So far, I’ve learned that the Democrats capitulated to tea party hostage-taking, abetted by mainstream Republicans; I’ve learned that the Republicans have sold out the tea party; I’ve learned that Gabby Giffords’ appearance on the House floor was a brazen stunt, concocted by Democrats to inject sympathy into the process; I’ve learned that Gabby Giffords’ appearance on the House floor was a brazen stunt, concocted by the White House to embarrass Democrats into voting in favor of the debt ceiling deal; I’ve learned that the debtpocalypse deal will guarantee a second recession because the government’s hands are now tied; I’ve learned that the debtpocalypse deal is horribly awful, and that anyone who took Econ 101 could tell you so – that you never pull trillions out of a recession economy; I’ve learned that the debtpocalypse deal is a return to fiscal sanity and responsibility, and that Washington is finally getting its fiscal house in order; I’ve learned that the supercommittee that will be constituted to establish cuts will be responsible; I’ve learned that the supercommittee that will be constituted to establish cuts is just a “catfood commission” that will determine how much more awful it can make the lives of Medicare-dependent seniors.

I do, however, agree with this:

The heinous deal is preferable to economic catastrophe. The outrage and shame is it has come to this choice.

August 1, 2011 12:43 am via webReplyRetweetFavorite

@RBReich

Robert Reich

I did learn that the Dow dipped 2% yesterday upon news of a debt deal, and that doesn’t happen in a vacuum. I also learned that Senator Mitch McConnell has never worked a day in his life in the dreaded private sector.

In short, the country is well past having an honest discussion about fixing the economy, and both sides have become radicalized. This compromise is precisely how the country was founded to run. If we wanted to guarantee that policies or bills would be introduced and passed, we’d have a parliamentary system.

I learned that the Democrats have no game, and don’t know when or how to play a good hand. I learned that the Democrats suck at messaging, and the President makes a nice speech, but can’t – or won’t – advocate for what he believes in.  This country is ruled right now by the tea party.  Progressives, meanwhile, are pissing all over President Obama rather than Republicans and their tea party dog waggers.

I’m no economist, so I’m not going to pretend to inject my own opinion about whether this compromise is a disaster or not. I’m returned to the notion that re-election is the matter of tantamount importance in Washington. I also get the sense that President Obama’s entire raison d’etre is to prove to the tea party that he’s not the soshulist Kenyan usurper they think he is, which is as pointless as it is unnecessary.

I sure hope I was wrong. Could an unmitigated calamity really morph into the best of all worlds? If I could set aside my prejudicial cynicism, maybe I could see that the answer is yes. And yet . . .

In May I discussed a number of bad options for HSBC’s sale of their retail banking network in Upstate New York. Option one, which I offered as the most negative, was a division of the 195 branches among local players and the elimination of the backoffice, support and leadership functions in the main HSBC tower and associated atrium. Option two, the preferred option to me, was for a banking giant new to Buffalo to sweep in and buy the lot, necessitating the establishment of a regional headquarters and the support jobs that go with it. My hoped for suitor was Toronto Dominion (TD), as it would both connect their US East Coast network with the home base in Toronto, and continue the local strategy of encouraging Canadian business investment in Buffalo. Such a local footprint, by TD or other new player, would be smaller than HSBC’s currently but preferable to piecemeal dissolution. As a side benefit, it would also remove a potential suitor from swallowing the acquisition-ready First Niagara.

The comments from that May article, from several local banking types, former and current HSBC employees, and knowledgeable laymen, ranged from optimism that HSBC would retail its global banking operations in Buffalo (despite the sale of the retail network) to vented frustration that much of HSBC’s leased space is empty already, and its just a matter of time before Buffalo’s jobs are in Chicago or New York.

It was not that long ago that Buffalo was near the center of the banking universe, albeit briefly, as HSBC, M&T and First Niagara all made international financial news simultaneously. Both of my options indicated that run was at a quick end.

Flash forward to Sunday’s headline news that seemed to present a Goldilocks Option Three that I did not consider. First Niagara will buy HSBC’s retail bank network in upstate New York and Connecticut and retain “most” jobs. HSBC Holdings will cut 30,000 internationally but none locally. The 3400-ish workers in the HSBC tower and atrium will continue to support worldwide finance for an international banking power. Control and profits of 195 retail branches will shift to local good news story First Niagara. Jobs will be retained. In fact, the situation is arguably better than the status quo, as a local company grows and becomes more difficult to acquire. The politicians gushed at the news.

