Blogger's Unbalanced Opinions

Mark Wahlberg's Latest Flap

2020-06-10T16:14:00.000-04:00

Phony actor Mark Wahlberg recently made the news with a hypocritical post supporting the Black Lives Movement. His Twitter followers were quick to point out that his wikipedia page has a whole section devoted to HIS hate crimes against blacks and Asian Americans. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Wahlberg Recently, he tried unsuccessfully to use his wealth and have his criminal record erased. How arrogant of him to speak out against racism when he was twice convicted of-racism. Thankfully, readers were quick to remind him of this.

You also might remember when the supposed rabid Patriots fan left Super Bowl 51 at halftime when it appeared the Pats were getting run out of the stadium. (The Patriots came back and won the game leading many Bostonians to label him a fair weather fan.) Never one to shy away from an outright lie, Wahlberg claimed one of his kids was sick while at the game. When fans ridiculed his story, Wahlberg backtracked and changed it. He then said he left because his youngest son was acting up. https://www.cbssports.com/general/news/patriots-fan-mark-wahlberg-changes-his-story-about-why-he-left-super-bowl-li-early/ Of course, had the Patriots been winning at halftime, he would have found some other way to discipline his son and still be there looking to be on camera.

Then there was his post 9/11 comment in which he said "things would have gone differently " had he been on one of the hijacked planes. Talk about full of oneself. This buffoon has watched too many of his terrible films and actually believes he is superhuman. Go away loser. You're movies stink and you're a fraud. The Blogger's back.

Bohen Shocks Burke in Special Election

2018-04-29T12:27:00.001-04:00

In a choking feat of Hillary Clinton-like proportions, Erie County Legislator Pat Burke was defeated by Special Education teacher Erik Bohen in last week's Special Election for NY State Assembly. Despite having name recognition, broad union support and money, and a huge Democratic enrollment advantage in the district, the heavily favored Burke somehow managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. I'm not saying some of his supporters were arrogant, but here's the first comment I got on Facebook when I wrote an article a few months ago describing Bohen's potential for an upset...

As anyone who received one of Burke's 80,000 direct mailings can attest, the State Teacher's Union broke the bank in an unsuccessful effort to elect their puppet. Rumor has it, the 500 votes Burke lost by were the 500 Erie County mailmen who had to carry his literature to people's mailboxes every 1-2 days for the month prior to the election. They must've spent a fortune! And in none of those countless mailings did Burke once say anything about the pay raises Andrew Cuomo is trying to bestow upon the current legislators in Albany. In this case, the more astute voters realized silence equals compliance. Burke wants nothing more than to be in Albany, cozying up to Cuomo and the Manhattan elite. Bohen did speak out against it and the people took notice. If Bohen continues to speak out publicly against these raises, I believe he would garner even more support from the voters.

Erie County Democratic Chairman Jeremy Zellner must be scratching his head over who to support this Fall (when the seat becomes open once again). Will he make the same mistake twice and pump thousands of dollars and resources into a candidate whose liberal beliefs are clearly out of step with the views of the majority of people in the district? Here's Pat Burke praising Socialist Bernie Sanders in a 2016 photo...

Or will Zellner go to his bullpen and back Lackawanna Mayor Geoffrey Syzmanski, who is rumored to be salivating at the prospect of running for the seat? If not, I wonder if Syzmanski will challenge Burke anyway in September. Syzmanski should also know there are other South Buffalo Democrats willing to enter the primary, too. This could only help his chances of defeating Burke and getting his shot at Bohen.

Other notes about the election...

-The Editorial Board at The Buffalo News lived up to it's out of touch reputation with their endorsement of Burke. Here's an actual photo of Burke receiving the endorsement, otherwise known as the Hoity Toity Kiss of Death...

Because South Buffalo residents really care about the opinion of the nameless, faceless suits from Williamsville and Clarence, who have no clue as to what's going on in our neighborhood. I have respect for a few of the reporters there, who do a good job. However, the Editorial Board does them a disservice by exposing how out of touch they are, every time there's an election.

-The Burke-Bohen race exposed a huge faction between South Buffalo voters and left a bad taste in the mouths of many. Nobody likes to see such divisiveness and animosity. Except me, of course... This split could really hurt Burke's reelection chances should another South Buffalo resident decide to run against him for his County seat. Given the fact that the district is 2/3 in Cheektowaga, this could open the door for a Polish Democrat to send Burke back to bar-tending school should he/she choose to run. A three person race would almost guarantee this result.

-Bohen was able to pull out the victory despite receiving the endorsement of Mickey Kearns. Fortunately for Bohen, most voters are still being fooled by Tricky Mickey and aren't onto him just yet. Check your watch.

-City Comptroller Mark Schroeder stuck out his neck for Burke. This can not sit well with Bohen's South Buffalo base. Bohen just recently was one of Schroeder's key strategists in his unsuccessful mayoral bid. To be fair, Burke did support Schroader also and is a fellow Democrat. However, I have a feeling some Bohen supporters wish Schroeder would have stayed neutral like every other South Buffalo elected Democratic official. Personally, I give him credit for taking a side, albeit the wrong one. It just goes to show that things aren't always as they seem. As Tip O'Neill once said, "If you want a friend in politics, get a dog."

-Speaking of which, the Democratic Chairman as well as Burke's supporters cannot be happy with the lack of support he received from fellow Democrats Chris Scanlon and Tim Kennedy. Especially with the results being so close. Their silence was a tacit endorsement of Bohen.

