Tonawanda News Bob Confer

CONFER: Obama policies promote outsourcing

2012-04-17T10:43:18-04:00

As a manufacturer, I’ve been interested in President Barack Obama’s insourcing kick.

CONFER: Newspapers are a tool for good

2012-04-09T23:22:25-04:00

Quite often I speak to large groups — like Leadership Niagara or students at SUNY Brockport — about leadership skills.

CONFER: Senator Maziarz stands his ground

2012-04-02T23:54:13-04:00

Quite a few years ago I wrote a column about bringing the Castle Doctrine to New York State.

CONFER: It’s time to end the minimum wage

2012-03-27T00:55:13-04:00

Early in this legislative session, New York senators and assemblypeople debated Sheldon Silver’s proposal to increase the minimum wage in New York by $1.25.

CONFER: Deciphering your phone bill

2012-03-13T00:48:58-04:00

My phone bill is probably not very different from yours.

CONFER: Roy-Hart closes book on local control

2012-03-06T00:21:22-05:00

When property owners in the Royalton-Hartland School District received their school tax bills late last summer, nearly all of them were taken by surprise by a new line item that indicated the district’s (read “taxpayers’ ”) financial support for the Middleport Free Library, forever adopting it as its ward.

CONFER: Using the police as tax collectors

2012-02-27T23:58:16-05:00

America is unique in that most policing is done at the local level by county, city or village officers.

CONFER: The ingenuity of the Greatest Generation

2012-02-21T00:01:34-05:00

Last Sunday marked the birth date of my grandfather Ray Confer, who, along with my father, had founded Confer Plastics.

CONFER: Your home is a bad investment

2012-02-14T01:25:06-05:00

Common sentiment is that real estate — specifically the home — is one of the best investments that a family can make.

CONFER: Time to end the NFL’s blackout rule

2012-02-07T00:23:59-05:00

Long ago, in a much simpler time, ticket sales accounted for the majority of revenues for professional football teams.