Meet Toby. Toby was in Centennial Park late this afternoon playing ball with his owner, Cheri Pitcher, of Batavia.
As soon as I walked up, Toby hustled over, dropped his ball at my feet and said, "OK, your turn to throw it."
The National Weather Service has extended the high wind warning to 8 p.m.
It was originally expected to expire at 4 p.m.
Winds of 25 to 30 mph predicted with gusts up to 60 mph possible.
Press Release:
ERIE COUNTY – Oil companies British Petroleum (BP), Shell, ConocoPhillips, and Exxon Mobil all reported first-quarter profits today, with Exxon Mobil reporting an astonishing 69-percent increase in profits.
“While Americans are paying more than $4 at the pump, oil companies are making exorbitant profits thanks to the help of their Republican friends in Congress,” said Kathy Hochul, candidate for New York’s 26th Congressional District. “Speaker John Boehner says Congress ‘ought to take a look at’ tax breaks for oil companies, but we know that the House has already given them far too many.
“The 2012 House budget, that my Republican opponent supports, further fuels the profits oil companies made last quarter by cutting federal spending in energy research and development, while calling for the elimination of tax breaks for wind, solar and other alternative energy technologies. House Republicans would rather gut alternative energy technologies and decimate Medicare, than cut subsidies for big oil. How is that competitive?”
Jane Corwin has publicly stated her support for the Republican’s 2012 budget that would decimate Medicare, while giving tax breaks to corporations and America’s wealthiest individuals. The proposal also terminates alternative energy development, innovation and exploration.
This week, we asked each of the four candidates in the special election for the NY-26 Congressional District questions related to taxes, spending and debt.
Below are the questions. After the jump, the candidates' responses in the order received.
Let’s start with general economic theory. There are two primary, and opposing, schools of thought regarding modern economics and the role of government. Which theories most closely match your own economic view, those of John Maynard Keynes or Ludwig Von Mises?
A median-wage worker pays 23.4 percent of his or her income in federal taxes. A person in the top 1 percent of wage earners pays 16.9 percent. Would you consider this differential something that should be reformed in the current tax code, or does this seem reasonable to you?
For purposes of political speech, corporations are considered persons. In tax law, persons must, at a minimum, pay an Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT). Should the AMT be extended to the “persons” of corporations, such as General Electric Corp.? In other words, should corporations be required to pay at least some tax, regardless of write-offs and other tax advantages?
At the federal level, there are several departments and agencies – such as education, health, commerce, and more – that duplicate state and local services. Which, if any, of these departments and agencies could be eliminated or greatly reduced?
In 2009, Obama pushed through a tax cut cut for the bottom 95 percent of taxpayers that saved taxpayers from $800 to $1,600 per year. In December 2010, Congress overturned this tax credit. Would you have voted to repeal this tax cut if you were in office at the time?
Is it necessary to reduced the nation’s $14 trillion in gross national debt, and can it be reduced without tax increases? And if taxes have to go up, where should they go up first – corporations, the top 1 percent wage earners, the middle class, the poor?
Would you support a flat tax or national sales tax as an alternative to income tax?
Jack Davis:
(Q) Let’s start with general economic theory. There are two primary, and opposing, schools of thought regarding modern economics and the role of government. Which theories most closely match your own economic view, those of John Maynard Keynes or Ludwig Von Mises?
(A) I believe putting Americans to work is more important than any theory. The economic theories told us we don’t need to make anything in America anymore because we could sell derivatives and exotic financial debt instead. The theories were wrong. Economics 101 tells us the only way to create wealth is to grow, dig or manufacture a product. Common sense is more useful than academic theories in getting our economy on the right track.
(Q) A median-wage worker pays 23.4 percent of his or her income in federal taxes. A person in the top 1 percent of wage earners pays 16.9 percent. Would you consider this differential something that should be reformed in the current tax code, or does this seem reasonable to you?
(A) The current tax code needs to be reformed.
(Q) For purposes of political speech, corporations are considered persons. In tax law, persons must, at a minimum, pay an Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT). Should the AMT be extended to the “persons” of corporations, such as General Electric Corp.? In other words, should corporations be required to pay at least some tax, regardless of write-offs and other tax advantages?
(A) The notion that a corporation is a “person” with the same rights as a person is ridiculous. This is another example of a theory that is completely out of touch with reality and common sense. It is wrong for GE to earn $5 billion in U.S. profits in 2010 and pay zero taxes. They are able to do this thanks to tax laws passed by both Republicans and Democrats. This is a perfect example of how both parties in Washington have been bought off.
