President-Elect Up To The Challenge

The past week and a half President-Elect Barack Obama is showing why he was elected President by a wide margin. After 8 years of gross mismanagement and incompetence, we are finally going to get a President who is ready, willing and able to lead. Please read: http://www.truthout.org/112308Z

What we can learn from Canada

http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1855317,00.html?xid=newsletter-weekly

Remember JFK

Today marks the 45th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The hopes and dreams for a better country was gunned down in Dallas 45 years ago. What makes me totally ill is that we will never know who was responsible for the most tragic murder of the 20th Century. The promise and idealism of the Kennedy Administration energized many in this country. Unfortunately, it also energized a sick element that I believe was responsible for President Kennedy's death. I can only imagine what our country may have been if he had lived. I firmly believe that we would not have been bogged down in Vietnam and that race relations would have been improved. However, this is just my belief. Our hopes and dreams were destroyed that day but I will never forget the idealism that President Kennedy instilled in many Americans. It's the same idealism and hope that President-Elect Obama has brought forth in 2008. God Bless You President John F. Kennedy.

Let's Great Real: Americans Want More Fuel Efficient Cars

Please read the attached article. I believe we must bailout the auto industry but their needs to be strings attached. The Big 3 needs to be more like Toyota, Honda, etc. More fuel efficient vehicles and the development of alternative fuel vehicles that are affordable. The dope Bush doesn't get it. Leadership is what we need out of the White House and we will get that beginning January 20, 2009. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andrew-winston/apparently-its-the-govern_b_145353.html

More of Clinton Grandstanding

Why does those people around Hillary Clinton feel compelled to defend in every way shape or form everything that she does even if it means calling into question the veracity of the President-Elect? This morning I heard Lanny Davis and Howard Wolfson, when questioned what's taking Hillary so long to decide, say that its not sure that the position has been offered to her. Are you kidding me!!! If it hasn't been offered to her then why are there reports that she's struggling with the decision? I believe that the Clinton surrogates are painting this picture of not knowing if she was offered the job so that if she isn't named they can say it was never offered to her and not that she turned it down. This way we can continue the Hillary image.

I for one am tired of it. I don't have a problem with her being the Secretary of State but I do have a problem with the Clinton ego machine. This should be about Obama, our President-Elect, not about Bill and Hillary Clinton. Quite frankly, she should be given a deadline and if not met then pick Richardson or Kerry. This is really crap and its ridiculous.

Hagel lets them have it!!!!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/11/18/hagel-unrestrained-takes_n_144603.html

Obama's Got It On Big 3 Aid

President-Elect Barack Obama's position on aid to the auto industry is the right course. Obama is tying aid to a commitment from the Big 3 to develop alternative fuel vehicles. Bush should have done this year's ago. This string attached to any aid can help stabilize jobs in the auto industry and also begin to address energy and environmental concerns. Hopefully, Congress will go along once Obama takes over because we can forget anything from Bush.

Kudos to Randi Rhodes and The N.F. Reporter!!

Kudos to Randi Rhodes and the Niagara Falls Reporter. First for Randi: This evening I was listening to her show and she was right on the money with where I was at the other day about us lefties needing to get to work to help President-Elect Obama. Randi spelled it out beautifully by saying that these neocon talking jerks are ratcheting up the hateful rhetoric against Barack. It was the same thing they did to Bill Clinton. She played a clip from Hannity where his guest called Obama a baby killer. The likes of Hannity, Limbaugh and Scarborough have contributed to 27% of this country being afraid of what Obama is going to do to this country. We, as lefties, need to call these pinheads out. But we also need to put pressure on our congress people and senators to do something about the unfair situation that characterizes our public airwaves. We need to regulate communications and put an end to the domination of a few. We need to enact the fairness doctrine. Think about it here in Niagara County and WNY, we have only one local liberal radio show (The John Restaino show). The rest are either nonsense crap or conservative in nature. We need to be vigilant. Right on Randi and keep on exposing them and putting the heat on.

