Kerry VS. Bush

[kristop]

Which candidate do you think will help Buffalo & WNY?
Personally.... I think during a Republican Administration and Republican controllllled congress NY suffers a backlash because of its liberal and democratic base.....

What do you think?

[WNYresident]

I think you should put Ralph Nadar in the line up. I know WNY is a two party town but we should give everyone a chance.

[WNYresident]

Instead of perhaps saying kerry or bush we should say dems or republicans...

What can hillary say she has accomplish for WNY or NYS?

[therising]

Have you noticed that the Bush campaign is NOT using that "Are you better off now than you were four years ago?" line?

[WNYresident]

How could they? Seems to me we are replacing good paying manufacturing jobs with service level jobs more and more.

Do you enjoy saying paper or plastic?

Manufacturing jobs brings the money home versus sending our money for products over seas.

[shes_history]

I think that Buffalo's governmental problems are more at a local level. I think that effective leadership is desperately needed at the city level. Bush or Kerry? Let's start in City Hall before the White House. Is the federal government even capable of turning a city such as Buffalo around if local government does not know how to handle the funding or programs they are given?

[WNYresident]

It's just not Buffalo, it's the burbs too. WNY has to be planed as a whole not as seperate political turfs.

I dont see planning in the burbs, I just see developers having thier way with townboards. Taxes should be going lower seeing governmental departments should be getting more efficient. Seems it's the other way around.

They also point to change as progress. I don't consider change progress. I consider a better quality of living coupled with lower cost of living progress.

One mistake I think we made in WNY is that we allow politicans to make a careers out of politicing. It even goes to the point of family/relatives getting into the political arena carrying on the same status quo.

[shes_history]

You are so right about the politicians making a career of politicking...and our mayor runs uncontested because no one else wants to job. I wonder how Buffalo voters would respond if a fresh face with solid ideas came on to the scene? I believe that some degree of change is essential in WNY politics...more in terms of getting people in there that are actually concerned with the issues, not just holding an office.

[kristop]

Originally posted by shes_history
You are so right about the politicians making a career of politicking...and our mayor runs uncontested because no one else wants to job. I wonder how Buffalo voters would respond if a fresh face with solid ideas came on to the scene? I believe that some degree of change is essential in WNY politics...more in terms of getting people in there that are actually concerned with the issues, not just holding an office.

I think the degree of change that is needed on so many levels....city...state...county.....region.....tha t it ain't ever gonna happen happen in our life...... Look how long things have been in decline in these parts...... These problems have no easy solutions..... We do need a whole bunch of new faces.... But until the local power brokers are broken.....we don't have a chance...

As for Hillary......... Though I donut like her...... With the republicans n power.......they are not making her legislative life easy in Washington......they want to see her initiatives fail.....give her no record of consequence to run on....she doesn't have a dem administration or senate propping her up....

When her initiatives fail, it reflects on her...and to a degree it should..... But we have to look at the climate she is in as well...........

[absolivious]

Originally posted by kristop
....she doesn't have a dem administration or senate propping her up....

When her initiatives fail, it reflects on her...and to a degree it should..... But we have to look at the climate she is in as well...........
Why, then, is Schumer perceived in so much a better light?

He's certainly no less in the minority than she is.

[kristop]

Originally posted by absolivious
Why, then, is Schumer perceived in so much a better light?

He's certainly no less in the minority than she is.

I think what a lot of people ride her about was her J O B S statement..... 200,000,000 new jobs......overstated.... D U M B......

Plus.....she is Hillary.....a lot of folk here want to see her fail so she is under the microscope.......

And...

What has Schumer done.....really?

Honestly.....we are doomed from the perspective that we can probably never get another upstater to run......and win!!!!!! It would be great if we could have someone who was truly an advocate for WNY....

Moynihan and D'mato.....what did they ever do?????

A R G!!!!!!

[absolivious]

Originally posted by kristop

A R G!!!!!!
Bring back Ken Keating or Charlie Goodell - our two most recent Senators from north of Westchester County (Monroe and Chautauqua, resp) - both GOP, BTW. ;)

[WNYresident]

that it ain't ever gonna happen happen in our life......

That is the wrong attitude to have. Don't say your being realistic, every 4 years they can be voted out. We just have to start replacing the special interest group controled politicians with people that are qualified to make the correct decisions for the communities they represent.