-Stay tuned in the coming months. It's going to be a battle in September and/or November for this seat. Candidates, this post will reach thousands in the district. I'm only one phone call/text/email away if you want to let me know why you should be the next State Assemblyman and what you plan on doing to lower taxes and help the working poor in the district. I know you'll see this message. If I don't hear from you, that's a clear indication to me that you aren't concerned with the needs of the non-union working class vote. *

-Go forth and sin no more!

*If you'd like to see this article reach thousands of like minded residents, please help me to make it a sponsored post on Facebook. I've been doing this with other articles and the number of people it reaches is impressive. However, because I'm part of the non-entitled working poor, it's difficult to spend money promoting my articles. I'm soliciting small donations to help pay for this to go into every home in the district. A PayPal donation below of $1, $2, or $5 will go a long way towards making sure it reaches the intended audience. Thank you.

2018-03-29T20:03:00.001-04:00

Anyone over the age of 40 in WNY will remember the name of Judge John Curtin. Chances are, they or someone they know were adversely affected by his ridiculous pie in the sky views on desegregating the Buffalo Public Schools in the 70s and 80s. There are liberals and there are conservatives and then there are outright kooks. Ask anyone who was bused from their neighborhood school across the city to an unfamiliar environment against their will in the 1980s. They will tell you Judge Curtin fell into the latter category.

Curtin's asinine busing decisions caused families to flee the city to the suburbs in droves from the late 70s on. The end result? Kindergartners forced to get up at 6AM to be shipped off to other parts of the city. Not to return home until after 4:30 or later. Their families were greatly inconvenienced and the whole idea of neighborhood schools was destroyed. And, oh by the way, the white flight to the suburbs caused the schools to be become even more segregated than ever before! Failed social experiment. Despite overwhelming evidence that busing schoolchildren half way across the city was ludicrous, Judge Curtin continued on with his Utopian pipe dream. Of course, he himself lived in the whitest/wealthiest part of the city the rest of his life. Apparently, integration was important to him as long as he didn't have to live in a diverse neighborhood.

Pretty much anyone in WNY with any common sense will remember Judge Curtin as the one man who single-handily destroyed public education in the city of Buffalo. Apparently, everyone except Assembly candidate Pat Burke. Here's how he remembered Curtin on his Facebook page last year after his death...

Seriously. Before you vote on April 24th, please remember that Patrick Burke is reading this article right now and has no idea that 90% of his potential constituency did not see Judge Curtin as "a truly great man." Would Burke tell friends of mine who were randomly forced out of their neighborhood schools because of the color of their skin, how great Judge Curtin was? I think he'd be surprised by their responses.

Erik Bohen is campaigning against corporate welfare and government handouts. He is willing to stand up to governor Cuomo and has the common sense necessary to lead our area. He is a Democrat who has chosen to challenge Burke on the Republican line. Because it is a Special Election, there could be no Democratic Primary for Bohen to challenge Burke. Regardless of your party affiliation, I'd ask you to talk to anyone regarding Erik Bohen's community involvement as well as his leadership/organizational skills. If you lean to the extreme far Left and think Judge Curtin's busing experiment was awesome, Burke is your man. If you have common sense and view things with an open mind and consider yourself moderate or conservative (99% of you), Erik Bohen is the clear choice on April 24th.

Bohen Gaining Momentum in Race for Assembly

2018-03-09T12:40:00.000-05:00

If lawn signs are any indication, candidate Erik Bohen has gained great momentum in the race to succeed former Assemblyman Michael Kearns, whose tenure in Albany can only be described as underwhelming.

Despite the old adage that "signs don't vote", there is no doubt that the number of Bohen supporters in high voter areas is greater than expected. Bohen's support comes from his years of community involvement and his reputation as a hard worker and intelligent leader. I'm told his events have been packed with supporters from both political parties. With this type of bipartisan support, I believe he has a great chance in the April special election.

In a shameless attempt to grab headlines, his opponent, Pat Burke is pretending to take on the Erie County Water Authority. As is usually the case with politicians, it's not what it appears to be. The Water Authority is being run by criminals from both political parties. These lowlifes were all given their jobs with the blessings of their respective party chairmen. Many are big donors. Pat Burke is trying to portray himself as a champion for all taxpayers, yet he is only willing to go after the Republican crooks. He completely ignores the crooks from his own party. If Burke were sincere, he'd vote against the handpicked candidate of the Democratic Party Chairman and speak out publicly against the practice of party chairmen essentially appointing one of their friends to the position of Erie County Water Authority Executive Director. I guarantee he will not vote against the political crony they hand pick, because that crony is from his party. A true reformer would not support this type of corruption and would be calling for hearings to change the selection process.

If you have not met candidate Erik Bohen, I encourage you to look at his background and record of community service. He is a Democrat who was snubbed by the local Democrats in exchange for Burke, who County Executive Poloncarz and Democratic Chairman Jeremy Zellner know will do their bidding. Because there are no primaries in Special Elections, Bohen chose to accept the Republican and Conservative support. His family's deep history with Labor Unions give him instant support from both sides of the aisle. It is this community involvement and bipartisan support that has many people Goin' with Bohen.

*(Update: Career political donor Mark Carney was appointed as the new commissioner of the Erie County Water Authority. As I predicted in the article, Pat Burke voted to appoint Carney, despite his obvious political ties and lack of qualifications. The lone dissenting vote came from Amherst Democrat Thomas Loughran who called the proceedings a "joke." If you vote for Burke on April 24th, expect this same type of rubber stamping cowardice every time it supports Andrew Cuomo's agenda. He will undoubtedly act as a shill for Cuomo.)

http://buffalonews.com/2018/03/15/carney-appointed-to-water-authority-lone-dissenter-calls-vote-a-joke/

http://buffalonews.com/2018/03/14/water-authority-candidate-withdraws-citing-highly-political-setup/

Assembly Race turning into a Free-For-All?

