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PoliticsNY.Net: NICE ARTICLE ABOUT BUFFALO

 

 

 

  

 

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BARACK GETS BOUNCE

 

 

"Barack Obama enjoyed a six point "bounce" in the polls following the start of the DNC, tracking at 48 percent ahead of John McCain's 42 percent. Gallup reported on its Web site that polling was taken between Aug. 25-27, which would include Michelle Obama's speech on Monday night and Hillary's on Tuesday, but not last night's speakers of John Kerry, Bill Clinton and Joe Biden, or the surprise appearance by Barack himself on stage."

 

 

BREAKING NEWS FIRST: BUFFALO SCHOOLS

 

 

Sources: "The Buffalo School District & its 2nd largest union BEST representing teacher aides & assistants have reached a contract agreement."  See below ###

 

 

ASSEMBLY SPEAKER SHELDON SILVER TO HIS GREAT CREDIT

 

THE HOYT INVESTIGATION IS A TOP PRIORITY IN ALBANY.

 

 

 

UPDATE: Impeccable sources: "Follow the $$$".  

 

Sources continue,  "a complete audit by the Assembly committee of Hoyt's  campaign accounts between 03 thru 06 could (will) shed the light of day on these matters & others unwritten as yet as well."

 

DeMoya's husband, an attorney licensed in NYS, swears his wife was in Hoyt's office in 04. He says exclusively that UB records should verify his account. However, we believe she was a volunteer Intern in Hoyt's office during that period. We have not checked with UB as of yet; we do not expect there is a paper trail; but her husband claims there is a record. Hoyt, in documents we have, did admit to the tryst with DeMoya in May/June of 04. The husband also said he was estranged from his wife for some time. ###

 

A woman claiming to be DeMoya called & said the accounts were not true she was interning for a local judge in 04. However, upon further questioning her story was contradicting the accounts that her husband had given us an hour earlier. She then said no, contradicting everyone, saying it was 1999. DeMoya said she & her husband were together & she couldn't understand why he would say differently.

 

I asked her about the emails.

 

She became rattled & hurt, esp. when I read to her in Hoyt's own words to Gradwell. Hoyt writing,

 

"I could care less about Amecia or her feelings."  Hoyt went on, "it was one mistake & I regret it."

 

(Now unless you're "stuck on stupid" this is an admission of guilt by Hoyt end of story.)

 

I asked DeMoya if Hoyt was lying to his lover when he admitted to a tryst with DeMoya.

 

The woman hung up.

 

We believe the call was a hoax; albeit was probably DeMoya covering for Hoyt. Her husband in a later call verified the number was hers.

 

We believe this is Hoyt's people attempting to confuse the time line.  ###

 

Monday we will have a story, confirmed by sources, that Hoyt was with an Intern at the party, he organized, at an Albany bar. Subsequently,  a GOP member was accused of going home with an Intern, sleeping on the floor, consequently sanctioned by the Legislature. 

 

"An upstate assemblyman was removed from his post as ranking member of the Assembly Committee on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse on Thursday after revelations that he slept at the home of a 21-year-old female intern last month after a night of heavy drinking.

The assemblyman also received a rare letter of censure from his colleagues, citing his violation of a policy banning lawmakers from fraternizing with interns. The Assemblyman  was also  stripped of his seniority and prohibited from taking part in the Assembly’s intern program in the future.

The punishment was unanimously recommended by members of the Democratic-controlled Assembly’s bipartisan Ethics and Guidance Committee.

 

A spokeswoman for the Assembly said she could not recall the last time a member was censured for any matter."

 

The only way this gets resolved is the Committee in the light off day  subpoena all parties involved, esp. Hoyt, Gradwwell, DeMoya (her husband), et al. ###

 

Another name very familiar to us has surfaced in the Hoyt matter. Actually, I was asked about this person by people representing the Assembly; sources independently have mentioned her as well. However, we believe that this woman was not an intern but an employee involved with the program. We continue  investigating that question.

 

Bottom line is, metaphorically, the NYS Assembly offices were/are Hoyt's personal brothel with the taxpayers paying the bill. 

 

I believe that the Buffalo News Tom Precious was writing about this individual when he wrote his erroneous copyright column; Precious on the record the woman was an employee in her thirty's. In their obsessive compulsion to attack me the Buffalo News & Precious missed the entire story. However, I have to wonder unless Precious completely dropped the ball because this woman worked in Hoyt's office for some time contradicting the Precious account? ###

 

"I need motivated individuals to assist my office staff with a variety of responsibilities. Because my staff is small, I rely on interns and volunteers to help perform my job and respond effectively to the needs of my constituents. I encourage people from all backgrounds who are interested in learning more about the legislative process, and improving the quality of life in our community to contact my District Office."

 

SAM HOYT MEMBER OF ASSEMBLY ###

 

The folks that will deal with Hoyt are in a lock down, confidential mode. However, it is absolutely clear Albany takes a guy very seriously who bedded TWO Assembly interns (at least), 15-20 years his junior.  Then Hoyt, a husband & father, continued the affairs while one of these women was an Assembly employees.

 

Hoyt deflecting attention to Lori Gradwell hoping beyond hope we would not uncover the DeMoya sordid affair while she interned for him after the rules were put in place; as if that matters.

 

Using the "civil court" metaphor" the burden of proof is met given that the great probability is Hoyt committed these deplorable deeds. He has admitted the Gradwell affair. However, lets go one step further. It is clear that Hoyt committed these violations beyond a reasonable doubt the threshold in criminal court. He has fallen in the polls. The story went Global not only on Fox but other national outlets as well

 

Hoyt not only violated Assembly rules, but the long held morals clauses in the rules & his oath of office.  

