Rus Thompson Pulls A Boner

In case your not a reader of speakupwny (and you should be ) it was reported that during in interview Billed as “The Three Amigos” Featuring Jim Ostrowski, Len Roberto, and Rus Thompson on WBEN’s Tom Bauerle show local activist, Fighter of toll bridges, and bringer of the tea, Russ Thompson referred to Hispanics as “wetbacks”.

Seriously no one could write better comedy then that.
Three amigos?…...
Wetback?…..

Good grief.

Oddly no mention is made of this on the WBEN web site and mysteriously, the picture of all of them in the studio has disappeared.

You have to wonder what the hell was he thinking and even more so you have to wonder why a movement so well intentioned keeps shooting itself in the foot by not getting rid of clowns like Rus Thompson.

I have in the past attended and defended the Tea party crowd. Any sane citizen should be concerned about the ballooning national debt. But it wont happen again as long as Rus Thompson is affiliated with them.

When guys like Rus Thompson get on public radio and make racist comments it’s a slap in the face to all of us that said , “No, we are not all right wing loony's”.

What strikes me as even sadder is the defenders of this guy. On speakup I have seen people say “it was just a Faux Pas” and “so he wasn’t PC so what”……

Being a bigot is beyond “just being PC’. Other people don’t make comments like that because (heres a crazy thought) they don’t think like that.

If you have to make a conscious effort not to say things like “wetback”, The N-word” or any other racially derogatory term. Guess what?

You’re a bigot.

I don’t deal with bigots, even for a good cause.

Urban Farming

Putting a new spin on the old chicken in every pot line a plan that would allow Buffalo NY residents to raise up to five chickens per dwelling in backyard coops will likely be passed by the Common Council.

Six of nine lawmakers told The Buffalo News on Tuesday they will likely back the bill.
Nearly 40 people turned out for a hearing on the issue, and the vast majority raised their hands in support of a law being sponsored by Niagara Council Member David A. Rivera.

Only two speakers voiced opposition. John Szczepaniec of North Buffalo doubts that the city will be able to enforce some of the ordinance’s restrictions. He is worried about odors and other neighborhood nuisances.

“If you want chickens, live in the country,” Szczepaniec told a reporter as he left the meeting.

Yeesh, what a party popper

Slinging a little mud

Don’t get me wrong. As a west side kinda of guy I like a little rough and tumble in my politics but in my humble opinion South district councilman Kearnes is carrying it a little to far.

In case your not keeping up with local news last week Kearnes called for the federal government to conduct a full-blown audit of the city's anti-poverty programs. Kearnes went on the record as saying he didn’t think the federal report went far enough in scrutinizing spending and lending practices at the Buffalo Economic Renaissance Corp. and the Buffalo Urban Renewal Agency.

Two agency controlled but his rival in the mayoral election….

Its fair enough for Kearnes as a councilman to demand answers and ask pertinent questions of the Brown administration, but its less than noble to use his current position as a soap box to attack a political rival. Lets face it, over the years the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's has already issued a bunch of reports that highlighted the poor use of anti-poverty block grant funds in the city. Why wasn’t Councilman Kearnes concerned before he became candidate Kearnes?

All in all its looking to be a big mud slinging fest. I have to admit I am not very impressed with either candidate. Attacking what someone else has done or is doing doesnt qualify you to be a leader.

Neither has done anything to impress.

So far from Brown its about budgets the control board should probably take credit for and from Kearnes its "I'm not Brown", or (Me shudders)........ “Change”, with no real explanation of what this "Change" is supposed to be.

Lets hope things get better.

Say a prayer for our Boys and Girls over there!

Briefly

Adult supervision

A couple hours after Gov. David A. Paterson threatened to halt state senators’ paychecks and per diems until they start passing important stalled legislation, Democrat and Republican leaders said Wednesday night that the Senate would meet today in special session.

The governor had earlier vowed court action if the chamber shuttered during a special session that he had ordered. He withdrew this threat after they agreed to meet


It Gets Bigger and Bigger and bigger and bigger

Lots of local goings on this summer all over the western NY region:

New site for Medaille

Medaille College will lease newly-built space at the Cambridge Place Business Center in the town of Brighton. The new campus, located at 1880 South Winton Road, includes nine classroom and a 700-square-foot library with work stations.

New Company coming to the area

Kemper System GmBH & Co KG, has acquired a 45,000-square-foot warehouse and manufacturing center in the North America Park in W Seneca, with the intent of beginning local operations there. A company spokesman said the firm will be hiring 10 people initially and hopes to add another 30 employees in the coming years.

The company produces waterproofing and roofing membranes

Rite Aid Gets Bigger

Town of Tonawanda officials are reviewing a plan that would double a Rite Aids size. The new Rite Aid (on Sheridan Dr.), at 14,500-square-feet, will replace the smaller, 6,000-square-foot pharmacy.