A fierce debate has erupted over a plan by Utah to allow oil drilling on the Great Salt Lake, and the focus is a work of art that juts into the lake.  The Spiral Jetty by Robert Smithson is the artwork that is at the base of this discussion.

A fierce debate, with equal parts art, environmentalism and economics, has erupted over a plan by the state to allow oil drilling about five miles across the lake. The owner of “Spiral Jetty,” the Dia Art Foundation in New York, in an alliance with a conservation group called Friends of Great Salt Lake, says the oil rigs would harm the work’s aesthetic experience.
[read whole story]

It’s amazing how protective some politicians are of the deal that was struck between JP Morgan Chase and Bear Stearns.  The details are not openly available.  What’s really going on? 

Some senior senators signaled their unease on Wednesday with the Federal Reserve’s rescue and they are demanding detailed information by next week about how the $30 billion deal was reached.

“The challenge from Capitol Hill is the most striking shot in a rising political battle about whether the Fed’s decision to provide emergency loans to major Wall Street investment banks should be accompanied by stricter regulation over their activities — as is already the case for commercial banks.”
[read whole story]

Congressman Brian Higgins (NY-27) announced that Cheektowaga Fire Company Doyle Hose Company #1 has been awarded $275,000 in federal funding through the Department of Homeland Security’s Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) program.

“Firefighter recruitment and retention efforts are essential to maintaining a strong fire department and increasing our communities overall preparedness in the event of an emergency,” said Congressman Brian Higgins.  “This funding will help to build our dedicated team of first responders in Cheektowaga.”  

“Organizations are struggling to maintain existing membership and recruit new volunteers,” Fire Chief Chip Schnurstein said.  “We appreciate this federal grant which will allow for better community outreach so we can enlist the next generation of emergency responders.” SAFER grants are aimed at increasing the number of firefighters and enhancing their ability to ensure that their communities have adequate protection from fire and fire related hazards.  In the 2007 budget, Congress approved $115 million for the SAFER program which provides competitive grants to fire departments and statewide or local firefighter interest groups.  These awards are administered by the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency in cooperation with the U.S. Fire Administration.

Established in 1904, Doyle Fire Hose Company #1 is located at 2199 Williams Street.

He’s in.  He says he polled the district, and people are clamoring for him to enter the already well-populated Democratic field running for NY-26.

Davis said a poll he conducted among residents of the 26th District swayed his decision. He polled residents on their thoughts about jobs, the economy, trade, the war in Iraq and Davis’ name recognition.

The self-made businessman from Clarence, in Erie County, said he will spend $3 million of his own money on the race, up from the $2 million he spent in 2006.

Dan Ward is the hardest working candidate for the State Senate seat left open by Mary Lou Rath’s decision not to run for re-election.  He is riding his familiar two wheeler bike and knocking on doors.  He is introducing himself and answering the hard questions the people have in his district.

There are some candidates running for this seat who haven’t knocked on one door and don’t plan to because they believe they have name recognition from other areas.

Dan knows that in order to win you have to meet the people face to face and answer their questions.  At this stage of the campaign personal contact is paramount, as is having clear cut answers to the citizens questions. The candidates who avoid personal contact with the citizens of their district are the ones who don’t have any answers for the people’s serious problems.  Such candidates find that the best way to avoid sounding and looking stupid is to avoid having any personal contact.  Instead they send professionally done flyers and slingers.

Dan  already is asking for 3 debates between all candidates who are staying in the race to the end.  If there are no debates this election could be stolen by a stupid and unknowledgeable candidate.  The public must hear answers to the questions they have.

Debates are the best barometer so an election doesn’t become bogus.   People can be fooled by fancy slingers and flyers.  What a slick way to win the vote of the hard working citizens of this district.

Dear Friends:When speaking with constituents every day, I speak of my desire to work to revitalize our regional economy – to help Buffalo and Western New York take on a new look and feel.

My vision of Buffalo and Western New York is, among many other things, a region with the self-confidence to believe that we can be successful again. In the thirty-eight months since I first took office, I have worked every day to make my vision of our region a reality. Today, we’re seeing that come to fruition.