 

Hoyt simply is not man enough to take FULL responsibility for his actions.

 

Hoyt has put his interests above his colleagues, his family, the voters, most importantly his God if he has one?

 

How can you write that you ask. Hoyt is an alcoholic. He did attend AA. He did take the oath to surrender to a  "higher power" living the 12 steps. He has used his addiction as a bully pulpit.

 

He broke that convenient as well. ###

 

Josephilluzzi704@aol.com

 

 

 

“These new Census figures make clear the Bush Administration’s damaging impact on struggling families.  It is unacceptable that 800,000 more Americans are living in poverty, including 500,000 more children.  Women working full-time earn 78 percent of the salaries earned by men.  And we still have more than 45 million Americans without health insurance, including more than eight million children.  We should be doing everything possible to raise families out of poverty, close the pay gap and ensure every American has quality, affordable healthcare.  Instead, the Bush Administration has blocked our efforts to expand the Children’s Health Insurance Program to cover millions more children, and tried to cut vital Medicaid services used by more than 400,000 New Yorkers.  We cannot continue with the Bush Administration’s misguided policies that only hurt children and families and I will continue to work with my colleagues in Congress to reverse them.” 

 

Senator Hillary Clinton

 

 

 

Email: "Joe, Just a quick "atta-boy" for your reporting on the Sam Hoyt fiasco.  Keep digging away at the truth, in particular because its obvious the Buffalo News doesn't feel compelled to provide a complete and accurate story.

 

Also wanted to thank you for the Pat Buchanan perspective on the Georgian/Russian conflict where once again the Buffalo News has been sorely lacking in its responsibility to its readers to provide a comprehensive picture of a complex issue."

 

Al DeBenedetti (former Erie County Legislature Chairman (D)

 

 

 

Exclusive: Western New York’s Nuclear Monster

 

Part 4: Cleanup

 

By Judy Einach

 

 

In the best of all possible worlds, which this is not, it should take 20 years to cleanup the West Valley nuclear site to a standard that would allow people to live on the land and farm it. But the site is such a complex site the Nuclear Regulatory Commission argues that cleanup to a resident-farmer standard, which is also the standard for license termination, should be flexible. Basically, this means the NRC doesn’t want to be held to its own standard in order to terminate the license and call it a day.

 

The hamlet of West Valley is part of the Town of Ashford. Ashford has paid a huge opportunity cost by having a nuclear dump in its midst. All around Ashford, in Springville and Ellicottville, economic development rooted in tourism and recreation is taking place. Ashford should be part of this trend yet it is not.

 

If DOE and NRC committed to cleanup the nuclear site and NYSERDA agreed to cleanup that portion of the site it is directly responsible for, we would see jobs creation and the development of new technologies for cleanup of other nuclear sites. This is a long-term cleanup project that will provide jobs for at least 200 years.

 

But cleanup comes with risks. Anytime we move nuclear materials we put health and safety at risk. Obviously we want to minimize risk to workers, to the public and to the environment. Those of us who want all the wastes dug up and at the very least stored above ground in containers that are monitored and retrievable have been asked about risk to workers. Our reply is that when we started the process of vitrifying the high level wastes no one had ever created glass logs as a way to solidify high level wastes.

 

Yet we did it. We can go slowly and we can think through each step carefully. We cannot afford to leave the wastes in place. We know that option will absolutely result in tremendous harm, or if monitored and maintained over a very long period of time, so long we don’t even know if government will exist, be outrageously expensive. Cleanup costs but failing to cleanup costs more.

 

We don’t know what the affects of climate change will be. If predictions are correct we will see longer periods without rain which will cause the earth to dry and crack. And we will see more torrential rains which will hasten erosion and potentially expose the nuclear wastes sooner.

 

Most likely if there were a release of the buried wastes the material that would make its way through the creeks to Lake Erie would be radioactive fine silt. The silt could move from the site to the lake in one day’s time. A major release would be catastrophic. Potentially the entire water supply for Erie County, the City of Buffalo, Niagara County, some wells in Cattaraugus County and Erie County would be contaminated. There is no way enough water could be brought into the area. The area would become uninhabitable.

 

In spite of what’s at stake the Environmental Impact Statement for decontamination and decommissioning of the West Valley nuclear site is the longest unresolved EIS in the history of the US. Right now cleanup actions proceed without a vision for a final end-state, or preferred alternative. The politics, negotiating through which government agency is responsible for what appears more exciting than cleaning up the site. Recently DOE celebrated the safe transport of 20,000 drums of solidified low level wastes from the West Valley Demonstration Project to the Nevada Test Site.

 

These were wastes solidified in concrete. Moving these wastes, while an accomplishment, was one of the easier cleanup tasks. The West Valley Demonstration Project has within its own name the potential to be great. The DOE could lead the way and use the West Valley site to demonstrate, through development and implementation, new technologies and methodologies to deal with cleanup of nuclear wastes.

 

Regardless of anyone’s position on expanding the use of nuclear power, and there are substantial drawbacks, the one issue the public is extremely concerned about is what we do with nuclear wastes. It certainly seems that cleaning up the West Valley nuclear site, to the most protective standard, should be something everyone should be championing, including every NY politician regardless of what district he or she represents or what office he or she holds.

