Leaders of EC Democratic Party Will Have An Open Primary For The 61st State Senate Seat
The Erie County Democratic Committee had a tough choice as to who they would endorse as their candidate for the 61sr State Senate seat. Their better judgment decided to have an open primary between the three candidates.
The three candidates include Amherst Councilman Dan Ward, who has a long history as a champion of the people and their rights. Dan will bring a wealth of experience and toughness to this weak Republican seat usually held by do-nothing Republicans.
The other two candidates are Michele Iannello, a member of the Erie County Legislature, and Joe Mesi, a newcomer to politics and still an active professional boxer.
Michele is learning about the problems of the 61st District. Michele had various jobs such as working for the top lawyer firm for special interest groups, especially developers like Todd Benderson.
Joe was rising quickly in the heavy weight ranks of boxing when he developed head bleeds after a fight. He is now certified to fight in some places. Joe has said if he wins this race his professional boxing career will have to take second place to politics.
Joe received a major endorsement this week, an endorsement he didn’t need from one of the greediest Democrats in the Erie County Leg, Democrat Lynn Marinelli. The Republican, who crossed the line and voted for Marinelli for Erie County Legislature is the Republican opponent of the 3 democrats in the 61st State Senate Seat. This endorsement throws a shadow on Mesi’s choice of supporters.
The Huge Hybrid: Few Takers for a New S.U.V. Twist
Our son owns a four-year old van and is debating trading it in for something with better gas mileage. Problem is that with three small children they still need a van to accommodate the three car seats. GM has a new hybrid that gets “better mileage.” It gets 20 rather than 14 mpg in the city. It also costs about $53,000. Is that really “Green” or just chartreuse?
“General Motors and Chrysler are betting that their 5,500-pound, eight-seat S.U.V.’s — long the scourge of environmentalists — can be reformed as hybrid models, albeit ones getting 20 miles to the gallon.”
“Giving a four-wheel drive Tahoe a gas-electric hybrid engine raises fuel economy for city driving to 20 miles a gallon from 14.”
“But to get the better mileage, consumers pay a high price: $53,000, at least $4,000 more than a conventional Tahoe.”
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As Iowa Job Surplus Grows, Workers Call the Shots
Looking for a job? Does is seem like there’s nothing around here that will pay a living wage? Would you consider moving to Iowa? There seems to be a glut of opportunity out there. ”As rising unemployment and layoffs beset workers around the country, Iowa faces a different problem: a surplus of jobs. Or to put it another way: a shortage of workers. A survey of companies by Iowa Workforce Development, a state agency, found as many as 48,000 job vacancies, in industries including financial services — Des Moines trails only Hartford as the nation’s insurance capital — health care and skilled manufacturing. One estimate projects the job surplus to reach 198,000 by 2014, with vacancies increasingly in professional positions. Greater Des Moines alone faces a shortfall of 60,000 workers in the next decade.”
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States Seek Delay in California Marriage Ruling
California is set to recognize same-sex marriages in a couple of weeks. Following that date those same couples may move to other states and demand equality in everything from tax-filing status to testimonial privileges in civil suits. This is a can of worms that is about to spring open.
“Concerned about the national ramifications of same-sex marriages in California, attorneys general from 10 states have asked the California Supreme Court to stay its decision legalizing the marriages.”
[read whole story]
Billboards That Look Back
There is a recent car ad on TV and the tag line asks, “When you turn on your car, does it return the favor?” Well, now billboard ads could ask, when you look at me, do you know I am looking back? New technology allows for the placement of cameras in billboards to verify how many people actually look at the sign, what their age and gender are.
“Some entrepreneurs have introduced technology to solve that problem. They are equipping billboards with tiny cameras that gather details about passers-by — their gender, approximate age and how long they looked at the billboard. These details are transmitted to a central database.”
[read whole story]
Buffalo To Host Empire State Summer Games
“Governor David A. Paterson announced Friday that the City of Buffalo has been selected to host the 2010 Hugh L. Carey Empire State Summer Games. The Empire State Games, one of the largest amateur athletic programs in the nation, features nearly 6,000 of New York’s finest athletes participating in 28 different Olympic-style sports. The Buffalo Games will mark the 33rd year of the program and will run from July 21-25 in 2010.
