Harbor Stadium?

So, a new idea is being floated for the Harbor, and the Bills.  And, it's an idea I happen to support 100% (Which is a big deal, since I don't follow football at all):  A domed stadium on the outer harbor.

Usually, when I hear something about the Bills, I roll my eyes, and before they get a chance, I try to guess how much more money they want from us.  Apparently, $60 minimum priced tickets, paid syndication of games (Whether or not they can actually be shown to the fans at home), and $400 team jackets  don't pay the bills (Haha, pardon the pun).

But, this is a new idea:  Instead of just renovating a crap stadium, in the middle of podunkville, build a NEW one on the harbor.  While, I don't like the idea of handing any private organization $200 million in tax dollars, when they do no service for the public good; I like the rest of the plan.

Yes, it would need more infrastructure.  I'm good with that:  The construction of the infrastructure will put MANY people to work.  If we ignore the possibility of a Super Bowl game, this alone would be a much-needed injection into our economy.

Now, if we take a Super Bowl into account, wow!  The economic impact will pay for tenfold over the investment by the taxpayer.

So, for the first time, I actually agree with a plan to keep the Bills here.  Let's hope our politicians don't screw this one up.  They're trying though.  Already, "We don't want it at the harbor, it doesn't need water access, and wont be enhanced by it..."  Hopefully, we'll just get those people to shut up, and just make it as easy as possible for the Bills, the NFL, and the developer to do this.  All they need from us is the land, and they can make it happen.  Let's just not stand in their way on this, for ego's sake.

The Politics of Food Production and Food Distribution

Here are some figures that will shock most Americans:

* 350 billion pounds of food are produced annually in the United States.
* 140 billion pounds of food are lost to waste annually in the United States at the retailer and consumer level.
* The United States spends about $1 billion annually to dispose of food waste.
* 12 million children in the United States are either going to go hungry today, or are in danger of doing so.

Startling.  If we were to somehow be able to distribute the food that will be wasted among all children who might go hungry today, we could give each child about 11,000 lbs of food each year.  That would far exceed their own needs.

Many of our legislators think that to solve the issue of poverty  and hunger by throwing money at the problem.  However, the problem has it's roots in money.

Food has been turned from a source of life, into a commodity.  We no longer have the innate knowledge that it took life to make food, and food will in turn provide life to us.  And, no, I'm not talking all vegan here, every face is sacred.  I like meat.  I'm talking about the sweat and blood that goes into producing food.  You waste a pound of food, you've wasted 8 hours of an individual's life.  If 1 pound of pork goes wasted, you've wasted about 16 hours of a person's life.

Thankfully, Clinton signed the Good Samaritan Act into law, which prevents retailers who donate food from being sued for it.  However, there's a definite shortcoming somewhere here.  We still have tons of food being wasted, and tons of people who need that wasted food.

What's the answer?  I don't know a complete solution, but I do know a few ways to cut back on food waste:

* Shop from local farmers.  By doing this, you are enabling farmers to accurately gauge demand, and tailor supply.
* Grow your own food.  When you see and feel the amount of work that goes into food, it will change your attitude on how you approach food, and food waste.  It will stop being a commodity.
* Compost.  This is another way to get some bang for your buck.  I don't consider anything going into a compost pile as "wasted".  You are producing a product (Soil amendment), and you are diverting it from the land fill.
* If you grow your own food, promote gleaning.  Gleaning is a term used in the Old Testament, which described the practice of harvesting only once, and leaving the hard to harvest areas alone.  And, it also allows for travelers and indigents to harvest what has been left.

These three things wont solve the problem, but it will reduce the amount of waste.

More Faux Concern About Public Education, and Some Spin From the Left

Madigan is at is again.  Pretending to be an ally of the public education system.  His concern about public schools is so strong, that his plan to fix them is to destroy them.

Apparently, funding schools, and ensuring good teachers working free from coercion are on the bottom of the "solution pile"; while the only sound way (In Madigan's mind) is to remove the best and brightest from the public school system, and to cut funding, via a voucher program.

Sounds like a cure that is worse than the disease to me.  How about a different solution?  Here's an idea:  Pay teachers a competitive salary, that will pull them out of the private sector, and into the classroom.  Currently, we pay a paltry wage to our teachers, ensuring we get either a) Bottom of the barrel people, who couldn't hack it anywhere else or b) People who don't care if they eat ramen for their entire life, and are motivated to change if only one student.

I can tell you from experience.  People in the "b" category can only take so much before they get burnt out, and call it quits.  The only ones who stay on for a long time are those whose intestinal fortitude is equal to that of God's (A tiny minority), or those in category "a".

Here's another solution:  Let's actually fix where the problem is.  The Board of Education.  The teachers are the ones in the trenches, doing what they're told, with the tools they have at hand.  The Board of Education are the ones who are creating the failed policies and directives.

What won't work?  Creating "vouchers".  Why?  Because the only parents who will try to get their kids into alternate schools, are the ones who are already successful.  This will leave the public education system with minimal funding, and all the troublesome students.  Public schools are the only ones that will take every student that walks in.  These private schools?  They can (And will) reject students that don't meet their standards.  THAT'S why they appear so successful.  They pick only the best.  Public schools don't pick.

Another solution?  Let's get the politicking out of the schools.  When at every turn your party is attacking science, history, and math; why would we think you truly have education at the forefront of your concern?  You picked your label (Republican), now, you've got the baggage to go with it.  Let's get educators deciding how to educate, not politicos.

Well, enough of that.  I bag on Madigan quite a bit...  Now for the "Spin Zone".  I'm hearing from some media outlets that Obama threw the debate, purposefully!  I was like,"Wut?"

Come on guys.  He didn't throw the debate.  He was off his A-Game.  Not shocking.  Not a big surprise.  Not unheard of.  Even Reagan, the "Great Communicator" performed about the same on his first debate during his re-election run.  It didn't cost him the election.

Come on...  Don't resort to Faux News tactics of basically lying through your teeth.

Cat Licenses and Co-Mingling - Pridgen's Pet Projects

I find it amazing that Mr. Pridgen can get anything done.  He seems to be overly concerned with things like licencing cats, and making sure nobody under 21 roams Chippewa.

I'm at a loss how the new law making sure nobody under 21 goes into any bar on Chippewa, but allows it anywhere else in the city can be in accordance with the equal protection clause.  While, the motivation is sound, and I prefer a 21 and up atmosphere, doesn't he realize he just slammed one of the economic hubs in Buffalo?  If the owners of the establishments want to keep it 21 and up, so be it.  It's their choice.  They sink, or swim.  But the only thing this has done is move everything to Main St, Allen, and Elmwood.  Didn't solve the issue of violence, Mr. Pridgen.  Which, no offense, your district is the primary source of violence in our city.  Maybe you should spend less time preaching that people are going to die in hell because marriage equality is embraced in NYS, and more time curbing the trend of violence in your district.

The same though goes with this cat licensing thing.  Again, while I agree, the motivation behind it is sound, but the whole method is ridiculous.  How many unlicensed dogs are roaming?  Plenty, I'd bet.  The only thing licensing does is generate revenue for the city, which I surmise is the same motivation for the cat licenses.  If strays are the issue, then fund a program that does TNR (Trap-Neuter/Spay-Release), which is a true solution.  Animal hoarding?  Then fund more mental health programs.  If you need funding for either?  THEN suggest licensing to pay for it.  Because right now, it just seems Buffalo is looking for a new revenue stream.

Mr. Pridgen, to take a quote from your "Hand Book":  Remove the plank from your eye, before you try to remove the speck from your brother's.

Primary Day Recap

Well, I'm back, as we're pretty much settled in the new house, with most of our stuff unpacked.  But, I did get to catch primary day results (The ones that are in).  It was, shall we say, mostly as expected.

No shocker, Grisanti won in his district.  I really didn't expect Stocker to go anywhere here.  He tried to be the Anti-Grisanti, and basically:  It just don't fly here.  Yes, there are some conservatives here in WNY, but there's not many extremists.  Stocker wanted to be the Radicalized Republican, and we don't buy it here.

Another "no shock", was Kennedy winning the initial count.  I think he's still ahead by 100 votes.  I was surprised it was so tight, but not surprised Kennedy came out ahead.  You can't go 10 feet in Kennedy's district before coming in front of a Tim Kennedy sign.

Amodeo was a surprise to me.  I was expecting Swanick to come out ahead, but I don't have a thumb on the pulse of that area there.

But, all in all; not many surprises here.  I don't expect too many surprises in November either.  Grisanti wins. Kennedy wins.  Amodeo?  I don't honestly know, but it'll give me a reason to keep on the pulse in his district.

Still Here, and Getting Settled In

Not much of a politics posts today, or a green thing, but just wanted to let everyone know:

• Yes, I am alive
• Yes, I've moved into my new house
• Yes, I will start posting regularly by next week

I've gotten totally moved in, but not unpacked.  My home office is coming together, so I can have my writing spot soon.  The family so far is loving the new (First) home.  I've got to prioritize my projects.  I've got water catchment, planting, antenna work, (tiny) data center work, and the various home other home projects.

I do have to remember not do try and take on too much at once, so I think I can get the vegetable bed started, but need tools.  And then, water catchment, but need tools.  So, my first job I think is "Buy more tools".

I'll keep home progress updated here too, as it'll give me more writing materials.  I'm hoping to get another post out by Thursday, but work catch up is killing me right now, as I was on vacation for two weeks.  At least nothing died while I was gone, just day one and two of being back.