(Q) At the federal level, there are several departments and agencies – such as education, health, commerce, and more – that duplicate state and local services. Which, if any, of these departments and agencies could be eliminated or greatly reduced?
(A) When we talk about federal agencies that need fixing, it’s hard to know where to start. The departments of education, commerce and energy are prime candidates for an “extreme makeover” or elimination.
(Q) In 2009, Obama pushed through a tax cut cut for the bottom 95 percent of taxpayers that saved taxpayers from $800 to $1,600 per year. In December 2010, Congress overturned this tax credit. Would you have voted to repeal this tax cut if you were in office at the time?
(A) Working Americans – and those who would be working if we had a sane economic policy – should be first in line for tax relief. I oppose raising taxes.
(Q) Is it necessary to reduce the nation’s $14 trillion in gross national debt, and can it be reduced without tax increases? And if taxes have to go up, where should they go up first – corporations, the top 1 percent wage earners, the middle class, the poor?
(A) We must reduce the crippling level of debt we are leaving our children and grandchildren. The first step is to stop digging ourselves deeper into debt, and that means cutting the deficit. We will do that by putting Americans back to work. Right now, 56 percent of Americans over the age of 16 are working. If that rises to 64 percent, Dan Fuss, vice president of the financial firm Loomis Sayles, points out the deficit disappears entirely. At the same time, we have to change the law so corporations like GE can’t hide profits overseas and avoid paying any taxes at all.
(Q) Would you support a flat tax or national sales tax as an alternative to income tax?
(A) We need to overhaul our entire tax structure. I will closely study all alternatives to the current system. Before the adoption of the income tax, the federal government derived most of its revenue not from working Americans, but from foreigners who wanted to sell their goods in this country.
Ian Murphy
(Q) Let’s start with general economic theory. There are two primary, and opposing, schools of thought regarding modern economics and the role of government. Which theories most closely match your own economic view, those of John Maynard Keynes or Ludwig Von Mises?
(A) To give one an idea of how very obtuse Ludwig Von Mises was, he once called Ayn Rand “the most courageous man in America." As for the Austrian School of Economics he helped shape, that misguided philosophy can be directly tied to the unregulated “free-market” madness which wrecked our economy and has made the income disparity in America greater than any industrialized country in the world. The top 400 Americans own more wealth than the bottom 150 million. Mises represents economics for those 400 people.
Keynes was the man. Keynesian economic policies got us out of the Great Depression, they got Japan out of their “Lost Decade,” they are a proven way to boost an economy. For example: every $1 spent on food stamps returns $1.73 <http://money.cnn.com/2008/01/29/news/economy/stimulus_analysis/index.htm> into the economy. And according to the CBO's assessment <http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/100xx/doc10008/03-02-Macro_Effects_of_ARRA.pdf> of the '09 AARA stimulus package, government expenditure on goods and services has a far superior multiplier effect on GDP than does bogus trickle-down nonsense.
(Q) A median-wage worker pays 23.4 percent of his or her income in federal taxes. A person in the top 1 percent of wage earners pays 16.9 percent. Would you consider this differential something that should be reformed in the current tax code, or does this seem reasonable to you?
(A) Hell yes, they need to be reformed; those tax rates are the antithesis of reasonable.
FUN FACT: Republicans worship Ronald Reagan. Even our Democratic President admires the Gipper. Oddly enough, during the Reagan years the tax rate for a millionaire was 47.7% <http://assets.motherjones.com/politics/2011/inequality-taxrate_3.png> . Not even a Democrat could suggest such a rate today without being vilified by the wealthy elite and their propagandist lapdogs in the press.
We need a progressive tax code in this country—that is, if we want a stable society. Otherwise, keep slashing taxes for the rich like Paul Ryan would have us do—or Bush and Obama have—and invest in pitchforks and torches because they'll soon be a very hot commodity.
(Q) For purposes of political speech, corporations are considered persons. In tax law, persons must, at a minimum, pay an Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT). Should the AMT be extended to the “persons” of corporations, such as General Electric Corp.? In other words, should corporations be required to pay at least some tax regardless of write-offs and other tax advantages?
