New York City

Remember 9/11 Forever

By Chris Carosa on September 7, 2021

It was the kind of Tuesday that can’t make its mind up if it’s Summer or Fall. In that way, it was a textbook “on the cusp” day. The skies were clear and crisp that morning. If you woke up early enough, you could feel the dew, smell the moisture, and immerse yourself in a cocooning blanket of warmth.

You can’t imagine a more pleasant beginning to a practically perfect day.

In a moment, in a series of unbelievable moments, the world changed.

There are two seminal occasions in our lives that most late phase Baby Boomers finally felt accepted, recognized, and part of what this nation is all about. One was good, the other Continue Reading “Remember 9/11 Forever”

Posted in Memoir of a Real Life, The Compleat Carosa Commentaries Tagged 1980 US Olympic Hockey Team, B-25, Baby Boomers, Big City, Bright Lights, Charlie Sheen, CNBC, Empire State Building, Greatest Generation, Lake Placid, Masters of the Universe, Nazis, New York City, Somerset County, Tom Wolfe, Twin Towers, Washington DC

The Real News About Kathy Hochul Being New York State Governor

By Chris Carosa on August 24, 2021

You’ve probably read the headlines about Kathy Hochul “making history” by becoming the first woman to hold the position of New York State Governor.

If you’re like me, you cringe every time you see the appellation “first” applied to anyone. With the clear exception of sporting events, landing on the moon, and a few others, the term “first” seems more like a back-handed compliment. In today’s world of woke, it makes people wonder if “token” wouldn’t be a better description.

And that’s not fair.

I know. I’ve lived with this designation. The “first” Italian-American to do this… The “first” Catholic to do that… The “first” graduate of Gates-Chili high school to…

Each time, despite the apparent good intentions of various speakers of those words, it always felt condescending.

While I’m proud of my heritage, I didn’t want to be remembered merely as an Italian-Continue Reading “The Real News About Kathy Hochul Being New York State Governor”

Posted in The Compleat Carosa Commentaries, Western New York State of Mind Tagged Abraham Lincoln, Albany, Allegany County, Buffalo, Catholic, Charle Evans Hughes, Chautauqua County, Democrat, Erie County, Fortune Magazine, Frank Higgins, Gates Chili, governor, Greater Western New York, Grover Cleveland, Horace White, Italian American, Jack Kemp, John Roberts, Kathy Hochul, Manly Fleischmann, National Football League, New York City, New York State, Republican, Reuben Fenton, Roger Goodell, self-esteem, Tammany Hall, Tom Perez, United States Supreme Court, William Donovan

What Do You Think An Independent Greater Western New York Should Look Like?

By Chris Carosa on July 6, 2021

Last week’s Commentary received an inordinate amount of positive feedback (see “It’s Time For Greater Western New York To Declare Its Own Independence,” Mendon-Honeoye Falls-Lima Sentinel, July 1, 2021). Since these came from a variety of sources on a plethora of platforms, it’s likely you haven’t had the opportunity to see them all.

Allow me to summarize.

It starts with a simple question:

“What do you think an independent Greater Western New York should look like?

OK, it turns out it’s not so simple as you might think. But at least it sounds straight-forward. While the answer to this question yields a spectrum of solutions, at least most Continue Reading “What Do You Think An Independent Greater Western New York Should Look Like?”

Posted in The Compleat Carosa Commentaries, Western New York State of Mind Tagged Albany, Allegany County, Autonomous Zone, Buffalo, Cattaraugus County, Chautauqua County, dictatorship of the majority, Erie County, Genesee County, George Borrello, Greater Western New York, independent, Midsummer Night's (Virtual) Town Hall Meeting, Monroe County, New York City, New York State Assembly, New York State Senate, Orleans County, Rochester, Safe Act, statehood, Stephen Hawley

It’s Time For Greater Western New York To Declare Our Own Independence!