I can see already why home ownership is important to communities, to keep them thriving.  I've spoke more with my new neighbors in 4 days than I had my old neighbors over 8 years.  It's quite the eye opener.

But, until my next post, stay sane people.  Remember, GOP and Independent Primaries are in a few days (September 19th, I believe), and elections are just around the corner.

Prison System Replacement

So, the notion that our prison system is broken beyond repair, is a belief I tend to agree with.

Right now, the US has more than 2 million citizens in prison.  We have successfully beaten Stalin in this area. In fact, we beat every nation on the planet in this regard.  Oft times, people are put into prison, for life sentences, for merely dealing marijuana 3 times (3 strike law).

Non-violent offenders, being put into prison for a life sentence, appears on it's face to be a senseless move.  What sense does it make to have non-violent offenders in for life sentences?

Violent offenders, sit in prison for life terms (Sometimes), but is it humane to do so?  We don't put violent dogs in kennels for life terms.  We understand they are not able to cope with society, so we remove them from society.  However, due to the fact that we have an imperfect justice system, the death penalty seems inhumane, in and of itself, due to the large chance for error.

Conditions in our prisons inhumane at worst, and not conducive to rehabilitation at best.  We breed the "best in class" when it comes to criminals in prison.  They learn how to break the law under to most stringent of regulation environment, making them super-criminals on the outside.

I asked in the last post, what are your suggestions.  I believe we need a complete revamp of the prison system.  Not "improvements", but a complete replacement.

The best I can come up with, is a system akin to "Escape from NY", a 1981 film, where Manhattan was converted to a maximum security prison.  I, however, differ in how the setup should be.

We would take a land mass that is capable of sustaining people.  Criminals will be sent there, for a predetermined time (Life if that is what the crime calls for).  No guards.  No LEO's.  Nothing.  They are sent to survive on their own there.  When their times comes, they are to go to the checkout point, and leave.  There is no criminal record kept.  When a person does the time, that's it.  We need to stop punishing people after they've done their sentence.

Would the Penal Colony be more or less humane than what we have now?  I don't know.  I figure it gives the residents the ability to create a society that meets their desired needs.  I could be way off here, but give your thoughts here.

Sporadic Posting

Over the next week or so, my posts will be somewhat sporadic, as I'm now getting heavy into the process of getting everything packed, which includes the cable modem/router/etc.

I'll try to pop over to some free wifi, and get some posts out there, but don't expect them to be as regular.  Sorry guys and gals.  I'll be back no later than September 2nd, posting again.

A Late Post, But With Good Reason!

I know, this post is much later in the day than I generally aim for, but I've got a great reason excuse this time.

I had a almost completed the original post (Which was about another local candidate), when I read an interesting article on our current situation with prison (The article was in N+).  And, I felt it deserved to be written about today, and not put off.

It brought up several excellent points about the demographics of the prison population (There are more incarcerated black males than we had during our period of slavery).  The fact that the only nation that has incarcerated more people than we currently do is the Soviet Union under Stalin.

The article also discussed the fact that while crime rates are going down, our prison population is ever-increasing.

The summary fact was this:  Our current prison system is broken, and designed to promote recidivism.

I'm aiming to write another article today (Or tomorrow) with some possible solutions to our prison system, which is in dire need of taking apart, and rebuilding.  Meanwhile, I'd love to hear your input.  As progressives, we need to look at HOW to fix our current problems, not just bitch about them.

I'm looking forward to reading any comments on this!

Medicaid Fraud, Illegal Immigrants, and Tax Increases! Oh My!

So, I have to say, Sen. Grisanti is starting to disappoint me.  It seems like he is trying to pander to the lowest common denominator in the GOP party, instead of running based on representing his constituents (Which he has done a pretty good job, BTW).

Biometrics on Medicaid cards.  Purported to save tax dollars due to consumer Medicaid fraud.  The problem here?  Well, firstly, only 10% of Medicaid fraud is due to consumer-side.  I mean, are you going to get 15 scripts filled for antibiotics?  Of course not.  Most of the fraud comes from the provider side, billing for services not rendered, double billing for services, and inflating costs billed, etc etc.  It's the same-old, same-old attack on people collecting benefits, instead of attacking the true source of the problem.

The second issue with the biometrics is the costs involved.  I wish Sen. Grisanti would talk to some of his constituents who are in Information Technology.  We could explain to him to steep costs involved, and the lack of ROI unless a high-dollar contract is requiring it.  In the case of Medicaid, we'd be in the same boat as Florida with their drug testing welfare beneficiaries.  It costs about 3 times what it saves, causing a net loss.  This is going to be the same deal.  We spend $15 billion, to save $3 billion.

Also, the attack on "Illegal Immigrants".  Now, the target of this measure is to keep students who have excelled in high school and grade school from collecting TAP or anything other state benefits, if their parents brought them here illegally.

Now, on it's face, this sounds like a sane enough plan.  However, it breaks down the further you look at it.  The students this will hit are those who were brought here as infants, and raised here their entire lives.  Many don't even have any sort of accent.  We are basically refusing to aid potentially productive members of our society; because of a decision that was not made by them, and they might not even know it.

It sounds like something that needs to be done, since we can't fund TAP completely.  However, when you realize we refund over $1 trillion per year in stock transfer taxes, back to brokerage houses, because of a back-room sweetheart deal that happened about a decade ago.  Most interesting about this?  You, as an individual investor, pay this tax when you buy or sell stocks.  The money is refunded to the brokerage.  You never see it again.  See how that works?

Bottom line here:  Mark Grisanti, stop pandering to the radical right in your party.  You'll get on the ballot, and win the general, if you keep the course you've been on up to this point.  Keep working for your constituents, and stop trying to pit one versus another.  Trust me.  It'll bite you in the ass at general election if you keep up the behavior over the past 2 weeks.  Words on the internet are there forever, and will return to haunt you.

The Taxes Are Too High In Buffalo!

Or, are they?

One thing I find quite irritating, are those who claim taxes in Buffalo are too high, and that's why people are moving out.

When I try to nail down which set of taxes are too high, property taxes generally come up first.  Property taxes in the City of Buffalo are quite reasonable, actually.  Average property tax bill in Buffalo is about $1500 a year.  I think people might be confusing Buffalo with Kenmore, whose average tax bill is about $4 or $5K per year.

Or, people try to get more generic, and move up to the state.  Income taxes!  Well, income taxes in NYS are rather reasonable too.  Albeit, it's not Texas (Where they have no income tax), but I can attest, Texas sucks if you need anything more than a license.  No real service stations on the interstates (That I saw), just parking spaces, where you've gotta move before 30 minutes is up.

Then, it comes to sales taxes.  Well, I've got to admit, sales taxes are pretty high.  But, we have a huge state, and with minimal income taxes, you've got to fund it somehow.

But I digress.  I do think it's silly for people to say the taxes in Buffalo itself are too high.  The taxes in the city are meager at best.  I think people are venting their anger at their suburban tax bill, and somehow equating that to Buffalo.

My suggestion for people doing this?  Why not ask your town board why your taxes are 4 times that of the City's.

Well, Corasanti Pretty Much Walks

Well, the sentencing came in for the Corasanti case:  He gets 8 months in prison, loses his license for 6 months, and is required to have an interlock device for 6 months, with a couple of years probation.

All in all:  A slap on the hand for a murderer.

Jack Quinn, that 'tard, wrote a letter asking for leniency because the Good Ole Doc was funding some scholarships for ECC.  That's great and all, and I suppose any person who wants to commit murder just needs to set up a scholarship, and they'd get it easy, right Jack?  Jack, you're not longer a politician, thankfully, you scum-sucker.

But, thankfully, the judge nailed it on the head:

"Being a well-respected medial doctor does not put you above the law."

At least the judge realized the jury erred, and did her best to correct it.  A misdemeanor DUI usually gets a slap on the wrist, couple years probation, and that's it.

As Donny Esmonde puts it, "Consequences do not always match the crime. Justice does not always get a full piece of the action.  I hope that, in this case, a little goes a long way."

Capital Improvements Coming to the CoB

City Hall yesterday came out to talk about planned improvements to the Lovejoy are, with improvements such as bicycle lanes, lighting, etc for the planned commercial district.

One thing I'm liking thus far, is the fact that bicycle lanes are getting a focus, but primarily that the neighborhood itself was involved in the determination of what to do.  Far too often, City Hall has been on it's own when determining the direction a neighborhood should take, or scumbags like Carl Paladino call the shots for whatever might get investment from the City.

The community in Lovejoy wanted to work on their commercial district, so that's where the focus is.  Brown also said there's going to be similar projects in Elmwood Village and the Filmore district.

I'm not sure why these areas got priority, I'm sure there was some cronyism involved here, to be sure.  Can't have anything done in politics without that.  But, if it were me?  I'd have slotted Grant St area first, since any improvement there is likely to improve on EV, due only to proximity.  In fact, Grant St. is already looking to get spillover from EV.  Take a ride down Grant St, between Forest and Ferry.  Park your car at Lafayette and Grant, and just watch for a few minutes.

They've got an art gallery, coffee shop, community center, bike share hub, and much more within a 5 minute walk (At most) from Lafayette and Grant.

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm happy for Lovejoy, Fillmore, and the EV; but in the spirit of triage, I just see other areas more in need than EV at this time, which is doing fantastically on it's own.