(A) Corporations are considered “persons” for the most illegitimate of reasons. This insane precedent started with a note made in the margins of an 1886 decision in the case of Santa Clara County vs. Southern Pacific Railroad by a court clerk. The clerk happened to be a former employee of Southern Pacific. The note was not legally binding, but through the hyper-litigious acts of Southern Pacific and other corporations, we've seen the 14th Amendment perverted in case after case, and the rights intended for slaves freed by the 13th Amendment extended to non-human entities. Forgive me the brief history lesson, but a pig is not a boat and corporations are not people.
There's really no need to be too clever about this. Outlaw corporate personhood, which is very important in terms of protecting the democratic process, and institute a progressive corporate tax. The end.
(Q) At the federal level, there are several departments and agencies – such as education, health, commerce, and more – that duplicate state and local services. Which, if any, of these departments and agencies could be eliminated or greatly reduced?
(A) Duplicate? Does that mean every local teacher has a federal doppelganger who teaches clones of our children in shadow classrooms? That doesn't sound right—accurate. At any rate, I'm against cloning.
If there truly are redundancies and inefficiencies, rather than federal departments working in concert with state and local agencies, then they should be eliminated. That's just common sense.
(Q) In 2009, Obama pushed through a tax cut cut for the bottom 95 percent of taxpayers that saved taxpayers from $800 to $1,600 per year. In December 2010, Congress overturned this tax credit. Would you have voted to repeal this tax cut if you were in office at the time?
(A) I was under the impression that the Making Work Pay Tax Credit, passed as small part of the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, ranged between $400 for individuals and $800 for couples filing jointly. Regardless, I would not have voted to repeal this tax credit, which benefited most working Americans.
And as many competent economists have argued <http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/28/how-did-we-know-the-stimulus-was-too-small/> , the AARA stimulus package was not large enough. Though it should be noted that the House and Senate versions of the bill were drastically different.
The Senate sharply cut back spending on states and wasted approximately $70 billion extending revisions of the alternative minimum tax, which the Tax Policy Center <http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/taxtopics/senatereportcard.cfm> rated as D-, writing that this was “[n]either timely nor targeted; makes no sense as economic stimulus.” I would have voted to overturn that extension.
(Q) Is it necessary to reduced the nation’s $14 trillion in gross national debt, and can it be reduced without tax increases? And if taxes have to go up, where should they go up first – corporations, the top 1 percent wage earners, the middle class, the poor?
(A) Yes, it is necessary in the long term. Unfortunately, politicians constantly evoke the metaphor of personal, family finance and belt-tightening, which is not really how large scale economies work. Unlike personal finance, it's often necessary to spend your way out of a recession, rather than cut back on spending. As it ties into the above questions, consider the return of investment on food stamps and the multiplier effect of other Keynesian programs.
In theory, the debt could be reduced without increasing taxes. But why would we do that? Sure, we should cut our bloated military budget and take measures to maximize efficiency, but we have a vast river of untapped revenue in the super-wealthy and corporations. It's astoundingly irresponsible and immoral not to raise taxes on the very wealthy.
Instead, what you'll get from Republicans is a disingenuous lecture on 'austerity' and the slashing of vital social programs on which most Americans rely. And most tragic, by my estimation, is the absolute spinelessness of Democrats. Applauding a compromise between evil and a lesser evil is evil in itself. These people would have made FDR embarrassed to be a Democrat.
The people of NY-26 may not even be aware of how their very democracy is being taken from them by hatchet-happy Republicans and their simpering, acquiescing Democratic counterparts.
One small example is a Hochul press release <http://thebatavian.com/howard-owens/hochul-lauds-budget-compromise-calls-opponents-apathetic/25342> I came across on this very Web site. My opponent “called on [her] opponents, Republican Jane Corwin, and Tea Party-endorsed candidate, Jack Davis, to join [her] in supporting a budget compromise to no avail.”
I'm glad you didn't ask me, Kathy. I will not support a $39 billion cut in non-defense discretionary spending. I will not support the slashing of funds for roads, bridges, schools, and myriad programs for women, the poor and the middle class. I will not support a budget that will hurt average Americans.
Excuse the rant, but that “wonderful” compromise slashed funding for PBS and, as I understand it, WNED cannot afford to produce a debate for this special election because they're broke. So it seems this is my only opportunity to rail against the evil, dumb and cowardly stances of my opponents--because of the evil, dumb and cowardly stances of my opponents.
We need to maintain the social programs we have and invest in our society again, rather than feeling lovey-dovey about being screwed by bipartisan compromise.