2018-01-08T22:05:00.003-05:00

The race to succeed Assemblyman Michael Kearns could be turning into a free for all. At least two candidates from South Buffalo have expressed interest with others considering jumping in.

There has been no formal announcement regarding a special election yet. However, the Democrats appear to be leaning towards Patrick Burke. Unfortunately for Burke, someone forgot to tell him his liberal political leanings are out of step with the majority of the constituents in the district.

Local Special Education teacher Erik Bohen has also announced plans to hold an election party, despite the fact that the election itself hasn't been announced. He's very popular with the South Buffalo clique, however his relationship with Carl Paladino (Bohen has managed his school board campaigns) won't win him any support from his fellow teachers or other unions for that matter.

Chris Scanlon's name has been mentioned as well, but I don't see him running as anything other than a Democrat, and that nod appears to be going to Burke.

I've also spoken to several people and am exploring the possibility of a run for this seat. I've run the youth soccer leagues for the past 28 years, become close to thousands of families, and have friends on every street in the district. Also, the idea of running as an Independent candidate intrigues me as I believe young people are fed up with the two existing parties and not afraid to look at a 3rd option. Also, a 3rd South Buffalo candidate might open the door for the Lackawanna Mayor or someone from West Seneca/Orchard Park to jump in. The more the merrier! South Buffalo's political leadership (including Patrick Burke) haven't been in my corner when I needed their help. This will be a great opportunity to let them know they need to respect the people in the district who actually get things done.

As soon as an election date is announced, I'll be reaching out to my friends to see who is with me. My enemies can go piss up a rope and support Burke or Bohen for all I care. Burke is a pawn for County Executive Mark Poloncarz and Democratic Party boss Jeremy Zellner. Bohen is the same for Carl Paladino and Republican Party boss Nick Langworthy.

Hopefully, Lackawanna Mayor Syzmanski will avoid making any deals and jump right into the action. A free for all is just what this district needs. Why let the party bosses choose the next representative? We all know the direction they've led us down. I envision this election resembling something like the picture below. Let's get it on!

Race for Vacant Assembly Seat Heating Up

2017-12-14T13:50:00.003-05:00

The race to fill Michael Kearns' NYS Assembly seat is heating up. According to the attached article from the Buffalo News, local teacher Erik Bohen is considering running against Erie County Legislator Patrick Burke.

Bohen, a registered Democrat would have to run in the special election as a Republican, using the same strategy Kearns used in defeating Chris Fahey. Burke enjoys the support of Erie County Democratic Chairman Jeremy Zellner . However, South Buffalo voters, while predominantly Democrats, traditionally vote across party lines if they know the Republican candidate. This has been proven time and time again. I believe most South Buffalo voters are more conservative and actually have more in common with the values the Republican Party stands for (or at least claims to.) The major exception to this is the unions, the reason I believe most of them became Democrats in the first place. Bohen has strong familial ties to Western NY unions through his father.

Both candidates are good guys and well known in their respective circles. I believe this could be a very close race. I don't believe Zellner, Mark Polancarz, and specifically Poloncarz' staff member Jennifer Hibit have done Burke any favors. They've shown zero respect to the true leaders in the district and this could cost Burke considerable support and could end up being a feather in Bohen's cap.

When the people in power ignore residents with reach and big mouths, it sometimes comes back to bite them. I don't believe Poloncarz has done anything to reach out to the leaders in South Buffalo. I know for a fact, Mark Schroeder's recommendations to Polancarz and Hibit were completely ignored. And Schroeder and Burke, in the spirit of career politicians, stood by idly and did nothing to stand up to them. I believe those on the outside might reach out to the outsider candidate (in this case Bohen). Patrick Burke has his supporters. Erik Bohen has his. I believe this race will be won by the candidate who reaches out to the forgotten constituents of the district, who could become very involved in this race. Good luck to both candidates.
http://buffalonews.com/2017/12/13/burke-emerging-as-democratic-candidate-for-kearns-assembly-seat/?utm_campaign=puma&utm_medium=social&utm_source=Facebook#link_time=1513257523

Kearns' anti-women Voting Record Becoming a Campaign Issue

2017-10-08T15:42:00.001-04:00

Hopefully, the women of Erie County will do their homework before voting in November. Unfortunately, these elections are often popularity contests. The person with greater name recognition usually has a huge advantage with voters. Unfortunately for Mickey Kearns, this name recognition also comes with his Albany voting record. This record should give informed female voters all they need to know about the man now being referred to as "Tricky Mickey." From the aptly named website...

In 2013, Mickey voted against the Women’s Equality Act,which includes guarantees for equal pay for equal work, protections for victims of domestic violence, and access to reproductive health services. It passed, but no thanks to Mickey Kearns.

In 2017, Mickey voted against a bill (A00566A) that would have prevented your employer from accessing your health records to see if you are using birth control, and discriminating against you if they didn’t like the answer they found. The bill also would have prevented your employer from making you sign a waiver that would allow them to make your reproductive health choices for you.

Mickey's strings are now being pulled by Erie County's conservative Republicans. In fact, Kearns has accepted over $25,000 in campaign contributions from local developer Carl Paladino. And when Paladino referred to First Lady Michelle Obama as a "gorilla", the normally outspoken Kearns was uncharacteristically silent. It was a great opportunity for Kearns to show some true leadership but as usual, Mickey was thinking about Mickey. Very disappointing.