By Chris Carosa on June 29, 2021

One of the perks of serving as a national reporter includes access to a coast-to-coast network of sources. I usually stick to my standard beat (finance and retirement) when sourcing questions. Every once in a while, however, I stray from that path and have a little fun.

As a life-long booster of the Greater Western New York region, I’m always searching for ways, no matter how small, to help promote the region.

Now, combine these two facts together and you can understand how I discovered this Continue Reading “It’s Time For Greater Western New York To Declare Our Own Independence!”

Posted in The Compleat Carosa Commentaries, Western New York State of Mind Tagged Albany, America's First Frontier, David DiPietro, Declaration of Independence, Gadsden, George Borrello, James Ostrowski, Mark Aselstine, Midsummer Night's (Virtual) Town Hall Meeting, New York City, Safe Act, Stars and Bars, Stephen Hawley, Susan B. Anthony, Western New York

Don’t Let Them Divide and Conquer Us

By Chris Carosa on May 18, 2021

A while back I ran across a reporter’s query. It seemed this journalist wanted to know if the “right-wing” is decentralizing the Internet. That struck me as an odd thing to ask given most feel it is the “left-wing” that kicked the “right-wing” out of the clubhouse.

But, hey, if you want to sow division, this is the way to do it.

In 1894, five years before he became governor of New York State, Theodore Roosevelt wrote ever so eloquently of the need to come together as one nation and avoided the divide and conquer strategy that serves America’s enemies well:Continue Reading “Don’t Let Them Divide and Conquer Us”

Posted in The Compleat Carosa Commentaries, Western New York State of Mind Tagged Albany, Americanism, Andrew M. Cuomo, bandwagon effect, divide and conquer, E Pluribus Unum, Finger Lakes, Genesee Country, Greater Western New York Region, Lockwood R. Doty, New York Billions, New York City, New York State, Regional Councils, reverse myopia, Rochester Chamber of Commerce, social proof, Southern Tier, Theodore Roosevelt, Western New York, Western Region

Why Is New York State Trying To Kill Print Newspapers?

By Chris Carosa on March 23, 2021

Do you enjoy reading this newspaper? Do you enjoy reading anything in print as opposed to reading a screen on an electronic device?

If the answer to either of these questions is “yes” the State of New York is brewing a budget that will certainly disappoint you. And the clock is working against you to prevent this.

As you can read from the Letter to the Editor below from Michelle Rea, Executive Director of the New York Press Association, the Extended Producer Responsibility Act may soon make it financially impossible for newspapers – and especially small newspapers like the Mendon-Honeoye Falls-Lima Sentinel – to maintain a sustainable business.

That’s too bad. We recently asked our readers “In your own words (not to exceed 25), Continue Reading “Why Is New York State Trying To Kill Print Newspapers?”

Posted in Business Tips, Media, The Compleat Carosa Commentaries, Western New York State of Mind Tagged Albany, democrats, Extended Producer Responsiblity Act, Michelle Rea, New York City, New York Press Association, New York State Senate, newspapers, republicans, Samra G. Brouk, Senate Bill S1185B

Yes, I Was Wearing Pants

By Chris Carosa on July 7, 2020

I admit it. I’ve been itching to write this column for more than two months. But other things needed to be said first.

There’s a time to be serious. There’s a time to be funny. In the immediate aftermath of 9/11, much like the sudden nature of the coronavirus crisis, everything shut down abruptly. Serious people took over doing serious things. It offered a calming confidence.

Then, one day – one night actually – the time for non-stop seriousness ended. On Saturday night, September 29, 2001, nearly three weeks after the September 11^th terrorist attacks, Reese Witherspoon stepped onto the stage at NBC Studios in New York City’s GE Building for the airing of the season’s first episode of Saturday Night Live.

