SEWER SERVICES CONSOLIDATION
Joel A. Giambra started his career as Erie County Executive with a very strong commitment to regionalism and consolidation of services. Reduction in governments and effecting county-wide economies were his goals. He did his best but met insurmountable barriers. Perhaps the time was not right.
It is, however, a pleasant irony that one of his plans did work out, and it happens to be on his last day in office. They say, “All is well that ends well.”
Today, we are announcing a plan for the consolidation of sewer services between the Town of Amherst, the Town of Clarence, Erie County districts in the Town of Clarence, and the Village of Williamsville. This plan, if well implemented, has the potential of saving up to 23 percent of the current costs that amount to more than $22 million.
This consolidation plan may be the last important action in Joel A. Giambra’s tenure as Erie County Executive, but it is the first in the history of Erie County. It is hoped that other services and governments will follow this type of regional consolidation to effect county-wide economies.
We in Erie County must catch up with the rest of the nation for a brighter future for our children. It is never too late.
MANNA SWORN IN AS AMHERST BOARD MEMBER
Saturday, December 28, 2007, NYS Supreme Court Justice Frank Caruso swore in Mark Manna as a new member of the Amherst Town Board (D).
Amherst Democratic Chairman Dennis Ward said a few words about Mark before the swearing-in ceremony. Mark thanked his family, friends and everyone who help him be elected. Mark’s wife, daughter, mother, three brothers and sister were in attendance as well as other relatives.
This well attended ceremony was a mix of friends as well as political figures and other candidates including: Jon Powers, candidate for Tom Reynolds seat in Congress, Michelle Iannano a member of the Erie County Leg, Bob Anderson Amherst Highway Superintendent, Bill Kindel Amherst Town Council Member, Amherst Comptroller Frank Belliotto, Judge Carl Bucki and his wife, Amherst Counicl Member Debbie Bucki, Amherst Town Assessor Harry Williams, Attorney Craig Bucki and former Town Supervisor Susan Grelick.
ALBUQUERQUE HAS RENEWAL OF ATTACKS ON ABORTION
It’s the holiday season and all I am hearing about and reading about is HATE! Everything has been quiet for ten years and now a rash of attacks on abortion and family planning clinics has struck Albuquerque this month, the first such violence there in nearly a decade.
“Two attacks occurred early Tuesday at two buildings belonging to Planned Parenthood of New Mexico, according to Albuquerque police and fire officials. An arson fire damaged a surgery center the organization uses for abortions, and the windows of a Planned Parenthood family planning clinic 12 blocks away were smashed, the officials said.”
[read whole story]
THREAT IN MAINE, THE WHITEST STATE, SHAKES LOCAL N.A.A.C.P.
Racism is alive and well and living in Maine. Not that it isn’t everywhere else, but Maine isn’t the image that crops up when one thinks of blatant racism.
“In October, the N.A.A.C.P. chapter for northern Maine got shocking news. A man from a nearby town had threatened to shoot “any and all black persons” attending the group’s meetings at an old stone church here, and state prosecutors were worried enough to seek a restraining order.”
[read whole story]
SEARCHING FOR SIMILAR DIAGNOSIS THROUGH DNA
When a new baby comes to a family it comes with enormous promise. Parents care for and love this new child with every fiber of their being. They hold great hope for the child’s future. Then as days and weeks and months pass they realize something isn’t right and the struggle begins. Parents of children with distinct genetic mutations now are seeking out others to form support networks.
“With technology that can now scan each of an individual’s 46 chromosomes for minute aberrations, doctors are providing thousands of children lumped together as “autistic” or “developmentally delayed” with distinct genetic diagnoses. The symptoms, they are finding, can be traced to one of dozens of deletions or duplications of DNA that were previously hard or impossible to detect.”
[read whole story]
BROADCAST OF GOLDEN GLOBES IS IN DOUBT
It’s been eight weeks since the writers went on strike. We are watching many rerun programs or renting more videos than we would have. No one is talking about a settlement yet and the Golden Globe award show is right around the bend. Will anyone show up? Will it be broadcast?
“Thursday, Jeff Hermanson, strike coordinator for the Writers Guild of America West and the Writers Guild of America East, still promised a showdown on the sidewalks around the Beverly Hilton Hotel, where the Globes ceremony is set to be produced by Dick Clark Productions and broadcast by NBC on Jan. 13.”
“Panicked at the prospect of having to confront strikers as they walk up the red carpet, celebrities have sent what Hollywood publicity executives describe as a near-unanimous signal: If striking writers show up, the stars will not.”