Now, when will Riverside/Black Rock get some City Hall loving?  I'll bet it's close to never, mainly due to a couple of "problems" I see with RS/BR, one of which are far "out-there" ideas for what they want done.  The Community groups there are talking about removing the 190 as their first priority.  Remove the 190?  Come on...  Once RS/BR pull their heads out of the clouds, City Hall will take them seriously.   The other issue is that voting in those two neighborhoods is dismal.  At best, there's a 7% turnout, in a presidential election.  The only politician willing to listen to concerns is Golombeck.  Nobody else will until more than 7% vote, which would post a threat if the politico didn't listen.

To Romney: Thanks For the Election

So, Romney picked Ryan as his VP pick.  About the only thing I've got to say:  Thanks for the election Romney!

He just had to pick the most radical of all GOP'ers (Well, short of Bachmann, but Ryan's close).  Romney:  Did you really think that picking a person who wanted to kill Medicare was a good idea?  Did you forget which group reliably comes out to vote, at every election?

This of course, comes after Romney is begging to keep his business record off-limits.  Except, Romney, you keep bringing up your business record as a reason why people should vote for you!  You can't have it both ways here.

So, Romney's team basically just handed Obama 2012.  Not saying we can all sit back, and let it happen, as you can bet another "Show me your birth certificate" will pop up, or something.  Maybe a new one, where Obama is a sworn-in Weatherman or something.  Who knows.

What we do know?  Unemployment is dropping.  GDP is growing.  DJI is doing well.  By all measures, we're getting better.  And, Romney, nor Ryan, can dispute that.

Grisanti v. Stocker

This shows how much I keep up with politics.  I didn't even know Kevin Stocker was running against Mark Grisanti!  I just figured the GOP and right wing nuts rolled over this time around, and left Grisanti alone.

I learned Stocker was running yesterday when I got a politimailing reminding me about the GOP primary (Yes, I'm registered GOP, no, I'm not changing my affiliation).

The funniest thing about it:  Stocker's "Promises" read just like Grisanti's voting record.  About the major sticking point Stocker is trying to nail Grisanti with is the marriage equality vote.  Got news for ya Stocker:  WNY overwhelmingly supports marriage equality.  If that's your selling point, you're all doomed to fail.  Remember the area you are running in:  Home to the largest LGBT communit between NYC and Toronto.

Personally?  I like Grisanti.  He's no-nonsense, gets things done, and works for our region.  Stocker just seems like he's promising the exact same thing as Grisanti, but repealing the marriage equality law.  And that right there, is the reason he doesn't stand a chance.

Another Shooting, and Still Shirking the Responsibilities...

Another mass killing.  And the same playbook getting trotted out:

* Mass killing happens.
* Media runs stories speculating motive
* Politicians start saying how bad they feel about it.
* Extreme liberals blame guns
* Right wing nuts blame not enough guns
* Wait a while
* Go back to step one

But yet, the shootings are merely a symptom of a larger disease:  Neo-conservatism.  The notion that every person is their own country, and free to act in any way, shape, or form that suits them.  Neglectful of the community they are a part of, and unwilling to self-police their own communities.

I asked to a dealer,"You know, why don't the arms dealers take it upon themselves to screen potential buyers a bit more?"  The answer,"I follow the letter of the law.  As long as I get my money that's all that matters."  Symptom of selfishness and greed, indicative of the "My own country" mentality, ignorant of the ramifications.

I asked an extreme lefty this:"The Netherlands require every person to own a gun, yet their violent crime rates are low.  How is banning guns going to solve anything?"  The answer?  "The only safe place is a place without guns!"  Sure, let's ask China how safe it is there.

The issue at hand isn't the inherently the number of guns in the US.  It's our attitudes about them.

"They're just a tool, like a hammer or screwdriver!"  Yes, and tools are designed for a purpose.  A gun's purpose is to kill.  So, stop trying to beat around the bush.

"Fewer guns on the streets makes us all safer!"  No, it doesn't.  Crime rates appear to have no correlation to gun ownership.

"The constitution says I can bear arms, so the gub'mint can't tell me what guns I can or can't buy!"  Yes, they can, much in the same manner as they restrict other arms from being borne by you, such as nuclear tipped missiles, tanks, RPG's, etc.  Reasonable restrictions to all rights has always been supported by the Supreme Court, just like the restriction on free speech which prohibits a person from yelling,"FIRE!" in a crowded theater.

We need to change the attitudes of our country if we want to prevent more mass killings.  Dealers need to take responsibility for flooding the streets with guns.  Neighbors need to pay better attention to their neighbors (Not Big-Brotherish, but pay attention for someone about to flip).  Communities need to figure out ways to keep their kids out of crime's way, not usher them right into it.  Gun owners need to take responsibility for the deadly tool under their control (At all times).

And, most of all, we need to drop this "I'm a self-made person, and owe nothing to nobody!"  That's the attitude that brings us things like this.

Madigan v Higgins...

I find it laudable, and laughable at the same time, this race between Madigan and Higgins.

I think the primary reason I do, is because I've got insight into the minds of the stumpers for Madigan.  These people are, shall we say, interesting to say the least.

I think I covered my first encounter with the Madigan stumper.  This poor soul was opposed to "ObamaCare", but thought Newt's 1994 plan was the "Way we should do it".  She was also "Pro Small Government", but saw no problem with the government intervening in a woman's choice to do with her body as she pleases.  She also thought Obama is a communist, and is looking to take our guns.

She was, more or less, the complete and total stereotype of the Tea Party.  I didn't bother with the deeper subjects, such as why running government like a business is an inherently bad thing, or how economics doesn't "trickle down".  She was a dyed in the wool right wing nut.  And, sadly, so are the rest of his supporters, if their message boards are indicative of their membership.

Basically, they want more government, more spending, less paying for it, and more corporate control.  And, since they are such a small minority, they'll cry about how the election was "stolen" from them, and what not.

It's an interesting race, to say the least.  But, amusing to watch the train wreck roll right in.

Community Projects You Can Do - Get Involved!

I've been kicking around a couple of project ideas after I finally move, to help embed myself in the new neighborhood, which is always difficult to do in WNY.  Took me 8 years to re-embed myself after leaving for 6 years, and returning to the same neighborhood.

First and foremost, the family has decided to take advantage of the large yard, and start "urban farming" there.  We want to start with a single raised bed, and maybe a chicken or two, and then work up.  That's not the community part, though.  The community part is converting our front yard to another raised bed, for use by our neighbors.  You can do this too!  A single bed, with maybe some tomatoes or cucumbers (Something moderately easy to grow and harvest), then hang a sign on the bed "Take what you need, no more.  Thank you to all of our neighbors!" or such.  You'll be surprised at how many new friends you'll make, and in the process, strengthen the fabric of your neighborhood.  So, that's our first step.

Now, the first one is going to take a while to get into action (At least one growing season).  In the interim, I plan on putting up a small community radio station, broadcasting news, alerts, etc on a Part 15 transmitter.  Most people think "Part 15?  Meh. You can only get a few feet!"  Well, I've got some radio know-how, and I know how to get it a bit further.  I think this will be a nice way of giving a service to my neighborhood as well, and to help keep them informed of the goings-on here.  This isn't a difficult project either, and anyone with an attic can do it as well.  A little research on the internet will point you to the right direction on how to start.

Another idea, albeit this one is not for the faint of heart, is public wifi.  I do not recommend this for anyone unless they know how to secure it, while allowing public access, though.  I would also try to find a couple of people to help.  It can become a full time job, very quickly.  You can start here to learn a bit more if this sounds interesting.

Most of these are small projects that one person can take on.  All of them help to bind the community together somehow.  This is key to strengthening our city, by building our communities back into rock-solid structures, instead of being subject to the whims of City Hall.

Less government spending, but...

You always hear conservatives rant about cutting government spending.  One thing you'll never see them actually do, is try to cut spending on the single largest drain on our budget:  Defense.

NF Airbase got it's funding, for another year.  Call me nuts, but I don't think Canada is going to invade the US anytime soon.  There really is no good reason to keep an airbase open here.

If funding gets cut, will it gut jobs?  Sure.  But that's the rub when you cut government funding:  Jobs get cut.  Would WNY recover from the 800 jobs lost?  Sure, just like we recovered when many businesses decided to ship their manufacturing jobs overseas.  But, whenever that happens, it's lauded by those on the right as "Smart Capitalism".  When it's done by the government to defense jobs, it's called "Being weak".

Give me a break.  If conservatives were truly serious about cutting funding, they'd never would have voted to pass the funding bill for NF Airbase.  What it does demonstrate is the true reason for their rants:  They want to shift more dollars from the lower and middle class, into the pockets of the upper class.  Cut welfare spending, and then cut taxes for the upper 1%.  Cut infrastructure spending, and then cut taxes on the upper 1%.

It's merely a shell game for them.  And they use emotional rhetoric to convince people to vote against their own best interests.  Hopefully, the voters have woken up this time around.

More Green Space - Falls Style

So, firstly, I've got to apologize for last week.  Work, home buying, and life in general got in the way.  But, now I'm back!

Heard some excellent news (Well, read it).  Niagara Falls is finally moving on doing something with the immense number of empty lots under their control.

NF is moving forward leasing those properties to Niagara University, who then can be approached to sublet these for community green spaces.  This is great news, since it appears city governments here in WNY seem to move incredibly slow when it comes to land issues.  Joe Golombek has been fighting the housing courts for years to deal with about 20 properties in Riverside/Black Rock; and I can presume the rest of the councilmen in Buffalo are in the same boat.

