You think I'm kidding don't you?



On June 2 the the pentagon will test a 700 ton bomb at their Nevada testing site. This is the largest open air explosion ever at the site, no others come close. This test just happens to be called called "Devine Strake" seriously. what the hell is wrong with the people in our government? apparently they are all about the holy war metaphors.

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From Washington Post
"This is the largest single explosive we could imagine doing," said James A. Tegnelia, director of the Pentagon's Defense Threat Reduction Agency, which is conducting the test.

The June test will detonate 700 tons of heavy ammonium nitrate-fuel oil emulsion -- creating a blast equivalent to 593 tons of TNT -- in a 36-foot-deep hole near a tunnel in the center of the Nevada Test Site, according to official reports. It aims to allow scientists to model the type of ground shock that will be created, and to weigh the effectiveness of such a weapon against its collateral impact.

The biggest issue with the casino is economics. When I go to Latina foods and buy some vegetables and a carton of half and half my money does not stop there, it goes to the workers and owners who also buy things throughout the community. My money also goes toward buying more products for the store, many of which come from local farmers and manufacturers who in turn have employees to pay. and it goes toward infrastructure improvements, parking lots, gardens and etc that make my neighborhood better to live in.

In a casino, especially one owned by a separate sovereign nation, my dollars will not travel as far, and very little will return to my community. It doesn't matter how much Smirnoff or slot machines the casino buys, my community gets nothing. The only thing that comes back is what they pay their workers, $30-$50 million per year, and building contracts for construction, a one time expense of $125 million.

The Casino expects to make $150 Million per year. Add it up, and 10 years down the road our community will lose $850 million. Most of that would have gone to places like Chippewa, Elmwood, Hertel, and the restaurants and bars throughout the city. Small businesses around buffalo can not afford to lose that much money. they will close, and when they do Elmwood, and city living in general, will seem a lot less inviting. We need our businesses, that's why I live here, because I can walk to the store, I can walk to restaurants, cafes, events, grocery stores, and everything else. Destroy our local businesses and you destroy the vitality of Buffalo.

The poor people argument tends to divide people and start conflicts. It is true that poor people gamble in greater numbers, despite the fact that they can't afford to lose. And they inevitably lose more than they gain, they come home from the casino and have to deal with the reality that they can't pay all of their bills. I'm worried that they will decide to rob my car, instead of letting their gas be shut off in the winter. pretty simple. It is in my self interest to keep crime down, so it is beneficial for me to keep some money in the pockets of poor people, because they don't steal for fun, they steal for money. But I don't want to have a "nanny state" any more than ((e:joshua)) and I refuse to allow the state to legislate morality. However when it comes down to preserving property and property values within the jurisdiction of the city, it seems reasonable that the city and it's citizens protect their interests.

this deal is terrible for so many reasons, it amazes me that took 4 years for people to start really speaking out on it.

• Geez, I never could spell, just changed it to steAl, yea....*

In my last post I urged everyone to write to their representatives. The casino has been in the news lately, so now is the time to get a critical mass of letters to your elected officials, and make sure they know what you think. If they don't hear from us they will just sit back and do nothing, but if they know we are against it they will feel pressured to take a stand.

So, out of curiosity, who sent a letter? anyone?

voting is the most minimal way to participate in government, the real way to have an impact is to contact your representatives, they want your opinion because they need your vote. This is not as true with the president, but with local leaders votes are crucial, 40 votes can make or break an election. Also, local leaders don't get many letters, so at the end of a week if they got 12-16 letters against the casino they think their whole district is up in arms, and they'll start to get worried. I only know this because I have a bachelors in Political Science and I've worked with local politicians.

here are links to district maps so you can find out what district you are in, then you can find out who the head of your district is. if your district is ambiguous just send it to both.
City
County

Leave a comment here if you intend to call or write a letter, or if you already have. Any questions or opposing views will also be much appreciated.

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Recent Articles

To help people catch up on the issue, below are a bunch of links to the recent articles dealing with the casino. maybe I'll do this in rambling summary blog form.