(Q) Would you support a flat tax or national sales tax as an alternative to income tax?
(A) Never. A flat tax or a national sales tax would shift the burden to the poor and middle class. And anyone who talks about these things as a serious option for America is either a tremendous fool or an incorrigible liar.
I'd also like to add that we need to close all tax loopholes, regulate Wall Street in a meaningful way (reinstate the Glass-Steagal Act), appropriately tax capital gains, and eliminate the Federal Reserve's disturbing and secretive, risk-free lending to wealthy jackals.
In case you didn't know, a bipartisan group including Ron Paul and Bernie Sanders recently pressed the Fed to open their books. They only were allowed to view two years of data, but what they found was shocking—a shadow budget rivaling the size of our official one.
All done without congressional oversight or presidential approval, there were literally trillions spent bailing out banks in Mexico and Bahrain—loans given to foreign car manufacturers and risk-free loans given to anyone with a connection on Wall Street.
If the beneficiaries (most notably two wives of investment bankers with no financial background <http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/the-real-housewives-of-wall-street-look-whos-cashing-in-on-the-bailout-20110411> ) made money off of the multimillion dollar loans, they'd pay them back at next to no interest. If their deals went south, they simply walked away. There was no penalty for default. And the American taxpayer was stuck with the bill. Again.
This is an outrage, and all abuses at the Fed must be put to an end. If I'm elected to Congress, I will demand transparency and accountability at the Federal Reserve.
Kathy Hochul:
(Q) Let’s start with general economic theory. There are two primary, and opposing, schools of thought regarding modern economics and the role of government. Which theories most closely match your own economic view, those of John Maynard Keynes or Ludwig Von Mises?
A median-wage worker pays 23.4 percent of his or her income in federal taxes. A person in the top 1 percent of wage earners pays 16.9 percent. Would you consider this differential something that should be reformed in the current tax code, or does this seem reasonable to you?
For purposes of political speech, corporations are considered persons. In tax law, persons must, at a minimum, pay an Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT). Should the AMT be extended to the “persons” of corporations, such as GE? In other words, should corporations be required to pay at least some tax regardless of write-offs and other tax advantages?
(A) When a company like General Electric reports worldwide profits of $14.2 billion without paying a single dollar in federal income tax, we know there is something wrong with our tax code. In fact, due to G.E.’s intense lobbying efforts and slick accounting, the company was able to claim a $3.2 billion tax benefit – money that could have been invested in small businesses that create jobs here at home. The fact that every taxpayer in the 26th District paid more in taxes last year than General Electric is plain wrong.
So yes, without question, our tax code needs to be reformed. Once elected to Congress, I will fight to ensure the wealthiest Americans and corporations start to pay their fair share. I’ll work to close corporate loopholes and end tax breaks to companies that ship jobs overseas. We need to invest in local businesses that create jobs for hard working American families
(Q) At the federal level, there are several departments and agencies – such as education, health, commerce, and more – that duplicate state and local services. Which, if any, of these departments and agencies could be eliminated or greatly reduced?
(A) There is no question that we need to make substantial cuts in spending and streamline government services, just like I’ve done in Erie County. However, we cannot stop investing in education, medical research or high-tech research, since these programs help small businesses innovate and grow. And we cannot support any kind of budget that will decimate Medicare.
There are numerous programs managed by the federal government where we could cut wasteful spending. For example, under the recommendations of the Department of Defense and Defense Secretary Gates, we can cut $178 billion in inefficient programs from that one department. It is time we enact this, and so many more, meaningful reforms and get our national debt under control.
(Q) In 2009, Obama pushed through a tax cut for the bottom 95 percent of taxpayers that saved taxpayers from $800 to $1,600 per year. In December 2010, Congress overturned this tax credit. Would you have voted to repeal this tax cut if you were in office at the time?
(A) The current financial climate is hitting middle-class families and small businesses harder than anyone else. Last year, Congress did not extend one of the largest middle-class tax cuts in history. The Making Work Pay Credit saved individuals $400 and married couples, who filed jointly, $800. If I were a member of Congress, I would have supported this tax credit. In economic times like this, we cannot raise taxes on those individuals struggling to get by.
(Q) Is it necessary to reduce the nation’s $14 trillion in gross national debt, and can it be reduced without tax increases? And if taxes have to go up, where should they go up first – corporations, the top 1 percent wage earners, the middle class, the poor?