Governor Cuomo:

Given the possible losses from the HSBC divestment in New York, this is the best possible outcome for HSBC’s employees and branches across the state. In addition, this purchase is good news for New York, because First Niagara is a New York company that has a record of growth and creating jobs in upstate New York and with this deal it is showing that it is poised to continue and expand this important commitment to our state and our work force.

County Executive Collins:

I don’t want to put words in his mouth, but what he [First Niagara CEO Koelmel] said to me is we don’t need to worry about those jobs in the branches. From my perspective, it’s as good as it can be for Western New York with a locally owned bank acquiring those branches.

Everything worked out as good as it possible can, right? It’s not too good to be true, is it?

Hang on a minute.

It did not take long for fine print to be read, logic to take over, and reality to set in. There was no way First Niagara could keep the entire HSBC branch network. Regulators would snatch off pieces for anti-trust reasons, and simple logistics and geography would force the closing of more. On Grand Island, HSBC and First Niagara are nearly across the street from one another; on Transit Road they share a parking lot. Such a scene will be played out across WNY. So, out of those 195 branches bought, how many will First Niagara actually keep?

“Half” is the answer we got Tuesday. In fact, First Niagara may resell more branches than it keeps. Suddenly Goldilocks Option Three looks a lot more like my Option One. Evans, Warsaw, and other smaller banks will each get their chance after all. If the branch jobs are going to be retained, it won’t be by First Niagara. Such platitudes turned out to be a wish, not a plan.

What are we left with? HSBC stays in its tower, but more tenuously – it now has no more tie to the area than GEICO and Citi. First Niagara has grown but pledged to stay in Larkinville. Such a move is good for restoration and revitalization efforts, but perhaps it also indicates how much they plan to grow at the uppermost level – there is limited space in those relatively full offices, even after the U Building is restored and occupied. First Niagara’s growth may reduce the chance of outside acquisition; the number of banks that can afford them has shrunk. At the same time, they may now be large enough to appear on the radar of the biggest threats. The financial markets are not impressed with First Niagara’s plan to dilute share values further (to be fair, the markets aren’t happy with anything now during the debt ceiling mess). If the share price drops, First Niagara may look more tempting to take over, not less.

If you’re of the mindset that any car more than 25 years old is a “classic,” than behold this classic 1979 Ford Pinto, seen a while back parked down in Franklinville. ‘Nuff said. If this isn’t enough to satisfy your Pinto fix, click here to see the original 16-page brochure. — Jim Corbran, You Auto [...]

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By Jeffrey Hartinger:

As I spent the past four years at Canisius College as one of the biggest Buffalo advocates, my family, friends, classmates, and peers were in shock at the end of my senior year when I announced my post grad plans, which was to move to Los Angeles a few days after graduation to pursue a career in writing. They asked many questions, and in a way, it appeared as if some tried to paint me as a hypocrite: Wasn't I the one to start a debate when classmates revealed in class how they were hoping for job offers in more prosperous cities? Yes. Wasn't I the one who defended my hometown to no avail when bombarded with negative facts and figures of my beloved Queen City? Yes. No matter my urging or prompts, I never declared that in order to appreciate or cherish ones home city should one limit their pursuits or life goals by staying permanently in that location.

Growing up in the suburbs of Lancaster, I spent my youth in a upper middle-class enclave that seemed, at times, boring and monotonous beyond belief. Sure, any teenager with angst and a untamed imagination will they say the same thing, no matter their hometown or upbringing, but there was something different about the experiences I had as a teenager; as long as I could remember, I recall being told things such as, "Hey Jeffrey, can't you wait to get out of Buffalo?" and "There is nothing for the youth here." As I had never ventured into the city, sans a Bison's game or dinner with my grandparents, I believed the hype that was being force fed to me subconsciously; the suburbs are boring, the city is worse, and you should go away to school and just move on with your life. By my senior year of high school, that was my plan. I was going to ace my standardized tests and get the heck out of Dodge -or more fittingly - Buffalo.

I applied, got into schools at opposite ends of the country, and prepared for a life far away from my embarrassing Rust Belt past. About a week before I was to make my final decision and put in my deposit, I was cornered by my mother one night after she overheard my excitement about moving to a friend during a phone call. "You got accepted to Canisius, right? Go check out the school," she said. "Take a day off, go for a tour and explore the city, see what it has to offer." Looking back, the conversation was mainly based upon the fact that my mother didn't want her oldest son to move away for college, but I took her advice and two days later, I spent the day visiting Canisius and exploring the City of Buffalo.

That night, I returned, double checked my scholarship and housing options, and made one of the best decisions of my life by submitting my deposit in for Canisius College. Not only do I consider it the best decision due to the education and experiences I received as a student, but because of the education and experiences I received simply as a Buffalonian.

