Slow, short week. I got nothing. Some of you saw Bruce last night. Some of you watched the Curb your Enthusiasm season finale. Some of you heard Maziarz on Dave Debo’s show yesterday. What’d ya think?
[...]So Bruno was hired for 20 Grand a month to do nothing. NOTHING, just be there to introduce this guy to people. Must be nice to have that kind of power and all the while making deals while on the taxpayers dime. $20,000 a month is more than many people [...]
So here’s a guy that basically worked for Bruno in the counsels office warning Bruno not to do what he was going to do, BUT as is all to typical with corrupt politicians. Bruno ignores it and does so any way. Then in his mind, nothing is wrong.
ALBANY [...]
I feel I have let down my loyal WNY readers by not staying on top of the Joe Bruno corruption trial, I apologize. I have just ran across 3 incredible articles and it looks to me that all I had written about Bruno in the past is true. Look at [...]
Via Fark, this story of Tyler Shipman, a dying high school senior from Minnesota whose last wish is that his beloved 1986 Pontiac Fiero be restored. The wish was made on a Fiero enthusiast’s forum, and the response was as overwhelming as the badass [...]
If she has done no wrong then why is she gonna stop.
She has been on at least 8 tickets and as many as 12 so, she made a deal with the senator that he would not pursue the toll issue as long as she raises money for his campaign. [...]
I couldn’t help thinking this week about what an awful decade it has been for da Bills and us da fans.
If you look at what the team did in the 1990s and then at what it did in the 2000s, the only thing that pops into my [...]
While NY State burns our legislators sit back and allow it to go on. They have raised taxes 3 times this year, what will be next. Already the unions are running their commercials trying to scare the crap out of people that the state will melt if any cuts are [...]

John Cole at Balloon Juice wraps up our contemporary discourse, and Republican political & messaging strategy, in one perfect nutshell. He argues that the GOP’s aim is to leave the country ungovernable, and one way to do that is spew a bunch of utter bullshit, and [...]
The Buffalo News covers its policy on Astroturf letters to the editor here.
For one thing, we don’t do third-party thank-you letters, preferring to allocate scarce space to the public debate of issues. For another, the same sort of letters went to editorial pages and editors all across the country, [...]
There’s been a spate of incidents on the renovated Main Street where undisciplined, brutal gangs of medians have jumped out in front of various vehicles.
This is reminiscent of, among other things, the vicious gangs of keep left signs that attacked unsuspecting pedestrians in Bolton, UK in the early 70s.
[...]Watch the latest business video at FOXBusiness.com
I think if Kevin Gaughan shows up at town hall in my locale, I may just have to do this.
[...]
We live in amazing times…there has never been another point in the history of our crazy planet where most of the free or not-so-free world is just a click away. The internet has become a voice for people all over the world who otherwise would have no [...]
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[...]Now Paterson sounds like he would work well with the Democrats in the Erie County Legislature. All they want to do is give everything to the unions, thus driving up costs all the way around.
A surprise move by Gov. David Paterson to impose a series of union-friendly mandates [...]
Tonight, I am asking readers of The Buffalo Bean to consider donating to The George W. Bush Presidential Center.
Some of you may know, back in 2003, I founded Blogs For Bush, which went on to become one of the most popular political blogs during the 2004 presidential campaign [...]
THESE REALLY WORK!! I checked this out on Snopes and it’s for real!
1. AVOID CUTTING YOURSELF WHEN SLICING VEGETABLES BY GETTING SOMEONE ELSE TO HOLD THE VEGETABLES WHILE YOU CHOP.
2. AVOID ARGUMENTS WITH THE FEMALES ABOUT LIFTING THE TOILET SEAT BY USING THE SINK.
3. FOR HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE [...]
Reader Elmer sends the text of the letter he received from Eric Massa explaining his healthcare vote. Text of the letter after the break:
Because you have previously been in touch about health issues, I am
writing to let you know why I voted "no" on the 2009 major health care
[...]
“If you could get the right ten thousand people to move from Silicon Valley to Buffalo, Buffalo would become Silicon Valley.” – Paul Graham in his essay “How To Be Silicon Valley”
In many ways, the notion of “imported innovation” is the core tenet of [...]
A few weeks ago, way up in northern New York, Democrat Bill Owens defeated Doug Hoffman, a Conservative Party candidate who drew support from the tea-steepage-pouch crowd all around the country to defeat the evil Dede Scozzafava.
The result hasn’t been finalized, and the final corrected counts are [...]