 

How clean we clean the West Valley nuclear site is on the nation’s radar. We need to do this right. There was no nuclear threat in WNY until nuclear material was brought into the region. We paid a heavy price for our contribution to the war efforts of the previous 100 years, but in exchange WNY played a strong national role and our local economy benefited. A clean environment will set up WNY to survive and thrive economically during the next 100 years. In spite of arguments to the contrary, strict cleanup standards applied to the West Valley nuclear site and all the other nuclear and hazardous sites throughout WNY are our best hope.

 

 

 

EXCLUSIVE: SUPERINTENDENT DR JAMES WILLIAMS

 

by Joseph J. Illuzzi

 

 

The Buffalo School Board & BEST the 2nd largest union in the District with 1000 members have reached a contract agreement. The contract was ratified by the Board of Education Wednesday night.

 

BEST represents Teacher Aides & Assistants.

 

According to Superintendent James Williams, in an exclusive interview, the deal is "groundbreaking" in so much as it is a "step in the right direction & brings peace in the community" at least with BEST.

 

Terms are as follows:

 

Eight year deal 2004 through 2012

 

BEST agrees to drop its participation in the wage freeze litigation brought against the Control Board.

 

No retroactive pay going back to 2004.

 

However there will be a one time good faith payment of $750 to members.

 

One health carrier Blue Shield & Blue Cross

 

The assistants who went back to school & were certified will get 19% over four years

 

Those who are not certified will get 10%.

 

Aides will receive 14%

 

The salary range around $17,000 per year; so for some this is a $1700 increase the first year.

 

Williams likened this agreement to  Local 409 engineers union (200-300 members)  who were the first to the table. As a result the schools doors will be open to students for a longer day at no additional cost to the District. Williams applauds 409 for that agreement.

 

Williams credited both unions with the common sense to stay at the table & negotiate rather than negotiate in public, paraphrasing.

 

The fact is in September the BEST member will be working side by side with the teachers with a new contract in place with a single carrier & given the economic conditions, at least according to Governor Paterson, a pretty good raise in salary.

 

Dr Williams expresses his appreciation to his team Pat Pancoe, Jim Kane, Gary Crosby & Counsel Kelly Eisenreid.

 

His great appreciation to Ellis Woods representing BEST at the table.

 

Bringing labor peace to the District is a major part  of Williams  long term plan of  improving student performance; which is the ultimate goal!

 

 

 

August 28, 2008

 

 

"I respect the decision of the Seneca Nation of Indians based on the information provided to me.  I still believe that this $333 million project, which will create over 1,000 jobs, will be a benefit to the City of Buffalo and I look forward to working with the Seneca Nation to get the project back up and running."

 

Mayor Byron Brown

 

 

 

GOLISANO GETS CAUGHT UP IN MEDIA FRENZY

By Tony Farina

  Tom Golisano, who donated $1 million to the Democratic Convention host committee, will get his own skybox at Invesco Field on Thursday night for Barack Obama’s acceptance speech.

On Tuesday night, the owner of the Buffalo Sabres sat in President Clinton’s skybox at the Pepsi Center for Hillary’s rousing speech that energized the arena with her call for unity behind Obama against the Republicans in November.

Golisano, quite able to draw a crowd in his own right, found himself nearly squashed at one point yesterday when he arrived at the arena with President Clinton who can draw a media crowd with the best of them. And according to Gary Parenti, who along with Steve Pigeon is attending the convention, that’s just what happened.

All eyes will be on President Clinton Wednesday tonight when he takes center stage at the convention on the same night as Joe Biden accepts the nomination as Obama’s running mate. The theme for the evening: national security.

Biden is widely acknowledged as an expert on foreign policy, serving as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. And two-term President Bill Clinton is certainly no stranger to the challenges of being the leader of the free world.

Both speakers are expected to try and shore up Obama’s weakness in the polls where voters have expressed a preference for Republican John McCain on terrorism and the Iraq war. But Clinton’s words will also be closely examined to see if the former president has gotten over the bitter primary fight between Obama and his wife, a battle that sometimes saw him as the heavy.

Some reports have the former president less than enthusiastic about speaking on national security when he would prefer to talk about the economy. But according to news reports, Obama told Clinton on Monday "you can say whatever you like."

Many who have followed Clinton’s political career have little doubt he will deliver tonight, just like his wife did on Tuesday. Clinton may not be ready to do a victory lap with Obama but former aides like James Carville expect he will be up to the task of advancing the Democratic cause, and that means helping Barack Obama come out of the convention as a stronger candidate. 

 

 

August 27, 2008

 

 

 

PoliticsNY.Net: SKRETNY REENFORCES SENECA CASINO RULING BUT!

 

 

 

UPDATE: Senecas suspend building projects in Buffalo & Salamanca do to poor economic conditions. ###

 

"Judge William Skretny has reinforced his previous ruling on the Seneca's Buffalo Creek Casino, saying gambling at the planned and temporary casino is illegal. In addition, Judge Skretny denied the federal government's remand motion, that the case be transferred to the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC). During Tuesday morning's ruling, Skretny did not say that the casino must immediately close. Instead, he said that the federal government is now obligated to enforce his ruling. Skretny says he will not take another look at the motions"

 

Skretny cannot order the Senecas to close the casino. The Senecas are NOT part of the lawsuit. The NIGC will probably take NO action on Skretny's ruling. The case will be appealed. ###

 

COUNTY EXECUTIVE CHRIS COLLINS

 

 