Kearns' supporters have taken an odd approach early on in responding to the revelations of his misogynistic voting record. They are saying the Clerk's position is administrative and not legislative, so Kearns' tendency to lie and his conservative voting record shouldn't matter. I suspect it does matter to the thousands of women of Erie County making less than their male counterparts.

The Clerk's position is an administrative one. However, Kearns has no plans to stay in it for long. The position has been used in the past by other career politicians as a stepping stone to more powerful offices. In exchange for the local Conservative endorsement, Kearns has betrayed a big part of his base. We'll find out in three weeks whether or not this was a smart move on his part.

I have no affiliation with the attached website. However, I do believe it's content is factual. It was definitely created by Democratic opponents of Kearns. However, the facts they use are indisputable and a matter of public record...

http://trickymickey.org/mickey-kearns-record-anti-woman-anti-choice/

Paladino's Critics Use Obscure Loophole to Have Him Removed: Democracy Mourns

2017-08-17T16:37:00.002-04:00

The Buffalo School Board holds elections every four years where the residents of specific districts can choose the candidate they believe in. The winner gets a four year term, unless the President of the Teacher's Union and other members of the Board don't like him or his ideas. Then, they can look for a loophole and have him removed without any input from his constituents. Welcome to George Orwell's 1984, better known as the 2017 Buffalo Public School System.

What Carl Paladino said to Artvoice regarding Michelle Obama was disgusting and reprehensible. The saddest part to me was that it wasn't even funny. As vile as his comments were, they were protected by the 1st Amendment. His critics knew this, so they found a loophole and contrived a scheme to rid themselves of the thorn in their side. In an actual democracy, the decision to remove Paladino would have been left up to the voters come election time.

Before Paladino became involved, the Board members would meet, talk about how great the Buffalo Schools were, suck as much public money as they could off the system, pad their own political careers, and do whatever Phil Rumore told them to do. The last thing these career criminals cared about were the students. If they did, they would have talked about the violence and disruption that occurs in many Buffalo schools on a daily basis. It was this anarchy in the Buffalo Schools that caused thousands to flee the city for a better education for their children. This was not the fault of the teachers. They do great work under oftentimes horrific working conditions. How many times have you heard someone say they moved to the suburbs for "better schools"?

Now, the Park (South Buffalo) School Board member will be handpicked by the corrupt Sisterhood and Union President Phil Rumore. Hardly democratic. Like him or hate him, Carl Paladino was elected by his neighbors and provided an opposing viewpoint to the status quo members of the Board. The reason they removed him is laughable and those responsible for doing so should be embarrassed with themselves today. Supporters and critics of Paladino should be alarmed. If a vocal minority doesn't like your representative, they can find some obscure loophole, go to Albany, and have him removed. Scary stuff for a supposed Democracy.

Kearns Record on Women's Issues will be Scrutinized in Clerks race

2017-08-14T15:58:00.002-04:00

When Donald Trump won the Presidency in 2016, I heard and read from people that this was going to be the impetus to initiate activism from the Left. Many of these people were Democrats and many of them were women. Kathy Griffin and Chelsea Handler are two famous ones that come to mind. But I also heard it from many friends locally on social media. They pledged to become active and outspoken on issues important to them.

The women of Erie County will be given that opportunity in the unlikeliest of forums; the race for Erie County Clerk. Democrat Steve Cichon will be going up against Mickey Kearns. Kearns, a registered Democrat will be running on the Republican and Conservative (possibly) lines. This makes sense, since Kearns has received more financial support from Carl Paladino than any other local politician in recent years.

Remember last election when Mickey said he was heading to Albany to fight the New York State politicians? Well, that was before the Clerks' race came about. The Clerk position is viewed by many as a stepping stone to higher office. Kathy Hochul and Chris Jacobs have both used the position to move on to bigger and better things in recent years. Always looking out for number one, Mickey decided to do what he does best, campaign and make a whole new set of promises.

In my eyes, Kearns is the favorite to win the Clerk position. He has name recognition and people in Erie County can be highly apathetic and uninformed on the issues. A candidate can vote against his constituents' interests and yet get their vote because he says hello to them at the local lawn fete. Former WBEN reporter Steve Cichon seems like a nice guy, but when I tell people he's running against Kearns, they always ask, who is he?

Despite a huge advantage in name recognition, don't underestimate Mickey's ability to hurt his own cause.

His debt to Paladino has come at a huge cost to Erie County women. If Erie County Democratic Chairman Jeremy Zellner can reach the female voters of Erie County and inform them that Kearns voted against the Women's Equality Act as an Assemblyman and remains anti-choice on the issue of abortion, perhaps the impending female outrage can benefit Cichon.

Can you imagine a female candidate running and telling her male constituents that she should be the one making decisions regarding their bodies and not them? Male voters would never tolerate this. Why do female voters tolerate this from Kearns? The only reason Kearns votes this way is to gain the support of the Erie County Conservatives. He's assuming that the women of Erie County will not organize and unite against him and his voting record.

Zellner sums up Mickey pretty well in the attached article in which he aptly labels Kearns as a "serial opportunist".

“Tricky Mickey will say anything and do anything necessary to get elected,” he said. “Once in office, he disregards the promises he’s made to constituents along the way and works on crafting new alliances to get him to his next political office.”

When you see Mickey on the campaign trail, be sure to ask him why he voted against the Women's Equality Act and why he thinks he is better suited to make decisions about your body than you are. Also, remind him about how excited he was to head to Albany to fight for you as your state representative.
(Oh, about that. Please read the following article documenting how Tricky Mickey skipped a vote in Albany that if passed, could have given Erie County tax payers a double digit tax increase. He was marked absent.) Must have been out campaigning for his next political office.
https://wnymedia.net/2017/06/kearns-skips-critical-vote-putting-erie-county-taxpayers-risk/

And here is the link to the original article from the Democratic Chairman...