In 2005, the Inner Harbor of Buffalo looked like a construction site that had been abandoned; today, the historic terminus of the Erie Canal and the surrounding area are nearing their opening for public enjoyment. Back then, Buffalo’s Outer Harbor had seen a few successes but continued to struggle; today, construction is underway on a $55 million Outer Harbor parkway project and an adjacent $14.5 million greenbelt project is underway on the Outer Harbor.  Today, Buffalo is closer to being a great waterfront city than it has in five decades. There are similar stories throughout Western New York: from infrastructure improvements in the town of Eden and the village of Hamburg to economic development projects in Dunkirk and Jamestown, our region is turning the corner.

These successes are the result of the hard work of dozens of fellow elected and government officials throughout our region, regardless of party affiliation, both in Erie and Chautauqua
Counties . The common denominator in this effort, frankly, is you; you and your support of our efforts. I have been greatly honored and, indeed, humbled by the very substantial support you have shown me over the past three and one-quarter years. I hope that I can continue to count on your support this November.

To that end, March 31 is the end of the first-quarter fundraising period. To have the best possible fundraising totals for this quarter, I am asking that you consider making a secure online donation to “Higgins for Congress,” by visiting our website at www.higginsforcongress.com and clicking the “Contribute” button. Should you wish to make your donation by US mail, you may do so to PO Box 28, Buffalo, NY 14220. Again, if your donation can be made by March 31, this is very helpful to enhance our first-quarter totals.

Once again, many thanks for your continued support for our efforts. Please accept my best wishes for a happy and safe 2008.

Very truly yours,

Looks like it’s tough recruiting Republicans to run for NY-26. Between that, Judge Tills, and Governor Spitzer it sure has been a very strange month here in New York.

First, Tom Reynolds announces he’s out.

George Maziarz? No, thanks. State Senate majority by a hair. And Grandkids.

Jim Hayes? No, thanks. Assembly.

Don Postles? Uh, Channel 4 is quite nice, thxbai.

Maybe Mike Cole or Jeff Bono would run.

Or maybe not.

Some workers are doing it at Dunkin’ Donuts, Hilton hotels, even at Marine Corps bases. Employees at a growing number of businesses around the nation are starting and ending their days by pressing a hand or finger to a scanner that logs the precise time of their arrival and departure — information that is automatically reflected in payroll records.

Manufacturers say these biometric scanners improve efficiency and streamline payroll operations. Employers big and small buy them with the dual goals of curtailing fraud and automating outdated record keeping systems that rely on paper time sheets.

The new systems, however, have raised complaints from some workers who see the efforts to track their movements as excessive or even creepy.

“They don’t even have to hire someone to harass you anymore. The machine can do it for them,” said Ed Ott, executive director of the New York City Central Labor Council of the AFL-CIO. “The palm print thing really grabs people as a step too far.”

The International Biometric Group, a consulting firm, estimated that $635 million worth of these high-tech devices were sold last year.

Protests over using palm scanners to log employee time have been especially loud in New York City, where officials are spending $410 million to install an automated attendance tracking system that may eventually be used by 160,000 city workers.

Scores of civil servants who are members of Local 375 of the Civil Service Technical Guild rallied Tuesday against a plan to add the city medical examiner’s office to the list of 17 city agencies which already have the scanners in place.

The scanners have rankled draftsmen, planners and architects in the city’s Parks Department, which began using them last year.

“Psychologically, I think it has had a huge impact on the work force here because it is demeaning and because it’s a system based on mistrust,” said Ricardo Hinkle, a landscape architect who designs city parks.

He called the timekeeping system a bureaucratic intrusion on professionals who never used to think twice about putting in extra time on a project they cared about, and could rely on human managers to exercise a little flexibility on matters regarding work hours.

“The creative process isn’t one that punches in and punches out,” he said.

A spokesman for Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Matthew Kelly, said the system isn’t meant to be intrusive and has clear benefits over old-style punch clocks or paper time sheets.

The city expects to save $60 million per year by modernizing a complicated record keeping system that now requires one full-time timekeeper for every 100 to 250 employees. The new system, dubbed CityTime, would free up thousands of city employees to do less paper-pushing.