(A) There is no question we must work to reduce our national debt. The number one way to cut our yearly deficit and reduce the debt is by cutting wasteful spending. There are plenty of federal programs that only add more and more to how much we owe each and every day.
Nonetheless, it is disingenuous for any candidate to talk about balancing the budget without discussing closing corporate loopholes on companies like General Electric, Wal-Mart, Bank of America, and so many others that paid absolutely nothing in federal income taxes last year. We then need to look to America’s wealthiest citizens and ensure they pay their fair share. I will not, however, raise taxes on middle-class families and small businesses, which fuel our economy and create much needed jobs.
(Q) Would you support a flat tax or national sales tax as an alternative to income tax?
(A) I reject any tax proposal that would shift the tax burden to middle-class families and small businesses, while giving large tax breaks to corporate giants and America’s wealthiest individuals.
Jane Corwin:
(Q) Let’s start with general economic theory. There are two primary, and opposing, schools of thought regarding modern economics and the role of government. Which theories most closely match your own economic view, those of John Maynard Keynes or Ludwig Von Mises?
(A) I am a believer in the free market and limited government. That’s what allowed the family business my father started out of our garage to get started, and it’s what allowed my siblings and I to help grow it and create hundreds of jobs here in Western New York. That’s one of the most basic choices in this election -- other candidates in the race think that the government should have more control over how you spend your money. I believe that individuals are the ones who best know their own needs and how their money is spent most wisely.
(Q) A median-wage worker pays 23.4 percent of his or her income in federal taxes. A person in the top 1 percent of wage earners pays 16.9 percent. Would you consider this differential something that should be reformed in the current tax code, or does this seem reasonable to you?
(A) Our tax code needs to be fair, and that’s something I believe Congress needs to address and if honored to be elected on May 24th that is something I will fight for. Along with most Western New Yorkers, I understand that some taxes must be paid for basic civic and social services and that we need to provide a safety net for those in need. As I said, I believe that individuals are the ones who best know their own needs and how they want to spend their money, whether they make $30,000 or $300,000.
(Q) For purposes of political speech, corporations are considered persons. In tax law, persons must, at a minimum, pay an Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT). Should the AMT be extended to the “persons” of corporations, such as General Electric Corp.? In other words, should corporations be required to pay at least some tax regardless of write-offs and other tax advantages?
(A) If we focus on reforming our current tax system we will ensure that everyone pays their fair share. That will enable us to eliminate the loopholes that corporations take advantage of. Again, Kathy Hochul has said that she would vote to raise taxes on anyone – individuals and small businesses – making more than $500,000.
This week I discussed my plan to lower gas prices and met with local independent station owners. Under Kathy Hochul’s plan, these Western New York small businesses would send more money to Washington instead of keeping it here in Western New York and growing and creating jobs.
(Q) At the federal level, there are several departments and agencies – such as education, health, commerce, and more – that duplicate state and local services. Which, if any, of these departments and agencies could be eliminated or greatly reduced?
(A) We absolutely need to focus on is shrinking government, instead searching for ways to grow it, which is what we’ve seen over the last few years. For example, the Obama health care law created about 160 new government agencies, bureaus and departments.
I’m honored to have been selected as the only minority Assemblymember to serve on Governor Cuomo’s Spending and Government Efficiency (SAGE) Commission that will be looking at how we can rightsize government and allow individuals more of a say in what their hard-earned taxes are paying for, instead of leaving those decisions up to career politicians and bureaucrats.
I also believe that we need to constantly review existing agencies, departments, and regulations to ensure that 1) the departments/agencies/regulations in place are still needed, and 2) any new departments/agencies/regulations do not duplicate what is already in effect.
(Q) In 2009, Obama pushed through a tax cut for the bottom 95 percent of taxpayers that saved taxpayers from $800 to $1,600 per year. In December 2010, Congress overturned this tax credit. Would you have voted to repeal this tax cut if you were in office at the time?
(A) Even President Obama said that the bipartisan December 2010 tax compromise “would have raised taxes by $3,000 for a typical American family.” He added that allowing that tax increase “could cost our economy well over a million jobs.”
Repealing the part of the failed “stimulus” law and replacing it with an across-the-board payroll tax cut, which reduced the Social Security payroll withholding from 6.2 percent to 4.2 percent. President Obama said that “economists across the political spectrum agree is one of the most powerful things we can do to create jobs and boost economic growth."