"Erie County Executive Chris Collins will have his four minutes of fame on the national stage next week, and he'll use some of it to promote Buffalo and Erie County. Collins will speak on Tuesday, September 2nd at 8:40pm Eastern time. Collins will have four minutes to speak on the topic of reform, which is the theme of the evening. "I wanted to get across I was a change agent to challenge the status quo, in particular reforming our government through Lean Six Sigma, which is already showing results," says Collins. Collins credits Maria Cino, President and CEO of the Republican National Convention, for giving him this opportunity. Cino is a Buffalo native, and Collins says she keeps tabs on what's happening in Western New York. Collins says he's looking forward to meeting with as many party leaders as possible to promote Erie County and put Western New York on the map." ###

 

Josephilluzzi704@aol.com

 

 

 

Email: "Joe:That was a absolutely great keynote speech by Hillary Clinton last night. In my mind.she has redeemed herself for her negative, pre nominee, campaign ads attacking Barack Obama. Speaking of Hillary, I heard a great story about  an African American, Korean War Veteran who had been wounded badly in the war but was never classified with a service-connected condition. This gentleman lives in Niagara Falls, New York.  Somehow, Mrs. Clinton heard about his story. She lobbied on his behalf, worked with the Veteran Admininstration, and called this gentleman, personally on several occasions, to see if he was being taken care of.  To make a long story short, The veteran was recently classified 100% service-connected disabled, and at the age of 72, bought his first house and a brand new car that he paid for, in cash. Now Joe, you know that I was (and continue to be) a big Obama fan and over the past several months, I have had serious 'issues' with Hillary. But the time that she took herself (not her staff) to resolve this issue for this gentleman, showed a lot of dedication on her part; and for me, a renewed respect for her.  I like to give credit when it is due and in this instance, Hillary Clinton truly did her job as this person's federal representative."

 

Betty Jean Grant, Erie County 7th District Legislator.

 

 

 

Senators Charles E. Schumer and Hillary Rodham Clinton announced $500,000 in U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) funding for Erie County in Western New York.  The grant will support improvements at Buffalo Niagara International Airport.

“This is an important investment for Western New York,” said Schumer. “Buffalo Niagara International Airport is a vital part of the region's economy and these federal dollars will go a long way in providing the necessary improvements to keep the airport both safe and efficient for years to come.  I will continue to fight for federal funds to help the airport continue to be a thriving center of activity and a hub for economic growth in the Buffalo Niagara area.”

“I welcome this wise investment in Western New York.  Buffalo Niagara International is a gateway to our nation and a critical resource for commerce and transportation.  With these improvements, the airport will continue to work safely and efficiently for local travelers and communities,” said Senator Clinton.

The DOT grant will support construction of a wetland system for waste water treatment at Buffalo Niagara.

 

Senators Charles E. Schumer and Hillary Rodham Clinton

 

 

 

DEMOCRATS START SLOWLY

 

THERE’S TIME TO ATTACK

By Tony Farina

 

 

The Democrats may not have attacked the Bush years on the first night of their convention, but the stirring speech by ailing Ted Kennedy and Michelle Obama’s well-tailored remarks seemed to set the right tone, at least for the start of the four-day party that will culminate with Barack Obama’s appearance on Thursday night.

Hillary Clinton will be the headliner on Tuesday night and by all accounts she will urge her supporters to rally behind Obama in a unity speech and invoke her own campaign’s call for an end to the war in Iraq, a reversal of the country’s sagging economic fortunes, and universal health care, all consistent with Obama’s beliefs.

Many analysts, including Clinton strategist James Carville, think the Obama campaign needs to get tougher in defining John McCain as another Bush and said the Democrats came up short in that regard on the first night of the Denver convention.

But while I agree with Carville that the Democrats need to go on the attack, I don’t agree that Monday night was necessarily the time to unleash the attack dogs. Kennedy, fighting a brain tumor, showed courage and spirit in an emotional speech that had delegates in tears, some no doubt remembering the hopes that JFK stirred so many years ago and today’s own rousing speech nearly 30 years ago.

And I thought Michelle Obama’s poised and polished remarks, especially when talking about her father’s battle with multiple sclerosis and her love for her husband and his commitment to fight for a better world, was just what she needed to do---even if some will not be swayed by anything she says.

There will be plenty of prime time available to go after McCain and talk about the Bush years which have been marked by war, rising debt, economic woes, and a loss of respect around the world. If the Democrats can’t paint that picture, they deserve to lose. And Obama must convince voters that he has the stuff to lead the nation as he prepares to go one-on-one with a war hero who is seen as stronger on national security and, astonishingly, better than Obama on the economy.

The Democrats have their work cut out for them in this convention and before they can go after Bush and McCain, they need to settle their own differences (Obama vs. Clinton) and present a unified front. One thing you can expect from the Republicans next week, if history is any gauge, is a unified convention despite the fact some Conservatives still can’t embrace McCain. He may be able to solve that with his choice of a running mate, but we won’t know that is until Friday, the day after the Democrats break up and head out on the campaign trail.

Hillary must summon all her resources Tuesday night and serve notice to the convention, to Democrats who supported her through the primaries, and to the rest of the nation, that she is committed to the candidacy of Barack Obama and that he will be the best choice to lead the country during these dangerous and challenging times.

Tonight, Hillary, the stage is yours and Obama’s chances for victory in November may well hinge on how you perform.

Stay tuned!