Now the Reporter: the new edition has a front cover of a picture of Mayor Dyster and former Mayor Anello with the title "What's the Difference?" They nailed it!!! As I had in this blog the other day, we need to know who makes up this Foundation for a Better Niagara. The Reporter has gotten their hands on some e-mails which seem to implicate the Maid of the Mist, M&T Bank and some shill from HANCI. This isn't about wanting to tear down anybody. This is about accountability. This is about being transparent. This is about not allowing another Anello/Anderson situation from happening. Keep the heat on NF Reporter!!!! Hopefully, Mayor Dyster will see the error of his ways and just be up front with us. Its not in our best interest for rotating mayors every 4 years. But its also not in our best interest to be kept in the dark!!!

More On Larry Summers

I'm not advocating Larry Summers for Treasury Secretary but here's another article that illustrates that Joe Scarborough is nothing more than a neocon talking shill who despite Rodney King imitation on Wednesday can't help spewing his venom against any Democrat he sees. Please read: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/wendy-kopp/larry-summers----my-exper_b_142474.html

Paul Dyster: The Next One Term Mayor

I normally do not write about the local scene however with the indictment of former Mayor Anello in the news, I began to think about the first year of Mayor Dyster. Last November, the people of Niagara Falls voted for change when they elected Paul Dyster as mayor. There was a sense of new leadership, an end to the bickering and open government. In looking back over this year, it seems like the city's expectations are not being met.

The biggest problem that I see is how the Mayor has gone about hiriing major positions in his administration, some of which have not been filled yet almost one year in office. A year ago, the people of Niagara Falls were told that there was going to be a national search for the best and brightest. There was no mention of excluding local people from these positions if qualified. It was also stated that salary adjustments might be needed if we were to attract the best. But what wasn't told to the residents of Niagara Falls was how this was going to happen.

A secret group based out of Erie County was going to fund this national search and was going to augment salaries. When asked who is this group, Dyster says he cannot disclose that. Hmmn...why not?? The first hire was for City Administrator. The person chosen was Donna Owens, an African-American female. Certainly, a landmark hire in that Ms.Owens is the first female to hold the position. Her salary : $120,000 of which this shadowy group funds almost half. Does anyone know who else was interviewed for this job??? Do we know how many people were considered?? Someone in City Hall told me that in fact there was no other candidate considered. Ms. Owens was the only candidate that this shadowy group sought out. Hmmn...so much for open government?

Next up is an Economic Development Director. Same deal: salary over $100,000 with our Erie County mystery group paying for half the salary. How many candidates were considered?? Were there any other candidates available or did they just pick this guy out of Ohio.

Now Dyster or the shadowy group has tapped an attorney from Tonawanda as the next Corporation Counsel. The shadowy group is kicking in roughly a third of his salary. We know that Judge Robert Restaino was being considered for this job. The judge lives in the city and has a good reputation among many in Niagara Falls. What we don't know is why Dyster did not select Restaino. Again a city hall source has told me that it came down to salary and that the shadowy group has told Dyster that they would not augment any salary that a Niagara Falls person is hired for. This is unbelievable!!!! It's not like the local candidate for Corporation Counsel doesn't have the qualifications so if he's the best person for the job then why wouldn't they kick in? I guess this Erie County elite group thinks all the people in Niagara Falls are incompetent stupes!!!

This whole thing stinks to high heaven and no one seems to be concerned about it. Anello's biggest crime is that he didn't disclose to the City Council his loan with the developer before they voted. Dyster has not disclosed who these people are that are paying for these salaries. He has not disclosed who else was considered or even the number of people considered. What does this group want from Dyster??? Do they want preferential treatment on development projects?? Were they contributors to Dyster's campaign??? The only difference between Anello and Dyster is that we know that Anello personally gained from the developer. We don't know if Dyster is getting anything but the perception is that something stinks!!!!! So much for open government...So much for new leadership... The only thing that has changed is that the City Council is so docile that it doesn't have the smarts to call this whole process into question and demand that everything be disclosed. And in the end those of us left in Niagara Falls continue to watch our city fall apart. Bet on it: we will have a new mayor elected in 2011!!!!