NF has been managing these properties for a while already, doing nothing with them.  The nail in the coffin for them, has been the revenue shortfalls.  I'm just trying to figure out why more cities aren't doing similar projects.  I've suggested to a couple of councilmen in Buffalo to put something similar into place, to clear the docket of abandoned lots and houses.

But, the good news here is great.  And, it's great to see other areas of WNY emulating Buffalo for a change, in a positive way.

GrowWNY Announced "Go Outside" Map

GrowWNY has put together a fantastic resource for WNY'ers:  The "Go Outside Map", which lists many, many, many outdoor resources for WNY'ers to enjoy.

Their main reason for doing this was that people here don't really know what organizations like GrowWNY are trying to conserve.  So, they pieced this together so people can actually see, and use, the things we're working to keep.

I know if you hop over there, you'll find something new to go and explore.  I've lived here for over 30 years, and found things I didn't know were here.  Many of the things are no-cost, and some are low cost.  I didn't see anything there very expensive to go and enjoy.

I encourage everyone to check it out, and if you thought it was useful, donate some time or money to this group.  They do fantastic work day in, and day out to keep our beautiful green spaces green, and to assist in making more green spaces here at home.

In fact, I'm going to challenge all of my readers:  Pick one thing on that map that you've not visited before, and go do it.  We've got gorgeous weather right now (Hot, humid; but sunny!).  Then, come back and let us know what it was like.

Colorado Shooting

Hearts and prayers go out to the families and victims of the tragedy in Colorado.  Thankfully, most groups (Left and right) aren't biting this yet, and let's hope it stays that way.

Message from the President:

Michelle and I are shocked and saddened by the horrific and tragic shooting in Colorado. Federal and local law enforcement are still responding, and my Administration will do everything that we can to support the people of Aurora in this extraordinarily difficult time. We are committed to bringing whoever was responsible to justice, ensuring the safety of our people, and caring for those who have been wounded. As we do when confronted by moments of darkness and challenge, we must now come together as one American family. All of us must have the people of Aurora in our thoughts and prayers as they confront the loss of family, friends, and neighbors, and we must stand together with them in the challenging hours and days to come.

And, from Romney:

This is not only an act of extreme violence, it is also an act of depravity. It is beyond the power of words to fully express our sorrow this morning. Our prayers and condolences go first to the families of those killed, and we share the grief of everyone affected by this senseless event. We appreciate the swift work by local, state and federal law enforcement. Coloradans have a remarkable ability to support one another in times of crisis. This one of those times.

 Let's not turn this partisan.  This was an act of violence, and whatever motive it was, the person was sick in the head.  My advice for those in WNY?  Give blood today if you are eligible.  Might not get to Colorado, or even be needed there; but we never know when tragedies like this occur, and that is one thing that will always be needed in the aftermath of things like this.

Buffalo News and WIVB See the End of an Era

Well, recently, news has broken (I know, I'm late) that Margaret Sullivan is departing the Buffalo News.  After 32 years, she definitely helped shape many of our views here in WNY, and for better or worse, kept a hobbling industry from toppling over.

Many I know disagree with their recent pay-wall decision, but I do not think that came from her, although it might have.

I think she did a superb job there, and here is the key reason I think so:  Many conservatives I engage with refer to the Buffalo News as a liberal propaganda machine of the "Commie Leftists".  And, then many progressives I know refer to the Buffalo News as a right-wing rag.  Since both sides think it's completely biased against them, I tend to think they are doing a fine job in reporting fair and balanced news (Unlike Fox News, who claims to be fair and balanced, yet are anything but).

Victoria Hong also left WIVB.  I'm surprised by this, as she was the up and coming replacement for the evening anchors, in my opinion.  She moved onto Delaware North Companies, which is a surprising move for where I stand.  She went from the spotlight, into a behind-the-scenes type person.

She was one of the more level-headed anchors on WIVB.  Most of the others are quite irritating (Like George Richert who comes across as a douchebag), or the incessantly irritating Ed Drantch.  However, in all fairness, Drantch might have become irritating during the walk across the falls thing.

But, either way, both of these two will be missed, and I for one, wish them both well on their next ventures.

Intent of the Founders: How Much Does It Matter?

Nearly always, when getting into a discussion about the constitution, someone will always say,"Well, how about the founders' intent?!"

While, it's a valid question, one needs to bear in mind that currently, "Founders' Intent" tends to be a pretty small part of the rulings these days.

Now, I can already hear it:"YOU CAN'T IGNORE THE FOUNDERS!"

This is true.  But, the founders' intent has been pretty much written into precedent already, so by and large, decisions are based on precedent, based on intent.

But, what I love, is when someone quotes to me from one of the founders in opposition to a current practice.  Protip:  No single founder wrote the constitution.  It was collaborative.  Many people's opinion went into it, and you can't assume one founder is the end-all, be-all of it.

And, for this reason, we have a Supreme Court to figure that out.  It's one of the branches of government for a reason.  And, we had a pretty good guy named John Marshall who laid the groundwork for our constitutional law.

If you have a question about a constitutional principle, you need to first look at what Justice Marshall ruled.  He knew, and rubbed elbow with, the founding fathers.  He knew exactly what they meant.

But, we can't stop with Marshall, or the founders. The constitution has changed 17 times since they wrote it.  It's a very different document now.  Which is also why they gave us the SCOTUS to interpret it's meaning for us.

Anyone who argues that the document is merely a "plain English document" is lying to themselves.  There's numerous ambiguities that were purposefully left, in order to allow the current generation to interpret it's meaning with the times.  It's open to be changed by amendment.  The amendments all interplay with each other in complex ways.  And, the reasoning for life-long terms was two-fold:  To protect them from political whims, and because interpretation requires a lifetime of legal experience to do.

So, while the founders' opinion is somewhat important, it's not nearly as much as many would make it out to be.

HSBC: Au revoir

Well, this weekend was the last weekend that any HSBC branch was open in Buffalo.  They've all either closed, sold to First Niagara, or to Key Bank.

I can't say I'm sad to hear it.  HSBC has never treated WNY well, and has only looked at how they can take money from our community, and funnel it elsewhere.  Yeah, they hired a few people, and paid them, but by and large, they funneled hundreds of millions from our community, and sent it to Wall St. to gamble with.

And, when lease renewal on the HSBC Tower came up, they cried for taxed cuts (Which are already obscenely low).  They said WNY wasn't cheap enough, unless they got a break on taxes.

Not sure about anyone else, but I am sick of corporations asking the public for welfare, and threatening to leave if they don't.  They're like those friends who are always asking you to pick up the tab at a restaurant, or bar; and act like you'll lost them as a friend if you don't.  How long would you stay friends with a person like that?  I know I would drop them like a bad habit.

Buffalo (And WNY as a whole), seems to be the friend that keeps picking up the tab.  If we give them one more tax break, they'll be able to finally create jobs.  Newsflash for you:  Tax cuts don't create jobs.  If they did, the HSBC should have been on an insane hiring spree for the past 20 years.

But, we've got a lot of local banks:  M&T, First Niagara, etc.  And, don't forget all the credit unions:  Riverside Federal, etc.  Keep your money local!

Chris Collins needs to STFU

Here's a message Mr. Collins:  We voted you out, because you sucked.

Yep.  We gave you a try, and you did nothing but try to sink any progress this county made, and tried to make.  Now, you've decided to take to the national stage, and demonstrate (Once again, to the detriment of the county) your stupidity in regards to the Affordable Care Act.

I've got a little bit of new Collins:  The ACA is nothing like Canada's healthcare system (Nor, is it like most of Europe's either).  Canada utilizes single payer, the ACA doesn't.

Perhaps, if you actually read the law(http://www.healthcare.gov/law/full/) you might actually have known that.  But, really, as a legislator (Former) you can't really be expected to actually read things, right?  Is this a new GOP requirement:  Must not read anything, and formulate your opinion based on what Rush Limabaugh says?  Yes, that's Rush's line (Well, to be honest, Rush calls it Chi-com care, and European Health Care most often).

Collins, just STFU.  You're just making yourself look even stupider than before.  But, if you insist on running for Congress, please practice reading laws you are making statements on.  Especially before a radio interview.

Last Gap in WNY - Erie Canal Trailway

This is very heartening news!  An 8 mile segment of the Erie Canal Trailway is on it's way to being completed.  This is a Good Thing (TM) for Buffalo, and WNY as a whole for several reasons.

For starters, the Erie Canal Trailway Tour is a major annual event, drawing at least 500 people for the official event (Registered riders), and many, many more in support crews for the riders.  Then, add into this general tourism, the trailway contributes about $380 million into the Upstate NY economy annually.

Then, adding jobs to the economy is a big hit as well.  Each mile of roadway creates 1 job in the state (On average).  Each mile of bicycles infrastructure adds 2.

I for one am glad they're completing this.  Now, if only they could figure out how to get funding for the infrastructure inside of the city, and surrounding areas, I'd be ecstatic!

Will this be the prompting for us to build out more infrastructure for mutli-modal transport in the city?  They've already made leaps and bounds to the local bicycle trails, now we just need to work on that Niagara St. restriping project.

What and who is a conservative?

Who or what the hell is a conservative these days?

I'm currently at a loss to figure this one out.  What I thought made a conservative was the following:

• Fiscally conservative spending (Spend what you have, and no more)
• Getting out of personal decisions
• Slow to go to war
• Constitutional Originalist
• Minimal government involvement in economics

Seems today's conservatives are anything BUT the above.  They spend like drunken sailors with a credit card (No offense to you Navy guys out there); they want to regulate all sorts of personal decisions such as women's vaginas, or who can build a church somewhere; they rush to war like a mob with bloodlust; separation of church and state need not apply; and inane subsidies to giant corporations.

