Entries from October 2007 ↓

We have this beautiful state of New York to call home. We live about 300 miles for our state’s capital. The aged-old expression is “getting there would be half the fun”, yet quite expensive if you plan a road trip. People always ask me why I’m so “fedup”…. I’m getting to it.

Ok, so like we have this NYSTA and this NYSDOT who won’t give out information of their departments unless otherwise FOIL’ed to do so.

If not for the FOIL and postings of Rus Thompson on his blog, we would not know:

Last year NYS DOT received $1.4 Billion in Federal Highway reimbursement funds, and approximately $4oo Million should have been allocated to the NY State Thruway System.

So now we understand the DOT requests the money for all of the Thruway, Interstate roads and bridges. Yet none of that money is applied to the NY State Thruway System, operated and controlled by the Thruway Authority. They are Billing the Feds for the Thruway and not using the funds for the Thruway.

What we need is a federal investigation is what Rus Thompson said in a comment, why have they not done one sooner is what I’d like to know. One of two reasons- either they know and don’t want to be accountable, or they continue to stay blind no matter what the average taxpaying citizens have to say.

This toll barrier we came upon while on our way to Canandaigua, NY. We made a pit stop to give some support to our Native Americans on the Tonawanda Indian Reservation. A little Gas & go, no harm there, except when getting back our way, there is a toll. A price we all have to pay…

Indirectly, Thompson conitues:

This is a fraud being perpetrated against the use of Federal Highway Funds. This is also misuse and misallocation of funds clearly directed toward the Thruway and the Grand Island Bridges.

Why is the Federal Highway Administration not questioning any of this, or is it that once the money is out of their hands, they are cleared of answering any questions? Is this the standard process of “the blind leading the blind”?

While we can keep challenging the state on said issues, and one by one our toll barriers come down, how do you really know that such fraudulent activity is going to continue right under our noses?

Now the New York State Thruway Authority is talking about raising tolls, 5% each year for the next four years.

While America is known as “the home of the brave”…. New York State is best known as the home of the screwed!

Can you believe it? This is my 800th blog post and I must say, it’s been just duckie so far.

While taking pictures in Cazenovia Park this afternoon, I stopped off along the creek to see how some feathered friends are doing.

These are probably going to be the last nice pictures of Cazenovia Park in South Buffalo this year. The windy days recently have blown a lot of leaves off the trees but because today was a beautiful day, I managed to capture some great shots anyways. Enjoy

It’s a tough choice for voters out there in Erie County. We have 2 candidates who show their good sides:

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And then we have their bad sides to consider:

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When you take all of this footage and ball it into one, it doesn’t leave much room for voters to decide. They have but 3 options: one) vote who they think is the best, two) choose the lesser of the two evils, or three) don’t vote at all.

I swiped this image off Chris Byrd’s blog so click here to give him props. This is what the election has turned into instead of the needs of the people in Erie County.

Anyways, those are just my thoughts for the day. Happy Halloween!

Now that it’s getting down to the wire, for some I can say best of luck to them.

Alan Bedenko & Rus Thompson, both long time bloggers, both very enchanting guys to know… and well-educated as well, both vying for Legislature seats in different districts, both with different ideas, yet both with the same focus of making Erie County a better place.

So on Election Day, if they are in your district, consider whichever for your new Erie County Legislator.

I’ve read this post on Buffalo Pundit’s blog a few times today, and I kept thinking back to last month when we visited Canandaigua. I wrote a post on sort of the same topic as on Free Buffalo weeks ago.

This is a take off of a recent freeny post about 2 little ideas to revitalize Buffalo.

When we were visiting in Canandaigua last week, I noticed two things Buffalo could have if only we were honored with politicians willing to do more than just talking about it.

My first idea: a waterfront that looks like these pictures (below). It’s beautiful and thriving …… and no big Bass Pro. Little shops, places to eat and drink. Green space and water. People walking, riding, skating, playing with their kids, couples holding hands, and tourists like me taking pictures.

My second idea: opening Main Street up to traffic again. I was partial supportive of this idea until shopping on Main Street there. Little shops, places to eat, independent businesses and outlets…. and residential living above stores. It’s what can be done to revitalize our Buffalo.

The main reasoning I’m reposting this is because of this quote:

“I have never lived in a community that was so obsessed with its past. We have lots of problems in the present. If we can think of ways to address them now, we can perhaps clear the way for a more improved future.”

Main Street in Canandaigua is like a trip in the past, living and walking, shopping and chatting with friendly people, like how we only see it in the old time movies. Everything doesn’t have to be new to be good.

While we were there, I asked myself “Why can’t we have it like this back in Buffalo?”

I realize now, it’s the metro rail that killed off a shopping downtown here.

I can picture Main street in Buffalo looking like this:

That is, if only we will ever see a waterfront which looks like this:

Anyways, that’s just my thought on it.

My man loved that the Bills won today, more so to pick on my sweet, little, innocent Jet’s Bear.

Look at how sad she looks….

I put it off long enough. Tonight I cleaned up around my computer desk, my perch (as my man would call it).

Not that there was a lot of clutter the good news is I collected $3.25 & 4 scratch off tickets totalling $4 ….. plus 2 free Take Five tickets, as well as a bus token. Pretty cool! I am way ahead of the game now. lol.

In my little cleaning mode, I also came up with 7 pens, 2 nail files, 5 dead batteries, 2 bottle caps, that really cool compass, and my fave necklace that has been missing for about 6 months.

Well, that’s enough excitement for one Saturday night.

HT Buffalo Pundit for posting this link to info about blogging.

Demographically, bloggers are young and hail from middle class families. They are 66 percent more likely than the national average to be between the ages of 18 and 34. Fifty percent of bloggers are part of a household that has children under 17, as opposed to 41 percent of the total population. Bloggers are 20 percent more likely than the national average to have an annual household income between $50k and $100k per year.

Here’s the full list:

There is this place, its name is www.WNYmedia.net & you can find it here…. it is the best place to find great Buffalo Blogs.

This is my list of other fave bloggers: (in random order)
Brisket for chucklehead, Buffalo Rising , Erin-Go-Blog , Grilled cheese , N Buffalo J & R , Punaro.com , In Da Buff , The Buffalo Spree Blog, Albany’s Insanity , All things Jennifer, AllThingsBuffalo , Buffalo Bloviator , Buffalo Geek , Buffalo Pundit , Buffalo Style , Michele Johnson’s News from a broad , Mild Mannered Blogger , Red’s Basement , Revitalize Buffalo , Shades of Gray , South Buffalo Blogger , The Tao of Paul , Broadway/Fillmore Alive , Buffalo Old Home Week , Buffalo ReUse

That’s a lot of bloggin’