The media attention all started a few weeks ago. the common council asked the Senecas to sign an agreement saying they wouldn't acquire any more downtown land tax free, and the Senecas got offended and said "you don't trust us, this is an insult to the entire Seneca Nation" the Buffalo News Covered it and Bruce Jackson writes a very pointed and outraged response to the Senecas "hissy fit" in the Artvoice
Then the same day, the Senecas ask for $6 million in road work and infrastructure improvements around the site. this is also covered well in the Artvoice article above. Paying $6mill for the casino got the media's wheels moving.
In the next Artvoice Bruce Jackson brings to light the Senecas SEC filing with the federal government , this official document contradicts most of the public rhetoric involving the casino, especially the myth that they intend to attract tourists. nope the $150 million profit from a Buffalo casino will be coming from Buffalonians. WBEN and the The Buffalo News (archived ) pick up the story on the SEC filing. both focus on the fact that dollars will be drained from our fragile local economy.
The next day Giambra joins the anti-casino lawsuits and adds it to his caseload .
Tom Golisano goes public with his opposition next, Business First , Buff News , Artvoice does a great interview with Golisano (click the picture for video of the interview). Amazingly enough Byron Brown also finds it troubling that the casino will be devouring local dollars, not tourist dollars , not bad for the casino's biggest cheerleader.
This past Sunday the Buffalo News carries a giant front page article "Casino Promises - Still Waiting" which takes a long hard look at the effects of the Niagara Falls Casino on that city (archived ) That story was first in a two part casino series, today we got "The Hidden Costs of Gambling" which quotes bankruptcy lawyers, gambling addiction councilors, and others whose workload has tripled since the casinos opened , very interesting to get their first hand experience.

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The casino idea is on the table, this was never a done deal and now people are finally starting to realize it. I guess 4 years is enough to do a tiny bit of research and discover that this stupid casino idea will devastate our community.
Here's one of my articles on the casino from December . Jason, sorry I didn't respond to your casino question untill just now, you can read that article and my previous post here to get some idea of my opinion.

Please let's all try to keep the ball rolling. Write a letter, or call someone during Business hours. you can also thank Giambra for coming out against it, tell him that stopping the casino is a lot better legacy than screwing up the budget.

Hope you are all interested in this issue.

I think now is the time to let our public officials know that we are opposed to the casino. there has been opposition in the news lately and we need to make sure that our opinion is known. I wrote a letter and sent it to my city and county officials. I'm going to send it to Mayor Brown and I'd also like to drop a note of encouragement to the people who have come out against it.
The no casino Erie people are urging a letter writing campaign.

Look up your officials:

City

County


Here's my Letter:

I am writing to urge you, to do everything in your power, to prevent a casino from being built in downtown Buffalo.

My objection to the casino is not based on moral nor religious reasons, I am simply looking at the practical consequences of this casino, and I see no benefit. In fact I see grave harm, especially in regards to property values, crime, the local economy, and the desirability of Buffalo as a place to live or visit.

I would like to buy a home in Buffalo. I am the type of person who is not afraid to buy a home in an area that might not appear to be great, but has potential. I am also the type of person who will take it upon myself to keep my yard and my neighborhood clean, not only of trash but also of crime. If I buy a house in a community, that community then becomes my responsibility, I intend to work with and strengthen any block clubs that are involved in my neighborhood.

Right now Buffalo is a great place to buy a home. Private investment is steadily beginning to return to the city, and property values have increased dramatically in some areas. Now is the time to find that diamond in the rough and buy it for $40-$60,000, and fix it up while helping the neighborhood to improve, and in 10 years sell it for double what I paid. But there's a problem, the casino throws a whole bunch of doubt into this little plan. The current trend of investment and property values will be significantly altered by the creation of a casino.

The city needs people. Not just dollars, not just jobs, but people who are willing live here and start a business. These people, like me, will own a piece of the city, and therefore it will be in their self interest to take care of Buffalo. Just ask the business owners on Grant and Ferry, they know that if they want to protect their investment they have to take care of the neighborhood. The casino will not make this a better place to live, work and raise a family, that is the bottom line for Buffalo, and if the casino will not help, then it should not happen.