 

 

Dan Humiston Challenges Brian Higgins to Sign a Pledge

Promising to Pass an American Energy Plan

 

Dan Humiston, Congressional Independence and Republican candidate and local business owner, called on Brian Higgins (D-27) to promise the people of Western New York that he won’t take another vacation until Congress passes a comprehensive American Energy Plan that includes off-shore drilling.

Following an article in Saturday’s Buffalo News in which Congressman Brian Higgins questioned the utility of domestic drilling, Humiston expressed concern. "Brian Higgins is against off-shore drilling, so instead of working to find a compromise, he voted to take a five-week paid vacation," Humiston said at a press conference he held this morning. "Higgins made a serious mistake when he took a vacation instead of working to solve our energy crisis. His irresponsible behavior hurt Western New York families and businesses by unnecessarily keeping gas prices high all summer."

Humiston acknowledged that off-shore drilling will not solve our long-term goal of fossil fuel independence. However, he added, "Off-shore drilling will certainly achieve our mid-term goal of foreign fuel independence. It will also immediately solve our short-term goal of lowering the price at the pump. The moment that we pass a plan to increase the supply of oil through off-shore drilling, the market will react and the price of oil will go down."

After a five-week paid vacation, Congress will reconvene on September 8. They will then only have until September 26 to pass a comprehensive American Energy Plan before they’re scheduled to start a long three-and-one-half month paid vacation. "In July, the people of Western New York trusted Brian Higgins to make the right decision on his own, but he took a vacation and let us down," Humiston said. "Apparently, when it comes to his vacations, we can’t trust him to do the right thing on his own. Therefore we now must insist that he signs a pledge that he will NOT take another vacation until Congress passes a comprehensive American Energy Plan that will provide immediate relief at the pump through off-shore drilling."

Humiston calls on all Western New Yorkers to insist that Brian Higgins sign the following pledge:    

I, Brian Higgins, will NOT vote to start my scheduled three-and-one-half month paid vacation until Congress passes a Comprehensive American Energy Plan that includes off-shore drilling.

 

 

Pushing Russia into the Cold

 

by Pat Buchanan

 

 A year after taking power, in June 1934, Adolf Hitler made his first visit abroad -- to his idol Benito Mussolini in Venice.

Babbling on incessantly about "Mein Kampf "and the Negroid strain in Mediterranean peoples, the Fuhrer made a dismal impression.

"What a clown this Hitler is," Mussolini told an aide. Two weeks later, Hitler executed the Roehm purge and murdered scores of old Stormtrooper comrades. In late July, Austrian Nazis, attempting a coup, assassinated Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss, a friend of Mussolini whose wife and child were then his guests.

Il Duce ordered four divisions to the Brenner Pass and flew to Vienna to vent his rage and disgust with Hitler. He called a summit at Stresa with Britain and France to agree on military action should Hitler make any new move in violation of Versailles.

At the time, however, Il Duce was also plotting revenge on Abyssinia for a bloody border clash with Italian Somaliland.

Mussolini thought his Allies would understand if he invaded the Ogaden to add an African colony to his new Roman Empire, just as the British and French had so often done in previous decades.

Mussolini miscalculated. Morally outraged, Britain and France went before the League of Nations and had sanctions imposed on Italy that were too weak to defeat her but punitive enough to insult her.

Friendless, isolated and condemned as an aggressor by Europe, Italy and Mussolini had nowhere to turn now but Hitler's Germany.

Thus, over the fate of an Abyssinian slave empire, Britain drove her faithful World War I ally into the arms of a Nazi dictator Mussolini loathed and had wished to confront beside Britain. And Abyssinia was overrun.

Are we making the same mistake in the Caucasus?

Mikheil Saakashvili started this war with his barrage attack and occupation of South Ossetia. Russia's war of retribution was far less violent or excessive than the U.S. bombing of Serbia for 78 days over Kosovo, or our unprovoked war on Saddam Hussein's Iraq, which has brought death to scores of thousands, or Israel's 35 days of bombing of Lebanon for a border skirmish with Hezbollah.

Yet, declared John McCain of Russia, "In the 21st century, nations don't invade other nations." Even Dick Cheney must have guffawed.

Russia must get out now, adds Bush, for South Ossetia and Abkhazia belong to a sovereign Georgia. But when did Bush demand that Israel get off the Golan Heights or withdraw from the birthplace of Jesus, which Israelis have occupied for 41 years, as he demands that Russia get out of the birthplace of Joseph Stalin, which Russia has occupied for two weeks?

As Israel was provoked in 1967, so, too, was Russia provoked.

Russians died in Saakashvili's attack, as American died in Pancho Villa's raid on New Mexico in 1916. We sent "Black Jack" Pershing, future Gen. George Patton and a U.S. army 300 miles into Mexico to kill Villa. Was this proportionate?

If we proceed on a course of isolating Russia from the West, keeping her out of the World Trade Organization, throwing her out of the G-8 and ending cooperation with NATO, where do we think Russia will go? Where did Il Duce go, when he was excommunicated from the West?

Condi Rice compares Vladimir Putin's action in Georgia to Leonid Brezhnev's crushing of the Prague Spring in 1968. She raced to Warsaw to ink a deal to put 10 anti-missile missiles and U.S. Patriot missiles manned by Americans into Poland.

Does the Stanford provost have any idea where the end of this road lies, upon which she and Bush have started the United States?

What do we do if Russia responds to our Patriots in Poland with the Russian S-300 anti-aircraft system in Iran and Syria?

If the United States intends to bring Georgia and Ukraine into NATO and arm them to fight Russia, why should Russia not dissolve the Treaty on Conventional Forces in Europe and move her tank armies into Belarus and up to the borders of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania?