I even had a talk with Mike Madigan's stumpers.  They're notion of a conservative is "He's a Republican", and if they are pro-woman's choice, anti-corporate spending, anti-war, or believe in a solid constitutional foundation, then they are "Ebil commie libs!"

Did the conservative concept get flipped upside down or something in the past 30 years?  I'll tell you, it's nigh impossible to have a rational discussion with conservatives in this area.

Over on their Secret Squirrel meetup group, it was said that in order to be a conservative, the following criteria must be met:

• Must be "born again" (What?  I wasn't good enough the first time?)
• Must listen, and like Rush Limbaugh (I know a few conservatives who can't stand him)
• Must love Wendy Long (Don't know what there is to love, she has yet to detail a platform really)
• Must Love GW Bush (Who racked up at least 3 trillion on the deficit with wars alone)

What the hell does any of this have to do with being conservative?  This is just a symptom of the "Low Information Voter" disease.  Everything is pre-chewed, and regurgitated to be spat out at random by the sycophants.

Reminds me of the Newspeak term "duckspeak":

Duckspeak is a Newspeak term meaning literally to quack like a duck or to speak without thinking. Duckspeak can be either good or "ungood" (bad), depending on who is speaking, and whether what they are saying is in following with the ideals of Big Brother. To speak rubbish and lies may be ungood, but to speak rubbish and lies for the good of "The Party" may be good.

Wow, sounds rather appropriate, huh?  Is this what conservatives have basically turned into?  The Party?  Time will tell if the conservatives come to their senses.

What do you think?  Am I painting with an overly large brush here?  Are there better examples of today's conservatives?  If so, who?

Yep, Twitter Now

So, since I'm trying to do the whole "publishing thing" (Yes, my ego is getting to me), I've decided to expand my readership in a new fashion.

Many of my readers come from blogs I follow (Thank you!), Facebook and G+ Friends (Thank you too!), and some random stumblers (Nice to meet you!).  Well, one more frontier:  Twitter!

You can follow me @WNYProgessive.  I'll be pumping my feed from here to over there as well (Gotta find a use for this RSS feed), and adding "on the moment" stuff that comes up in the WNY Politics scene, as well as retweets from the others in the local, and national politics news-realm.

I'm also working on adding the twitter feed here, so you can also keep track of what is going on over there, if you're not an avid twitter user.

If I'm doing it wrong, let me know.  I'm always open to suggestions.  Cheers!

Chris Christie?

So, rumors around the GOP fireplace is Christie is getting the nod as the running mate for Romney.  Oh joy, this is going to be about as fun as Palin running as McCain's running mate choice.  Except, not nearly as funny.

At least with Palin, we got lots of humorous gaffes.  I think the only thing Christie does is blow up at reporters.  He sounds a lot like Paladino there.  Except, I think Paladino would be a better choice than Christie, as much as I despise Paladino.

I wondering if Christie jockeying for the VP ticket is just preparation to avoid getting the shit can at the polls in the next gubernatorial race for NJ.  Kind of like how Palin jumped on the VP ticket chance to avoid an ouster in Alaska (Which she quit half way through anyways).

There's a few running mates I'd pick for Romney, that would be much better:  Jon Huntsman for starters.  Oh wait, he's basically disavowed the GOP until they can get their whackadoodles in line.  More or less I've left the GOP in the dust:  The loonies are running the asylum there.

But, it's going to be a long, and interesting race.  For the first time, a sitting president has been out-spent on the campaign by 10-to-1.  Let's see if money truly does buy elections this time around.

Taste of Buffalo 2012

Taking a step away from politics here, this weekend is the Taste of Buffalo.  It's touted as being something like the 2nd biggest food festival in the US.  Many people argue over that point.  I don't.  Want to know why?

Because it's awesome, no matter what!  If you're not going down there this year, you've got to.  Sangria Slushies for adults, ice cream for kids, stuffed peppers to die for, chic pea curry from Tandori's, etc etc

And, you've got the beer tents, some great music, and a kid's area as well!

First we went as a family, it was a blast, and we've gone every year since.  We're on an aggressive savings plan right now, but we're definitely splurging on this one here.  It's always a good time.

So, if you are wondering what to do this weekend, head on out to the Taste of Buffalo.  Tickets are $1 each, and most items are 2 or 3 tickets.  You wont be disappointed.

CORRECTED

Tickets are 50 cents a piece. Sold in increments of 5 dollar sheets. Most items start at 4 tickets 

Hochul Tours Singer Farms

Well, this was a nice change of pace to see on the news a couple of days ago.  Hochul toured Singer Farm Naturals, highlighting their new renewable energy setup.

They have done a solar and wind install, showing that yes, you can use solar power here in WNY, and yes, you can use wind energy.  Singer Farm Naturals generates $20-$30 in electricity each day, usually generating a surplus.

That's a farm, using renewables, to power their work.  Probably wouldn't have been possible without tax help for a small business to invest in our future.  If the GOP really wants to help small businesses, they should be pushing for more tax credits like these.

Since Singer Naturals can stand out now, more people will buy their produce there.  I know since stumbling into the farmer's market scene, I don't like buying produce from grocery stores.  I like talking to the man or woman who made my food.

Agriculture is one of the largest consumers of fossil fuels.  With all the flub about fracking here in WNY, why not promote renewable sources, rather than more fossil fuels?  If a farm can do a net generation, so can any other business.

And, this, is a huge driver of economic gains:  The farmer, makes his (Or her) mark, by touting renewable energy sourcing.  They spend $26K out of their own pocket (Another $20K or so in grants/tax credits/et al), which goes to employ the makers of those energy production systems, which in turn goes back to the economy.  There is nothing but "win" in this scenario.  Small business is what drives our economy.

To his benefit, Mark Grisanti has been pushing these sorts of small business credits.  And, so has Hochul, and Gillibrand.  WNY needs to carpe diem here, and make ourselves known as the Renewable Central of the US.  We are already positioned, with the Niagara Falls Power Project.  Let's extend our reputation down to the individual.

Most conservatives should be on board with this too:  Cutting taxes to small businesses, reducing reliance on others (By producing your own, you are no longer relying on a giant public infrastructure), and boosting the private sector.  This is another win-win where Progressives and Conservatives can both meet to do great things.  Now, if only we can get rid of the partisanship, we can all get there.

Tea Party: Still Alive?

I don't know about other areas, but I think I can say with a good amount of certainty the Tea Party is dead here in WNY.

I managed to find one of their internet hangouts, courtesy of some Google-Fu after having an encounter with a stumper for one the local Tea Party darlings:  Mike Madigan.  I was, shall I say, less than impressed by his supporter.  I did chat with Madigan a bit personally, and he comes across as sensible, even though my political views differ from his somewhat (Actually, a lot).

I still have yet to find out what his platform is, however.  Except "Democrats bad!  Vote me!"  Sorry, that kind of nonsense just doesn't fly with me.  Anyone who knows me knows that I don't bother voting for someone based on the ballot line they sit on.  I want to know actionable plans that a candidate is working towards.  Madigan has shown me very little of any plan, other than "Whatever a democrat has done, I want to undo".

So, as I was saying, I meandered over to their internet hangout.  It's over on Meetup (meetup.com/TEA-New-York/).  The place is a ghost town, with only one person really posting "News".  Their last even had 5 people attending.  Hell, I think the Green Party is more active, to be honest.

So, I can say with some certainty, the Tea Party is just as well dead here in WNY.  And, I think the reason being is they vote labels, and not substance.  While, I'll admit so do many voters here in WNY, but they seemed to support contradictory labels, and refuse to examine it.  That, and they seem to have some whackadoodles gravitating to them, like Jim Ostrowski (A subject of another blog post, on another day).

I have to admit, I am kind of sad about this.  When I first got wind of the Tea Party, I thought, "Hey!  This is pretty good!  Maybe they'll affect some change in the GOP, and I could start considering GOP'ers again!"

Reality was, less than expected, shall we say.

What we got, was the extreme fringe of the right, that up to know, was basically ignored (With good reason.  Same reason the extreme left fringes are ignored).  They were then embraced by the GOP, pushing them even further out into right field.

Head over to that Meetup, and see if you can make any sense out those folks, and come back and let me know what you think.

As I Suspected: ACA Upheld

While, I have to admit I am a little shocked Justice Roberts didn't just knock it all down, I'm not at all surprised at the judicial logic applied to the law.  I figured the law would in fact, pass muster, just didn't think it'd be Roberts that upheld it.

What confused me with the case, was the defense used:  It is an exercise of the commerce clause.  I knew that it had naught to do with the commerce clause.  I was wondering why the council was dancing around the question of it being a tax or not.  It was clearly a tax, akin to many other taxes already present.  You pay more in income taxes if you don't get health insurance, much like you pay more in income taxes if you don't buy a home, or don't buy EnergyStar Certified Appliances.  Taxes used to encourage or discourage behavior occurs all the time, and has many precedents.

However, I also knew that when the constitutionality of a law if brought to the SCOTUS, they examine if it meets any of the authorities granted to the government, and if it violates any of the protections.  The good thing about our SCOTUS is they don't toss out a law, just because a lawyer is an idiot and uses the wrong argument.

