alt press online

May

2012

| Old Falls Street set to be hub for event-filled summer | Bethlehem Steel site to be scrapped | Buffalo police officer faces fraud charge | 3 are first to be charged in state in sale of synthetic pot | FBI cites local agent who died on '43 mission | The NAACP letters: Mesiah and King | Erie and Chautauqua counties to get state land bank | Prosecution rests in Corasanti trial | Bills sign top pick Gilmore | How many teachers would move next year? | Triple-A All-Star Game fan balloting opens May 25 | Officials mum about death of local private | Niagara Wheatfield board eyes budget with lower tax hike | Becoming a man â€” with a future | Hostess Brands warns of layoffs | Sen. Grisanti airs ads; Democrats eye rival | Wallenda gets a preview of wet conditions | U.S. economy improves after early spring slump | High School Extra: St. Francis track dominates | Good morning, Buffalo

Home

Blog

Submit News

Latest News

Syndicate

Archive

City Limits

User Rating:

/ 0

Friday, 12 September 2003
When I entered the auditorium, the forum was already underway. Speakers raised a variety of topics, from education to union contracts. A sample of the comments follows: Amber Slichta, a city homeowner, suggested that Buffalo follow the example of Cleveland, with a "smart growth" initiative. Cleveland bought houses from people at more than market value "to encourage them to move to less-desirable neighborhoods and fix houses up." She said that this could help to increase the city's tax base. "I love living in the city. I want to help see it work." Loretta Renford of the Commission on Citizens' Rights said that students are failing because "something is desperately wrong" and that city schools are not providing their students with a quality education. Eva Doyle, a teacher, said that "Buffalo does not need more cuts to education." She said that she has spent hundreds of dollars out of her own pocket for supplies, such as microscopes, compasses, and magnifying glasses, so that her students could experience hands-on learning. "We cannot afford to lose programs and teachers. The children are the wealth of a nation." Lawrence Brose, executive director of the CEPA Gallery, talked about the "importance of culturals and the arts to the fiscal recovery of this city." He criticized the city government's sudden de-funding of cultural programs in mid-year as "morally reprehensible." He said that budget cuts forced him to reduce his staff from nine to three and that the laid-off staff members have since relocated to other cities. Buffalo is suffering from an "incredible brain drain," he said, adding, "I'm looking at my options, too." Marlies Wesolowski of the Lt. Col. Matt Urban Human Services Center of WNY focused on block grant distribution. "We know first hand the problems that the city is facing," she said, but added, "The city needs to come up with a fair and equitable process for distributing block grant funds, with a credible evaluation process. Right now, it's not." Charles Hendler, interim executive director of the Preservation Coalition of Erie County, said that Western New York "needs an aggressive approach to sprawl." And, on the topic of building inspections, he said, "Building inspecting shifted from trained inspectors to part-time firefighters. Don't do 'pennywise cuts.'" Joe Foley, president of the Buffalo Professional Firefighters Union criticized the city for failing to negotiate a new contract. "We understand the economic situation of the city. We do care. We are part of the city and we risk our lives daily." He said that the city's plan "does not address safety and will not work without union involvement... If the city would negotiate, an agreement could be reached in 24 hours and that it would 'guarantee great savings.'" Retired engineer R. H. Cutter said that many cities and towns in New York State face problems similar to Buffalo's. He said that he is "encouraged by the outspokenness of people," but added that the way that city government is run "hasn't changed much since the days of King Arthur and the Knights." At the September 10 BFSA meeting, Sheffer offered a report on the forum. He said that 250 persons attended the forum, and that 54 spoke, while another 75 submitted written comments, either as a hard copy or via the internet. He said that the comments revealed several common themes. Among them were suggestions for revenue enhancement, such as a commuter tax, an income transfer tax, and a bottle fee. It was also suggested that property tax exemptions be decreased. He said that questions were raised as to whether having firefighters check for building code violations violated the Taylor law. And, he said that many people talked about education, saying that "the answer to budget dilemmas should not be on the backs of city students." BFSA President Thomas Baker said, "You and your team did a professional job on Saturday. We will take this under advisement." In the near future, the videotapes of the forum will be aired on public access television, Sheffer said. The next BFSA meeting will be on September 15. At that time, the authority will be required to either approve or deny the city's four-year plan.
Last Updated ( Friday, 18 May 2007 )
Read more...

Those old familiar themes

Friday, 12 September 2003

Rodriguez mostly bores me. Oh sure, his El Mariachi was interesting, but did he have to go and remake his own picture and call it Desperado? Now we’ve got Once Upon A Time In Mexico, which probably should be called El Mariachi III, assuming you’ll consider for a moment calling the second installment El Mariachi II. Truth be told, Rodriguez considers his newest Desperado II. Are you still with me? And frankly, his From Dusk Till Dawn, a violent con men/quasi-western/contemporary vampire film also fits into the mix, or mold if you will. I think the latter has a terrific style and a looseness that works, but it walks the same road as the El Mariachi pictures. As a matter of record, Rodriguez is the same guy who made three versions of Spy Kids.