Scarborough The Hypocrite

As I pointed out in my last blog, Morning Smoe Scarborough found religion the Wednesday after the election, only on Thursday to continue the right-wing neocon media attacks. Friday, old slick Morning Smoe kept in stride by saying that if President-Elect Obama did not select Larry Summers as his Secretary of the Treasury then he will be ignoring the financial markets and caving in to feminists. Nothing like coloring things Smoe. For those that don't know, Larry Summers was Secretary of the Treasury for President Clinton. When he left government he became President of Harvard University. As President of Harvard, Mr. Summers made a statement that indicated that girls may not have the make up to do well in math and science. I believe this ultimately led to Mr.Summers stepping down.

So Smoe takes this and figures he can continue to drum up the neocon talking points about how liberal Obama is and how its business as usual with a Democrat caving in to special interests if he doesn't select Summers. Hmmn...interesting however Smoe maybe needs to remember that he's not at some redneck bar when he is saying this stuff. First of all, let's start out by saying that Mr.Summers is extremely qualified for the Treasury position. However, not everyone in the financial markets are clamoring for his appointment. Everyone has their favorites.

Secondly, Mr. Summers truly regrets his comment about women and this comment goes against his lifetime work. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sheryl-sandberg/what-larry-summers-has-do_b_142126.html Of course why would Smoe look into anything.

President-Elect Obama will select who should be in his cabinet the same way he selected Joe Biden as V.P.: deliberately and carefully. Unlike another candidate for President this year who happened to be of the same party as Smoe(McCain/Palin). Give it up Smoe. I'm sure were praising Rumsfeldt and Brownie and Chertoff and Gonzalez you hypocritical piece of garbage!!!!

Lefties: Let's get to work

The euphoria has died down and now its time to begin to get back to work. As progressives we need to be vigilant. The neocons and their right wing nut media types are working overdrive to derail President-Elect Obama. The lies and attacks continue. Along with the hypocrisy. Take for example Joe Scarborough. The day after the election, Morning Smoe went on a diatribe on how we need to end the gotcha politics and that we should agree to disagree. That we should move away from because my idea is different than yours I need to bury you. Hmmn...interesting that now that Smoe and his neocon buddies are running for the hills that he is preaching tolerance.

However, Smoe's new found religion lasted one day. On Thursday he sliced and diced Rahm Emanuel's indecision on accepting the Chief of Staff position to the point where he questioned Barack's leadership abilities. When Chris Matthews challenged him, Smoe resorted to defending Bush/Cheney and how their every motive was dissected. What a hypocrite!!!!

The truth of the matter is that Barack Obama is this country's best hope to end the politics of destruction. However, he has demonstrated that he is not going to allow ridiculous attacks to go unanswered. As lefties we need to be on guard and be ready to call out hypocrites like Morning Smoe. They will not rest in trying to bring Obama down. Some in the Republican Party recognize that they have to stand for something and not be constantly against something. However, the element of the Republican Party that loves Sarah Palin will salivate over attacking Obama whenever they can. We must be ready. There's plenty of work to do!!!!! And Morning Smoe I will be watching you!!!!!

AMERICA WINS!!!!

I've just recovered from celebrating having missed work yesterday. My faith has been restored in the American people. It is important that we continue to support President-Elect Obama. He has issued a challenge to us all because it will take all of us to right this country. The reaction around the world is so inspiring and is what I thought would happen. I am proud to be an American!!!! There is HOPE!!!

Today is the Day: Vote For Change!!! Vote For Hope!!! Vote For Obama

Today is the day to take back our country. To restore its honor and glory. Please take the time and vote. If you want our country to move forward, please vote for Barack Obama!!!!! Let's send the neocons off into the sunset. VOTE OBAMA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!