Only she wasn’t the first one on the stage. In lieu of the standard cold opening, Mayor Rudy Giuliani appears on stage with members of the New York City Fire Department, the New York City Police Department, and the Port Authority Police Department. In a quiet and Continue Reading “Yes, I Was Wearing Pants”

Posted in Memoir of a Real Life, The Compleat Carosa Commentaries Tagged 911, Fox News, Lorne Michaels, New York City, Paul Simon, Reese Witherspoon, Rudy Giuliani, Saturday Night Live, The Boxer, Trace Gallagher

This is Why New York State Needs an Electoral College

By Chris Carosa on April 9, 2019

The war had been going on for the better part of a year when John Adams wrote, “The blessings of society depend entirely on the constitutions of government.” Shortly thereafter, on May 10, 1776, the Second Continental Congress passed a resolution recommending the thirteen colonies “adopt such Government as shall in the opinion of the Representatives of the People, best conduce to the happiness and safety of their Constituents in particular.”

In a letter to his brother John Augustine Washington dated Philadelphia, May 31, 1776 George Washington issued this prophetic warning: “To form a new government requires Continue Reading “This is Why New York State Needs an Electoral College”

Posted in The Compleat Carosa Commentaries, Western New York State of Mind Tagged 13 colonies, Alexander Hamilton, Articles of Confederation, Federalist, Federalist No. 10, Federalist No. 68, George Washington, Greater Western New York State, James Madison, John Adams, mob rule, New York City, New York State Constitution, New York State Senate, Revolutionary War, Robert Yates, tyranny of the majority, United States Constitution, Whig

5 Reasons Why Splitting From New York Would be a Bonanza for Greater Western New York

By Chris Carosa on March 19, 2019

A few weeks ago a Syracuse media outlet published an article denouncing the idea of splitting New York into multiple states. It is recommended that you read that article before reading this one. The article was entitled “5 reasons why splitting New York would be a disaster for Upstate,” by Mark Weiner. It appeared on March 5, 2019 on the NYUp.com website. [The on-line version of this Carosa Commentary contains a live link to that article.]

What follows is meant to mimic Weiner’s article by using the same data and quotes to reach a 180° opposite conclusion. It starts with the very title. Weiner concludes “studies show the split into two states would likely be an economic disaster for Upstate New York, experts say. The region simply depends too heavily on taxes and fees paid by wealthy residents and corporations in New York City and its suburbs.” I’ll present his very same arguments, with very little additional information, and come to a completely Continue Reading “5 Reasons Why Splitting From New York Would be a Bonanza for Greater Western New York”

Posted in The Compleat Carosa Commentaries, Western New York State of Mind Tagged Albany, David Friedfel, E.J. McMahon, Empire Center for Public Policy, Falconer, Jamestown, M&T Bank, Mark Weiner, Mark's Pizzeria, minimum wage, New York, New York Association of Counties, New York City, Preemption Line, Rockefeller Institute of Government, SUNY, Truck-Lite

Cuomo Albany Über Alles

By Chris Carosa on April 17, 2017

The ambitious lawyer took no time to achieve his goal. In less than a decade, he had moved from being a partner in his New York City firm to a major real estate investor in the Albany area before finally relocating his family to a county located on New York’s farthest boundary. There, within a short span of three years, he had used his New York City and Albany connections to place his own ally in the position of county sheriff and get himself elected to the assembly. There, he steered the powerful New York-Albany axis towards his own political ends. Those constituents he left in the hinterland? Once he went to the assembly in Albany, no one cared about them. He didn’t. His wealthy backers in New York City didn’t. And the powers that be in Albany didn’t.

Sound familiar? After reading the above, you may be thinking of the poor underserved Continue Reading “Cuomo Albany Über Alles”

Posted in The Compleat Carosa Commentaries, Western New York State of Mind Tagged Albany, Andrew Cuomo, Benjamin H. Hall, Buffalo, Cumberland County, Eric Schneiderman, Free Tuition, Ithaca, John Zimmer, Lyft, New York City, Reuben Jones, Rochester, Safe Act, Tories, Uber, Vermont, Whigs, Yorkers