagara-gazette.com/bob_confer/local_story_296121911.html http://www.niagara-gazette.com/bob_confer/local_story_296121911.html When it comes to the creation, interpretation and, ultimately, the enforcement of laws wording is everything. The anti-gun crowd understands this quite well and has invested considerable effort in the analysis of the language of the Second Amendment. Tue, 16 Oct 2007 12:26:00 +0000 http://www.niagara-gazette.com/bob_confer/local_story_289122711.html http://www.niagara-gazette.com/bob_confer/local_story_289122711.html Our local elected officials take a lot of heat. Whether county legislators or town councilmen or school board members, they tend to be the primary targets of taxpayers’ ire over the dire straits the upstate region is in. Tue, 09 Oct 2007 12:02:00 +0000 http://www.niagara-gazette.com/bob_confer/local_story_282120410.html http://www.niagara-gazette.com/bob_confer/local_story_282120410.html Politicians and bureaucrats are pretty indignant about the size and scope of their government when the concept of shrinking it is broached. A common if not canned response to the need for increased efficiency and lower costs says it can’t be done and you can take away only so much. Tue, 02 Oct 2007 12:40:00 +0000 http://www.niagara-gazette.com/bob_confer/local_story_275124124.html http://www.niagara-gazette.com/bob_confer/local_story_275124124.html One of the most-used tools of the science fiction and horror genres is the emphasis of the fear of the unknown, especially when it comes to knowing who or what you can trust. Using this theatrical standard like it’s going out of style, Hollywood likes to give alien invaders the ability to take over human bodies or change shape to mimic human features, allowing them to perfectly blend in with our society in their effort to take it over. Tue, 25 Sep 2007 14:50:00 +0000 http://www.niagara-gazette.com/bob_confer/local_story_268145128.html http://www.niagara-gazette.com/bob_confer/local_story_268145128.html I recently participated in an outreach program at SUNY Brockport in which alumni spoke to business students about the world outside the college campus. In this career-focused program we educated the students about a variety of topics such as professional requirements, entrepreneurship, and economics. Tue, 18 Sep 2007 13:52:00 +0000 http://www.niagara-gazette.com/bob_confer/local_story_261135243.html http://www.niagara-gazette.com/bob_confer/local_story_261135243.html I wish I were as optimistic as Warren Buffett.