When the plans for a casino were announced, I kept a very open mind. I was encouraged by the prospects of converting the DL&W terminal and went down to the area to check it out. But when I returned home, I thought about my neighbors, who would go, and what would happen to my neighborhood and my life, when some of them lost more than they could really spare.

We will have an increased number of panhandlers, harassing people for change or to buy whatever they had stolen out of somebody's car the night before. And an increased amount of theft, more cars being broken into, more people returning from vacation to find they have been robbed, more people running off with your wallet when you take it out to benevolently give them a dollar. We will also have more drugs, people will try to sell drugs to make up for money they lost at the casino. With more drug dealers on the streets, we will also have more violence, and more murders.

I don't care how many cops you are able to hire with the $7 million Buffalo and the county get to split, they will not make me comfortable living on the west side, let alone buying a house there. Until this casino proposal is dead, my money is staying in my pocket, and if the casino is built I am leaving Buffalo for Albany, Pittsburg or Philadelphia. That's not a scare tactic, it's the truth, I do want to buy a home, and I'm not going to buy it in an area of increasing crime and uncertain property values. And who would?

The economics of this Casino also don't favor the city. Look at the restaurants in Niagara Falls, a casino is an unfair competitor, people do not venture out of the casino to eat or go shopping. Local dollars that were spent at restaurants, shops and entertainment venues will now go to the casino, and those dollars will not circulate through the community the same as if the were spent at say, D'Arcy McGee's. We do not need to compete with other gaming venues in the area, Buffalo hardly notices the dollars going to Fort Erie, Salamanca, and Niagara Falls. But we will notice the dollars left at a downtown Buffalo Casino, because it will be directly competing with local businesses, and those businesses will begin to close.

This Casino was never intended to help Erie County. It was born of an inept state government looking to balance its budget. The idea of a casino did not start with "how can we help Erie County?" the main concern was balancing the budget, and they chose to do it with our money. The reasons for the casino are no more than excuses. Common sense and empirical evidence dictate that the so called benefits of the Casino are false. Jobs will be lost, and money will leave the economy, tourists will not come, and I will not feel safer in my city with a casino downtown.

Please oppose any legislation that would open the door to a casino. And take whatever measures are within your power to put a stop to this casino from happening. This will be a terrible legacy to leave the city.

Thank you for your time,



David Coffee

Look everyone it's Disneyland in a box! the newest craze, make a custom city center for your suburb!! coming to a sprawlway near you.








From Buffalo Rising

Benderson Development is planning a 'lifestyle center' for 30 acres recently purchased from the Buffalo Shooting Club on Maple Road in Amherst. Preliminary plans call for a mix of office, retail and residential space.

Lifestyle centers are one of the biggest trends in retailing today. According to the International Council of Shopping Centers (yes there is such an organization), a lifestyle center is most often located near affluent residential neighborhoods, and caters to the retail needs and "lifestyle" pursuits of consumers in its trading area. It has an open-air configuration and typically includes 150,000 to 500,000 square feet of retail space occupied by upscale national chain specialty stores. Other elements differentiate the lifestyle center in its role as a multi-purpose leisure-time destination including restaurants, entertainment, and amenities such as fountains and parks. Many are designed as a 'Main Street' with nostalgic building facades, including residences above stores, office space and even hotels. In other words, a fancy strip mall.

From the Buffalo News

Benderson Development Co. has purchased the Buffalo Shooting Club on Maple Road in Amherst and plans to build a $40 million-plus "town center," with upscale retail, housing, office space and hotel.

Benderson, which is best known for strip plazas and big box retail centers, acquired the 32-acre gun club property on Maple Road, between Millersport Highway and North Forest Road, for $3.1 million. The developer envisions a small village ambience, with attractive buildings and heavily landscaped streets.

"We want to create a one-of-a-kind development that will be as aesthetically pleasing for its tenants and visitors as it will be for the Maple Road community," said Benderson's Eric L. Recoon. "From the architecture, to the landscaping, to the tenant mix, we want to do something very special."

I absolutely love this idea, a mock pro-casino parade, awesome. except i think they should get a permit and do it in the street. realy cool.