Would we send U.S. troops into the Baltic republics to signal that we will fight Russia to honor our NATO war guarantees? Which NATO allies would fight alongside us against a nuclear-armed Russia?

If we bring Ukraine into NATO, what do we do if Russified east Ukraine secedes and Russia sends troops to back the rebels? Do we send warships into Russia's bathtub, the Black Sea, and commit to fight as long as it takes to restore Ukraine's territorial integrity?

In March 1939, Britain pledged to declare war and fight Germany to the death to guarantee the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Poland. How did that one turn out for Britain and Poland?

Before we start down the road of isolating and encircling Russia with weak NATO allies, let us think through Gen. Petraeus' question in 2003 about Iraq, "Tell me, how does this thing end?"

But, then, these folks never seem to think anything through.

 

 

 

August 26, 2008

 

 

PoliticsNY.Net:

 

 

EXCLUSIVE: HOYT DID INDEED BREAK ASSEMBLY RULES

 

 

 

Fox News quoting an AP story is reporting the 2nd woman in the Hoyt matter was an Assembly "Intern" between January & May of 04.

 

"State comptroller records obtained by The Associated Press Thursday show one of the women was an intern for a semester in early 2003, then was hired to a staff job until August 2005. The other woman was an intern in the January-to-May semester of 2004, and employed after that as a staff member through August 2006."

 

Intern #2  has been identified in public reports filed with the Ethics Committee as Yolanda Amecia DeMoya ... Intern #1 Lori Gradwell.

 

Gradwell's attorney Brian Barrett speaking on her behalf confirmed the affair with Hoyt lasting from 03 to 05.

 

The emails have been authenticated as coming from both Gradwell (WGRZ TV) & Hoyt. Sources say, "Hoyt has admitted to sending & receiving the emails."

 

Hoyt's remarks appeared on a local blog supported by Hoyt.

 

PoliticsNY.Net has provided the Legislature  Ethics Committee with the documents in Hoyt's own words; responded to by Gradwell, that Hoyt did have at least one sexual encounter with Intern DeMoya.

 

Hoyt going on to say, according to documents acquired by PoliticsNY.Net, he could "care less about 'Amecia' or her feelings"; begging Gradwell for forgiveness. 

 

Gradwell identifying "Amecia" as the other woman as well.

 

Sadly, its obvious "Amecia" interned, had sex with Hoyt & then ended up on the payroll through August of 06. Other than the sex part, according to Hoyt, he could "care less about Amecia or her feelings" to his everlasting shame I might add.

 

Gradwell's  response as published by PoliticsNY.Net  last week:

 

From: <blueskies588@hotmail.com>

To: samhoyt@hotmail.com  

 

"You F.....g scumbag liar...I knew you were f.....g around...how many girls do you have exactly??? I hate you. I knew you were lying, but I was so stupid...you scumbag...f...k off...leave me alone and go be with your other girlfriends...her...and who else...Ali...and who else??? All I asked of you was honesty....thats it..." ###

 

 

NY DAILY NEWS EDITORIAL

 

 

 

"Read and cringe

My, my, the things that go on in Albany behind closed doors. No, we're not talking about a lobbyist inserting a clause into a bill after inserting a check into an envelope.

Rather, we examine what it is that some lawmakers do when they are male and far from home - and find themselves surrounded by young female aides. Our exemplar is Buffalo Democratic Assemblyman Sam Hoyt, married, with two children.

Be warned: The cringe factor is extremely high.

According to e-mails posted on a political blog (PoliticsNY.net), Hoyt took up with a young woman associated with the Legislature in 2003 and may subsequently have formed a relationship with another young woman.

According to the blog - whose postings have not been confirmed - Hoyt sent the young woman a list of wishes. Among them:

"that I could be painting your toenails right now ..."

"that i could see you do that little cheerleader move ..."

"that you could be my human alarm clock ..."

"that i could be modeling my cool penguin boxers for you tonight ..."

"that you could tell me i am yummy (i love that) ..."

"that i could see your ducks ..."

"that i could find you a pemanent [sic] parking space ..."

But then things soured, according to the blog postings. What we can print of the young woman's feelings are as follows:

"how many girls do you have exactly??? I hate you ...."

Hoyt has admitted to an "episode" and to committing "unfortunate" actions at a time when his marriage was troubled. He insists that he did not violate any rules of the Assembly.

That must be determined. In 2004, in response to a sexual assault, the Assembly barred fraternization with interns. This particular woman was both an intern and a paid staff member. And the alleged relationship may have taken place before the hands-off rule took effect.

Whether or not that is the case, the circumstances demand a full investigation. The younger the woman was - be she an intern or employee - the more improper Hoyt's conduct would be.

If the facts are proven, the Assembly Ethics Committee, controlled by Democrats under the leadership of Speaker Sheldon Silver, must take a strong stand. And they must do so with a complete public report."

 

Warren Buffett where the hell are you?

 

 

 

UPDATE: Oh Warren! I guess I should thank the Buffalo News' Mike Beebee for not attacking me falsely & personally in his article on the Hoyt matter Wednesday (today), something unusual for Beebee. However, once again the News gets the story all wrong. The case with respect to Gradwell & Hoyt is not "circumstantial" they both admit the affair, DUH!!!

 

Yolanda Amecia DeMoya an intern in his office, had sex with Hoyt as well, nothing circumstantial there either. Hoyt admitted to it in documents we have. Right now the allegation with respect to the Hoyt's 3rd victim is circumstantial.

