Several stories caught my attention in Monday’s OBSERVER.

I note that Pine Valley and Bemus Point Central Schools are about to receive funding for electric buses. Once again, I have to ask why the state is rushing into mandating absolute dependence on untried and very expensive technology the purchase of which depends on rebates and other gimmicks that whether they are state or federal programs comes out of our taxes.

Frankly when it comes to new technology, the government is not the answer. We should remember Biden’s $7.5 billion investment in EV charging has only produced seven stations in two years. President Biden has long vowed to build 500,000 electric vehicle charging stations in the United States by 2030 but it’s not likely to happen.

We should all remember whether you think climate change will eventually do us in or like me see climate change as a natural ongoing process, that ultimately, we all pay for this government largess which is not free money no matter what our leaders in Albany and Washington want us to think.

Electric cars have been available for some time and instead of becoming more popular with increasing sales the opposite has happened leading to plant closures and layoffs. Why is this? Simply put they have not met consumer needs. In cold weather they hold less of a charge resulting in less range.

If electric vehicles are less than perfect technology what makes us think that electric school buses will present fewer problems?

With that in mind, who would want to have their child sitting on a cold school bus that has lost its charge climbing a hill on a cold winter’s day.

Before it’s too late we should stop and investigate other technologies to provide cleaner running school buses. Already there are clean running diesel engines that are proven technology that greatly reduce contaminants at far lower cost than $50,000 replacement batteries. What is wrong with investigating engines powered by propane or natural gas or even hydrogen fuel cells.

Why has there been this rush to judgment on electric vehicles? Are both Gov. Kathy Hochul and President Biden so fearful of the ire of their party’s left wing that they will do anything to appease them including leading us down the wrong path?

Let’s stop the craziness before it’s too late.

I am going to miss Assemblyman Andrew Goodell when he leaves office. He is a man who does not let things most of us might miss get by him like Assembly Bill 7555 that passed on a near party line vote recently. Sponsored by Assemblywoman Patrica Fahy, D-Albany the bills purpose is to amend the state’s General Business Law regarding the sale of firearms and ammunition as a way to deal with the ‘creation of a public nuisance caused by the sale, manufacturing, distribution, importing, and marketing of firearms.”

Goodell feels the bill violates the State Constitution because it does not include the language of the federal law it refers to and also because it improperly delegates power to the federal government.

Goodell said that the bill amends the original statute which regulated firearms that have been transported in interstate or foreign commerce and expands it to cover every firearm even if it has never been shipped in interstate commerce or involved in foreign commerce.

Assembly Democrats of course went into their usual routine about too many guns in our communities or guns being used against police officers, innocent civilians, or young children in the park while neglecting to add that most of these are unregistered or stolen. And remember that this talk came from the same folks that favor cutting police funding and hamstringing the police that remain.

In the end I have this warning from a man who has never owned a gun but supports the Second Amendment: To the huge majority of responsible and law abiding gun owners that chipping sound you sometimes hear is the sound of Albany Democrats chipping stealthy away at your Second Amendment rights.

Finally, I was surprised to read that a local village was ready to act on illegal flowers. I thought to myself, do they mean those brightly colored and pleasantly scented things that brighten our lives after a gloomy winter in Western New York? I said that it couldn’t be. No, they must be talking about some invasive species from Asia that destroys tulips, daffodils and other indigenous flowers.

But as I read on, I realized that the flowers written about were docile native species folks wishing to beautify their village had planted in a space belonging to the Department of Public Works between sidewalk and curb. Now plants that hide fire hydrants are not a good idea but perhaps plantings using guidelines provided by the village or its code enforcer would add to the village’s ambiance.

The real issue here is that according to the Code Enforcer the narrow strip between sidewalk and curb belongs to the Department of Public Works which makes me wonder why when property owners don’t mow that strip the town or village will and sent the property owner a bill for mowing.

That’s enough for now.

Thomas Kirkpatrick Sr. is a Silver Creek resident. Send comments to editorial@observertoday.com