Former New York Mayor and punch-line-of-the-week Rudy Giuliani has decided that he won’t run for Governor in New York in 2010. Instead, he’ll apparently run for the US Senate against Kirsten Gillibrand.
What makes this somewhat interesting is that, despite all his recent Palinist bluster, Giuliani is [...]
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[...]Wow, the local print media is on top of this story. Where is the Buffalo News? MIA again or should I say, typically absent from coverage that may be damaging to an elected representative?
Community Activist Rus Thompson lead a protest against State Senator Antoine Thompson on Delaware Avenue just before [...]
Just remember,,,,, This is Donna Luh, Donna is a Board member of the NYSTA. She and A. Thompson are violating every ethics law out there.
For more information, please call
Donna at 716-681-2753.
Thompson Holiday Party, Tues., Dec. 1, Saturn Club
At the Annual Holiday Party Hosted by
State Senator [...]
Better idea… Get rid of all of the “Authorities”…. These politicians created them now they are completely out of control but still they use them as patronage pits for all the friends and cronies. The borrow through them illegally…
New York state’s “shadow government” of more than 700 [...]
Nothing confirmed yet (last I heard), so this is probably a trial balloon. That said, I really hope it is true.
Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani has decided against running for governor, but is strongly considering running for U.S. Senate instead, sources told the Daily News.
The Republican heavyweight was considered the GOP’s best [...]

Via Andrew Sullivan, Spencer Ackerman on a Khalid Sheik Mohammed trial in New York City, and the possibility that KSM will grandstand or make idiotic pronouncements somehow.
My hope for the KSM trial is that it does more than all this. It should forever shatter the [...]
The big question for the 29th in 2010 is whether Democrats will turn out. A high-visibility Senate race with a well-funded Democrat makes it more likely that there will be a good Democratic turnout. For that reason, Rudy's announcement that he's going to run for Gillibrand's seat is good news [...]
ACORN thought it would be a good idea for OJ to try the glove on in front of the jury, over a latex glove. #acornfacts
ACORN put up the “Mission Accomplished” banner. #acornfacts
ACORN guilted Sarah Palin into doing the Couric interview. #acornfacts
every time Michael tries to get out, ACORN pulls him [...]
The 29th has seen a few close races, but neither Randy Kuhl nor Eric Massa poisoned the well the way Doug Hoffman just did. Citing an ACORN conspiracy, Hoffman revoked his concession, and now he's been fundraising on claims of "tampering" based on ordinary election-night screwups.
This is what happens [...]
What a fascinating story…our world is full of wonder.
[...]Drilling the Marcellus Shale, which may contain the largest supply of natural gas in North America, was the topic of a meeting last night in Corning. Eric Massa's "strongly worded letter" was part of the meeting. The concern is that extracting gas from Marcellus requires huge amounts of water [...]
What a fascinating story…our world is full of wonder.
[...]New York State Commission on Public Integrity 540Broadway Albany [nyintegrity.org]
To whom it may concern:
I am writing to you to inform you of a situation I believe is a violation(s) of New York State’s Ethics Laws.
New York State Senator Antoine Thompson held a fundraiser Friday night, November 13th [...]
Want to reduce taxes? Reduce the cost of government. Want to reduce the cost of government? Reduce the size of government. Want to reduce the size of government? Slough off a completely useless and redundant legislative house.
This would also need nonpartisan redistricting and comprehensive abolition of state authorities in [...]