[read whole story]
EDITORIAL:
THE PUBLIC MUST SEE A TRUE CHANGE IN THE WAY MOHAN GOVERNS
Dr. Mohan has asked for a $25,000 pay raise for himself which will bring his salary with benefits to over $105,000. He says the reason for asking for the pay raise is that he feels he has earned it by working so hard.
How many of you feel you should have a pay raise because you work very hard? Mohan is also asking for increases for his elected officials and others. I think that’s so his pay raise wouldn’t appear as greed. Pay raises could be ‘justified’ if they were going to be directly donated to help such special needs as our town sinking homes project but that’s a stretch.
Our Supervisor is a man who promises much but delivers little or nothing. His first appearance on the political scene was impressive. He promised he would work for a dollar a year! Of course we all know that never happened. Now he wants more. He promised he would lower taxes by 10%. That never happened. He would solve the sinking homes problem. Again, that never happened.
Mohan made it very clear the Town must reap more revenue because we are spending millions more than we bring in. He is pushing to raise fees to the maximum limit the state allows. Developers, contractors, builders and private citizens are going to be charged more for permits and other requirements before they can build or put additions on homes. He is suggesting raising fees on town services and for the use of other town owned public buildings.
January 25th 2008 Supervisor Mohan will give the STATE OF THE TOWN ADDRESS. These kinds of speeches are usually sugar coated hogwash with a touch of truth. If you can afford the price of the ticket the audience will hear what great shape Amherst is in and how UB is our strong partner in growth. Forget it.
I don’t think Mohan will bring up the fact that UB is presently suing Amherst because the Town Board voted to allow another developer to build dorms on Sweet Home Road. There is very little cooperation between The Town of Amherst and UB. UB believes they don’t need our help. The Board has succinctly led the community to believe UB is Amherst’s savior for economic growth and progress. What a horrible joke.
When Dr. Mohan is speaking please try to remember he has a well earned reputation of dishonesty and passing the blame to other people in his government. His fallacies have hurt several decent men and women and have been supported by his trusted cohort and Council member, the very ambitious, Shelly Schratz.
Hopefully some of the major problems we face will be corrected by the new Town Board and things will straighten out to the benefit of Amherst.
U.S. RULING BACKS BENEFIT CUT AT 65 IN RETIREE PLANS
A new regulation allows employers to establish two classes of retirees, with more comprehensive benefits for those under 65 and more limited ones, or none at all, for those older.
WOW. Euthanasia of health benefits. Are we really going to lie down and accept that?
“More than 10 million retirees rely on employer-sponsored health plans as a primary source of coverage or as a supplement to Medicare, and Naomi C. Earp, the commission’s chairwoman, said, “This rule will help employers continue to voluntarily provide and maintain these critically important health benefits.””
[read whole story]
MAJOR RETAILERS FEEL THE SQUEEZE FROM CONSUMERS
Holiday sales were lack luster to say the least. Companies that have historically enjoyed rosy results in the past have to settle for a ho-hum this year. Chains like Coach, Target, Starbucks and Abercrombie & Fitch sell very different products, at very different prices, yet these companies all shared the same bragging rights. Their customers considered them indispensable, even expressions of who they were. Apparently in our turbulent economy, the indispensable is becoming disposable.
By early December, the traditional start of the holiday buying rush, Coach, Target and Starbucks — arguably the reigning trendsetters among American retailers — warned that the number of consumers walking into their stores had begun to dip, or was likely to, as consumers restrained their spending.
[read whole story]
SAN FRANCISCO POLICE LOOK FOR CLUES INDICATING HOW TIGER IN FATAL ATTACK ESCAPED
The tragedy at the San Francisco Zoo is being investigated in depth to determine whether a tiger escaped because of negligence or equipment failure or whether it was provoked to jump an 18-foot wall.
“Investigators are seeking witnesses and intend to interview the survivors, two brothers ages 19 and 23, who were in shock but in stable condition after surgery to clean wounds from “deep claw and tooth attacks,” said a doctor at a news conference at San Francisco General Hospital. The identity of the brothers has not been released.”
“The tiger, a 300-pound female Siberian named Tatiana who attacked a zookeeper last December, was shot to death by the police after the zoo’s 5 p.m. closing on Tuesday, after it somehow jumped barriers around the Lion House habitat and killed Carlos Sousa Jr., 17, of San Jose.”
[read whole story]