From the No casino Erie Listserv

Calling actors, artists, creative people of all kinds, to become part
of a mock pro-casino procession down Elmwood at 10:00 am, on Saturday,
May 6, from Bidwell Parkway to Allen Street.

Next planning session, Thursday, March 30, 6:00-7:00 pm. Rust Belt
Books, Allen Street near Elmwood.

The central focus of the procession will be a rolling Casino created by
Franklin LaVoie--in the center of which will be a toilet, down which
vast amounts of money will be thrown.

The procession will include characters excited about the coming of the
casino to Buffalo, possibly Politicians, Gambling Addicts, Pimps,
Prostitutes, Gluttonous Buffet Eaters, Dealers, Cab Drivers, Lady Luck,
Sandwich-Board wearers, Casino Cheer Leaders, and the Great
Hypnotist/Great Mesmerizer who goes around telling people that "This
will be good for the economy, this will bring in jobs, this is a done
deal, you are getting very sleepy, this will be good for the
economy..." Creative possibilities for characters, handouts, etc. are
endless. We hope to have a lot of fun, and even to get a message
across.

If you are interested in participating, but can't attend the next
meeting, or if you want more information, call Anna Kay at 812-8292.

The plan, incidentally, is to do this in a way that is completely
legal, and requires no permits. I.e., we will be walking along the
sidewalk, crossing the street only at intersections, with the lights,
not blocking pedestrian traffic or access to any buildings, and not
using megaphones or any sound amplification. Wearing costumes,
carrying signs, and doing street theatre along the way is fine.

Please spread the word.

I agree with Jenks [inlink]jenks,86[/inlink] that those buildings aren't as inviting as others on the strip. Stores like, Everything Elmwood, Urban, and etc have a real advantage over the businesses in these homes, one reason is that they have big windows right on the sidewalk. They're more inviting because when you walk by you can see what's in the store, and therefore you feel more comfortable walking in and hopefully purchasing something from them.

How many more college students would be spending their beer money at these stores if they could easily see what the place is selling,and who is inside, right from the sidewalk?

furthermore, think of the parents coming to visit their sons and daughters at the college. Many of us went to college, I went to Fredonia, it was far away enough to be your own person, but close enough that mom can come down for lunch. How many students from Elma, Clarance, Hamburg, Rochester, batavia, and elsewhere have parents coming to visit them at Buff State? and how many take their children out for lunch at some nearby restaurant, and wander down the street? With a big new commercial building on the corner, this shopping district will look a lot more attractive to visiting parents who may not have ventured down there to shop yet. and the businesses would really appreciate visiting parents because they are likely to spend money with their children while in town. A new 4 story building would create a grand commercial gateway, and make this part of the city seem as active as it really is.

It is a commercial strip, that is it's purpose, and if the businesses there succeed and expand, then the area is doing well. If you don't like living on an active commercial strip, move to linwood, richmond, colvin, ashland, or any one of the million Buffalo streets that are residential. the greatest challenge for the city today is for it to reestablish itself as the commercial center of WNY, and take some of the money away from the big box chains, which are trampling our farms and forests as the suburbs sprawl ever outward. You know?

That corner deserves more, and this hotel is far better than anything I expected, someone is really willing to put some serious money into that corner. it never had a great corner building like some of those in my neighborhood and around the city. this is an awesome step in the right direction.

I live in Buffalo, Allentown to be exact, and I plan on staying here. Because my future is here in Buffalo I spend a lot of time worrying over the various developments, and disasters affecting the city.

Fighting against the hotel is the wrong battle. Please let's put our energy toward stopping the downtown Casino, preventing the anti-pedestrian federal courthouse from being built on Niagara Square, Let's fight the new Health now building and demand it be more urban and pedestrian oriented, let's extend metro rail to UB North and the Airport, lets help expand the good areas of the city and make it somewhere people want to live and visit.

I want to address some of the myths surrounding this hotel issue. Many of which have been covered in great detail in the newest Artvoice, a fantastic read for anyone looking to investigate this issue.