It’s official. He’s a convict and an ex-Councilman.
The Common Council will name someone to replace Davis through December 2010. This sort of political wrangling – the undemocratic kind – is the most vicious and stupid, so grab some popcorn.
[...]
I don’t really have much to add to this story beyond what was written in the Buffalo News and by Mark Byrnes. But yeah, Carl Paladino has no business complaining that someone – anyone – is getting tax abatements or other forms of incentives to [...]
Tim Kolpien of the Reed campaign was kind enough to send over Tom Reed's financial disclosure report [pdf]. And, courtesy of Open Secrets, here's Eric Massa's [pdf].
[...]After 5 days of being down we are finally back up and running. I have so many articles backed up in my email I doubt I will be able to get to all of them. I might just do a quick post with them all. Unbelievable what is going on [...]
By Christopher Smith
Last week, WNYMedia.net celebrated it’s fifth birthday. In those five years, 6,200,000 visitors have stopped by to leave nearly 250,000 comments on 500,000 articles, videos and podcasts.
As a community, our readers have donated nearly 10,000 hours of their time to political candidates and activism [...]
Tom Reed and Eric Massa both agree that trying accused 9/11 plotters in New York is the right thing to do.
Reed is smart to reject the craven hysteria of some of his fellow party members, who are spinning crazy scenarios to avoid using courts that have already [...]

Image courtesy Chris Hawley
No good deed goes un-shat-upon.
If you haven’t read what Gabe has to say about EHM in Buffalo, here it is. Go look. I agree with everything he says.
If you haven’t read what Colin wrote, go look. I think his [...]
I checked in with Sister Johnice Director of the Response to Love Center yesterday to see if they need anything for their Thanksgiving dinner next week.
From Sister J:
For Thanksgiving Day meal, we could use large turkeys that we will be roasting for our dinner. Smaller turkeys [...]

Win #1: Dick Jauron is fired. This ranks as one of Mr. Jauron’s few wins in Buffalo.
Win #2: Buffalo Common Councilman Brian Davis pleads guilty to misdemeanors relating to improper conversion of campaign funds, and there is also an investigation or two going on with respect to [...]
The decision to try some of the “masterminds”, as they’re being called, behind the 9/11 attacks is being met with a lot less controversy than I thought it would. I think that trying these people in a civilian criminal court re-establishes the fact that we are a place governed, [...]
I’d rather track scarcely talented American Idol contestants, get caught up on Glee’s let’s-relive-high-school plotlines, or endure a fan’s lecture about how Earth-shatteringly wonderful 30 Rock is before hearing another hyped word about Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. Many of us have been tempted to head for our zombie shelters just [...]
Christina Abt looks at the change in neighborhood, but also the change in attitude.
[...]I disagree with a lot of things Governor Paterson has done and said, but he pretty much hits the nails on the head here.
Gov. David Paterson openly criticized the White House on Monday, saying he thought it was a terrible idea to move alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and [...]
Applications for challengers for season 2 of Nickel City Chef are available here and due 12/23.
For the uninitiated, it’s an Iron Chef-style competition pitting local challenger chefs against the “Nickel City Chefs”, Adam Goetz (SAMPLE), Paul Jenkins (Tempo), JJ Richert (Torches), and Krista VanWagner (Curly’s). [...]
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[...]Bud Adam’s finger that is and a middle one at that directed at the Bills and there fans.
Heck, I was giving the Bills the middle finger during the Titans game too.
[...]The paper D&C led this morning's front page with a story on Massa's "no" vote on healthcare reform. The story covers a healthcare rally in Rochester where Dennis Kucinich was featured (via telephone).
[...]The Artvoice Dilemma comes down to whether it’s worth pointing out any random article’s problems. It’s usually best to avoid the chore of reading an issue, much less critiquing its contents. But sometimes they churn out something so egregious that it deserves a shredding. For example, a puff interview with [...]
I’m not a huge fan of the show mainly because when I see these needy and deserving families getting these amazing gifts, the only thing going through my mind is “tax liability”. It’s wonderful what just happened throughout the Massachusetts Avenue neighborhood of Delores Powell, and I’m stunned at the [...]

Collins supporters often counter the criticism that the shunting of responsibility for WIC and county clinics to private charities is inconsistent with the continued operation of county golf courses by citing the fact that those golf courses earn a profit for the county.
Obviously, that’s hardly the [...]
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[...]In a piece headlined "Masa [sic] used campaign funds to pay himself and wife", Jeremy Zremski of the Buffalo News reports that Eric Massa took a $15,000 salary from his 2008 campaign. Massa's wife Beverly was also paid $18,000 as campaign treasurer.
Mrs. Massa's salary was a minor campaign [...]