 

The Buffalo News' Lipsey, Sullivan, BeeBee, Esmonde, et al. have been married to Hoyt for decades & his father before him. Their behavior continues to be an assault on the cannons of journalistic ethics, Warren.

 

They lie Warren deal with it! ###

 

Warren Buffett, owner of the Buffalo News, your team is still showing "restraint" (Handling the Hoyt sex story with restraint) with respect to the Hoyt matter. Of course this after breaking just about every cannon of journalistic ethics by not correcting their Tom Precious front page copyright article claiming these woman were not interns but adults, calling our account into question, etc.

 

Sir: Please do not believe that we have dealt with the Times Union article written by Irene Liu, approved by Albany Bureau Casey Seiler. The article was so false as to be almost comical if it were not so pathetic. Oh! Liu sourced Tom Precious et al. (Buffalo News) throughout the article.  see below ###

 

 

 

I WILL BE HAPPY TO CANCEL JOE MESI'S AD

 

 You support this right Joe Mesi? & Michele Iannello

 

61st District NYS Senate candidate Joe Mesi has flipped again on the abortion issue. This time on morning talk he says I am for abortion at any time even the "Podiatrist" thing. Mesi trying to say Partial Birth Abortion, crushing the skull & sucking out the brain of an infant between the 7th month & birth of that child.

 

Joe,  a women's group endorses you, Marinelli throws a fundraiser for you & all of the sudden you're for killing viable children in utero. Please get out of this race; like it was rumored you intended to do when you showed so poorly in the polls & couldn't raise any money.

 

Update: For Iannello's part she is opposed to a woman having the choice to marry another woman, gay marriage. But Iannello believes a woman should have the choice to kill her viable child in the 9th month of pregnancy. Have you ever encountered anything more patently stupid than that?

 

Dan Ward deserves to win the primary.

 

Dan Ward is the class of this primary. Len Lenihan should have endorsed Dan. ###

 

 

GOLISANO'S RESPONSIBLE NEW YORK  ENDORSES

 

 

Golisano's endorsements Monday in Senate races that could be close and play into which party holds the majority included:

 

--Barbara Kavanaugh over Sam Hoyt in the 144th Assembly District (Polls Dead Heat)

 

--Democrat Brian Foley who faces incumbent Republican Sen. Caesar Trunzo, in Suffolk County.

--Democrat B.K. Keramati who faces Republican Sen. Hugh Farley in Schenectady County.

--Democrat David Nachbar who faces Republican Sen. James Alesi in Monroe County.

--Democrat Richard Dollinger, a former state senator, who faces incumbent Republican Sen. Joseph Robach in Monroe County.

Republicans hold a one-vote majority over the Senate they have controlled for decades.

 

Golisano plans to spend at least $5 million on candidates he supports this year.

 

"Responsible New York will support people who are willing to act for reform and not just talk about it," said the committee's co-chairwoman, Laureen Oliver, former chairwoman of the state Independence Party." ###

 

 

LETS JUST SAVE STUDIO ARENA!!!!

 

WHO CARES IF THIS REPORT IS TRUE OR NOT; I AM POSITIVE KIDMAN ET AL. SHARE OUR LOVE FOR OUR THEATER!!!

 

NICOLE KIDMAN STEPS UP FOR STUDIO ARENA

 

 

 

"Nicole Kidman, the Hollywood actress recently told reporters for London's "Mirror" newspaper that someone needs to step in and save Studio Arena.

Kidman suggests that Broadway actors should band together and raise money for the legendary Buffalo venue.

"We were waiting for the ignition switch to get the motor running. We have grassroots efforts, small funding steps, we have a presence at Curtain Up, and we have a number of small things going, but this is the volcano that's really going to make a difference," said Studio Arena CEO Kathleen Gaffney."   ###

Josephilluzzi704@aol.com

 

"GOOD FEELING ABOUT TICKET"

SAYS ERIE COUNTY CHAIRMAN LENIHAN FROM DENVER

 by Staff

 Even though national polls suggest that Barack Obama and John McCain are basically in a statistical dead heat in their race for the presidency, the mood in Denver as the Democrats kick off their national convention is one of optimism.

"There is a very good feeling about this ticket," says Len Lenihan, referring of course to Obama and his running mate, Sen. Joe Biden. "I believe Sen. Biden was everyone’s second choice behind Sen. Clinton and he will be a huge addition."

Lenihan, speaking by phone from Denver on Monday, praised Biden as someone who has the necessary experience to reassure voters who have expressed concerns about Obama’s relatively brief resume.

"He [Biden] fills that gap," says Lenihan. "Biden has served as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has traveled the globe, and also has an excellent domestic record, especially on crime control."

The veteran Democratic leader also shrugged off the polls showing Obama and McCain running virtually neck and neck, saying "tight polls are usually the case. A tie is a good thing. A lot of candidates who were leading in the polls before Labor Day lost." He mentioned three of them, Dukakis, Kerry and Gore.

Lenihan, one of at least 50 Erie County delegates attending the convention, said the atmosphere is jubilant about the week’s events, including the Monday night speech by the presumptive candidate’s wife, Michelle Obama, remarks that will be tagged via satellite by her husband.

Caroline Kennedy, niece of ailing Democratic powerhouse Sen. Ted Kennedy, will also speak tonight along with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr.

Told that Sen. Kennedy himself might make an unscheduled appearance [health permitting] at the convention, Lenihan said that would obviously be a highlight of the entire week and a huge emotional factor.

