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Archived stories from Tuesday, October 7, 2008 through Monday, December 8, 2008

OK, so the "Gang of 3" coalition backfired... so let's try another strategy: upstate vs. downstate (Albany Times-Union)... 12/8

Catharine Young: continuing to pay lipservice to fiscal responsibility while still fighting to keep an empty building open (Jamestown Post-Journal)... 12/5

The Senate reaches a deal (AP) (Buffalo News)... details: upstate loses again, because a Buffalonian was supposed to get a position on the finance committee that went to a NYC Democrat, and Democrats gain control of lieutenant governor position. Tom Golisano was behind the negotiations... 12/4

The landmark case between the Cayuga Nation and Cayuga County over taxes (AP)... 12/3

Seneca Nation lays off 210 people from its casinos and you can forget those year end bonuses (Salamanca Press)... 12/3

IT'S ALL BUT OFFICIAL NOW: HILLARY CLINTON NOMINATED FOR SECRETARY OF STATE...

And the spending and expansion of state government continues (Albany Times-Union)... 12/1

Skelos proposes "coalition government" in state senate-- that would continue to see downstaters elected to all major positions. Yeah, some coalition-- to finally once and for all disenfranchise all of upstate (New York Daily News)... 12/1

...but in good news... four Western New York teams all won their respective state championships in high school football this weekend!

AND SO IT BEGINS: INDIAN SMOKE SHOPS RAIDED FOR FAILURE TO PAY TAX, EMPLOYEES ORDERED OFF PREMISES, CUSTOMERS TURNED AWAY, AND CAYUGA NATION IS CALLING ITS LAWYERS (AP)...

OK, folks, 1) I am still alive. 2) I have been busy with work, and the current family situation has made things difficult in regards to updating the site on a regular basis. So... I'm thinking of changing my business model from the daily model we have come accustomed to, to more of a weekly newspaper feel, similar to that of the Little Valley Hub of the olden days. As you may see, I've added the old Hub banner to the page (the paper last printed in 1963, so its copyrights have lapsed). What will you expect? Well, the newslog is going to remain just the way it is, updated as I can. However, a new front page, with more of a "newspaper" font and feel, will debut in the coming weeks, updated weekly with more depth and news. We still have our much-delayed Fifth Anniversary Celebration to put together too, which will take place at the end of the year, I promise.

More evidence dictator-in-chief Sheldon Silver is a bonehead who knows nothing about upstate (Gannett)... 11/24

Good news: Hillary Clinton is a frontrunner for Secretary of State, which means her political career as a carpetbagger here is all but over. Some decent news: two upstate New Yorkers are apparently on the short list to replace her, and I would be satisfied with either one. Brian Higgins, a moderate Democrat from South Buffalo, would be my personal favorite. Buffalo mayor Byron Brown, although I dislike his work as mayor of that city, was a decent state senator and I would accept that. I would not be pleased with another downstater like Andrew Cuomo, where the speculation is currently centered, nor would I support Leecia Eve, where some other speculation has been centered. (WIVB) (New York Times)... 11/24

PATERSON: No borrowing, no layoffs and "no new taxes" (so he claims)... ...BUT... I will raise SUNY tuition, pass off mandated expenses to counties and private individuals, raise levies on health insurance, and use this opportunity to ram through that little bill that slaps bottle deposits on everything from juice boxes to milk cartons AND take the extra money that was going to the stores that take them and send that to the states. Oh, and I'll raise taxes on gasoline, claiming those evil oil companies aren't passing the savings onto the consumer. Never mind that it will make conducting business in this state a living Hell. God, that fine print is a wonderful thing, isn't it?

Some information on David Paterson's proposals to cut the budget deficit (11/13):
Buffalo News: Reporting on the backbiting, and a well-detailed synopsis of Paterson's proposals.
Associated Press: Reporting on the so-called Republicans' efforts to block the reductions. (Those people have sold out to the unions, simple as that.)

Who's getting a cut of the Ralph Phillips reward money (Buffalo News)... 11/13

ADDING INSULT TO INJURY: SPITZER IS OFF THE HOOK (AP) 11/6

GOOD NEWS: THE DEFLATION BEGINS (Business First)... 11/6

Did the Democrats take over the entire state of New York government Tuesday night? Maybe not-- a few Democrats (including one switch-hitter) may defect (AP)... 11/6

I AM VERY UPSET ABOUT HOW LAST NIGHT TURNED OUT, WHICH IS WHY YOU'RE NOT SEEING THE RESULTS HERE RIGHT NOW. HONESTLY, I'M NOT SURE WHERE I'M GOING TO GO WITH THIS SITE NOW, SINCE I HAVE BECOME SO ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTED WITH THE DIRECTION OF THIS COUNTRY, THIS STATE, AND THE PEOPLE WHO CHOOSE ITS LEADERS. CLEARLY I AM NOT SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE, SO I'M NOT SURE THIS IS WORTH IT ANYMORE.