[shes_history]

I think that you are right - but unfortunately that is the attitude of many Buffalonians - the cause is hopeless and nothing will change. I could not disagree more! Things will change for Buffalo if citizens are willing to elect qualified people that are excited about rehabilitating Buffalo from the ground up and not just concerned with a title or a paycheck. I realize that the citizens of Buffalo do not currently have much to be enthusiastic about but I think the more people talk about issues and become engaged in thier local governments, the more likely change in government is apt to occur. Things are not hopeless by a long shot. The city has much to offer and much to build on - we just need to concern ourselves with finding the right people to run for office and displace those who have not been effective.

[Night Owl]

I have been on holiday touring Europe for a few weeks; Italy, France, Spain... the works! Okay, so I had computer problems- but I can dream, can't I? :D

I have a lot of catching up to do with reading and replying, this thread was next in the list.

Anyways, this will be a long reply

I know WNY is a two party town

Where'd that tumbleweed come from, y'all?
LOL- or is that a two-horse town?

Have you noticed that the Bush campaign is NOT using that "Are you better off now than you were four years ago?" line?

Yes, I did. I think that line is filed somewhere with the "read my lips" quote from way back when.

I dont see planning in the burbs, I just see developers having thier way with townboards.

Do we still have to quote of the week ? Because this one should be it!

One mistake I think we made in WNY is that we allow politicans to make a careers out of politicing. It even goes to the point of family/relatives getting into the political arena carrying on the same status quo.

There are also the political members climbing the ladder too. Council member moves up to legislator, legislator moves up to Assembly, Assembly moves up to Congress and so on. Some candidates whom weren't doing well in one position still move up the line, that's how we get to the White House.

and our mayor runs uncontested because no one else wants to job.

Not only that, there are a lot of people from all over that are uneducated with people running for office. Many either randomly pick or just don't vote at all.

I think what a lot of people ride her about was her J O B S statement

She takes heat for that, but even before Clinton's (quote) "I did not have se*ual relations with that woman" episode, Hillary was the 'unadoring' stop-lite for her intentions while being first lady. People picked on her because she's an educated woman.

We just have to start replacing the special interest group controled politicians with people that are qualified to make the correct decisions for the communities they represent.

It's easier said than done. If I said John Kerry is more qualified, there would be ten posts after me, saying why he isn't.

The two part word that I have read is the need for 'fresh faces' and this would be a good start in turning the tought into reality.

one thing I can say. There aren't many mud-slinging campaign slogans so far. The two front runners are sticking to the topics. And more of what I see on the news, even nationally is not the complaints of increased taxes but more people what to see improved quality of life issues addressed.

Like the irony in three banks being robbed while two presidential candidates are in the same town speaking about making American better.

[absolivious]

I dont see planning in the burbs, I just see developers having thier way with townboards.
In Amherst (the-town-that-no-one-else-wants-to-be-like-but-everyone-still-wants-to-live-there), good sense planning DOES exist - at a most professional and well-thought out level. Unfortunately that same good sense no longer prevails anywhere on the Town Board, where all the final re-zoning determinations are made.

Gadflies and other observers will tell you that the occurence of the Town Board's turning around the Planning Board's recommendations on re-zoning issues have become more and more frequent over the past decade.

A recent example is the rezoning for a funeral home, now going in smack in the middle of a residential area. It's where good planning must be applied to bad zoning.

[WNYresident]

So you are saying the plan was good but the townboard isn't following the overall plan?

[absolivious]

Originally posted by WNYresident
So you are saying the plan was good but the townboard isn't following the overall plan?

They don't have to, simply because they have never adopted a Town Comprehensive (master) Plan. ...ever!

[WNYresident]

So what is the point of having an Amherst planning board? Or is the planning board only there for show for the residents?

[therising]

I thought this thread was about Kerry vs. Bush

[HDavis]

Originally posted by WNYresident
So what is the point of having an Amherst planning board? Or is the planning board only there for show for the residents?
Sometimes I wonder.

[WNYresident]

The rising has made a very good point.. Kerry or Bush... :) That was the starting topic

[speaker]

Although I think Kerry couldn't have cleaned up the mess we're
in, at least he would've turned us in the right direction again. He wouldn't have left the soldiers (and Marines, etc.) with too little protection and so little to work with. Their families wouldn't have gone unpaid, for months, some did. None of them would've had to pay for their own transportation overseas. We wouldn't have so many people's sons and daughters coming home in caskets. And all of the survivors who do make it home should have a GI bill of rights. I think Kerry would've gone for that.
We wouldn't have the fundamentalists trying to change libraries and schoolbooks to absolute creationism.
Our environment, flora and fauna, would be safe from us, and our descendants would have a better chance at enjoying this earth.
That's just for starters.