1) The hotel will not get enough business and is doomed to fail:
The Albright Knox, and Buffalo State administrators are ecstatic about the prospects of a nearby hotel. When Albright Knox has an art opening the place will be full, currently the mansion on Delaware fills up, and after that the Hampton inn downtown, the next option is by the airport. Nobody traveling in from out of town to go see an art exhibit wants to stay next to the airport with a room overlooking highways and drainage ditches. right? They want to stay in the city and see what the city has to offer, this part of Buffalo is a great introduction for out-of-towners who know little about Buffalo besides that it snows here. There are about 10 art openings per year, that's at least 10 times that the hotel will definitely reach maximum capacity. Buff State attracts visitors for graduation and the many events it hosts at the Burchfield, their new performing arts center, and elsewhere on campus. Not to mention prospective students coming for open house, and par rents coming to town to visit their child and participate in the various planned activities that colleges do with students families, homecoming, and etc. Both the Albright and Buff State reserve rooms for their guests, donors speakers and artists that are invited to town. Savarino knows that this is a safe bet.

2) The Hotel will destroy the urban setting and feel of Elmwood:
This is the definition of friendly urban design. It's a mixed use building with retail on the first floor and people on the upper floors to patronize the businesses. That criticism is the most baffling thing about this. It seems that no matter what is proposed the public is against it. It's like the boy who cried wolf, we're opposing every project that is proposed, so when something really dangerous is about to happen, like a downtown casino, nobody will take us seriously because we ALWAYS complain. And we don't just raise the very legitimate concerns like parking and property values, we say "NO, put it elsewhere, how about in the suburbs" ... I don't want to hurt anybody's feelings, but that's really bad. It hurts the city, Our city. Don't build it, put it in the suburbs? I hope nobody takes you seriously.

I have a 4 story building on my corner (pictures below), what's the problem? Dense residential is great, it helps the businesses survive. I have a big grocery store on the other side of Elmwood that I use about 3 times per week, it couldn't survive without the dense residential buildings across the street from it. Having that Grocery store there makes life in Allentown better. You need more people and more density up there in the village, it would be a change for the better.

3) Building or not building this hotel will not effect the rest of the city.
I'll simplify it this way; Buffalo has 2 main objectives, 1) to keep people from moving out of depressed areas and leaving the city, and 2) encouraging people to move into and expand the good areas. Millions of possibilities exist to accomplish these goals, the hotel is a big step toward encouraging and expanding the good areas of the city. investment follows investment, if developers see success they know that if they invest in the area they will be safe too.

The reason I live in Allentown instead of further north on Elmwood is because you just don't have the businesses necessary to live an urban lifestyle. When I come home from work I park my car, and I don't need to move it until I go back to work. I walk to get everything I need, that is the appeal of cities, and it's what makes Buffalo better than West Seneca or Amherst. It's what some people are looking for, and when they realize they can pay $500 per month in Buffalo for what costs $1700 in NYC, or $1300 in Chicago there is a huge incentive to choose Buffalo. But so far Buffalo has few really walkable and pleasant urban areas.



AMENDED with my comment to Paul's concerns about the gentrification of the Elmwood Village:
"Home of the Hits is actually NOT being torn down. The buildings north of it are. I was excited to hear that since it is probably the best and most useful business on that strip.

Yours is a very real concern, it's the flipside of a city that is improving, prices go up. But I would rather have my city improve, than see Buffalo's urban real estate stay one of the lowest priced in the nation. It will grow from Elmwood outward toward Grant and Main St, and I for one am willing pioneer into the edges of a neighborhood and invest in a home.

I want to buy a home on the lower west side, or just west of Richmond and help the Elmwood / Allen areas further improve by being involved in my community. I'll take a hands on approach to bettering my neighborhood, because I think this community is great and I want other people to come in and appreciate it too. When new businesses and new people feel secure moving into the area, that means I have succeeded.

If you're worried about low cost housing and amenities there are other ways to address the issue. The Co-op Mansion on North and Elmwood is a good housing solution, or move into an apartment building instead of a two family home. As for retail, the demand for inexpensive rents will always be there, and building owners will take the opportunity to start opening basement and side-street commercial spaces.