SOME ELECTION DAY TIDBITS:
Voted at 10:00 am, was the 98th voter in the district (which has slightly under 1000 registered voters if I recall correctly), and there was no long line. Ah, the joys of living in rural America.
County by county predictions (Buffalo Business First)...
My election advice...
My endorsements (districts in Little Valley in bold):
US HOUSE: Lee over Kryzan, Humiston over Higgins, Kuhl over Massa
NY STATE SENATE: Ranzenhofer over Mesi, Konst over Volker, Schaffer over Young, Delano over Stachowski
NY ASSEMBLY: Giglio over Eaton
US PRESIDENT: McCain-Palin over Obama-Biden
Fullervision will cover the election starting tonight, covering most of the local races, including the race for the senate and the house seats.
Praying and hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst...

Well, not all gambling revenues are down-- the "racinos" are actually improving in financial situation (Business First)... 11/4

"Peak oil" alert: Natural gas deposits in the area appear to be seven times as much as originally estimated (AP via WLEA)... 11/4

Paterson: We're not going to borrow our way out of the deficit (WESB)... and furthermore, he's almost certain we'll get the shaft from an Obama presidency (WLEA)... 11/4

MISSED OBIT: Jack Narz, 86. Host of multiple game shows from the 1950s through the 1970s, brother of game show host Tom Kennedy and in-law to the late Bill Cullen. (died 10/15, posted 10/31)

Not in their back yard (Olean Times Herald)... 10/31

Just like organic-- only less overhead (Olean Times Herald)... 10/27

Chinese restaurant shut down-- for cutting deer-- by the Erie County Health Department (AP)... (I think that deer is the last thing you should be worrying about eating in a Chinese restaurant.) 10/27

As a long time Western New Yorker, allow me to say "Welcome back, Eyewitness News!" After 5 years and some very severe ratings drops, WKBW-TV returned to its long time Eyewitness News branding and music, and I couldn't agree more with the decision. 10/27

You know those thruway toll hikes they keep instituting? Well, the comptroller is not happy, and the thruway board has agreed to postpone the increases (WLEA)... 10/27

YOUR 2008 FALL ELECTION BALLOT (Salamanca Press)... 10/23

Fall Foliage Report: Week of October 23
Consider it confirmed: this is the last week for our fall foliage reports. The trees are all but barren around here now after snow fell on the hills this week. The rest of the state, save for the lower Hudson Valley, New York City, and a few pockets in the major cities, is now past peak and most of the trees have now lost their leaves. Thank you for following along this year and we hope to do this again next year.

OBIT: Mr. Blackwell, 86. Publisher of an annual "worst dressed women" list. 10/20

GOV. PATERSON'S CHIEF OF STAFF OWES $200,000 IN BACK TAXES (AP)... 10/19

Stand by your man, or, a waste of AP wire time: Spitzer and his wife celebrate their anniversary today! (AP)... 10/19

Fall Foliage Report: Week of October 16
Despite what the state of New York is reporting, a wind storm that came through this past week has pushed most of the leaves off the trees around here, leaving us well past peak. The state is reporting that most of the state, including here, is at peak foliage, except the Catskills and Adirondacks. I anticipate that next week will likely be the last weekly fall foliage report for the season.

If the Seneca Nation thinks they're beyond the reproach of the state of New York on taxes, wait until they find out New Jersey is now on their tails (Salamanca Press)... 10/13

The worst case scenario for the New York elections (Buffalo News)... 10/13

Dubious, but still troublesome, poll alert (Olean Times Herald)... 10/10... and does anyone else cringe at the sight of our Congressman surrounding himself with a bunch of attractive teen girls?

Fall Foliage Report: Week of October 9
Peak foliage is almost here, as the Southern Tier is reported in New York's listings as "near peak." North-facing slopes are closer to peak than the south-facing slopes, which are duller in color and closer to midpoint. Across New York, the Catskills and outer Adirondacks are at peak, while the bulk of the Adirondacks have now progressed past peak, the first part of the state to do so. The rest of the state, except Buffalo and New York City, are at midpoint; Buffalo and New York City are still just changing. Oranges and yellows predominate, with still plenty of green in the area.

Where your congressman stands on the massive $700,000,000,000 bailout I have vehemently opposed but have yet to mention on this site: Initially, Randy Kuhl opposed it, but he thinks the tax breaks make it a better bill and voted for it the second time around. Let's just say I disagree with him-- very strongly. (AP) 10/7

Fall Foliage Report: Week of October 2
In the past week, the fall colors have progressed rapidly to "near peak" foliage, with the north-facing slopes experiencing the most change compared to the south-facing slopes, which are below midpoint. Across the state, most of the state is at midpoint, with some areas in Buffalo and Rochester still "just changing," the Catskills at near peak, and the Adirondacks at peak foliage.

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