ECDC Chair questions Kearns' loyalty

Limited Base Hindering Schroeder's efforts

2017-08-02T16:29:00.002-04:00

About a month to go before the September Primaries and three before the general election. Three Countywide elections up for grab as well as the Buffalo Mayoral race.

The mayor's race seems like a yawner. And that's not to take anything away from South Buffalo's Mark Schroeder. Trying to defeat a well funded, party-backed incumbent would be a daunting task for anyone. At a time when people view the city in a renaissance, even more challenging.

I read Susan Schulman's financial report on the two candidates (spoiler Betty Jean Grant's candidacy is irrelevant) and was not surprised at this fact:

Almost $53,000 of the $115,600 Schroeder raised in the past six months comes from outside of Buffalo, with big chunks from Hamburg and Orchard Park, according to a Buffalo News analysis of the campaign reports.
http://buffalonews.com/2017/07/21/full-story-mayor-brown-raising-4-every-1-schroeder-gets/

I've been around long enough to know that people who donate to political campaigns do not do so out of the kindness of their hearts. They expect favors, and in this case, that means jobs for their children. Including certain jobs in which the job candidate is supposed to be a city resident. I've witnessed firsthand, several of these jobs go to children from political families. Former South Buffalo families who moved to the suburbs yet have no problem "buying" city jobs for their children. Nothing like having your cake and eating it too.

Mark Schroeder is a great guy, but his tent is very small. His support within the city appears to be limited to a few neighborhoods . Many work in government jobs and are content with the South Buffalo politicians.

Nothing wrong with that. But the rest of the city (including large parts of South Buffalo) are not in this club and will be disinterested on Primary Day or voting for Brown. And despite dancing the Wobble, districts like Masten and Ellicott will be 80/20 for Brown. And that's an unscientific fact.

After a summer of campaigning against Brian Higgins for NY State Assembly and having everyone tell him they loved him only to vote for Higgins, it was the late Jimmy Griffin who remarked, "I've never met so many wonderful liars in my life."

As long as the tent remains small, those not in the South Buffalo` clique, will seek and find other tents elsewhere...

Big Changes at Bishop Timon High School

2017-06-24T17:31:00.003-04:00

My phone's been blowing up. I've received calls from the Buffalo News as well as 2, 4, 7, and the other station that repeats the same news every 20 minutes. Ok, so none of this is true and nobody really cares about what I have to say. But this is 2017 when anyone with a laptop and a 6th grade reading level can report on the news. I have to ask the question on many peoples' minds today. What is going on at Bishop Timon High School?

The school's Board of Directors decided not to renew the contract of principal Michele Battin after her first year at the helm. No public reason was given. A cryptic message on the school's website thanked her for her "years of service." Before becoming principal last year, Battin was a longtime, popular teacher at the school. Battin's firing has reportedly led to the resignation of the school's Athletic Director and football coach Charlie Comerford.

Battin was a true asset to the school and the community and will be greatly missed. I've never heard anything but praise from her former students and colleagues. I'd be hard-pressed to find a valid reason for her to be let go. My sources tell me that someone from the Board of Trustees is using her as a scapegoat of sorts.

I do admit the bigger sports teams (football and basketball) really did well over the last six years with Comerford running the show. So what if half the players were brought in from out of state. They did produce some good teams. Not so much the other sports, but how could they with such a small pool of students to choose from?

It will be interesting to see what else comes out (if anything). Any school would be lucky to have Principal Battin next year and I'm sure she will land on her feet. The same can be said for Comerford, who did the admirable thing by stepping down. My sources tell me he's already received overtures from Fortune 500 companies IBM, Exxon Mobil, Bank of America, and AT&T, but will most likely end up in a politically appointed no-show position working for the City of Buffalo.

http://buffalonews.com/2017/06/24/httpbuffalonews-com20170624comerford-resigns-ad-football-coach-timon/

2017 Mayor's Race: South Buffalo Divided?

2017-06-11T15:09:00.003-04:00

It's one of those opinionated days...

As Democratic petitions circulate, the 2017 mayoral race in the city of Buffalo begins to heat up. Several questions are being asked. Will Betty Jean Grant rethink the deal she made with City Comptroller Mark Schroeder and drop out of the race? Will she circulate dual petitions for her seat on the Erie County Legislature (just in case)? Should she pursue the Mayor's race, will Betty Jean Grant consider hiring an English translator so people can understand a word she says? These are just some of the questions people are asking.

From this voter's perspective, the biggest hurdle facing South Buffalo's Mark Schroeder is his inability to excite the masses. The average resident simply doesn't care. Downtown and the waterfront are in the process of being revitalized. Whether that had anything to do with Mayor Brown and his administration is irrelevant. It has happened under his watch and he can claim responsibility, and the average voter is too stupid to know otherwise.

If Schroeder wins, it would be a great individual accomplishment. Unsurprisingly, the rest of South Buffalo's career politicians are not on his side. Councilmember Chris Scanlon and State Senator Tim Kennedy are publicly backing Brown. It is unknown if Michael Kearns is backing anyone. He'll wait until Carl Paladino instructs him (just like he does on every other issue). Even longtime Schroeder friend Brian Higgins seems to be very quiet regarding this race. If I were Schroeder, I would wear these lack of endorsements as a badge of honor. If all the politicians are against you, you're probably a good guy.

I believe Mark Schroeder represents one very small section of South Buffalo voters. They live in one small neighborhood, think the whole city is Irish, and are most likely married to their third cousin. As long as they're happy, they think the rest of South Buffalo is happy. And boy, could they possibly be any more wrong? This may have flown during the 1970's but the steel mills and all the other private sector jobs have moved to North Carolina. The political climate has changed. People expect more from their local officials.