(Image courtesy WKBW.COM)
I must admit…I watch Extreme Makeover: Home Edition periodically…you can’t help to get hooked into one of the shows if you chance upon while surfing around the tube.
When I heard the the show was going to roll into the B-lo, I never expected it [...]
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Here’s a new movement: pray for Obama, using Psalm 109:8. Ha ha ha! It’s a prayer for Obama’s death! Ha ha ha!
Let his days be few; and let another take his office.
And if you’re about to argue, no no – let his days in office be few – [...]
Rus Thompson will be filing an ethics complaint against State Senator Antoine Thompson.
You can read here about Brewdog Punk IPA, a Buffalo refugee shelter received a $275,000 gift.
Chris Smith posts a new Lawrence Lessig / Change Congress slideshow, explaining that opposition to the public option may [...]

It was announced yesterday that a group of terrorists, including Khalid Sheikh Muhammed, will be brought to Federal Court for the Southern District of New York to stand trial for conspiracy and mass murder. They will be brought to New York from Guantanamo Bay, where they have [...]
Last night’s game my friends was probably the best game of the season for the Sabres.
Some quick thoughts…
-Roy should play that way every single night
-Miller has taken his game up a notch this year
-Adam Mair played a helluva game…statement game after he was waived earlier in [...]
You may be aware of Yoani Sanchez’s blog “Generation Y”. Sanchez is a Cuban blogger who has been very open about her criticism of that government through her blog, and has been subject to typical Leninist harassment from the government there. Until last week, it [...]
Story here and here. The News’ report is here, and it looks like the Public Officers’ Law that saw Butch Holt go bye-bye will also apply to Davis’ situation, whether he chooses to resign (the appropriate thing to do), or not.
Although Davis said that [...]
Lawrence Lessig and Change Congress take a look at why two specific Democratic Senators (Evan Bayh and Joe Lieberman) might oppose inclusion of the public option in the pending healthcare reform bill.
It’s easy to be cynical, point fingers and accuse Lieberman of corruption, but the problem itself is actually [...]
Monday morning I will be filing a complaint against Senator Antoine Thompson (D-60th) with the New York State Public Integrity Commission who is the Watchdog for the New York Legislature.
Donna Luh serves as a Commissioner for the New York State Thruway Authority. She serves on the Board and she is [...]
Protest Antoine Thompson Fundraiser this afternoon at 4:45 Olivers Restaurant, 2095 Delaware Ave. Delaware and Amherst St. $5000 a head. He just had one in NY City last night same price. Please lets have a good showing!
The phone number on the tickets belongs to Donna Luh, she is a Board [...]
Brian Davis is Chairman of the Police Oversight Committee… Will he give up that seat? Or will he leave it all up to the voters…..
[...]Brian Davis to Resign at 1pm today! That is the rumor!
[...]
After all, this isn’t the land of make-believe. This is real life with real consequences, ranging from the very personal to the geopolitical.
Colin Powell advises President Obama:
“If you decide to send more troops or that’s what you feel it is necessary, make sure you have a [...]
Michele Johnson sends this in:
BIG NEWS: BUFFALO REUSE IS TAKING DOWN our SECOND EXTREME house at 369 Normal ST. FRIDAY…AND WE NEED EXTREME VOLUNTEERS AGAIN!!!!
The house is already scheduled for demo but they would like it to start coming down as early as possible so they can [...]
Word has it Councilman Brian Davis will be pleading guilty tomorrow to a plea deal. What will he be charged with? Will Byron Be next?
Stay tuned….. : )
[...]Wow will this be an upset in the making. Suozzi who I supported in the Primary against Spitzer down right now by 497 votes. I supported him until he told me he would never vote for a Republican. At that point I knew he was just a hack, a party [...]

Why does the government regulate bank fees it deems unfair, but has no problem raising or placing unfair fees on a wide variety of things?
Senator A. Thompson at it again with his green agenda. So I had to look up Feed-in Tariffs. Tariffs always means a tax of some sort so here it is. The electric companies are forced to buy “Green Energy” at retail costs and we have to make up that extra [...]
The vote was close enough that absentees are being counted, and machines are being recanvassed. It may even end up with a Hoffman victory.
But remember this: regardless of the outcome, regardless of whom it may help or hurt:
Count. Every. Vote. [...]