Most anticipated, however, is Sen. Obama’s acceptance speech Thursday night.

"We expect Sen. Obama to hit it out of the park [Invesco Field]," said Lenihan, and with an eye on the polls, that’s just what Obama will be trying to do when he addresses the convention and the millions of voters who will be watching and measuring the young man who would be president.

 

 

Senator William Stachowski (D 58^th)

 

Endorsed by Tom Golisano’s Responsible New York Organization

 

 

State Senator William Stachowski (D 58^th) was one of 13 candidates endorsed by Tom Golisano’s Responsible New York organization. The list of endorsed candidates was announced on August 21^st and included five Democrats and five Republicans running for the New York Senate as well as three State Assembly candidates.

"The endorsement by Tom Golisano’s Responsible New York organization is significant," stated Senator Stachowski. "Tom Golisano is a registered Republican who co-founded the Independent Party and has just recently become a strong financial supporter of the host committee for the Democratic National Convention. The Responsible New York Organization was formed to fight for the tax payers of New York which is my primary focus in representing the 58^th district. Tom Golisano has crossed party lines to select the candidates he feels best represent the interests of the tax payers of this fine state and I am honored to have received his endorsement," said Stachowski.

Senator Stachowski has served the constituents of the 58^th district since 1981 and is the ranking minority member of the State Finance Committee.

The Responsible New York Organization conducted its own research and polling in selecting the candidates that were endorsed.

 

 

Exclusive: Western New York’s Nuclear Monster

 

Part 3: The Plume

 

by Judy Einach

 

 

 

The 275 canisters of vitrified high level wastes at the West Valley nuclear site live in what is known as the Process Building. For 15 years it has been known that coming from somewhere in the Process Building cesium and strontium are leaking and migrating beyond the Process Building through glacial till, contaminating a loose mix of gravel and soil. Cesium moves more slowly than strontium. The strontium moves 60 feet per year. It has been moving toward Frank’s Creek and now leaks into the creek in small amounts.

 

Cesium and strontium have relatively short half-lives. Their half-life is 30 years. Every 30 years they transform into another element, often referred to as a decay daughter. But it takes on average 10 decay cycles for a radioactive element to become something that is not radioactive. This doesn’t mean it isn’t harmful, just that it’s not radioactive. It takes 300 years for cesium and strontium to degrade to a non-radioactive form. That’s 15 human generations. That’s great grandchildren with 13 greats preceding grandchild before the cesium and strontium reach a non-radioactive state.

 

Cesium and strontium are radioactive isotopes with short half-lives. Some radioactive isotopes at the West Valley nuclear site have a half-life of over a million years. We cannot conceive of what will be 10 million years or more into the future. But we know material "traceable to West Valley," will be somewhere in the mix. The majority of radioactive material on site has half-lives in the tens of thousands of years; posing a threat for an impossible to deal with long time before the radioactivity decays.

 

What is known as the plume of cesium and strontium on the West Valley nuclear site that has leaked through groundwater and into soil has contaminated as many as 61,000 cubic meters of soil which will have to be decontaminated or removed if the site is ever to be cleaned to a standard that meets the NRC rule for license termination.

 

Thanks to a push by the Environmental Protection Agency, DOE is finally agreeing to look at demolishing the Process Building which has contamination issues of its own. By demolishing the building engineers will find the source of the leaking cesium and strontium and stop it. Before the Process Building can be demolished the 275 canisters of vitrified wastes will have to be removed – carefully – and placed in another above ground storage unit that will have to be built. Other than storing them here, there’s no place for them to go. If we had a national repository for high level wastes they would be in the cue for transport. Yucca Mountain may or may not materialize. Even if Yucca were in place, there’s 40 years of material ahead of us in line to be moved there.

 

In the meantime DOE is examining the possibility of building an in-ground decontamination wall to stop the strontium from migrating further and leaking into Frank’s Creek. There is an existing wall that was built several years ago. But no one knows everything there is to know about radioactivity and the strontium outsmarted the engineers by finding a way around the wall. Hopefully the engineers will be able to outsmart the strontium this time. As awful as it is to live with radioactivity, we have an opportunity to develop technologies that will be helpful here and helpful to others in other parts of the country where nuclear wastes threaten health and safety.

 

The plume has been a huge bone of contention between DOE and NYSERDA. DOE manages about 200 of the 3300 acres. The acres DOE manages are known as the West Valley Demonstration Project. All things considered, DOE management has been pretty good. Employee injury and accident rates are among the lowest in the county for DOE managed nuclear sites. But throughout the Bush administration there has been virtually no progress toward cleanup until very recently when a breakthrough occurred.

 

As stated, the source of the plume is coming from somewhere in the Process Building which is within the West Demonstration Project acreage. But as the plume migrated it crossed the line and contaminated land that NYSERDA manages. DOE didn’t stop the plume before it reached the West Valley Demonstration Project boundary. Yet DOE has maintained that they are not responsible for cleaning up contamination beyond the West Valley Demonstration Project boundary. These kinds of disputes drive everyone crazy.

 

Consequently, NYSERDA has filed a lawsuit against the DOE which spells out how much federal waste is on site and makes a case for federal responsibility for cleanup. At the same time, the public watchdog group, the Coalition on West Valley Nuclear Wastes working with one of its members who has standing in court, is engaged in another court case that argues DOE and the USA are in violation of National Environmental Policy Act.

 

Part 4: Clean