“The only freedom which deserves the name, is that of pursuing our own good in our own way, so long as we do not attempt to deprive others of theirs, or impede their efforts to obtain it.”

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NewsMax, the ultra-right wing, neoconservative news (I use that loosely) organization is conducting a poll on people’s views of Ann Coulter. Some of the questions have very poor choices for answers.

The kicker is that anyone who particpates is automatically enrolled to receive their slanted news updates. That is disclosed at the bottom but completely destroys the credibility of the poll. I get enough crap in my inbox everyday, I don’t need more. They should have included an opt-out for the emails. I guess they wanted to be sure that only like-minded neocons respond.

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Apparently Buffalo Rising is hostile towards those who don’t support their point of view. Up until recently I have been impressed with the quality of their content and the up to date information about things happening in the city. I haven’t always agreed with some of the viewpoints, but not everyone agrees on everything.

There is a comment section after each of their articles. Recently there was a piece advocating the spending of taxpayers’ money to expand public transit in the Buffalo Metro area. I, of course, being the libertarian that I am, was opposed to spending anymore money on an under-utilized, over-subsidized government created monopoly. After all, it is government overspending, paid from our wallets, that has led to the current economic mess we are in now. The current rate of high taxation, coupled with a poor climate for businesses, would only be worsened by increased spending.

My views sparked a lively debate, which is not surprising. Many people fail to look at political and government policies from an economic viewpoint. It is common to under estimate the law of “unintended consequences”. The writer of the article at Buffalo Rising made the following decision and deleted a great deal of insightful and relevant debate on economics and government.

gabe July 30, 2006 10:46 PM

mmKay, I was about to say…..

Alright folks I went through and deleted some of the most recent comments that veered far off-topic worse than a drunk driver on an icy road.

Quick reminder…this post was meant to spark a discussion on how Metro Bus service could be improved, not to debate economic theory.

In the site’s “Terms Of Use” it says to keep comments on-topic and relevant.

I would hope that the management staff at Buffalo Rising is not aware, and does not condone, the actions of one immature writer, barely out of diapers, when it comes to discussing issues germane to our future. The following is quoted directly from Buffalo Rising, it doesn’t reflect the actions of gabe and his single-minded vision of what should be imposed on people, whether they like it or not.

Buffalo Rising Online is an online daily born not of journalism, but of the dynamic and participatory nature of blogs. BRO engages in a fluid dialogue with our readership–a method that’s vital to establishing and maintaining relevance with an audience.

Time will tell which path they will follow – one that is respectful of differing points of view elucidated intelligently with facts or one the pushes a specific agenda that doesn’t allow people a voice in local matters.

UPDATE: I emailed BR directly with my concerns after writing this post. I am happy to report this issue has been satisfactorily resolved and should not recur.

Buffalo, Rants | 1 Comment »

I set aside a bit more time today to enjoy some of Buffalo’s finest scenery. My journey lasted 2 hours and I concentrated on 3 areas; the Cottage District around Summer & Richmond, Johnson Park and West Delevan between Elmwood and Chapin Parkway. The Cottage District was very busy. It is also a very unique area, filled with cute, cottage-type homes.

I am going to feature one home today, showcasing the home with some descriptions and photos I took. The featured home is on Johnson Park. The first picture is what I call the “gateway” to an incredible back yard garden.

The next shot is photo of a picture that shows what the yard looked like in 1995. The striking difference, between then and now, is a testament to the amount of work put into this garden oasis.

Now, the end result of much planning and perseverance. I can picture myself relaxing on a hot summer evening while enjoying a margarita or two.

This picture shows the yard from the rear corner looking toward the house.

Finally, there is an incredible pond located in the midst of all this wonderful vegetation.

If you would like to view all of my photos from the GardenWalk, check out the slideshow in my Day 1 article below or click here and you will find the pictures in my flickr account. I will be adding pictures later this evening and probably tomorrow. Check back to make sure you don’t miss anything.

Art & Photography, Buffalo, Events | No Comments »

Today was day one of the Buffalo GardenWalk. This event keeps growing and has more than 260 houses participating this year. The event concludes tomorrow with day 2 from 10am to 4pm. If you’ve never taken the walk, by all means get out Sunday and see what you are missing. Many of the gardens are absolutely breath-taking. I am amazed at what some people have managed to do, even with limited space.

I only had the opportunity today to visit a small fraction of the homes participating. Tomorrow I hope to have more time to enjoy this exhibition. I put together a slide-show from some of the homes I visited. All of the pictures were taken along a one block stretch of North Pearl, between Virginia and Allen Streets. Besides the homes that have officially entered the GardenWalk, you will see other lovely homes and gardens while strolling the streets.