So, I was not at all surprised that the courts chose to uphold it on the basis of it being under the power of taxation.

Now, progressives are pretty giddy right now, as they should be.  Conservatives?  They're still spinning in the wind, trying to figure out the marching orders.

Limbaugh started down the "brown shirts got to Roberts" bit.  It's gaining a little bit of traction, as I've seen three other outlets using that line.  He also started the "largest tax increase in the world" lie, which is gaining more traction.  Even Mike Madigan's crew has picked it up.

So, I've got some catching up to do, to see where they'll fly with this.  Which means I have to endure another day listening to Rush Limbaugh to prep me for the direction they're going in.  He was kind of blindsided yesterday, since his show started an hour after the ruling was given.  Not much analysis done yet, so I figure he'll have a much more concrete direction today.

Fast And Furious: The new Monica Lewinsky Scandal?

So, this investigation by Darrell Issa into "Operation Fast and Furious" is all over the news as of late.  Holder is up for a contempt charge (Hell, who doesn't hold congress in contempt right now), and these hearings are stretching into 4 months or so now.

And, if you believe most of the stories, this is a plan, wholly thought up by Holder and Obama, to gut the second amendment, and then lying about it, and covering it up to the American public, via "Executive Privilege".

The reality, is (for better or worse), far less dramatic.

What we have here, is an operation that has been going on since 2006, called "Project Gunrunner".  Guns were funneled from the US into the hands of cartels, with the notion of,"Don't worry!  We'll trace them!"

Multiple instances since 2006 of funneling guns across the border occurred, and it started under GW Bush, and was continued by Obama.

Was the entire project a failure?  Of course.  Should we have been funneling guns to cartels?  Hell no.  Is it "All Obama's fault"?  Not really.  It's his fault the operation continued, and he should have killed it once he found out.  Is it a nefarious plan to ban guns in the US?  No.  Obama was the first president in 30 years to relax gun laws.

So, Holder is being held in contempt of congress.  The GOP is gunning for blood.  Does any of this sound familiar?  It should.  The same thing happened in Clinton's administration.  The GOP was more interested in a witch hunt than actually doing something.  They're not gunning for justice, they're gunning for the failure of the president.

The only way Issa could convince me that his goals are not politically motivated, but rather just looking to right a wrong is to start investigating the Bush administration as well.  Because they are just as culpable in this as the new administration.  Then it might demonstrate they are looking for more than just blood.

But, if history is any teacher, this whole thing will just blow up in the GOP's face.  As Lewis Black put it:

When Bill Clinton got into his mess, pretty much every American wanted Bill Clinton punished. They didn't want him impeached, but they wanted something like a spanking or something. So they turned to the Republicans and said, 'Come on! Get the little prick!' And the Republicans took out their guns, got him in their sights, turned the guns around (points gun at his head), and went 'BAM!'

I'm looking forward to it.

Capitalism for Progressives

When many people think of hard core progressives and liberals, they think of communist, anti-capitalist, atheists.  Albeit, the idiotic ones think communist-Stalinist-Maoist-atheist-Muslim-nazi-fascists.  Never mind that the last one is a big giant contradiction, so let's stick with what most people think.

In reality, you'll find that most progressives (And liberals) are generally very pro-capitalist.  I think you'd be hard pressed to find a solar installer that hates the environment; or a bio-fuel producer who loves oil subsidies.  We're just very staunch in supporting what's right (Morally, not politically), and push for fair wages.

Here in WNY, "Green jobs" have taken a bit of a back seat.  There's just not too much going on here.  We do have some bike shops, but I don't think any of them do much preaching about cycle commuting.  We have a handful of solar installers, but you never hear about them.  And, the ones we have, we don't have enough anyways.

So, leading to this, find a service/product you believe in, and start a business!  You don't need to start huge (Think Big, Start Small).  Dip your toes into it.  See how it works.  See what needs to change.  Most people dive into small business the wrong way (In my opinion at least).  Small businesses grow organically, and often times without a bank loan.  The successful ones usually also start small enough to self-fund, and then grow until a second person is hired.

Many businesses that promote liberal and progressive causes can be operated by a single person (Or, a family business).  I've got some ideas:

* Bicycle repair stand - You invest in a basic tool box, a few special tools, and common parts (Cables, tires, etc).  Set up near a park, or an are where cycle commuters frequent (Elmwood Village, Allentown, Delaware Park, etc).  You're the bicycle equivalent of AAA.

* Recyclable Pickup - You charge people to pick up their recyclable materials, and transport them to the recycling center.  On-demand pickups for local businesses, and small mom-and-pop shops.  You aid small business owners in reducing their environmental impact, and you help keep material out of the waste stream.  And, you make a few bucks doing it.   You can even start by just making the rounds on trash day, and get the items curbside.

* Low Impact Landscaper - Does your stomach turn whenever you see a person dumping petroleum based products on their yard, just to keep them green?  Offer to do the landscaping for them, using only renewable products!  Set up an onsite composting bin, and show the customer how to use it!  Now, you're promoting a low-impact technology, and keeping people's lawns green.  Show customers how to make an attractive landscape, without wasteful fields of grass.  You can even help reduce the food deserts here in Buffalo by helping people design edible gardens.  You can easily start with one or two clients, and then increase your workload.

* Waste Cooking Oil Pickup - See all the restaurants that have barrels of waste oil?  Yep, it gets picked up by someone else, and that person is paid to get it.  You can do the same, charge less, by turning it around and selling it after purification (Which you can do at home).  Or, don't charge at all for it, with the knowledge you will be reselling it.  You keep that oil from getting dumped into a landfill, and promote alternative fuels here in Western New York! Start by contracting with a single restaurant.  See if you can handle it, then scale up as needed.

By starting a business with a goal that you believe in you do more than one thing.  Hopefully, you put food on your table (A major concern).  You're also making the world a slightly better place, by promoting socially conscious causes.  And, hopefully, as you grow, you'll also be able to employ people who agree with your cause, and want to further it.  Maybe even forking off onto their own venture, thereby increasing the impact you've had.

Alt Media

Personally, I've tired of most of the media outlets in WNY.  They all generally pander to the lowest common denominator, and the status quo.  In fact, it's a primary reason I started this blog, to act as a sort of media outlet (Hey!  I cover the news sometimes).

Generally speaking, when I want to find out what is going on, I don't bother with WIVB, WGRZ, Buffalo News, etc.  I usually head over to WNYMedia, Mike Blake, Artvoice, and the Buffalo Beast (They got a new website, and it's a lot better now) and for global stuff, WikiNews.

All of them are a more democratic form of journalism, something much closer to "The Press" that our founding fathers envisioned.  Small, hyper-local rags, producing content much closer to the populace.  Not mega-media empires, where all content is the same no matter where you go.  Currently, there are 6 media organizations that control 99% of your news, and it's all uniform, throughout the country.

An example of where nation-wide coverage fails, was the housing market crash.  It was on the lips of every person in America.  Want to know something?  It barely brushed against the housing market here.  Yes, it had a little effect.  Credit was a bit tighter to get, a slight uptick on local foreclosures, and maybe a smallish dip in home values.  By and large, people in WNY would hardly have noticed, if not for the nationwide focus of the news, giving the appearance of it affecting us.

Hell, had it not been for the nationwide coverage, home prices most likely wouldn't have dipped here either.  It was all psychological, with a touch of trending affecting it.  So, for no reason other than news coverage, people here took a small hit on home values.

Then, of course, there's the lack of critical reporting on local issues, such as the credit rating of the cities here, actions by politicians at a local level, etc etc.  I don't agree with Blake about half the time, but at least he's doing critical reporting of the happenings in the county and city legislatures.

But, since the Snooze signed it's death certificate, we might as well shift to our local media outlets.  And, if you can't find one, make one.  It's not much of a money investment, just some time to research, and write your thoughts on it.  Or, contribute to your local alt rags, and their writers.

If you are adventurous:  Start a local radio station.  It's not as hard as it sounds, and can span from extremely easy to quite complicated.

It's just like shopping:  Shop local, and money stays local.  In this case, it's ideas (And sometimes money) that stay local, and go to work in the local information economy.  Heck, Artvoice thinks this might be the very thing that sparks a resurgence of local alt rags.

Biomass Fuels - Cheap and simple

Another weekend of me tinkering, enjoying some time off, and researching.

I spent the weekend looking for ideas on what to do with the stacks of paper and paper products around the home.  Some comes in via junk mail, more from the Sunday newspaper (Coupons FTW), etc etc.  Even in this paperless world, I generate a whole lot of paper.

So, I was thinking, "Hell, just use this stuff for kindling."  I don't build many fires, and I would have enough kindling to last 40 years if I had a giant fire burning constantly.

So, off to ask The Google, and without fail, The Google Answered:

Paper Briquettes.

There is a charitable foundation out there called "Legacy Foundation" which has been doing a whole lot of research into this, mainly getting inexpensive and reliable methods of manufacturing going into non-industrialized nations.  And, when people think Biomass fuels, they start thinking giant digesters, producing methane and alcohol; or they start thinking giant wood pellet machines.

However, their foot work here has netted us here at home a great process, and knowledge base.  Buying firewood just creates a market for deforestation, not to mention it just doesn't burn very cleanly due to high water content for wood (Even aged wood).

Now, I know, even the most green Progressive out there likes a fire pit, or you're looking for fuel for your wood burning stove.  Using this method, you can compress any plant material into fuel bricks.  Yard clippings, paper, leaves, sawdust, whatever.  If it burns, you can use it.