Another benefit of the system is curtailing fraud. Several times each year, New York City’s Department of Investigation charges city employees with taking unauthorized time off and then filling out a false timecard later to make it looked as though they worked.

Other cities have embraced similar technology.

Cities as big as Chicago and as small as Tahlequah, Okla., have turned to fingerprint-driven ID systems to record employee work hours in recent few years.

Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies, a manufacturer of hand scanners based in Campbell, Calif., said it has sold the devices to Dunkin’ Donuts and McDonald’s franchises, Hilton hotels and even to track civilian hours at Marine Corps bases.

The systems have been introduced into plenty of workplaces without much grumbling by employees, especially those already used to punching a clock.

Still, union officials in New York said they are concerned that the machines could eventually be used not just to crack down on employees skipping work, but to nitpick honest workers or invade their privacy.

“The bottom line is that these palm scanners are designed to exercise more control over the workforce,” said Claude Fort, president of Local 375. “They aren’t there for security purposes. It has nothing to do with productivity … It is about control, and that is what makes us nervous.”

By DAVID B. CARUSO, AP Writer

March 24th, 2008 News 6 Comments

1: The rural counties of the 26th district - Genesee, Livingston, Orleans, and Wyoming - are hitherto referred to as “GLOW”.

2: The Democratic committees of those counties have endorsed Jon Powers.

3: Jack Davis, who has yet to formally announce his candidacy, has tried to cajole the GLOW committees into changing their minds and endorsing his candidacy.

4: In so doing, Davis has affirmatively insulted Jon Powers (pretty face with no real job) and disregarded Alice Kryzan by omission.

5: The GLOW chairs issued this statement last night:

This is a press release from the 4 Democratic chairs of Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming Counties regarding the NY 26th Congressional race. Jack Davis seems to feel the rural counties can be cajoled into rescinding their endorsements of Jon Powers, and the chairs wanted to make it clear that there are no intentions to do so.

6: Now that Tom Reynolds is out, there has been talk of Kathy Hochul possibly running for the seat on the Democratic side. I like Hochul, but wonder why she’d run for an open seat, but was never mentioned until that moment?

7: It’s sort of nice to have a congressional race locally that’s going to get a lot of attention paid to it nationwide. Keeps things interesting, and it’s a way for the region to get national news that doesn’t involve snow, wings, or rust.

Congressman Higgins, Mayor Brown, Commissioner Glynn Applaud Panel Efforts Making Outer Harbor a Destination Site  

Buffalo, NY – A group of local landscape and design experts were joined today by Congressman Brian Higgins, New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) Commissioner Astrid C. Glynn and City of Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown as they announced recommendations for the landscape and urban design elements for a new, 3.3-mile Parkway running parallel to Buffalo’s Outer Harbor.  

“This esteemed group of local professionals has volunteered their time and talent to create a one-of-a-kind gateway with abundant landscape, greenspace and pedestrian trails that welcomes people to the water’s edge,” said Congressman Higgins.  “After decades of talk and planning, tangible outer harbor progress is happening.  Construction trucks and workers were already hard at work along this stretch this week.” 

The uniquely qualified Western New Yorkers who met several times over the last few months served in an advisory capacity to the New York State Department of Transportation to devise a plan for the landscaping along the new parkway-like boulevard. 

“The Buffalo Outer Harbor Parkway Project is an important step in reclaiming the Buffalo waterfront now, creating both amenities that invite people to the waterfront and a setting for future waterfront revitalization.” State Department of Transportation Commissioner Astrid C. Glynn said.  “We welcome the recommendations of this outstanding panel and are committed to working with the community to implement them, ensuring that this project realizes the local vision for making the Outer Harbor a place for families, bicyclists and joggers to enjoy the natural beauty and rich cultural heritage of the area.”

The new $55 million project will transform Fuhrmann Boulevard from a confusing, unsafe and underutilized road to a two-way, tree-lined parkway which delivers unprecedented public access and pastoral beauty to the water’s edge.  Major construction on the 36-month project is expected to be complete in the fall of 2010.  

