It’s rare for The Amherst Bee to write two different articles about our outstanding Amherst Town Board Member, Dan Ward, in one issue. 

One article concerned Dan’s courage to stand up for the people he feels were badly wronged by the Benderson Development Company concerning the rezoning of the Maple Road Gun Club so Benderson could build their $44 million dollar retail project.  Dan decided he must stand with the people who he felt were grievously wronged by the Town and the Benderson Development Company.

The Amherst Bee interviewed some of the Town Board members who voted for Benderson.  Dr. Weinstein thought Ward’s action was that of an individual pitting himself against the establishment, which he should be a part of, instead of costing Amherst money. 

The Bee showed why Ward is the most popular Board member with the people, garnering the highest number of votes in the last three Town elections he ran in.

The Bee pointed out that Dan stuck his neck out and sided with the people more than once.  He has taken pressure and criticism form developers and from friends on the Town Board.  Not long ago he stood with the people who went on and won a court case.   Nature View became a reality!

Board members must stand for what they believe.  Dan showed how the four Republicans didn’t care about the people’s wishes but more for their relationships with developers.

I’m pleased that the Amherst Bee showed what an honest politician can do and how they can act with guts when choices are hard to make.

The National Enquirer, the gossip sheet that played a major role in breaking the Monica Lewinsky scandal, claims it caught former North Carolina Senator John Edwards visiting a woman the tabloid claims is his mistress. Ballyhooing the scoop with the title “SEN. JOHN EDWARDS CAUGHT WITH MISTRESS AND LOVE CHILD!,” the Enquirer claims that Edwards was visiting Rielle Hunter and her illegitimate trial at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California on Monday, July 21, 2008. The Enquirer claims that Edwards entered the hotel at 9:45 PM and didn’t exit the hotel until 2:40 A.M in the morning. ###           PoliticsNY.Net

America’s Jobs

I believe in the American Dream because I’m living it. The solutions to so many of our nation’s ills, from crime and poverty to dignified retirement and healthcare, can be found in good paying jobs. I want to share my vision for the American Dream by fighting for jobs. Not mine - yours.

In my view, if we used the power of good government to protect our workers and entrepreneurs, families would be stronger, taxes would be lower, and Social Security would be solvent forever.

The politicians have spent a lifetime talking about these things – I have spent my lifetime creating jobs, balancing budgets and getting things done for working people. That’s why I am running for Congress.

In the America I grew up in, everyone who was willing or able to work could find a job and support their families on a single income. Today, the huge multinational corporations are reaping huge profits by rigging the system in their favor. They use their money to influence politicians through lobbyists and political action committees. They craft trade policies that strip American manufacturers and workers of protections and heap benefits onto our competitors in other nations.

The champions of free trade call this “progress,” I think it’s nuts. The results speak for themselves, and I think we need a wakeup call and a good dose of common sense. America is facing a great reckoning if we don’t turn things around soon. I believe that for a nation to create wealth its people must grow, dig, or manufacture. In my company, here in Akron, we manufacture.

I have created 75 good paying jobs with an average wage of 25 dollars an hour. I contribute $4,800 per year towards each employee’s healthcare and at the end of each month I share 30% of the company’s profits with the employees. My employees have a fully funded profit sharing retirement plan and I consider them my extended family.

I can afford to this because we manufacture. We create wealth through electrical energy, chemistry, physics, technology, and dirty hot hard work. We do what many great American companies used to do – we use our hands. We roll up our sleeves. We grind, we shape, and we press. Then we package, sell, and ship.

Our raw material is silicon carbide. Silicon carbide is made from simple sand and carbon obtained from oil pumped from the ground. From little more than dirt and grease we produce wealth for our employees and the people in Akron, Newstead, Erie County, New York State and the United States and others that use our products.

We are the only domestic company manufactures our product, but it doesn’t mean we are unique, and it doesn’t mean that the age of the American worker is over. Our trade and economic policies have to change – the pendulum has swung too far away from us.

We have to protect our markets, we have to invest in manufacturing just as much as we invest in the new service economy and green jobs, and we have to create an economic climate that will lead to greater private sector investment in all of these job sectors right here in America, as opposed to Mexico, China and India.

This is Jack Davis position on the military:

Supporting the Military

Western New York is home to more than 200,000 military veterans, including myself. Men of my generation didn’t write books or brag about their duty, but instead came home and tried to honor the memory of the real heroes who didn’t make it home by building an America worthy of their sacrifice.

I have done my best to do that, building a manufacturing business that benefited thousands of families and other businesses here in Western New York, but we cannot forget those who currently serve in Iraq, Afghanistan, and everywhere else around the world.

My grandson Ryan Josephs is a Marine, and we are all so very proud of his service. The day he shipped off to Afghanistan was a tough day for me. I was proud he was doing his duty, but I was also very worried. He was lucky to come home, but more than 4000 American families have had the dreaded knock on their door that their loved ones did not make it, including more than 175 from New York State.

My Iraq position is simple – bring the troops home. It is time to shift the burden of Iraq off the military that won the war and onto the shoulders of the politicians here and in Baghdad who must now negotiate the peace. This President and the next must find the courage to come out from behind the American Flag and own up to past mistakes and show the leadership to chart a better course towards peace and stability in the region.