All in all, it really doesn’t matter, Once Upon A Time In Mexico proves that Rodriguez has run out of gas. The director has already over-worshipped at the altars of Peckinpah and Leone. I mean, come on, when does homage turn into plagiarism? And now he’s virtually looting his own imitations for a bloody display of surreal stuck-in-a-rut filmmaking. At least Rodriguez’s mentor, Quentin Tarantino had the good sense to stop making movies for a while because the ideas weren’t there. In Once Upon A Time In Mexico, we’re visited by the brooding man with no name who once had revenge in his heart. Antonio Banderas saunters through town knowing he’s got all manner of firepower in his guitar case. Salma Hayek, who thankfully doesn’t talk much in what amounts to a pointless cameo, plays the fetching female seemingly only because this kind of movie needs a fetching female. If my memory serves me correctly, the plot point involving her in this movie doesn’t seem to gibe with her plot point in Desperado. Let’s just say she was once Banderas’ love interest, and leave it at that.

Here’s the gist of the story: CIA agent Johnny Depp would like the president of Mexico dead. But, he doesn’t want him dead at the hands of an assassin. So he signs on the mysterious singing gunman (Banderas as El Mariachi) to kill the killer. There’s a drug lord played by Willem Dafoe who seems to be channeling Orson Welles’ idea of Mexican badness from his Touch of Evil. The overthrow of the Mexican government is at the center of the movie, but hyperventilating around the edges of this overwrought feature are all manner of characters (like a fascistic general), some friendly, some less so, who participate in the goings-on, and there are all manner of goings-on. The movie is like a maze without an exit. You want Cheech Marin? You got ‘im. You want Ruben Blades? You got him, too. You want Mickey Rourke? Oh yes, he’s here as well.

Rodriguez is a multitasking director. He does everything. And he does it in the comfort of his house outside Austin, Texas. No Hollywood excess for him, which proves that you don’t have to live in Los Angeles to make convoluted, violent, cinematic junk food. In addition to writing and directing this rehashed mishmash, he photographed the movie himself using high-definition video. He also produced it, wrote the familiar music (all hail Ennio Morriconi), and edited the picture, or, as it reads in the opening credits, “chopped” it. Fortunately, the film doesn’t look like a home movie, which is its saving grace. If you like your action gonzo, then this feature could be right up your alley. The blood flows and flows and flows. There are some truly indulgent action scenes, and I will attest that there is a visceral excitement to them. For a while. How many times can Rodriguez shatter images? As many times as he wants to, I guess. How many times can he lead the audience down one path and then disappear into one of the myriad subplots? Too often for me. I don’t mind incoherence if it’s coherent. Comic book fantasies are great in comic books. Rodriguez is all over the place because he’s bereft of ideas. My sense of El Mariachi and Desperado were that romance played an important role in their story lines. Revenge was sweet. All we’ve got now is slaughter for the sake of stylized slaughter.

The whole enterprise collapses into a jumble of conspiracy and danger with no way out except the front door of the movie theater.

Buffalo News Invents a Scandal

Wednesday, 03 September 2003

The source? Well Ms. Kavanaugh is quoted quite extensively in the article, as is State Assemblyman Sam Hoyt, but ultimately the article is an exercise in heavily editorialized analysis; the stuff usually reserved for editorials, op-eds and commentary columns. Mr. Hoyt’s observation that, “I don’t know if Al is out there working or just there to take votes to help another candidate,” is paired with Ms. Kavanaugh’s complaint that “SanFilippo and Coppola are in this race to take votes away from me,” to reach the manufactured conclusion that back room deals were made to aid the SanFilippo campaign.

No evidence is offered to support this accusation outside of the amount of money raised by each campaign; a spurious barometer at best, and one that is further weakened by the fact that Ms. Kavanaugh has tens of thousands more dollars than the other three candidates. To question the other candidates because they can’t raise gobs of money is an odd attack upon the political process itself, especially considering the Buffalo News’ support of campaign finance measures.

A telephone conversation with Brian Meyer revealed that his involvement with the piece in question was limited to conversations with Mr. Pitts and Mr. Coppola. Mr. Meyer said that he was unaware of the News’ editorial board’s decision to endorse Ms. Kavanaugh until after he filed his story and that the other writer, Mr. Lakamp, did most of the legwork and writing for the story.

When Mr. Lakamp was reached by telephone he refused to comment and directed Alt to speak with Buffalo News City Editor Stan Evans. As of filing this story Mr. Evans has not responded to Alt’s query about the ethics of running commentary as news when there are real scandals out there to report on.

Meanwhile, veteran News’ political reporter Robert McCarthy wrote about a Labor Day parade in Clarence that featured both County Executive candidates. Buried in the piece is a statement by Democratic County Executive contender Dan Ward referring to the unfolding scandal within the County Highway Department. Unfortunately Mr. Ward is paraphrased in the piece and the word scandal is placed in scare quotes- a tactic used to distance the writer from responsibility for the word(s) in the quotes and, in this case, to demean the scandal concept itself.

And it looks like the payroll irregularities and missing equipment from Salt Road Garage is just the tip of the iceberg in the Erie County Highway Department. According to some Aurora residents, lumber from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) stored at the County Forestry Barn has made its way to the Giambra sign committee just in time for a new batch of campaign lawn signs.

And we won’t even bother to ask why the Buffalo News has no interest in investigating the Giambra administration’s illegal and unethical handling of the proceeds from the tobacco settlement.

Meanwhile Buffalo is in dire financial straits, the Buffalo Public Schools will discontinue kindergarten instruction next year and Mr. Giambra continues his obstinate stonewalling while making dire predictions that county property taxes will have to go up by over 50% if the county has to share more sales tax revenue with the city.