(Q) Is it necessary to reduce the nation’s $14 trillion in gross national debt, and can it be reduced without tax increases? And if taxes have to go up, where should they go up first – corporations, the top 1 percent wage earners, the middle class, the poor?
(A) We absolutely need to reduce our $14.3 trillion national debt. It’s owed increasingly to foreign countries such as China and eventually it will need to be repaid. What do we do then? We simply don’t have the money to repay our debts. We need to get serious and focus on cutting spending so we can improve our country’s fiscal situation for current and future generations. If we focus on cutting spending we will eliminate the constant calls for tax increases.
(Q) Would you support a flat tax or national sales tax as an alternative to income tax?
(A) We should closely examine all feasible ways to simplify our tax system. One thing is for certain, however – if we don’t get serious about cutting spending so we can strengthen our economy and create jobs, the pressure to raise taxes will only grow stronger. We need to focus on cutting spending and not raising taxes, as some of the other candidates have advocated for.
Press release:
Statement from Jack Davis, Independent Candidate for Congress (NY-26), on Report from the Bureau of Economic Analysis showing 1st quarter economic growth of 1.8 percent as the trade deficit widened:
Today’s report confirms what people outside Washington and Wall Street already knew: The economy is not getting better.
Today’s report shows the trade deficit widened as businesses bought imported goods to restock their inventories.
We need to put Americans back to work, and the surest way to do that is to make more of what we buy. If each American spent just 18 cents a day on American made products, it would put 200,000 people to work.
Every dollar spent on imports represents a job an American doesn’t have.
Both parties in Washington continue to push failed economic policies that send our jobs overseas and make us dependent on imports from unstable foreign sources.
On Tuesday morning, somebody apparently fired a shotgun in the Village of Le Roy.
No injuries were reported in the 11 a.m. incident, but a bullet was lodged in the wall of a residence.
Police do not know who fired the12-gauge shotgun slug, which imbedded in the outer wall of 57 W. Main St.
It's also unclear where the person was standing when he fired the gun. It appears to be somewhere east of Craigie Street.
Police are asking any possible witnesses to call the department at 768-2527.
An Oakfield motorcycle rider who led local law enforcement on a high speed chase early this morning faces multiple charges, including DWI and reckless driving along with four counts of speeding.
The Sheriff's Office says Gregory P. Smith, 20, of Main Street, Oakfield, reached speeds this morning of 120 to 136 mph on what a witness described as a "crotch rocket" style motorcycle, according to dispatchers.
Initially, at 6:22 a.m., deputies were dispatched to the Village of Oakfield for a report of a motorcyclist driving fast and erratically, possibly intoxicated.
The driver reportedly dumped the bike near Wilson Farms, got it back up and headed south on Route 63, which is where he was intercepted by deputies.
When deputies attempted to initiate a traffic stop, Smith allegedly sped up, heading south on Route 63 into Batavia.
The suspect then continued west on West Main Street Road, through the Town of Batavia. When the driver reached Kelsey Road, he reportedly turned north and then headed west on Galloway Road. At Downey Road, he turned north and continued to Maple, where he turned back toward the village.
Smith reportedly lost control of the bike on Route 63 at Hutton Road.
He then allegedly fled on foot.
Law enforcement officers caught up with Smith in a cornfield north of the accident location and deployed a Taser to subdue him.
Smith faces the following charges: DWI; driving with a BAC of .08 or higher; reckless driving; unlawful fleeing a police officer in a motor vehicle; four counts of speeding (120 in a 40 mph, 130 in a 45 mph, 120 in a 55 mph and 136 in a 30 mph); five counts of failure to stop for a stop sign; driving left of pavement markings; passing on the right; running a red light; unlicensed operation; and leaving the scene of a property damage accident.
The incident was investigated by Deputy Howard Carlson. Assisting in the incident were Deputy Lonnie Nati, Warrant Officer Eric Olson, Sgt. Thomas Sanfratello and the State Police.
In the past hour, calls for trees and utility poles down have subsided, and the wind seems to have died down a bit, but a strong wind warning remains in effect until 4 p.m.
There are about a dozen locations where power outages have been reported, most significantly in Elba, where 871 National Grid customers are without power. The power outage was reported at 8:48 a.m. and no ETA for when power will be restored.
Above, what's left of a tree that blew down on Lewiston Road in Oakfield. Below, a contractor saws off a large broken limb from a tree on Wortendyke Road, Town of Batavia, that was hanging precariously over the roadway.
