�Since Russert is a phenomenally busy man who probably did not have time to write a heartwarming paean to his lovable father all by himself,� Queenan wrote, �my suspicion is that Novak (Russert�s collaborator) wrote most of the difficult sentences during the week and Russert wrote the easy ones on the weekend. Here's an example: 'Baseball. If there's a more beautiful word in the English language, I have yet to hear it.' I hope for Russert's sake that he wrote that sentence. Otherwise, he overpaid.�

Ouch!

People are always telling us what to write about and criticizing us for what we don�t write about but if somebody had told us that Russert, a Canisius High School graduate and a �famous� journalist employed a ghost writer for such a deeply personal work, we wouldn�t have believed it. Guess that�s just another reason why we�re nothing but a bunch of amateurs.

Has the Tax Revolt Been Quelled ?

Americans have a long history of being violently opposed to governmental taxation while failing to recognize �greed taxes.� Greed taxes are the hidden costs and premiums that are incurred as a result of our penchant to put blind trust in �the free market,� which like the old joke about the Holy Roman Empire, is neither truly free nor even a real market.

We chafe at the slightest governmental restraint, even while we hold the greatest admiration for monopolists like Bill Gates and Warren Buffett. Technology people know all about the Bill tax, and here in Buffalo we will continue to pay the Warren tax as long as The Buffalo News, and their Pro-Pataki editors continue to dominate the �marketplace of ideas,� which journalism is intended to open, not close.

That�s why the attention given to Libertarian Jim Ostrowski�s �Free Buffalo� campaign by The News was interesting. On the one hand, Ostrowski�s philosophy of shrinking government was in harmony with standard right wing rhetoric. However, his attacks on corporate welfare presented a problem - especially his outspoken criticism of the handout to Bass Pro Shops.

What�s a right-winger to do? They need a poster boy for the so-called �tax revolt,� preferably someone that is free and clear not only of sinister, behind the scenes GOP operatives like Tom Reynolds but also the freshly sacrificed Republicrat Joel Giambra. They need the appearance of a new grass roots bi-partisan movement that will actually carry the same old water buckets of elitism, cronyism, and every reality TV lover�s favorite, Social Darwinism.

After only its second meeting, it appears that Ostrwoski�s group may be just what the doctor ordered. An article in The News about that meeting stated that, �Free Buffalo also opposes subsidies for Bass Pro, but is reconsidering its stance because some of the members see benefits to the opening of the downtown sporting goods mega-store.� Vive La Taxpayer Supported Downtown Sporting Goods Mega-store! Vive La Revolution!

If Ostrowski is the George Washington, of this so-called �Tax Revolt� then his group�s second meeting represents an about face that is every bit as chaotic and counterproductive as the Continental Army�s retreat across the East River.

This group is supposedly all about lower taxes. But if they can�t even agree that the Bass Pro project is pork, chances are that they will never be able identify, let alone comprehend, the hidden taxation represented by the insurance industry, HMO�s, Big Pharma, the Petroleum pushers, Cable, defense contractors, Textbook manufacturers, etc, etc. The commanding heights that have been reached in these areas are so high that the majority of Americans can�t even peer through the cloud cover.

At least some of us can still recognize the smokescreen pouring out of The Buffalo News editorial offices. by John McMahon

Last year, local guy-made-good and host of NBC�s prestigious �Meet the Press� program Tim Russert released a personal memoir entitled �Big Russ and Me� with great fanfare. The tale about the famous telejournalist�s relationship with his father was released just in time for Father�s Day and since it contained a good deal of autobiographical material about growing up in Buffalo, received a lot of attention in the local mainstream media.

Some people asked whether we would review the book in Alt, but we had trouble working up the necessary enthusiasm for participating in this journalist as celebrity self-aggrandizement project. If we praised the book, we�d be part of the circle jerk. If we panned it, we�d be written off as a bunch of sour grape wannabes. We took in the magnificent p.r. campaign, but none of us actually ever bothered to read the book. How typical is that?

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