It is possible for upscale visitors to coexist with the current environment. We should at least give them a chance."



Compare My corner, which is very comfortable and welcoming in my eyes.



to the hotel corner


also looks like a great spot to live or visit.




I'm going to close with a quote from Tim Tillman as published in the Artvoice article. For those who don't know Tillman could well be described as "THE" Preservationist of Buffalo, he heads the Campaign for Buffalo History, Architecture & Culture, and is constantly sticking his neck out for Buffalo's history and future.

"I support the hotel," said Tielman. "We did have concerns about the project initially, and when we spoke to them they addressed our concerns on a number of issues-scale, mass, the color of the building. I met with Karl Frizlen, the architect, and Savarino and explained our concerns about the bulkiness of the building, sound, light, issues like that. And they did address them. So it's not like we looked at it uncritically-it's not like we just went 'Yahoo, we're getting a hotel.'

"This project expresses things we've been preaching. It exchanges retail for retail and it adds to the number of people occupying the block. Instead of residents they happen to be hotel guests, but it's putting more people on the sidewalk, which we like.

"And demolishing those buildings Hans Mobius owns is different than the Atwater case," Tielman added, referring to the fight he led against restaurateur Pano Giorgiadis' plan to demolish the Atwater house, which is on the same block. "What makes the Atwater case different is that it's the oldest house on the block, it's rare, architecturally significant and compelling."

Speaking of the Atwater, it's worth noting that an online petition to stop the hotel project had only 72 signatures as of Wednesday, March 1. Compare that to the online petition against the demolition of the Atwater, which more than 6,000 people signed.

"But one of the things I like most about the proposed hotel project," Tielman continued, "is the process that Savarino has engaged in. Having attended both the meeting for the proposed new Buff State Burchfield-Penney Art Center on Saturday and the one for the Elmwood Village Hotel on the following Tuesday, I can't tell you how different these two meetings were. The difference was day and night.

"On Saturday, Buffalo State was arrogant; they didn't want to entertain any idea that somehow their design wasn't the best. Their attitude was that their architect is an Olympian figure and, heaven forbid, they didn't want to change anything that this person very close to God had come up with. It was unimaginable to them.

"On the other hand, Savarino established that their meeting was to get information from the community; that they want to build a hotel and what do you people think? I was just amazed, and I told city officials who were there, I said, 'Man, I just can't believe the difference between these two meetings.' And the Tuesday meeting with Savarino was much better attended and there were a lot of emotions. But things played out much better at the meeting for the hotel, and that had a lot to do with the receptivity of the developer to making changes."

This is one of the things I love about the internet, you can go to the primary source and get the information for yourself. You don't have to rely on cnn and radio show hosts to reinterpret it. I've been reading news articles and listening to people talk about this stuff all day.

Here's the video.
It's hosted by Crooks and Liars, my new favorite website. also check out the video of John Stewart on Lary King, and Arianna Huffington, and Bush interviewed about Katrina on ABC .


"Federal officials warned President Bush and his homeland security chief of possible devastation just before Hurricane Katrina struck. Six days of video footage from briefings and transcripts were obtained by The Associated Press. The warnings were that the storm could breach levees, risk lives in the New Orleans Superdome and overwhelm rescuers.A-P reports Bush didn't ask any questions during the final government-wide briefing the day before Katrina struck on August 29th"

The day after the mosque was blown up in Iraq and the "sectarian violence" or civil war began, the news provided us with a number of known dead. The day after the bombing I woke up and the headline said 111 dead so far, later in the day it was around 134 dead. then the number stopped being widely reported. Damage control? well of course, there's more outrageous political manipulations to talk about than this, but today the Washington post gave us a peek at the numbers game

"Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jafari said Tuesday that the death toll provided to The Washington Post by morgue workers -- more than 1,300 dead since last Wednesday -- was "inaccurate and exaggerated." Jafari said the toll was 379. Gen. Ali Shamarri of the Interior Ministry's statistics department put the toll at 1,077."

But you know, I think this whole civil war thing is "made up by the media" what about you Rupert?