Many of us from the other side of the tracks are happy with Mayor Brown's South Buffalo appointees. Martin Kennedy and Steve Stepniak are both really great people and reflect well on the Brown administration. Brown hired Mark "Rogo" Rogowski, a guy completely overlooked by the South Buffalo politicians for decades because he wasn't part of their clique. Rogo's mistake was helping politically unconnected people over the years. These people don't make political donations so they were of no use to the South Buffalo career politicians. Fortunately, Brown saw through this and took a chance on him. Mark Schroeder has been in one office or another for 16 years. Who has he hired? You probably don't know because they most likely are not your neighbors. They are his neighbors. For Schroeder to win, he will need 100% unity in South Buffalo and I don't believe he has it. Personally, I wouldn't vote for any South Buffalo politician in 2017. They say all sorts of things when campaigning and then once elected, help themselves, their families, and close friends. It's like a broken record. You can set your watch to them. Until one comes along and expands the tent, outsiders will continue to win. The South Buffalo political clique is a very small, shortsighted group. They are greatly outnumbered by the rest of us. They are NOT your neighbors and the average resident with the ability to think for himself/herself is onto them. The gig is up.

I welcome your comments. Please attach your name to them however and keep them civil. Please keep in mind, I know South Buffalo's working poor because I am one. And unless you are too, you have no right to speak for us. If you feel Mark Schroeder can serve the working poor better than Mayor Brown, please state your case and provide evidence.

Councilman Wingo's solution for success: Lower the bar

2017-04-05T19:18:00.002-04:00

Masten Councilmember Ulysees Wingo has averted a potential tragedy by shifting the affirmative action debate over admission to City Honors into a war of words geared towards the real villains in this issue: working class Catholic school parents...

"I take exception to the idea that affluent parents who send their children to Catholic schools should have a right, based off of the fact they are Catholic, that they should have exclusive rights to City Honors," he said, later adding: "I support City Honors . . . What I don't support is a lack of diversity. We have Buffalo public school students who are equally qualified . . . If parents feel a Catholic education is right for them, by all means go to your Catholic schools and have fun saying your Catholic prayers."

Someone had to say it. City Honors has been one of the best schools in the country for way too long. In the past, they've always accepted the students who scored the best on the entrance exam (minus the politicians' kids who got in regardless of their test scores). Students were eager to learn without disrupting the class. That was clearly a recipe for disaster. The school must lower it's standards if it's going to compete with the rest of the schools in the district. If the Catholics are allowed access to City Honors, pretty soon the Jews and the Burmese might want to go there also and that would be totally unacceptable.

If they keep the standards high, parents might be expected to read to their children, help them with their homework, and actually prepare them for success. That would be completely unreasonable. Parents have more important things to do with their time. Video games don't just play themselves. How will parents know the winners of the latest reality shows if they're expected to invest their time towards their child's education?

Wingo's proclamation has set off a firestorm across the nation. The US Track and Field Federation announced today they would no longer be judging the Olympic sprinters' based solely on their times. A spokesperson for the Federation: "We're sick of winning all these gold medals. What's important is for our athletes to represent the diversity here in America. We've decided that at least two of our 4 X 100 relay members will be white and at least one of them will weigh at least 300 pounds. We want our runners to look like their fellow Americans in the stands."

The National Spelling Bee was also moved by Councilmember Wingo. The correct spelling of words will no longer be the criteria used for judging the winner. Their spokesperson issued this statement today: "We've had enough of these nerds from India coming over here and learning our grammar. We've decided that this year's winner will be of Puerto Rican descent regardless of whether they can spell or not. In the end, it's really about diversity."

The local news stations attempted to interview the affluent South Buffalo Catholic school parents to get their side of the story. However, they were too busy sailing on their yachts over at Cazenovia Creek and drinking champagne at the local country club with the rest of the powerful elite.

A hastily planned protest over Wingo's comments for tomorrow at noon on the steps of City Hall was scrapped after it was determined that 90% of the Catholic school parents (unlike Wingo) had to actually be at work tomorrow.
http://buffalonews.com/2017/04/05/city-hallways-april-5-council-talks-city-honors-not-friendly-chatter/

2017-02-14T18:46:00.000-05:00

Passengers on a United Airlines flight were all set to take off when the pilot got on the intercom and went on a long rant about Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, and her own impending divorce. After that, things got weird. From US Magazine...

That is when one of the passengers jumped up and “stormed off.” He claims half the flight followed his lead — and that after the pilot was removed from the plane the two shared a hug at the agent gate. “She was crying. She apologized. I wished her well & said I hope she gets the help she needs,” he wrote.

Hopefully, she gets the help she needs, gets on proper medication, returns to work, and most importantly, never flies a plane I happen to be on.

Everything ended well as the plane took off with these two new pilots at the helm...

For the full story, go to http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/pilot-removed-from-flight-after-her-rant-about-divorce-politics-w466747

Starry Starry Night

2015-11-15T13:26:00.000-05:00

Every once in awhile, the blog comes out of retirement. No longer prolific, just a once-in-awhile commentary on things going on in this crazy world we live in...

The lyrical genius Don McLean wrote the song Vincent after reading the biography of the Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh, a genius in his own right. It's a very powerful song. McLean basically was puzzled by the fact that Van Gogh's paintings were considered mediocre until many years after his death. Since our days in grammar school, we've always been taught that Van Gogh was crazy. But in the following passage, McLean takes an unconventional stance against history's perception of the artist...

