Jul 24
2013
We’ve seen enough …
Posted 11 years ago
Jul 24
2013
Jul 24
2013
The House of Representatives narrowly defeated a measure Wednesday that would have reined in the federal government’s power to indiscriminately collect telephone records of American citizens. A report from the Guardian, including the roll call vote.
Jul 24
2013
Jul 24
2013
City Hall’s belated effort to collect $22 million in unpaid Housing Court fines is coming up empty. A dry run by a collections agency hired by the city earlier this year that sought about $430,000 from deadbeat court defendants yielded only $59 in fine payments, according to City Comptroller Mark Schroeder. That experience prompted city officials to scale back their expectations of what was collectable from the $22 million in unpaid fines that have accumulated since Mayor Byron Brown took office in 2006. Rather than $1 million, Schroeder said administration officials believe only $40,000 to $80,000 is collectable. “In terms[...]
Jul 22
2013
Don’t believe in global warming? Then watch this 27-second eye-opening animated video from NASA that shows how significant global temperatures have increased since 1880. According to NASA, the red in the map indicates temperatures higher than the average during a baseline period of 1951-1980. Blue indicates lower temperatures than the baseline average. Why is this happening? Greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide levels, are on the rise. These gases act like a blanket over earth, trapping energy that should be rising into space, resulting in higher, sustained temperatures. Since 1880, the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increases more[...]
Jul 22
2013
Jul 19
2013
Jul 19
2013
Astute analysis by Buffalo News columnist Donn Esmonde on Mayor Byron Brown: “He has conditioned people not to expect much. So he can take credit for anything good that happens – even when, like the waterfront or downtown revival, it doesn’t have much to do with him – while avoiding blame for problems.”