The pros and cons of this city have been argued back and forth for decades, and honestly, the only way to understand is to immerse yourself into the city experience.

I feel indebted to my hometown, but more importantly, I feel guided by the experiences and opportunities that were presented to me. Having been in Los Angeles for a little over two months, I have already experienced things that have forever changed me. Honestly, some things are "better" than Buffalo. Some things are "worse." Some things are the same.

It's easy to compare and contrast aspects like population, size, location, and other factors, but when it comes down to it, cities - actually, most things -should be analyzed by themselves and valued in their entirely, not by what they appear to be lacking.

Even close to 3,000 miles away, the City of Good Neighbors is living up to its name. As I currently intern for the LGBT magazine The Advocate a few days a week, I still needed a part time job to pay the bills; which I was offered a position due to a connection I had in Buffalo. I needed to make friends; after meeting a shop owner with family roots in Buffalo, I was invited to a party the following week. And believe it or not, I met my first friend while eating Buffalo Wings at that party. When I heard, "Hey, these are good, but nothing like they make them back home," I laughed and, alas, when I asked where grew up, he responded "South Buffalo." It doesn't stop there, either.

While working at my catering job one recent weekend, I was worn out from a full day of interning and a full night of work. When I heard, "Jeffrey, do you know what celeb you just served champagne to?" I was honestly too tired to care, but when my boss muttered the name Wendie Malick, I was sure I knew the name and face from somewhere. Then it hit me: born and raised in Buffalo. I sulked off when I saw her leave a few minutes later since I knew I lost an opportunity to gossip about Byron Brown, the waterfront, Allentown, Canisius, Niagara Falls, the Bills, wings, and the other things that make Buffalo my home.

It's place that I may not call home again for at least a couple years. A place where my California friends will visit me. A place where, compliments of the recent marriage equality bill in New York State, that I will be able to marry my future husband. Buffalo is a place where I can raise my future children in a Victorian house near Bidwell Park. Or, if I do make it as a writer, one of those big old houses near Delaware Park.

After a few moments, I snapped out of my little day dream. "What, are you starstruck or something?" a co-worked asked,

Yeah. You could say that.

Buffalo image: Rita Argen Auerbac

A trio of Erie County businesses have seen growth spurts courtesy of a new Erie County Industrial Development Agency (ECIDA) loan program which targets established companies that have difficulties obtaining traditional bank financing due to increasingly strict lending policies.

The Business Stimulus Loan Fund has provided more than $800,000 to three fast-growing Erie County firms since its establishment last fall, leading to expansion of their workforces and client rosters.

County Executive Chris Collins and ECIDA chief operating office Al Culliton witnessed fruits of the Business Stimulus Loan Fund first-hand today during a visit to HEI Recycling, Inc., an affiliate of HGgroup of Companies located at 95 Dorothy Street. The five-year-old recycling venture, which specializes in plastics, as well as cardboard recycling, received a $300,000 loan through the program.

HEI, which got its check in April, has boosted its workforce from 24 to 31, and taken on new and expanded recycling contracts, according to its founder, Dennis Heuer Jr.

"What we needed was operating cash to grow and that's not something banks are comfortable with. It would have been different if we had wanted to buy a piece of equipment or building, but we needed funds to increase our ability to make money," Heuer said. "The ECIDA immediately recognized our potential and what we needed."

HEI, which operates in the 200,000-square-foot, former Westvaco paper company plant on the city's Lovejoy neighborhood, works mainly with local manufacturing companies to turn plastic industrial "leftovers" into reusable pellets. Its client list includes: Rich Products, Multisorb Technologies, Delphi and General Motors, often offering "closed loop" recycling where polymer scraps are returned to the manufacturer for reuse.

Armed with the extra cash it needed to purchase larger quantities of plastic and corrugated scrap materials and add employees, it also signed a contract with the City of Buffalo to recycle the municipality's damaged blue plastic garbage totes.

"As a City of Buffalo company we are pleased to keep this work local. We are also proud that 61 percent of our employees are minorities and women, and 35 percent are from this neighborhood. It's great to be a small, growing Buffalo business that is being recognized for its hard work," Heuer said.

The two other local companies aided by the Business Stimulus Loan Fund are:

• Advantage Industries, which operates as Willard Machine at 73 Forest Avenue, Buffalo; the precision machine shop received at $260,000 loan.
  
• TenEleven Group, Inc., a behavioral health software and IT company, which recently relocated from West Seneca to larger quarters at 6489 Transit Road, East Amherst.