There are at least six power outages in the county, most of them effecting fewer than five National Grid customers each.
One outage, in Alabama, has cut power to 189 customers.
A section of roof has blown off a barn and into a telephone pole at 1083 Transit Road.
The section of roof is tangled up in the wires. The pole snapped.
Pavilion Fire Department is dispatched.
UPDATE 10:51 a.m.: Traffic is being shut down at Sheppard and Transit. The pole is broken and leaning toward the roadway, but is not completely sheared off.
UPDATE 11:10 a.m.: The roadway is being reopened. Pavilion Fire Department is leaving the scene. The farm workers are working to clear away the portion of the barn roof. Apparently, the wires are not a safety hazard.
Joshua Edward Krzemien, 24, of Portageville Road, Castile, is charged with criminal obstruction of breathing. Krzemien is accused putting another person in a head lock, obstructing the person's breathing, during a domestic incident on Ellicott Street Road, Pavilion, at 9:40 p.m., Tuesday.
Sarah Jean Nugent, 25, of Ellicott Street Road, Pavilion, is charged with criminal mischief. Nugent is accused of breaking the mobile phone of another person during a domestic incident on Ellicott Street Road, Pavilion, at 9:40 p.m., Tuesday.
A 16-year-old from Three Rod Road, Marilla, is charged with trespass. The youth, along with three others, are accused of being on property at 400 Seven Day Road, Darien, without permission. Also charged with trespass were three youths from Alden: a 17-year-old, of Emerson Street; a 17-year-old, of West Drive; and Steven Anthony Jasinowski, 18, of Kellogg Street.
A roof is apparently blowing off an apartment building at 10980 Starr Road, Pavilion.
Pavilion Fire Department being dispatched.
UPDATE 10:22 a.m.: The building is being evacuated.
UPDATE 10:23 a.m.: A code inspector on scene advises it's just shingles blowing off. The decking is intact and no electrical wires are involved.
UPDATE 10:26 a.m.: An assistant chief on scene reports just sheeting coming off the roof. All Pavilion equipment held in the hall.
UPDATE 10:30 a.m.: Pavilion back in service.
Winds between 30 and 40 mph with gusts up to 60 mph are possible today through 4 p.m.
The National Weather Service warns that strong winds could bring down trees and power lines.
Drivers of high profile vehicles should exercise caution.
A flash flood watch for the region has been cancelled.
There's a 50-percent chance of precipitation today, and it will be partly cloudy.
A pursuit of a motorcycle rider is in progress. It began in Oakfield, came into the city briefly and now appears headed back toward Oakfield.
The original call was for a motorcycle rider on a "crotch rocket" apparently racing through the Village of Oakfield. The original caller suspected the rider was intoxicated.
Law enforcement units responded to Oakfield but didn't get there before he refueled at Wilson Farms.
The rider was spotted southbound on Route 63. When he reached West Main Street, he turned right and headed west. He took Kelsey to Galloway, then Downey, then Maple and is now heading back into the village and then 63.
The rider has allegedly ran multiple stop signs and "almost lost it on Maple."
He just "dumped it" on southbound Route 63.
The rider took off on foot, northbound.
UPDATE 6:34 a.m.: Suspect in custody.
UPDATE 6:37 a.m.: Medics requested to the scene to evaluate the suspect from being Tased and his tumble.
UPDATE 6:42 a.m.: Suspect is denying any injuries. Taser probes need to be removed from his legs.
A scene along South Main Road, at about 6:45 p.m., shortly after our cloudburst. Recent rains have the Tonawanda Creek running high, from bank-to-bank.
While radar shows the storm seems to have passed, a tornado watch remains in effect until 10 p.m.
There is a flash flood watch in effect from 10 p.m. until tomorrow morning.
Two cars going in the opposite direction on Railroad Avenue in Alexander struck side view mirrors and the driver in one of the vehicles suffered minor cuts as a result of the accident.
Nicholas A. Antonucci, 23, of 4192 Broadway Road, Alexander, was eastbound in a 2009 Dodge pickup, and Edward R. Reiter, 58, of East Main Street, Attica, was westbound in a 1990 Ford dump truck when their mirrors struck.
Reiter suffered cuts on his arm but was not transported to a hospital.
The accident occurred at 1:06 p.m.
No citations were issued.
The accident was investigated by Deputy Chris Parker.