“Progress continues along the City of Buffalo’s waterfront and I agree with Congressman Higgins that the contributions of the local landscape and design experts will make this project more inviting and appealing to anyone wishing to gain access to the Outer Harbor,” said mayor Brown. “The revitalization of Buffalo’s waterfront, here and at other critical points along our city’s coastline, is a growing symbol of what can be achieved for the collective good of all city residents and our visitors. I thank Congressman Higgins for his continuing determination to see good things happen along Buffalo’s waterfront and I commend the New York State Department of Transportation and the volunteers of the Waterfront Parkway Landscape Design Panel for partnering together to bring these pedestrian and environmentally-sensitive recommendations to fruition.”

Members of the panel include:

·        David Colligan, Director of the Buffalo Green Fund, co-chair of Re-Tree WNY Campaign, chair-elect of the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy, Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation board member;

·        Dean W. Gowen, RLA (Registered Landscape Architect), DWG Planning and Design, Former Director of Park Design and Restoration for the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy, experience includes South Buffalo Redevelopment Concept Plan project manager;   

·        Constance L. Lydon, MLA (Master of Landscape Architecture), Lydon Landscape and Design, in 1993 taught “High Quality, Low-Maintenance Landscapes” at Harvard Graduate School of Design;  

·        David K. MacLeod, ASLA, MLI (American Society of Landscape Architects, Member of the Landscape Institute) Principal, Cannon Design, 33 years of experience in planning, landscape architecture, founding member of the Buffalo Lighthouse Association, served as advisor to the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation;  

·        Mark V. Mistretta, RLA, ASLA (Registered Landscape Architect, American Society of Landscape Architects) Principal Landscape Architect at Wendel Duchscherer, 28 years of experience includes development of Niagara River Greenway Plan and planning and implementation for six Buffalo Olmsted Parks;

·        Peg Overdorf, Executive Director of the Valley Community Association since 1979, responsible for the Buffalo River Fest Park with construction set to begin in 2008;  

·        Marge Ryan, Co-founder of South Buffalo Alive, volunteer community group responsible for McKinley Parkway  landscaped traffic circles and other community gardens ; and

·        Karen Wallace, Director, Center for Science Learning, Buffalo Museum of Science, holds a  Masters in Science Education, UB Adjunct Associate Professor  for Learning and Instruction. 

City of Buffalo Advisors were:

·        Stephen Stepniak, Acting Commissioner Department of Public Works, Parks and Streets, and

·        Mawusi Watson, Senior Special Assistant to the Executive Director of Strategic Planning. 

The following are some of the more significant recommendations made by the Panel (see attachment for more detail):

• Fuhrmann Boulevard will now have one moving lane and one parking lane in each direction.  A center median and bulb-outs at intersections will make the roadway more pedestrian friendly;
• A continuous multi-use path will serve to tie the project together from beginning to end along this three-mile stretch.  The path will be a perfect place for a family bicycle outing, for walkers, joggers, rollerbladers or anyone who chooses to spend time along this great waterfront;  
• The design will help to enhance a “sense of place,” and help spark waterfront revitalization, while making the Outer Harbor a destination upon completion of the project; 
• The project will improve access to existing amenities and provide new amenities and recreational areas, including fishing piers, access walkways, benches and public artwork;
• The design takes its cues from the natural environment and ecosystem of Lake Erie and from the rich industrial heritage of Buffalo.  The design recognizes the past while looking to the future; 

The parkway will provide an aesthetically pleasing and easy way to reach the Outer Harbor and its amenities.  The environment will include naturalistic, low maintenance amenities and plantings.

The Outer Harbor Parkway is compatible with any future at-grade Buffalo River Crossing.   

Real progress on the Fuhrmann Parkway is the first phase of a long term strategy leading to the ultimate goal of the removal of the Skyway and the elevated section of Route 5.  Following completion of the parkway, the next phase will be the implementation of the findings of the required study to identify the best bridge connection required between the Inner and the Outer Harbors.   Empire State Development has agreed to serve as lead agent for the study of a new bridge.

For more details on the Outer Harbor Project visit:  www.NYSDOT.gov/outerharbor.