“In the autumn of 1970 I had a job singing in the school system, playing my guitar in classrooms. I was sitting on the veranda one morning, reading a biography of Van Gogh, and suddenly I knew I had to write a song arguing that he wasn’t crazy. He had an illness and so did his brother Theo. This makes it different, in my mind, to the garden variety of 'crazy’ . So I sat down with a print of Starry Night and wrote the lyrics out on a paper bag.”

An interesting take on an even more interesting person. Van Gogh, who suffered from depression his whole life, eventually could not take it anymore and took his life as McLean describes in another part of the song...

And, when no hope was left inside on that starry, starry night, you took your life as lovers often do
But I could have told you, Vincent, this world was never meant for one as beautiful as you.

A beautiful song documenting an incredible life. Here are a few facts about depression from the Anxiety and Depression Association of America:

-Anxiety disorders are the most common form of mental illness in the US, affecting 40 million adults in this country ages 18 or older, or 18% of the population.

- Anxiety disorders are highly treatable, yet only about one-third of those suffering receive treatment.

-Anxiety disorders develop from a complex set of risk factors, including genetics, brain chemistry, personality, and life events.

If you're suffering from depression or you think you might be, don't be ashamed to seek help. You are certainly not alone. Call your doctor. Reach out to friends. Most people would love to help, but are just unaware. Hopefully, we can continue to learn more about this horrible illness and discover new methods to fight it. And we may even save a few people along the way. I am confident of this and I KNOW we will.

(This post is dedicated to Billy C., Matt S., Mariya S, and anyone else going through difficult times. Your community will never forget you.)

So much heartache captured in one song...

The Cold Shoulder

2014-09-07T00:27:00.000-04:00

Kathy Hochul should be ashamed of herself. Here she is at the New York City Labor Day Parade. Her running mate's opponent (Zeaphye Teachout) tries to tap her on the shoulder to wish her good luck. Hochul turns her back and then completely ignores her. Teachout is completely liberal, but I'm going to break away from my political ideology and vote for her and her running mate (Something Wu). Hochul's behavior at this parade is both classless and rude and I'm glad someone's camera was there to witness it. It won't, but I wish this clip would go viral...

Ok, I admit, after hearing this song, I've been waiting for a reason to play it. Cuomo and Hochul have now given me one. "I wish that I could be like the cool kids"...

He has to go...

2014-03-17T21:26:00.001-04:00

Unbelievable. Today, State Senator Tim Kennedy voted Yes on Governor Cuomo's so called Dream Act, which would have given $170 million to illegal immigrants in free college tuition. You read that correctly. Believe it or not, it is not a misprint.

Last week, when Kennedy switched from Pro Life to Pro Choice and voted in favor of Cuomo's Women's Act, he uttered the nonsense, "while he personally is pro life, he had to support what the people in his district wanted". Which leads us to the $170 million dollar question: Why would Kennedy now support something the overwhelming majority of people in his district did not want? What line of BS is he going to come up with now? Clearly, the struggling college students in this area and their parents would never support this ridiculous piece of legislation. The fact that Kennedy did, makes me think every State Senator should be immediately tested for drugs.

Here's what is going on behind the scenes: Kennedy, who pretends to be just a regular guy from South Buffalo, made a deal with the devil. He and a handful of other mindless State Senators have been offered something big by Governor Cuomo's to support every one of his proposals (including this one). So, when Kennedy loses in September, and trust me, he will lose in September, he will be given a nice cushy job from the governor. When he does lose, I will be immediately calling on him to get a job in the private sector. And we will also be monitoring the situation to make sure he is not given a politically appointed job from Governor Cuomo. Someone who sells out his own neighborhood needs to find out what it means to work an eight hour day for an hourly wage.

So when the political blowhard at the end of your street tells you to support Kennedy this Fall, remind him that Kennedy voted to give $170 million dollars in free college tuition to illegal immigrants. Just think of how many better ways our tax money could be spent. And remember, that is our money they are giving away.

Rumore wabbles and he does fall down

2014-03-09T23:18:00.000-04:00

Buffalo Teacher's Federation President Phil Rumore is recovering in an Albany hospital after slipping and falling on some ice near his home. Rumore, who was carrying a friend's dog at the time, suffered fractured ribs during the unfortunate incident.

He has received tons of cards wishing him a speedy recovery as well as some wishing that his injuries had been more severe. The accident happened at Rumore's Western New York home. However, he traveled to Albany on business before realizing he needed medical care. Strangely enough, Rumore blamed the fall on the Buffalo Public School Administration's inability to offer the teachers a fair contract.

Get your own valid XHTML YouTube embed code

Kennedy's Desperation Tour continues

2014-03-09T13:23:00.001-04:00

State Senator Tim Kennedy held a press conference today to remind residents to set their clocks ahead one hour. This marks Kennedy's 25th press conference over the last 27 days. Kennedy wishes to remind everyone that these are very serious topics he's discussing and not merely shameless attempts to get his name in the paper and his face on TV. Join Kennedy tomorrow on the steps of City Hall at noon as he holds another press conference to announce that it's Monday.

Happy Groundhog Day

2014-02-23T16:36:00.000-05:00

It's Groundhog Day! You know what that means. If State Senator Tim Kennedy comes out and sees his shadow, he will be Pro-Life for another six months. If he doesn't, then he might switch back to being Pro-Choice. Or maybe, he will be both Pro-Life and Pro-Choice. You see, it depends on what stance he is told to take.