There's a couple of how to's on how to do this, but for my tinkering, I started small.  I'll let you know that I made one major mistake starting (Actually, a couple).  My first mistake was not pulping my stock, just shredding it.  It could work, but pulping it is much better.  A blender will make quick work after soaking for a few minutes.

The next mistake reared it's head when I switched from shredded paper to pulped paper:  Don't even try using flimsy plastic molds.  I tried with some giant yogurt containers I had.  Don't bother.  Grab a can of crushed pineapples from Aldi's, punch holes in the top with a nail and hammer.  Open the can, enjoy pineapples.  Now, rinse it, flip it over, punch holes in the other end, then cut the top off with a can opener.

Voila!  You have your press!  Albeit, a simple one, but it will work just to play with.  Load it with your pulp, and press it to squeeze out as much water as possible, then extrude the pellet, and leave it to dry.  With our current weather, this could take a couple of weeks.

I'll let you know in the next couple of weeks how they turned out, both the pulped and shredded ones.

More "Starting Small, and Thinking Big" - Part II

Well, I got onto a roll with the last "Start small, think big" article, so I figured I'd follow it up with some more ideas.

Today, I'll talk about going "Green".  It seems like the first thing everyone tells you to do is buy a set of solar panels, and install them in your house; or else you are just "Talking the talk".  That's some BS.

I suggest you start small here:  Separate your trash.  Don't put metal, plastic, cardboard, and corrugated paper in your trash can.  The City of Buffalo gives you a tote that is almost the same size as your garbage totes.  Use them!

And, if you are like me, you still have your blue totes.  Put the blue tote in your kitchen.  Rinse your cans and bottles, and drop them in the bin.  Emptied a cereal box?  Drop it in the blue bin.  Every couple of days, empty it into the green totes.  Don't have your blue tote anymore?  Just get another garbage can, and mark it "Recyclables".

Another small thing that a lot of people here can do is instead of driving into work every day, take the bus.  You still have a car for those nasty weather days, or days when you have to do errands; but by and large, you get into a car, drive to work, it sits all day, then you drive it back home.  You've commuted 20 miles, and burned a half gallon to a gallon in gasoline to move a single person.

Taking the bus frees up space on the roads, spends a fraction of gasoline per person, and many times, you'll be on a hybrid bus.

I've been doing this for a couple of years now.  I've saved a lot of money, and it gives me a "Good Feeling" that I'm doing my small part.  And, here's a little secret:  You can catch up on a lot of reading during that commute.  Or, catch up on movies in your Netflix Instant Queue.

The key here is start in small steps.  Don't plunk $30K down for a solar install first.  Make small steps.  Then, gradually work up to larger items.

How to Start Small, But Think Big

Nope.  This isn't a "Get Rich Slowly" plan (Not slighting it, that is a very good website).  It's not a Motivational Speaker's class either.

But, instead, it's a way of making social change, in small steps, while keeping a larger goal in mind.

The family has decided that we want to be more socially, economically, and ecologically responsible.  We came up with a large goal(Or, Goals):

• Produce more of our own food.
• Spend more money locally.
• Create less waste, and burden on the environment.
• Be an example to others, to show it can be done.

These are very large goals, with the following "end state" being:

A small-ish urban farm, that is reducing it's utilization of utility electricity and petroleum products; while not sacrificing the fruits of technological progress (Internet, air conditioning, etc).

Basically, while we want to produce our own food and power, we don't want to live like hermits, and we don't want to have to go without the things that make life enjoyable.  We like watching movies.  I like a nice cool home.  I don't want my kids to go without Bionicles or Minecraft.  We all like computers, Facebook, Google+, and the internet in general.

So, we have our "Big Plan".  It's a huge plan, and we realized this will take years to accomplish.  And, we decided to start on this path with a huge life decision:  We decided to purchase a home.

We took our "Big Plan", and equated that to what we needed in a home.  The home could not be overly large for us, but it couldn't be a shoe box either (No, no 70 square foot home).  We figured 1500 square feet was plenty for a family of 4.

Now, to reduce reliance on petroleum.  Well, there is only one place in WNY where you can accomplish this:  City of Buffalo, proper.  Living in the first ring suburbs requires a car to get anywhere.  Even to the grocery store.  And, outside of Williamsville's Main St. corridor, and Lewiston's Downtown; there is very little, if any, possible walk-to destinations from home.  The stupid cul-de-sac --> Traffic Sewer layout in the suburbs makes pedestrian traffic damned near impossible.

What else would one need to fit the big plan?  A 1500 sq/ft home is fine, and easy enough to power using solar (Even in Buffalo), but we also needed green space.  So, we also realized we needed at least a double lot (Or, a large single lot).  Amazingly enough, there are quite a few homes on double (And, on triple lots) here in Buffalo.  If you get creative, you can also work out deals to buy a home that adjacent to an empty lot (Or several), and get them bundled.

So, we have a small-ish building, and plenty of open area to work with.  I think the open area is a key factor in "The Big Plan".  It enables being able to grow food (A double lot gives you 3000 sq ft for living, and 3000 sq ft for growing food).  The smallish home makes it quite feasible to be able to even run central air from renewable power sources such as wind and solar.  And, the additional working areas of the lot make composting (Or, vermicomposting) feasible.  Even owning a chicken or two (Up to 4 actually, within city limits).  And, with all this work, we'll be able to cut costs on groceries and transportation, while also supporting our local economy (Our home is quite near the Clinton-Bailey Farmer's Market, and not too far from the Bidwell Market).

So, our home choice fits into "Our Big Plan".  Albeit, it's not a "small thing" when buying a home, but the key here is whatever choices you make that move your life in a new direction, examine if it fits into your "Big Plan".  Want to reduce yard waste?  Start small, start composting it.  Want to reduce your grocery bill?  Start an edible garden!  All of the small moves you make add up into an ever-growing impact!

--EDIT--

As a side note, our Realtor's name is Kelli McKowan (http://www.realestatewithkelli.com/), and she is a fantastic agent who will look to put you in  a home that works for YOU, and not for her commission. Don't let her Web Page title mislead you:  She does real estate in all of WNY, not just Lancaster.  We are nothing but happy with the services she has been providing, and I can recommend her highly as a buyer's agent.  If her skills and services as a seller's agent is on par, she'd be excellent in that regard as well.

Local Produce (And More!)

When people think of a farmer's market, they think fruit and vegetables.  So did I, until my recent trip to the farmer's market at Bidwell Park in the Elmwood Village district.

There is so much more there than fruits and vegetables.  You can get rabbit, duck, chickens, eggs, flowers, fruits, vegetables, breads, honey, wine, music, and much more!

Bidwell Market is interesting, mainly due to no resellers being allowed there.  Every product you buy was made by the person who is taking the money out of your hand.  No guessing how long it took to get from farm to market:  It took as long as it took the person to drive there.

Buying local produce is one of the best things you can do for the local economy, as well as the environment.  That lettuce you eat wont require 500 miles of driving to get to your plate.  You're not funneling money from Buffalo into Houston for your food.  And, you are not feeding the corporate monster that is controlling our food supply either.

Now, one of the biggest reasons I've heard people say they don't go to the farmer's markets is because things are cheaper at a box grocery store.  Well, let me inform you:  Most things aren't.  And, if they are, it's not by all that much.  I'm talking pennies on the dollar, maybe.

That little bit extra you spend however, goes a much longer way, and does a whole lot of economic and social good.  You keep a neighbor employed, not a Wall St. banker.  You help feed a family making your food, not feeding a corporate fat cat.  And, adding to this, if you are getting EBT?  You get a 20% discount (For now, until funds exhaust).  It'll stretch your dollar more, and you'll get healthy foods!

Will you still need to go to a box grocer?  Maybe, for the odds and ends.  But, I am sure you can finish off a large portion of your shopping at Bidwell Market.  And, the more you shop there, the bigger it will get.

And, if you need a full service grocer still?  The Lexington Co-op is right down the street too :)  Eat healthy, my friend.

Why Are Laws Always Written Post-Mortem?

At least in NYS, it appears all laws get created to deal with something that already happened.  In my business, we call this "Firefighting", and the primary goal of a business is to get out in front of problems, prior to it occurring.

Now, understandably, there are somethings that you just can't expect in advance.  But, the Corisanti case illustrates something that was just plain common sense:  He walked because he said,"I didn't think I hit a person".  That's all!  So, we are working on a new law that basically says,"If you are drunk, it doesn't matter if you knew or not" (http://www.wivb.com/dpp/news/local/leader-aims-to-change-law-after-case).

And, now that consumers are getting fleeced with deceptive packaging, we get a new law: http://www.newsli.com/2012/06/06/senate-passes-unit-pricing-bill/

You would figure our legislators would be a bit more pro-active in legislation, instead of just waiting for something to go to crap, and then dealing with it.  It's nonsensical, and a waste of time.

Take the Corisanti law.  Chances are, it'll never be needed again.  Or, the unit pricing law:  Since it's already a problem, the law will just cause companies to just find a new way to deceive, and make money until the law catches up.

Our legislators need to just get in front of the problems, instead of waiting to find something, and then fixing it.  No wonder we don't get anything serious done in government.  We're wasting time putting out fires.

String of Cycling Collisions

Western New York has had a string of cycling accidents as of late.  One on the Boulevard, one on Delevan, and another in Lancaster.