The walk is a free, self-guided tour. It is one of the largest tours of its kind in the country. You can get more information here, including the locations providing free maps to help you plan your viewing. Enjoy some of the jewels pictured below and go see the rest tomorrow!

Art & Photography, Buffalo, Events | 1 Comment »

Not only will Tom Suozzi be in West Seneca Wednesday, he will also be a guest on the Sandy Beach Show that afternoon. That is August 2, 2006. This will be Suozzi’s second appearance (I believe) on Sandy’s show. It is an excellent opportunity to hear and question his views on issues unique to Western New York.

For an up close and personal chance to question Mr. Suozzi, a jaunt to West Seneca is required. Thank you Cindy Locklear for hosting Mr. Suozzi.

Legislator Cynthia Locklear to host a
Town Hall Style Meeting
With Candidate for N.Y. State Governor Thomas Suozzi

Erie County Legislator Cynthia E. Locklear is hosting a Town Hall style meeting with Tom Suozzi, who is one of the Democratic Candidates for Governor. Locklear will be introducing him to her Constituents on Wednesday August 2nd at 7:00 pm.

Suozzi will give a speech and layout his platform for Reform in New York State, and will answer questions from residents. The meeting will take place at the Carriagers Social Club, located at 224 Fisher Road, West Seneca.

The meeting is open to and free to everyone that wants to attend. Residents are encouraged to arrive with questions.

New York State | No Comments »

The state of the world is a mess. The mid-east is erupting, led by Israel and those who oppose Israel. Iraq has never come close to the vision of President Bush, in fact, it is deteriorating. Bush and crew are throwing veiled threats at Syria and Iran. North Korea? It kind of landed on the back burner, simmering until GWB has the time to stir the pot some more. Did I mention Taiwan? There are plans to sell Taiwan 116 F-16 specially equipped fighter jets later this year. Meanwhile, China is sitting back laughing, knowing it can pull the economic rug out from under us at the blink of an eye.

To be fair to President Bush, many of our poor foreign policy decisions predate him by nearly a century or more. However, he has done his best to be the best when it comes to interfering in world affairs. I think it is time to take a deep breath, reevaluate our foreign policy and take some advice from the past.

Observe good faith and justice toward all nations. Cultivate peace and harmony with all. . . . The Nation which indulges toward another habitual hatred or an habitual fondness is in some degree a slave. It is a slave to its animosity or to its affection, either of which is sufficient to lead it astray from its duty and its interest.

— George Washington, Farewell Address [September 7, 1796]

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The attorneys, in the federal lawsuit challenging the land transfer to the Seneca Indians, have filed for a summary judgment. This means that they feel, based on undisputed facts already in evidence and on the clear meaning of the law, the judge has enough information to reach a finding that gambling is not permissible on the Buffalo parcels.

The motion is based on two independent grounds:

(a) The Salamanca Settlement Act of 1990, under which the land was acquired, specifies circumstances under which the land may be made sovereign territory. Those circumstances do not apply to the Buffalo parcels. Therefore, the land is not sovereign territory and gambling is not permissible on it.

(b) Even if the judge were to find that the land is sovereign, it was acquired after 1988. The 1988 Indian Gaming Regulatory Act says that lands acquired after 1988 cannot be used for gambling unless they were acquired as settlement of a land claim. The Salamanca Settlement Act did not settle a land claim (a term which has a very specific legal meaning); it settled a potential crisis of massive rent increases arising from the expiration of a 99-year lease. Therefore, the land in question does not satisfy the conditions for the exception, and gambling is not permissible on it.

This has been a hot issue, with many people on both sides. There is a slight majority favoring the casino and a very vocal number of people opposing the project. The opposition is mainly based on the social effects of a casino and the unfair advantage it will have compared to private enterprises, due to the lack of taxation. While there are obvious merits to the many concerns about the affect the casino would have on the City of Buffalo, the legal challenge is based strictly on the legality of the land sale and the ability to permit gambling on the land.

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Take 1:08 to watch this.

Raves | No Comments »

People are increasingly becoming fed up with the status quo in local government. The Erie County Legislature, led by Lynn Marinelli, recently refused to consider a recommendation from the Charter Review Commission for a Professional County Manager. Ms. Marinelli, and 9 other democrats, have decided that it is not in the best interests of the taxpayers to let the County Manager proposal go to a public referendum.

Among the objections cited by Marinelli is the cost. Cindy Locklear has proposed a hybrid, revenue neutral County Manager position. The current Deputy County Executive position would be converted to a professional manager position. Not only would the position require stringent educational standards and certification, it would also have well defined performance standards. This would allow a person to be removed for sub par performance.