Buffalo’s economy will benefit from the projected $10-12 million in economic activity generated by the Games. The Games are a program of the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historical Preservation (OPRHP), and in addition to the nearly 6,000 athletes, are expected to draw 15,000 to 20,000 spectators.
“Buffalo has some of the most enthusiastic sports fans in the world,” said Governor Paterson. “The passion, energy and athletic ability that New York’s young athletes put on display in the Empire State Games will impress everyone. The thousands of people who visit Buffalo for the games will also give local shops, restaurants, hotels and other small businesses something to cheer about.”
Buffalo Mayor Byron W. Brown said: “On behalf of the residents of Buffalo, we are thrilled to host the Empire Summer Games again. Athletes and spectators of the Games will feel at home in Buffalo because we are a city that knows how to celebrate sports, host large scale events and roll out the welcome mat for everyone that comes here to visit.”
Commissioner of OPRHP, Carol Ash, said: “Citizens of the Buffalo area have always been great hosts for the Empire State Games. We are looking forward to building a great network of volunteers and supporters to make the 2010 Games a tremendous success.”
From : PoliticsWNY
As Oil Prices Soar, Restaurant Grease Thefts Rise
Fast food should not be one’s main source of nourishment. Our bodies need healthier options, but some are visiting fast food outlets late at night. I mean really late, like when the place is closed. What they want is yellow grease, the stuff they fry food in. It’s worth big bucks in today’s topsy-turvy world.
“The bandit pulled his truck to the back of a Burger King in Northern California one afternoon last month armed with a hose and a tank. After rummaging around assorted restaurant rubbish, he dunked a tube into a smelly storage bin and, the police said, vacuumed out about 300 gallons of grease.”
“In 2000, yellow grease was trading for 7.6 cents per pound. On Thursday, its price was about 33 cents a pound, or almost $2.50 a gallon. (That would make the 2,500-gallon haul in the Burger King case worth more than $6,000.)”
Rule Change Would Permit Weapons in National Parks
Yellowstone National Park is the destination for millions of visitors yearly. This summer many of those folks will show up to camp and enjoy the splendor of Mother Nature. Idyllic, serene, pastoral. That glorious scene could be interrupted by the sound of a gunshot. The federal government is considering a proposal to allow visitors to carry loaded, concealed weapons in some national parks, wildlife refuges and monuments. What? Why? Who would want that? The NRA, that’s who.
“The National Rifle Association favors the proposed rule, arguing that it would help keep crime down and protect visitors from potentially dangerous wildlife.”
[read whole story]
Brain Higgins Needs Your Help
Dear Friend:
As you well know, the election season is upon us and a first step in that process gets underway next week – the circulation of designating petitions to get onto the ballot.
That’s why I’m asking you to consider taking a few hours out of your busy schedule to join Team Higgins in circulating my petitions to run for re-election this November.
The first day to circulate petitions this year is Tuesday, June 3. Our volunteers (you know them as Team Higgins) will gather at the Buffalo Irish Center, 245 Abbott Road, South Buffalo beginning at 4 PM. Our plan is to send out the largest volunteer force possible on the first day of petitions into Buffalo, Lackawanna, West Seneca, and throughout the 27th District.
I’m hoping that folks can take a few hours, walk through our local neighborhoods carrying our petitions and return to the Irish Center at 8:30pm to turn petitions in and enjoy some food and refreshments. Petitions are the first official step in a successful campaign, so I’m hoping that you can join us on June 3rd.
Please note that if you are a member or a candidate for the Democratic Committee, you should feel free to circulate petitions in your home area. If you are able to circulate my petitions on June 3, I would be most grateful, and I encourage you to stop by the Irish Center at the end of the night.
If you have any questions about this effort or if you can’t join us on June 3rd but you are willing to help at another time, please contact Megan Corbett at (716) 573-3398 or send us an e-mail at info@higginsforcongress.com and we’ll get you involved.
As always, my most sincere thanks go out to you for your past support, and I thank you for any help you are able to provide in the future. See you soon!
Very truly yours,
Brian Higgins
Member of Congress
Quote Of The Week:
Quote From the Last Town Board Meeting: Council Member Shelly Schratz has publicly stated that as a member of the Amherst Town Board she will never vote to take any property by PUBLIC DOMAIN. How does that translate into the Maple Rd. Gun Club property issue?