For those who have fought and their families, we owe them more respect than they have been given by this administration. Our Veterans Administration must be fully funded and our active duty ranks must be replenished so that our readiness is not compromised in this very dangerous world.

Michele Iannello’s Fact Sheet

I. Citizens for Fiscal Integrity has failed to file any Financial Disclosure Report since 2005

State Board of Elections Reference 

Citizens for Fiscal Integrity failed to fail Financial Disclosure Reports for January 2006, July 2006, January 2007, July 2007, January 2008, and July 2008, all while retaining an active status.

II. $9,000 was transferred from Friends of Joel Giambra to Citizens for Fiscal Integrity

State Board of Elections Reference 

Friends of Joel Giambra contributed $2,000 to Citizens for Fiscal Integrity on July 12^th 2006Friends of Joel Giambra contributed $2,000 to Citizens for Fiscal Integrity on August 12^th 2006Friends of Joel Giambra contributed $5,000 to Citizens for Fiscal Integrity on August 29^th 2006

III. $3,000 was contributed to Friends of Joe Mesi from Citizens for Fiscal Integrity

State Board of Elections Reference

Citizens for Fiscal Integrity contributed $1,000 to Friends of Joe Mesi on July 7^th 2008Citizens for Fiscal Integrity contributed $2,000 to Friends of Joe Mesi on July 11^th 2008

IV. Citizens for Fiscal Integrity has only one known contributor since 2005, Friends of Joel Giambra

State Board of Elections Reference

V. The first contribution from Citizens for Fiscal Integrity after the contributions from Friends of Joel Giambra was to Friends of Joe Mesi

State Board of Elections Reference

Iannello criticizes influence of failed Republican County Executive on Mesi

(Amherst, NY) Michele M. Iannello (D-Kenmore), Democratic candidate for State Senate, criticizes her primary opponent Joe Mesi for accepting money from a Political Action Committee funded solely by former Republican Erie County Executive Joel Giambra.Earlier this month, Mesi accepted $3,000 from a PAC called Citizens for Fiscal Integrity, whose only donor is Republican Giambra.

Citizens for Fiscal Integrity, which has failed to file its last six financial disclosure reports, shows only one contributor since its last filing in 2005, Friends of Joel Giambra.  Giambra donated $9,000 to the PAC and the PAC in turn funneled $3,000 to Friends of Joe Mesi just days before the July 2008 filing deadline.

Iannello, who was elected in the wake of the County’s fiscal crisis, warned the voters on the danger of sending an ally of Republican Giambra to Albany. “While Mr. Mesi has been using the duck and weave he learned in boxing to avoid talking about the issues, this is a very clear one. By accepting Joel Giambra’s money, he has shown himself as just another Giambracrat who can’t be trusted with our tax dollars,” stated Iannello.

Iannello continued by contrasting her record in the legislature with that of the Giambra administration.

“I was elected to clean up the mess Republican Joel Giambra created. In the legislature I’ve fought to reduce borrowing, rein in spending and eliminate waste. Democratic voters know they can’t afford Joel Giambra’s failed brand of politics representing them in Albany,” continued Iannello.

Iannello is in her second term in the Erie County Legislature. Before entering public service, she was a real estate paralegal and small business owner. The 61^st State Senate district is made up of the Towns of Amherst, Clarence, Newstead, Tonawanda, and part of the City of Tonawanda in Erie County and all of Genesee County. The incumbent, Senator Mary Lou Rath has decided to retire at the end of her term.

Why John McCain Said, “No” To The People And The Press Of Buffalo 

It a clear slap in the face to the people of Buffalo and the press.  John McCain didn’t allow for any press time for the media.  He said New York is a blue state which he  won’t carry in the election.  He can’t spend  time in states who are against him., but he can take our money!!!

McCain’s pressmen are saying McCain may take WNY. McCain I SURE HE WILL TAKE WNY–READ BELOW

WILBOR’S  NOVA YEAST OR IT’S OTHER NANE IS  WNY. WNY IS  A PIG AND HOG FARM WITH ONLY  ONE VOTE  MR.  NOVA ,WHOSE WIFE LEFT HIM FOR ANOTHER PIG FARMER, A DEMOCRAT. SHE IS UNREGISTER. TO VOTE.

 The McCain (R) campaign was in  Buffalo Monday night for two high profile fundraisers that brought in $1,300,000. 

 The first was a private dinner at former Malta Ambassador Anthony Gioia’s home.  The second event was at the Albright Knox Art Gallery on Elmwood Ave.  My invitation requests a check for $10,000!

PoliticsNY.Net-  J. Illuzzi, Editor

Jon Powers has reversed his position on free trade.

Last summer he told me over lunch together that he was opposed to free trade which he understood had so harmed the work force in Western NY.
He stated he was in agreement with Jack Davis on this issue.

However, his financial backers outside of Western NY have made him flip-flop on this issue…so  now he supports the free trade agreements.

Workers in Western NY should take a hard look at this flip flop.  If they do…they will back Jack Davis for the 26th and his patriotic efforts to support American laborers and the excellent blue collar work force of Western NY.

Jack Davis has my vote for this election because Western NY cannot afford more of the same with respect to the Bill Clinton negotiated NAFTA laws.

                                                                               J. P.