Be very careful in watching the way The Buffalo News is treating this issue. They are CLEARLY in the pockets of Tim Kennedy and more specifically, Congressman Brian Higgins. They are totally downplaying Kennedy's switch as if it were a personal decision and not based on politics. The switch was made based on Kennedy losing the support of the Conservative Party and his attempts to gain favor with Governor Cuomo. Things were a lot easier for Tim Kennedy when all he had to do was lick envelopes and put up campaign signs for whatever machine backed candidate he was told to. That's what happens when we allow unskilled political frauds to get elected.

Put aside your feelings on abortion for a minute and ask yourself this question? Do we want to be represented by a leader who bases his stances solely on which lobbyist puts money in his pockets? I believe Tim Kennedy is underestimating the old Catholic ladies at Bingo. As soon as the word gets around about his change in policy, these women and their husbands will crucify Kennedy in September. But, as the Buffalo News seems to believe, Kennedy will only be facing one primary opponent this September, Betty Jean Grant.

This shows once again how clueless and out of touch the Buffalo News is. They have no idea what goes on beyond East Amherst and Williamsville. I'm hearing several unconfirmed reports of a third potential candidate emerging. A dark horse. A shadowy figure. He has no connection to the greedy lobbyists, but does possess the ability to think for himself. He has little money, but plenty of access to the voters through social media. So he's got that going for him, which is nice...

Artificial stupidity

2014-02-23T14:40:00.000-05:00

As if you're weekend coming to an end wasn't bad enough, now there's this: Google Director Ray Kurzweil predicts that in 2029 robots will officially become smarter than humans...

The 66-year-old entrepreneur and futureologist believes that in 15 years' time machines will be able to crack jokes, tell stories and even flirt.

He also predicts that robots will be able to hold conversations and learn from experience. That's scary because most of us can't do half of those things now.

Scientists say Kurzweil's prediction echoes the plot of the Oscar nominated film Her, in which some loser falls in love with his computer operating system. However, the phenomenon can actually be traced back to this pivotal scene from Rocky IV...

Check out the full article at this link...
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2565948/Computer-robots-outsmart-humans-15-years-Google-director-claims-giant-laboratory-artificial-intelligence-planned.html

West Seneca group home protest

2014-02-23T00:07:00.001-05:00

It's always nice when neighbors get together to engage in peaceful protest. And I think the best way to get their message heard is through homemade signs displaying subtle messages...

Be careful what you wish for

2014-02-22T01:10:00.003-05:00

You have to love when a guy lobbies Albany to create a new law and then is one of the first people arrested and charged with breaking his own law. It must feel like when you step on a metal rake and the wooden end pops up and hits you in the face...

Dwayne Ferguson was among local activists who stood with Assemblywoman Crystal Peoples-Stokes last year lobbying for a law that would make possessing a gun on school property a felony. Prior to New York State’s adoption of the SAFE Act last year, in response to the Sandy Hook school massacre in Connecticut, it was a long-established state law that guns could not be brought onto school property. The only difference was that the crime carried less punishment as a misdemeanor.

In an ironic turn of events, Ferguson was charged with two counts of criminal possession of a weapon under that law for Thursday’s incident. The law carries a maximum sentence of up to four years in state prison.

In fairness to Ferguson, he has a valid permit for the gun and I don't believe he had any malicious intent. Someone, probably a political foe, knew he carried a weapon and "dropped a dime" on him. I don't think what he did warrants a felony, but that will be up to Judge Wapner to decide.

An old man turned 98

He won the lottery

and died the next day...

You can read the full article here...
Associates defend man who had gun in school*

West Seneca sex offenders

2014-02-21T21:40:00.000-05:00

Many West Seneca residents were shocked to hear that a house for developmentally disabled adults on Leydecker Road was being used to house seven registered sex offenders. The state was in error for not notifying residents as to who their new neighbors would be. However, had they notified them, the residents would never have allowed it to happen. The bigger question is, why did the state decide to place the seven men in such a residential location in the first place? I have to side with the neighbors on this one.

Having said that, I don't think it was necessary for the Front Page newspaper to post their pictures on the front of this week's paper. One of the guys had a huge smile, as if he was getting his picture taken for his birthday.

I've worked with developmentally disabled adults for the past twelve years and I believe I know the population pretty well. The seven from this house are different than the pervert down the street who knows what he is doing and plots his illicit activities. The developmentally disabled are often unaware of the severity of their actions, until they are caught and punished. Then, they find out real quick. In fact, at my last agency, there was a house like this way out in a rural area. Everyone wanted to work there, because they had extra staff and there were hardly any behavior incidents to deal with. The residents were well behaved and it was an easy gig. But this house wasn't near any schools or parks, which made it a good location for the agency.

Although I'd bet these seven men are not as dangerous as advertised, I wouldn't want them to live next door to me, either. All it takes is one incident. The agencies are always saying that the developmentally disabled are people like everyone else and should be treated the same. This works both ways. Society would never approve of non-disabled sex offenders living in their neighborhood. Why should disabled sex offenders be treated differently? Although their intentions might not be as malicious as the former, the result could end up being the same. It's not an easy group to place, but these are decisions that the higher ups get paid the big bucks to make. I think it's best to error on the side of caution.

Thinking outside the box

2014-02-21T20:03:00.001-05:00

The three most important rules of setting up a business: location, location, location. This old adage was proven correct yet again when a 13 year old Girl Scout sold 117 boxes of cookies after setting up shop across the street from a San Francisco medical marijuana clinic. The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco...

Thirteen-year-old Danielle Lei was certainly ‘thinking outside the box’ when she set up her cookie stall outside The Green Cross marijuana dispensary in San Francisco.

Entrepreneurial Miss Lei sold 117 boxes of Tagalongs and Thin Mints in two hours, the proceeds of which benefits charitable organizations.