Private industry would never consider letting someone without the proper qualifications administer the spending of hundreds of millions of dollars. Why should the taxpayers settle for anything less? Ms. Locklear (D) is joined by Kathy Konst (D), Barry Weinstein (R), John Mills (R) and Michael Ranzenhofer (R) supporting this plan.

Not only did the Legislature reject the recommendation for a Professional County Manager, they did not even debate the subject. The non-partisan, volunteer Charter Review Commission endorsed the plan by a margin of 2 to 1.

A Professional Manager would take the partisan politics out of everyday decisions, allowing the County Executive to focus on policy decisions. The concept is working very well in hundreds of municipalities across the country.

Erie County | No Comments »

Chicago Orders ‘Big Box’ Stores to Raise Wage (click to read the entire NY Times article)

After months of fevered lobbying and bitter debate, the Chicago City Council passed a groundbreaking ordinance yesterday requiring “big box” stores, like Wal-Mart and Home Depot, to pay a minimum wage of $10 an hour by 2010, along with at least $3 an hour worth of benefits.

The ordinance, imposing the requirement on stores that occupy more than 90,000 square feet and are part of companies grossing more than $1 billion annually, would be the first in the country to single out large retailers for wage rules.

The results will be less private investment by businesses in Chicago. Entry-level skilled workers will be shut out of jobs because the wage is too high to justify the risk of hiring them. Consumers will pay higher prices due to government intervention. This ordinance is a fine on business for doing a good job. If price increases are enacted in all locations to cover the increased costs it will amount to a mandated subsidy for Chicago workers that is paid by consumers everywhere. I would hope that the companies affected only raise the prices of their goods & services in the Chicago locations. This would result in the disastrous effects of this law becoming crystal clear to the fools who believe government redistribution of wealth mandates are beneficial.

Rants | 9 Comments »

“Individuality is the aim of political liberty. By leaving to the citizen as much freedom of action and of being as comports with order and the rights of others, the institutions render him truly a free man. He is left to pursue his means of happiness in his own manner.”

Henry Steele Commager

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Last night, since it was humid, I decided to go to the Erie Basin Marina looking for a cool breeze and to practice my night shooting techniques. I had mixed results as I tried different combinations of camera settings. Below are a few shots that turned out better than the rest. The Shanghai Red’s shot in the previous post was also shot last night. Click on any image to view larger sizes.

Art & Photography, Buffalo | 2 Comments »

Free New York’s annual summer cocktail party will be held once again at Shanghai Red’s on the Buffalo waterfront on August 24th, from 6:30pm to 8:30pm. Here’s the details.

Last year’s was a great time at a great spot.

All candidates welcome–you’ll meet folks from all over WNY.

Buffalo, Erie County, Events, Food & Dining, New York State | No Comments »

Maria Whyte has officially withdrawn her name for Committeewoman in 8 districts. Here is the press release, thanks to the Free New York Blog.

For Immediate Release
Contact: Maria Whyte (716) 874-3257

Legislator Whyte Announces That She Has Withdrawn Her Name From 8 Committee Districts

On July 13th petitions were filed in 9 Election Districts designating Maria Whyte as a candidate for Erie ounty Democratic Committee Member. Buffalo Councilmember Joseph Golombek Jr. questioned the practice of filing one person as a candidate in multiple districts.

Joining Legislator Whyte at the press conference will be Councilmember Joseph Golombek Jr. and Erie County Democratic Chairman Leonard Lenihan.

“A mistake was made in filing petitions with my name on them for multiple Committee Districts and I have withdrawn my name as a candidate to correct the situation,” stated Legislator Whyte.

Erie County Democratic Chair Leonard Lenihan stated “We need our elected Democratic officials working together and I am glad to see Councilmember Golombek and Legislator Whyte have come together to resolve this issue.”

“As Chair of the Democratic Party, I am willing to work with Councilmember Golombek and Legislator Whyte through the Rules Committee of the Party to reform how the Board of Elections and the Election Law addresses multiple candidacy petitions,” said Lenihan.

Council Member Golombek stated that he hopes there is never a public incident of this nature ever again in Buffalo. Golombek said accusations were stated that he even accepted large donations from County Executive Giambra and was forced to pay a big penalty to the State Elections Board.

Golombek asked Chairman Lenihan to review for the record his campaign reports and Lenihan concluded that “there is no evidence that Council Member Golombek received contributions from Giambra or was forced to pay any fine to the State Board of Elections.”

-end-

Read more here.

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