Where Has the Buffalo News Been?

[JudyT]

I notice the Buffalo News rather quickly jumped on the "Where Was Nancy Naples" wagon. I ask "Where was the Buffalo News?" I take more than a little offense to the Buffalo News editorial of March 3rd entitled "Easy, but wrong, answer". There is no way to comparably rebut the Buffalo News publicly - if the Buffalo News does not want to be rebutted. That is just one of the misfortunes of having a one newspaper town. I know that any letter I send on this issue (as well as many other letters that get written to the Buffalo News) will not be published, so I turn to Speak Up WNY to express my thoughts.

In the March 3, 2005 Buffalo News editorial, the Buffalo News pompously advises us ignorant taxpayers that we have an "imperfect understanding of the fiscal problems affecting this area". Well, if we are ignorant, why would that be? Would it be because we have a singular local newspaper which prints only those topics and agendas which continue to support the already corrupt elected officials which that newspaper helped to elect? Would it be that those articles which are published slant and pervert the truth to match the agenda of a handfull of local business people which the Buffalo News has ensured are well enmeshed into the city and county's coffers? Perhaps us taxpayers are less ignorant than the Buffalo News thinks.

[biker]

Yes Judy, we are not so dumb.

I am thrilled with the "people power" that the defeat of the sales tax and the elimination of $108 million represents. On Dec 8th, the vote was the "sameo same o".

None of this would have been possible withhout talk radio, weblogs and forums like this.

Notice how the powers that be are whining about the yahoos on talk radio? They did all but paint us as the mob with pitchforks looking to burn someone at the stake.

We forced change.

This is such a great place and time to be alive.

[moadib]

Except for Don Esmond, the news is more commentator that journalistic inquirer.

A journalist seeks out stories. They check budgets, they check metrics, they measure results, they look for corruption, patronage, politics, influence, etc.

A commentator waits for things to happen and then builds a story around it.

SAD TO SAY THAT THE BUFFALO NEWS TO OFTEN FALLS INTO THE CATEGORY OF COMMENTATOR THAN REPORTER OR JOURNALIST.

THEY ARE AS COMPLICIT IN THE APATHY OF BUFFALO AND THE COUCH POTATO CITIZENS WHO KEEP VOTING THESE F UPS BACK INTO OFFICE.

[biker]

I'm not often happy with The News, but I thought they wrote----in one brief article---the most comprehensive story on George Holt's lying, evasiveness and coverup.

Unfortunately, it appeared on Saturday morning. Due to Holt hiding. Which he's doing again.

Fortunately, Bauerle picked up on it yesterday and today, as did Ch. 2. This is not going away.

Which George is trying to do. Spokesmen say he's out of town. Again.

Like I said. It's a great country to be in. And no place is cleaning its house better than right here in 'Erie County.

[southbuffaloguy]

Yes, they have seemed to have gone after Holt. How convenient. Their wonder boy Giambra has shown he"s nothing but an inept fiscally irresponsible buffoon and yet outside of Esmond they have said nothing . They sang his praises for 4 years and endorsed him again despite the highway and furniture scandals , they will never admit that they along with many others got taken in by a con man pure and simple. He's gone through over 500 million in less than 5 years and still they point fingers at Albany as the culprit. Medicaid is an issue and I am not forgetting that . But only 19% of the people in this county really believe Giambra and his medicaid bull****. It's time the News started seeing things the same way most of us are.