Earlier this week, Antonucci was charged by City Police with driving with ability impaired by drugs.
Ian Murphy, on the Green line in the NY-26 special election on May 24, may be considered such a long shot that the Buffalo News won't even mention him as a candidate in the race, but that's hardly keeping him silent.
As a long-time blogger at Buffalo Beast, Murphy has learned a thing or two about the Web, social media and PhotoShop.
Murphy has raised so little money for his campaign, he hasn't even needed to file campaign financing reports, but it doesn't take much cash to launch a Web site.
So Murphy is campaigning against the frontrunners in the race the best way he knows how -- with satire and digital media.
Within the last day or so, Murphy launched JaneCorwin.org.
The site is a direct copy of Corwin's own campaign site, JaneCorwin.com, but alter's text and photos to send a decidedly different message.
On the authentic site, where Corwin invites people to sign up for an e-mail newsletter, Murphy changed the submission fields from e-mail address and zip code to "Bank Account Number" and "SS #." Where Corwin has a "Contribute" button, Murphy's button reads, "Give Me Your Money."
One blog post entry is titled "Corwin Outlines Comprehensive Pandering Strategy." The post begins: "Jane Corwin, successful daughter of rich people and candidate for New York’s 26th Congressional District, today outlined a comprehensive pandering strategy to say she’ll decrease gas prices because that’s what our polling research said people want to hear. Corwin discussed her pandering agenda to a crowd of local idiots."
The humor isn't always polite. Murphy also calls Corwin "ugly."
The disclosure on the footer of the site reads, "paid for by corporate greed."
Some of the links on the site lead to a page asking people to make contributions to Murphy's campaign.
Asked about the site, Murphy wrote back:
We set it up as a favor to Jane. Her current Web site doesn't accurately portray her vapidity, her corporate agenda, or her desire to decimate Medicare and Social Security for the financial benefit of the Wall Street elite. We just thought she deserved a more honest Web site.
We also asked Corwin's campaign for a response and this is what we received from Matthew Harakal:
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Now if we could only get liberals and career politicians like Kathy Hochul to follow Jane Corwin’s lead to reduce taxes, cut spending and create jobs, we could really start to fix Western New York’s economy.
Weather Service statement:
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED TORNADO WATCH 236 IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS
IN NEW YORK THIS WATCH INCLUDES 13 COUNTIES
IN CENTRAL NEW YORK CAYUGA
IN WESTERN NEW YORK
ALLEGANY CATTARAUGUS CHAUTAUQUA ERIE GENESEE LIVINGSTON MONROE NIAGARA ONTARIO ORLEANS WAYNE WYOMING
THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...AUBURN...BATAVIA...BUFFALO... CANANDAIGUA...FAIR HAVEN...GENESEO...JAMESTOWN...MEDINA... NEWARK...NIAGARA FALLS...OLEAN...ROCHESTER... WARSAW AND WELLSVILLE.
Press Release:
The following is a statement from Fabien Levy, director of communications, for Kathy Hochul for Congress:
“While voters of the 26th District express their concern over Jane Corwin’s support of the Republican budget that decimates Medicare, the Assemblymember is hitting the D.C. fundraising circuit with the same Washington insiders who voted for the proposal.
“This morning, Jane Corwin is headlining a fundraiser in Washington, D.C., with slick Washington politicians and her old Wall Street pals at the Capitol Hill Club. The fundraiser is being hosted by The Financial Services Roundtable – a group of Wall Street bankers, who were among the first to back President Bush’s plan to privatize Social Security.
“So not only do Jane Corwin’s donors want to decimate Medicare, but they supported privatizing Social Security as well? Voters in the 26th District will not stand for politicians that support proposals that could send our seniors back into poverty, while lining the pockets of the super rich.
“Jane Corwin’s plans are wrong for all Americans and will only add burdensome costs onto the backs of our seniors, while providing massive tax breaks to America’s corporate giants and wealthiest individuals.”
UPDATE: Response from the Corwin campaign:
"Today, Jane is discussing how she would vote to cut spending and create jobs, while over the last few days Kathy Hochul has been sipping champagne with radical New York City special interests that have decimated Western New York’s economy. Instead of hobnobbing with glitterati on New York City’s Upper East Side, maybe Kathy Hochul will finally speak up and unveil her plan for cutting spending, creating jobs, lowering gas prices, or anything else for that matter." -Matt Harakal
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