The incident on the Boulevard, as well as on Delavan could have been prevented with traffic calming measures.  Both roads are entirely too car-centric, and leave no room for multi-modal transport.  The Lancaster accident was a DUI, basically.  Looks like he didn't hire Corisanti's lawyers, though.  He just fessed up, and took responsibility.  Corisanti should have taken a hint.

I know Buffalo has started work on their code to create a more pedestrian and cycle friendly but when is Amherst going to present theirs?  For a preview of what the new Buffalo Green Code is bringing to us, you can go here to look over the plans for Niagara St, between Busti and Ontario; and the city as a whole.

Portland's mayor stated that their cycling infrastructure cost them the same as a single mile of freeway.  Why are we not doing this?  I know Buffalo is pinched, budget-wise; but if we can hand Paladino 1.4 million bucks, why not $500K to accommodate multi-modal transport?

Most other major cities have a running start on Buffalo, but if we were to somehow (I know, it's a long stretch) actually put in the 100% effort on this, it can be completed in less than two years.

A big kicker to these projects:  They create tons of jobs. And, they make the roads safer for everyone, and if done correctly, even ease congestion.

It's time for Buffalo to actually do something to lead the way, and not just continuing to fall behind.

Green Building Materials

When you sit down, and start thinking about your building project, what materials come to mind?  Wood?  Concrete?  Vinyl?  Composites?

Ok.  Now, how much does structural lumber generally run?  How about concrete?  Composites?  They're fecking expensive.

Now, what if I told you, there is a building material that people will pay YOU to use?  Or, another building material that works about to $1 per foot of wall, and is a near-perfect insulator, and 100% fire proof?

"A lie!", you say?  "What is this magic material?", you say.  The answer is:  Dirt.

The US military has learned that dirt can make a shockingly durable and strong building material.  Military forces worldwide have built complex underground structures using sandbags.

They are even durable enough to be used when building DOWN (With proper bracing techniques).

Or, how about the building material that people will pay YOU to use?  Tires.  Once the tread is gone, people generally pay $5-$10 in disposal fees for the tire.  Charge people less than that, and you have a perfect building material.

Simply take the tires and stack, stake, and fill:  Voila!  You have extremely insulated, durable walls, which are surprisingly fireproof.

Both of these construction materials are either cheap, free, or you can even make some money using them.  Not to mention, dirt is one of the most amazing building materials, and it has 2 characteristics depending on mix.

If you use a heavy, clay-type mix, you get thermal mass (It holds heat, and releases it slowly).  If you use lighter, more porous materials (Like pumice), you get  a high insulation factor.  And, you get a benefit of completely free building material if you are building down, instead of up (Excavated dirt becomes the building material).

You might have to explain to the building inspector the construction techniques, so I would highly suggest fully researching the options.  Most building inspectors will become amenable once it's explained.  And, you can feel good about lowering heating and cooling bills, using a resource that doesn't cause deforestation, and even keep some stuff out of the landfill!

The Wealthy Walk, and the Poor Rot

Well, the title of this post speaks to the attitudes of most Western New Yorkers.  They feel cheated, because Corisanti walked, because he spent millions on a defense team.  Not because he was innocent.

However, my opinion is, "You win some, you lose some."  A recent case involving a poor journalist facing a possible year in jail for filming a police officer shows that even a poor person can see justice (Partially).

Of course, this doesn't change the fact that Corisanti killed a girl because he was drunk, and driving.  And, many claim the jurors were asleep, or just not paying attention.

But, given my recent experience in court (Which is nothing like "Law and Order"), a jury is very restricted in what they can apply in a case in regards to evidence, and since our criminal system is based on a principal of "Reasonable Doubt", a jury must be 100% convinced a person is guilty.  If there is any doubt, then they can not rule "Guilty".

And, with the huge sums of money poured into the defense, they were able to create doubt.  So, we need to place blame where it needs to be:  The DA.  They failed to build a rock solid case, which should have been very easy to do; given the evidence.  And, since they failed to eliminate all doubt, Corisanti walked.

So, don't blame the jurors.  Don't blame the defense.  Blame the DA.

Letting you down

My apologies.  The past few days have been quite hectic.  However, I am working on making it up, with a double feature for Monday, and hopefully a post tomorrow!

Anyone Else Sick of the Corisanti Trial?

Hey everyone, I understand that "if it bleeds, it leads" and all that; but christ on a crutch!  WIVB has a "Continuing Coverage" section, like it's the War in Afghanistan (Which is still ongoing), or a presidential election or something.

This is a pretty simple case:  Drunk driver kills skateboarder, standing trial.

Anyone else would be in bars already.  The only difference I can see:  Coristanti is wealthy, and a "respected doctor".  Wait, this sounds like another case already: Matthew Barnaby.  Maybe Corisanti should have taken a queue here:  Admit to drunk driving.

But, the judicial system isn't what I'm ticked off about (It's screwed up, trust me), it's the immense news coverage of the event.  WIVB has a constant news banner running since it happened.  WKBW has at least two stories on the front page of their site daily.  The Buffalo News has at least one front page article daily.  WGRZ also has their "Corisanti Coverage" banner on their site.

How about covering news that matters?

You guys know we still have soldiers in the Middle East, right?

You do realize we are still facing record unemployment, right?

You do realize the housing market is still on shaky ground, right?

You understand Paladino is laughing his way to the Bank of Smaller Government (Funded by Government Checks), right?

You have gotten your tip-offs about the under aged sex trafficking here in WNY, right?

You do know we now have over 50% of Americans in favor of legalizing Marijuana (For the first time since prohibition started)?

You guys know that our prison system is currently in shambles, right?

Come on WNY News Outlets!  Cover the real stories, not the ones that just generate page views!

Free Money for Everyone! A Liberal and Conservative Dream: Part 3

In the past two parts, we went over Dr. Milsted's "Free Money For All" plan, which started with the overview, and then onto the "How Much" part.  This part is going to go over the justifications, from all sides of the spectrum that Milsted offers.  From the Liberal down to the Libertarian, over to the Progressive, and then onto the Conservative viewpoints.

The Progressives and Liberals

Progressives feel a desire to improve society as a whole, through regulatory constructs (Such as taxes) and proverbial "social safety nets".  And, with these two tools, every problem looks like a nail or a screw, and never a rivet, or a cold weld.

In other words, the more regulation you add, the more people find a way to get around the regulatory construct of taxes with "special" programs, such as various tax breaks, incentives, etc etc.  As Dr. Milsted points out, when everyone has their own little special loophole, nobody is really all that special.  Just some people are better at sniffing out the loopholes, which then Progressives and liberals respond with new taxes, new tax laws, and more loopholes.  It's a never ending, self-compounding problem.  And people always move faster than laws, so some people will always pay less in taxes than they should.

The other tool:  Social safety nets, sounds good on paper, but when implemented, exhibit certain problems, such as rewarding those who choose no work over work.  Or, punishing people for obtaining work to try and better themselves.  A perfect example of such a thing is when I was speaking to a friend about opening a savings account to create an emergency fund and first month/last month of rent to get their own place.  She is on welfare, and she told me,"If I do that, they'll cut me off of welfare, and I'll have nothing."  I was incredulous.  The first step to clawing your way to fiscal security is an emergency fund.  She would have been punished for trying to work out of needing the social safety net.

So, this plan accomplishes both goals (Ensuring everyone pays their fair share in taxes, and providing a social safety net) without adding new taxes, without adding new loopholes, and without creating new subsidies.  Everyone is going to get the same citizen's dividend, no matter how much they earn at a job.  It would exceed current benefit levels.  There are no more loopholes, no more subsidies, no more punishing those who are trying to do the right thing, and no more rewarding those for not doing the right thing.  It's about as egalitarian as we can get.

The Conservative Side

If there is anything that rails on a conservative more than giving handouts to those who choose not to work, it's government largess.

Nothing in our government is more convoluted than our tax code.  Nothing promotes nepotism and lobbying more than our tax code.  And, it's all because of both sides trying to get the tax code to benefit one group more than another.  Conservatives feel that business should get the advantage, and progressives feel as though individuals should get the advantage.

With this plan, nobody gets the advantage, and the free market has an easier time to working as it should, due to lack of distortions from our tax code.

Conservatives also get a shot at implementing what they've been wanting for year now:  Flat tax.  When you create a bottom floor with the citizen's dividend, you already get a progressive tax system, without the complications.

Conservatives will also get to rejoice at downsizing government:  No more welfare.  No more social security.  Hell, maybe even get rid of Medicare/Medicaid.  We've eliminated for sure two entire large arms of government, in one fell swoop.

The ramifications of this program could also affect the ability to remove the minimum wage, since we've already built in a bottom level of income for all people.  The free market will just work as it should, since labor would be mobile enough to move from job to job, as they pay better.  Business will be unshackled from FICA and SS withholding reporting and compliance.

By simply implementing this program, we can downsize government, nearly eliminate our tax code, and give more freedom to all people.  People are encouraged to work, in order to get ahead.  This is a conservative's wet dream here.

To conclude...

This plan, of course, will not appeal to anyone on the extreme fringe of either the left or the right.  It would, of course, appeal to 90% of Americans however.  To make any leeway here, we would need to divorce our political parties from their respective extreme fringe elements.  They wont like anything but ideological purity.  They are an obstruction to any sort of progress.

With the current political climate, I'm positive nothing can get done.  We might need to hit rock bottom before any substantive change can occur.  Hopefully, I'm wrong.

But, at any rate, next, up: The justifications for this "redistribution of wealth", that neither progressives, nor conservatives will want to hear.