[citymouse]

The news knows full well what they are doing. They have an agenda. Murry Light still controls the paper. Murry light is in it up to his neck with Rudnik and company.
Ever notice it was the news that got the hate Griffin ball rolling.
When Griffin got elected in 77' the afore mentioned boys got togather came up with a plan for this and that and approached Griffin to tell him what he needed to do.
Jimmy told them to take there plan and thier newspaper and use it in the bathroom.
The news bashed him for 16 years.
The news and the partnership do not want the minority community to have anything to do with administration of the city of Buffalo. Democraphics make that inevitable.
So with Joels help, they got a control board when the city has never operated with or had a deficit, in fact they finish each year with a surplus. (check it out).
Who sits on the control board?
Wilmers, Giambra, and of course the new guy (can't remember his name off hand but he is from gibralter steel.).
Johnson is paid, to head the staff and who hired her?
Carl Mcall never says anything, He is the token Denocrat, and Masiello is becoming increasingly shoved aside.
Giambra is pushing this half baked merger scheme to remove city control from residents hands. The New's and the partnership need him to push thier agenda.
In spite of all the things that went on, Aurora, the furniture, friends and family red and green budgets, deals withDiBenidetti, and Swanick and Holt. they still sing his praises.
Right now they are in damage control. This is not uncharted territory when dealing with this guy. They are very good at it. They actually got him re-elected last year with all the furniture and highway dept. stuff going on.
This time they posted an article on the front page showing how low his popularity was. It went on to say the problems we face are not of his making it wasn't mis management it was MEDICADE.
Medicade made him buy that furniture. Medicade made him hire those relatives. Medicade made him spend a five hundred million dollar surplus in five years in five years. Medicade made his man Naylon steal from the highway dept. and medicade made Joel try to cover it up.
Wait a minute, that isn't quite how they wrote the article.
You get my point?
As long as they can use him they will use they paper as a Bully pulpit to push thier agend thru him.

[JudyT]

.... dare we name who we feel is the 'rest of the company?'

Who wants to go first?

:-)

[JudyT]

OK, let's get educated! I guess I will go first. Stanford Lipsey.

Stanford Lipsey - Philanthropist, Buffalo News Publisher and Founder, Buffalo Niagara Partnership (Ahem...).

Now, to help help us taxpayers who have an 'imperfect understanding of the fiscal problems affecting this area', and to give some educatin' to us, I recommend that you do a www.google.com search on LIPSEY BUFFALO. Then read the 'Canadiana' article written by Floyd Baker - President, The S. S. Canadiana Preservation Society, Inc.

I have no personal, business or other association (good or bad) with Mr. Lipsey or Mr. Baker or the Canadiana. But the Canadiana article written by Mr. Baker sure gives an interesting perspective the macabre influences that certain wealthy "Philanthropists" have on this area - not to mention our politicians, business development efforts and economic growth.

[citymouse]

It is amazing that people are starting to realize this. Possibly because they are sick of all the development money that has come in here over the last thirty years and nothing has been done, but the same firms get the contracts?
Could it be that corrupt politicians (ACH..CC..CHOOGIAMBRA, excuse me, I sneezed) are given a pass by the news if they support the News agenda.
It is about time it became public knowledge how the News and company have actually held this area back.
Maybe it is the internet and the free flow of information like we have here.
Possibly.
Maybe people were happy to roll along and let things go, untill it started to affect them, and now it is affecting everybody.
All I know is the same group that called the shots for forty years have got us to this point, the lowest point in this region since Lasalle first saw it.
The same ones are saying, "leave it to us we'll lead you out."
The news has a propaganda of thier vision of the community called "why not Buffalo?".
Do I have to tell you why not? It is because of all the reasons stated here, any one with vision, other than thier vision is locked out and slammed and attacked in thier paper.
I am glad it's coming out.

[citymouse]

I went to the site about the partnership. evry one on the control board except the three politicians (Mcall, Giambra, and Masiello) is a member. Lipsy and Murry Lite are members.
It stinks.
It's like a few powerful people want to control our whole economy. It is frightening.
There is information about how they lobby goverment and other political activities that they damn the unions for.
It's not influence peddling if you get away with it. They make sure that no organization that disagrees with them does.
We don't all have a major newspaper as an organizational Billboard.
No wonder they have so much sway.

[JudyT]

OK - here's another. Andrew Rudnick.

[JudyT]

Robert Wilmers.

[citymouse]

Wilmers is on the control board. Rudnick just pulls the strings.

[JudyT]

Haven't they gridlocked our waterfront access and resticted its development long enough?