In past couple of months Jazz has been very busy keeping up with school, homework, training, studying [I’ve been making sure of it ;)] & being a normal teenager.

Tonight I read a post on his blog:

Most of the games that the Bills lost should have been a win.
 For the first game of the season the Bills had a 17 to 0 lead against New England. Then, they sat back and “relaxed” and give up 19 points to lose the game. Next, they lost to Detroit 20 to 17. Come on anybody can beat Detroit.

Click to read the whole post on Jazz’s sports blog.

Wivb.com has a good story about Governor Spitzer’s State of the State address.

(Albany, NY, January 3, 2006) - - New York Governor Eliot Spitzer vows to drastically cut property taxes, and pump out billions of dollars to revive the poor economy of upstate New York.

Sam Hoyt said “that the Governor’s State of the State Address was great news for upstate and consistent with the needs of the City of Buffalo.”

Hoyt offered that, “The Governor absolutely gets ‘it’ and I am excited to work with him, the Speaker and my colleagues on moving our whole State forward.”  Hoyt also said that the Upstate Agenda the Governor released yesterday was further proof that the Governor understands Upstate New York’s issues.

Staten Island live.com:

He [Spitzer] told lawmakers “our government is in disrepair” and while “the world has transformed and moved forward, it is only Albany that has stood still.”

Spitzer said that “no single person is responsible for this situation” — a line that allows legislative leaders Bruno and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver to be saddled with some of the blame — but also said New Yorkers wanted “results instead of empty press releases, action instead of gridlock.”

Here is part of Governor Spitzer’s Key docs to a ONE NEW YORK:

Today marks the next step in our journey. It is not a journey of party or politics or any one politician, but a journey of New Yorkers in need of hope and in search of change – to bring back the greatness New York once defined.

I know that all of us in this chamber are dedicated to this cause, and I look forward to working with you, along with our partners in Congress and at the local level, to deliver on that promise.

Indeed, the tide is already starting to turn. New Yorkers have resoundingly rejected the status quo – the politics of partisanship and polarizing ideology. New Yorkers have embraced change – the idea that on Day One of this new administration, those of us in this chamber must come together to face our challenges as one.

In the past month, I have been humbled by the support and encouragement I have received from both Republicans and Democrats in this Legislature. I know this can be the start of an historic bipartisan partnership.

And just two days ago, in my first action as Governor, we implemented a series of self-imposed ethics, campaign finance and lobbying reforms to send a message to all that change is here and it starts with each of us.

Today I will outline the change we must seek together if we are to restore New York as a beacon of hope and opportunity.

Click to read the 22 page [pdf] address.

I didn’t know if I wanted to post this or not. It seems [too] personal & at the same time, it shows how screwed up NYS really is.

Here goes. In the mail today was a letter from the SCU. They want to begin making payments to debit/Master Card accounts & issue a new credit cards to persons receiving child support through the State of New York. I already have one Master Card, what makes them think I want another? I choose not to have a bank debit card, what makes them think I want their’s?

This is the best part:

I have the option to opt of this new thing by: “submit in writing identifying your hardship“ to: [their address provided].

Can anyone [please] tell me what “hardship” is there in wanting my money sent to me in the form of a paper check?

Anyone?

It gets better. There is a toll free number I can call “with questions”. Which means I’ll spend 45 minutes wasting my time listening to a voice recording… “if you’d like information about this, pless 1. If you would like information about this, press 2″ only to end up with a [live] person telling me I have to make a request in writing identifying the hardship of wanting my money sent by paper check.

I hate to say it this State sucks.

He said “On day one, everything changes”. On day 2 we have 3 5 guys fine-tuning the Spitzer Watch. Buffalo Geek, Buffalo Pundit & Albany’s Insanity have different comments stemming from the same Upstate NY tree.

Buffalo Pundit:

He’s not treating it as a patronage hire, appointing his chief fundraiser. He’s actually doing a nationwide search for someone with experience and credentials. Pinch me, I must be dreaming.

Buffalo Geek:

I’m sure that I will quibble with the means he will choose to enact reform in the upstate business climate (I am a blogger after all) but, the ends he seeks and the broad based agenda are properly targeted.

Albany’s Insainty:

Although I am trying to be optomistic about the new governor, I am skeptical about the current leaders in Albany.

Fed-Up in Buffalo:

No comment yet. I have to think long & hard about the doc, obseverer & news article.

Updated: Make that 5 guys.

Christopher Byrd:

On the surface it looks great, but it really reads like a bunch of promises we have heard before from our elected leaders before and outlines all the familiar problems that plague our region.

Mike in WNY (on Buffalo Geek’s blog-props CB ):

Just about everything he proposes entails implementing new programs, more state aid, and more bureaucrats. I can share your hope that Spitzer will accomplish some positive things, however, based on what he says and his past actions, I can not share your enthusiasm.

Reading between the lines of his proposals reveals the very things that have led to our previous 40 years of decline.

I still have no comment yet.