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We are about five weeks from Primary Day. September, 13 th is a day that can radically change the way this city, and the immediate suburbs are governed.

I am sure by now many in the city and around the area have heard of some the ideas proposed by regional expert and Buffalo Mayoral candidate Kevin Gaughan. From opening town of Hamburg beaches to city residents and converting the Upper Floors of City Hall to Apartments among others.
I have been following Kevin since he started his series of "Buffalo Conversations". His ideas for bringing about a consolidation of county and city governments is something that I have been a proponent of going back to the mid 1990's.
The bottoline is Kevin Gaughan represents the catalysts for change this area has needed for a long time.
The most remarkable thing about this canidacy is that although Kevin is a Democrat, there is a good mix of people who are democrats and republicans, those who live in the City and in the suburbs. These people recognize that the time for change is now!
The future of our area can be turned around, and it can start on Primary Day. The courage to change starts with you.


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I want to take this opportunity to apologize for the previous two posts I have made. The font size for thoes two posts were WAY TOO BIG. Hopefully the following posts will all be the right size.

I am sure that many of you have seen the Front Page story on A BLUEPRINT FOR GROWTH. This story written by Dan Hersbeck and Matt Glynn in the Sunday Buffalo News. This story, a part of the Why Not Buffalo? series talks about ways to improve WNY and make Buffalo a better place to live.
There are six steps the authors say could be used to promote Buffalo,and surrounding area. Five of these ideas are great and could help to greatly improve this area. One of the ideas however is poorly concieved at best. Second on this list to more positively promote the area is "INVOLVE THE UNIONS"
First off, I have a great deal of respect for the union movement. Unions have moved this country forward and are one of best things about the 20th Century.
Unions especially thoes in the State of New York have had their leardership make their positions more importiant than the members they are suppose to lead.
People like Dan Boody, and Phil Rumore seem to work toward what is best for them and not what is best for there memebership. All one has to do is look at the request by the Superntendent of the Buffalo Schools for moving to a single health insurance provider. Why is Mr Rumore baulking about this? because he knows to do so would be giving up his position of power. Instead Mr Rumore is willing to risk having some teachers loose their jobs due to a lack of money to pay them.
You have Unions such as the SEIU supporting Byron Brown for Mayor because they know things will not change.
Can this area change with Union participation in it's change?? In it's current situation, They should not. In my opinion the Unions should come into something like this and be on level terms with others involving improving the area.
Hopefully there will come a time and soon when the union membership rises up and says enough is enough, and look for leadership that see the best interests of its members not the leadership.

Well the Summer of 2005 will be one for the Record Books. June and July of 2005 will go down as the hottest two month period in area history.
I got to thinking and throught the sweltering heat I have come up with some interesting observations. As hot and as miserable it has been for everyone, most of us will be wishing it was ninety degrees come late December when the temperature
is hovering near single digits, with the frigid winds whipping off Lake Erie and Lake effect snow falling across the area due to the lake not yet being frozen over.
How many of us are glad we are not down in the Southeast which has been battered with five major hurricanes going back to last August. This is one of the reasons that I am glad I do not live down there.
It is interesting for me that we complain about it being hot, and yet there are thousands of American soldiers working in triple digit temperatures, wearing at least 50 to 60 pounds of body Armour, dodging bullets, mortars, and Improvised Explosive devices. Sorta puts things into prespectives does it not?
The warm weather is only around theses here parts for a short time, so let's go out, get a hot dog, enjoy a cold beverage, and top it off with a great big Ice cream cone. Summer in Buffalo. You just can not beat it.

Welcome to my world, and I do more than just live here. This journal will allow me to opine about things which are importiant to me. I certiantly have my share of opinions, many of which will cause thoes who read them a great deal of thought if they don't tick you off. I am not your typical Buffalonian. I believe that this area's brightest days are ahead of us if we can remove the inferiority complex that plagues this area. I believe that the words "WE CAN" need to replace the words "WE CAN'T". Only when this is achieved can we all look towards a better time for this area.
Buffalo, New York was once the 8TH largest City in the UNITED STATES. While I think it is unrealistic to think that big right away, I feel that we need to find ways to bring this city and this area up from where it is and work to make this area better. In the end it is up to us to ensure a brighter future for thoes who live and will live here.