"Our mission to encourage investment and innovation by helping the growth of Erie County businesses fits right into ECIDA's support of HEI. We seek new ways to foster a successful business climate in the County and are happy to be able to assist this company grow and thrive in our area," said Culliton.
 

     I love Mickey Mouse.  After all, what’s not to like about a cute guy whose sole purpose is to bring magic to the world?  What I never imagined was that Mickey would one day weave his special brand of magic directly into my life.

     It all began innocently enough.  I was enjoying lunch with a friend when he received a text message.  Following a quick scan of the e-note, my friend turned his phone toward me.  There I saw a text addressed to a group of people with the subject line, “Need A Writer.”  The note went on to ask if anyone knew of a writer who could pen a few lines for a wedding ceremony.  My friend then took back his phone, began dialing a number and stated, “That’s you.”

     Before I knew it, I was talking to a gentlemen introduced to me as Bryan.  He said he was getting married in a month and wondered if I might be interested in helping he and his fiancé write their ceremony?   Knowing nothing about the couple but being a romantic at heart, I immediately agreed.  The groom replied that he would email me their 5-page wedding script and set up a conference call so that we could talk.

    
     “Five page wedding script?”  As I handed the phone back to my friend that phrase muddled through my mind.  “Who is this Bryan guy?”  I asked in puzzled confusion.  My friend laughed and responded, “He’s a good buddy of mine who just happens to be the vice president in charge of global special events for Disney.” 

     It was all I could do to keep myself from jumping up and singing the M-I-C-K-E-Y anthem right in the middle of the restaurant.  I had just agreed to write for someone directly connected to the one and only mouse!

     It was but a few hours before I received the wedding script and detailed timeline for this Disney fairy tale ceremony.  Two days later came the conference call in which the bride and groom described their wedding dream, while I took notes.  One short week after that first phone conversation, I e-mailed three wedding ceremony readings that I had done my best to write in accordance with the happy couple’s enchanted vision.  Then, as all tortured writers must do, I waited.  And waited.  And waited.  For 24 hours I waited, with nary a word from bride or groom. 

     Mickey’s magic was slowly receding from my world. 

     Then, finally, the email of judgment arrived in my inbox.  I held my breath as I clicked on the message.  The words literally jumped off my computer screen.  “It’s perfect.  We love it!”  And this time, I did belt out the M-I-C-K-E-Y anthem loud and strong, while performing a happy dance to boot! 

    As the wedding date drew near, the bride and groom requested that I craft more words until, ultimately, the entire ceremony flowed from my pen.  That was followed by the most unexpected honor of recording one particular section of my work to be played during the wedding ceremony.  Put together, it was more than I could ever have imagined.  And then came the crowning moment—-as Bryan pronounced me an honorary member of Team Disney for life.

   Ah yes, it’s good to love….and be loved… by the one and only Magical Mouse.

Amherst lawmaker called to military duty

Children in vehicle returned to parents following arrest of suspect on stolen bicycle.

Shawn Nelson just can't seem to avoid injuries. (UPI/Matthew Healey)

NOTE: I apologize for being a bit MIA in recent days…my laptop went on a big adventure aboard some lost luggage as I was traveling for my real job. I have it back now, so I should be good to go.

Among the many things that have been frustrating about watching the Bills in recent years is the non-stop injuries the teams seems to endure. Seriously, if things got any worse last year I would have had to play wide receiver myself.

Well, a few practices into the year things are already looking a bit rough on the injury front:

TE Shawn Nelson: Ugh. The talented but troubled and oft-injured tight end had another minor setback Tuesday night, getting his leg rolled up at the end of a play. He limped off the field and was done for the day. Fortunately, initial reports seem to indicate he’ll be okay. The Bills have Wednesday off before a night practice Thursday, so he was some time to recover. But still, this guy just seems to be snakebitten with bad luck.

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Amherst board OKs $18 million, three-story complex on Youngs Road.

The Bills coaching staff has kept a pretty brisk pace with installation through this first week of training camp. Though it’s not too much to handle for the returning players it might prove challen...

Senate emphatically passes legislation in 74-26 vote.

Has Bryant McKinnie ate himself out of the league? Or could a team like Buffalo take a shot on him?

The Minnesota Vikings today sent longtime starting offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie to the unemployment line, releasing the veteran after nine seasons with the team.

Apparently, the Vikings were very displeased when McKinnie showed up overweight and out of shape to training camp, and decided to simply cut ties with the big man.

So, now that McKinnie is out on the market, does anybody want him? Maybe the Bills?

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Find out what the president of the Buffalo Teachers Federation had to say about layoffs, teacher evaluations, the superintendent, and more.