President Obama visits Buffalo

"Buffalo LOVES Obama" was the message conveyed by a red,white, and blue sign on a Liberty cab roof when President Obama came to town on May 13th.

The purpose of the president's visit was to talk about jobs and the effect his administration is having on the economy, as well as to hear from Buffalonians, according to White House deputy press secretary and Buffalo native, Bill Burton, as described in an article in The Buffalo News.

The president also held a private meeting with several representatives of the Families of Flight 3407. Obama thanked the families of Flight 3407 for their efforts to boost aviation safety in wake of the plane crash that claimed their loved ones, according to Burton.

Previous stops on on his "White House to Main Street Tour" have included a visit to a local restaurant. Obama and his entourage did stop to buy something to eat, and the prez ordered Buffalo chicken wings. So where did they go? Anchor Bar, home of the Original Buffalo Wings? Nope. They went to Duff's Famous Wings, also an excellent choice.

It was the Buffalo wings stop at Duff's, and in particular something that a local resident said to the president there, that received the most media attention. According to The Buffalo News article, "Obama stories, blog put reader where action was", by Margaret Sullivan, readers of BuffaloNews.com heard about it first, thanks to News Washington Bureau Chief Jerry Zremski, who was with the president almost every step of the way.

Below is the electronic message that appeared on the Buffalo News live blog:
1:23 p.m.: Louann Haley, of Chaffee, greeted the president with the words: "You're a hottie with a smokin' little body." Obama's response: He hugged her. --JZ

Oh, yes, and about jobs and the economy...

Obama did meet with workers at Industrial Support Inc., where he offered a vigorous defense of his economic policies, saying they are creating jobs to boost the economy, according to live blogger, JZ.

Industrial Support Company officials spent about 45 minutes with Obama, introducing him to employees and giving him a tour of the plant, which manufactures a variety of products, from aeronautical parts to salad bars for the grocery industry, as stated in The Buffalo News article, 'President's visit makes impression at Industrial Support', by Jay Rey and Jay Tokasz.

David Sullivan, founder and president of Industrial Support, told Obama that 15 years ago he was in a shoe-box of an office, struggling to meet payroll. Today, he was shaking hands with the president. "That's the American dream," Obama told Sullivan, as he gave him a big hug.

Although Obama was in Buffalo ostensibly to talk about small business and jobs, the national media attention on the president's visit focused on the stop for Buffalo wings and and the "hottie" quote, not on small business matters. This, together with the decision to have the president give his wing business to Duffs, not the Anchor Bar, prompted an editorial cartoon, below, by Adam Zyglis.

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Beginnings of NY High-Speed Rail

In April 2009 the Obama administration listed Buffalo as a candidate for high-speed rail funding.

On Thursday, President Obama announced funding to begin to lay the foundation for high-speed passenger rail from Buffalo to Albany and New York City (the Empire Corridor), as well as for the North East Region and other regions of the country.


$151 million to help with high-speed rail projects

The federal stimulus money will be used for a series of projects along the Empire Corridor, including preliminary work on a third track between Rochester and Batavia and construction of a second track between Schenectady and Albany, as well as track improvements between Albany and Montreal.

The Depew and Rochester train stations also will be renovated to comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act.

The amount of funding was far less than the $4.7 billion the state had sought. Of that total, $3.2 billion would have been targeted for a dedicated high-speed third track along the rail route and the rest for station, bridge and equipment improvements.

Advocates in Washington said that while the state had sought more funding, the amount it will receive still would be a major step toward 110-mph trains that would reduce travel time from Buffalo to Albany to 3½ hours and to New York City to less than six hours.

"I think this is wonderful," said Rep. Louise M. Slaughter, D-Fairport, who organized the 11-member Upstate New York Caucus early last year to push the rail project.

"I was hoping for a half-billion, but I'm happy with what we got. They're not going to start it and not finish it, and I'm going to make sure of that."

Read the report by Mark Sommer and Jerry Zremski in The Buffalo News.


Information from the White House:

New York - Albany - Buffalo:
The 468-mile Empire Corridor connects all of New York’s largest cities. The vision for the corridor is to increase speeds to 110mph and add daily round trips, with one of the largest investments being the construction of a third track between Albany and Buffalo.

The Northeast Region currently has the most integrated passenger rail network in the country. The vision for these rail corridors is to invest in projects that will boost speeds, cut trip times and strengthen the system as a real alternative to air and car travel. The seven intercity passenger rail corridors in the region are shown in the map.

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Additional information from the White House on funding of these and other regions of the country is here.

Weatherization Saves Energy & Money

Obama promotes home energy-efficiency spending
President Barack Obama called Tuesday for new federal incentives to make millions of homes more energy efficient as a way to create jobs, save money for homeowners and reduce pollution. He said that insulation is "sexy". "Here's what's sexy about it: saving money," Obama said homes and offices are responsible for 40% of U.S. energy consumption, and that homes built in the first half of the last century can use about 50% more energy than modern dwellings.

"The simple act of retrofitting these buildings to make them more energy efficient - installing new windows and doors, insulation, roofing, sealing leaks, modernizing heating and cooling equipment - is one of the fastest, easiest and cheapest things we can do to put Americans back to work while saving families money and reducing harmful emissions," Obama said.

About $8 billion of the $787 billion economic stimulus bill is dedicated to energy-saving investments in homes. Read the full AP report in The Buffalo News.

High heating bills of poor targeted
PUSH Buffalo is demanding help from National Fuel to reduce heating bills of low-income residents. At a recent rally, some signs read “We want to green our homes, not National Fuel’s wallet.” The federally funded Home Energy Assistance Program provided about $50 million to National Fuel last year to help underwrite the heating bills of low-income residents in Erie County. The PUSH Buffalo campaign is seeking a commitment from National Fuel to help weatherize 1,000 units in 2010. PUSH says weatherizing costs about $6,500 per house, and lowers heating bills by 30%-40%.
Read the report by James Heaney in The Buffalo News.

Music Video: "Double Panes"
A music video to promote saving energy and money through home weatherization, energy efficiency, energy audits, insulation, and double-pane windows (hence the title). It's by a group of Stanford University students having fun for a good cause. Check it out:

Restoring Greatness to the Great Lakes

Last year I posted a report on the need to clean up the Great Lakes, including then presidential candidate Obama's campaign promise to do just that.

President Obama has now signed legislation approving $475 million of funding as part of his Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. Realizing the importance and scope of the cleanup, he has promised that the funding will add up to $5 billion over five years.

As reported by Jerry Zremski in The Buffalo News on November 6, 2009:

The funding greatly enhances the odds that Buffalo will receive federal funding for a $60 million project to remove contaminated sediments from the Buffalo River, said Julie O'Neill, executive director of the Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper. It also boosts the chances of winning local funding for a habitat rehabilitation project on the Niagara River, O'Neill said.

Cited today in an Buffalo News Editorial entitled "Help for the lakes":

Not only will it help put Americans to work during this jobless recovery, it also takes advantage of the Great Lakes Compact, the 2008 agreement by the eight Great Lakes states to do their part to preserve the lakes. Tourism and fishing industries should also benefit, and with Buffalo’s waterfront about to take a giant leap ahead, that’s more good news for Western New York, whose fishing opportunities are unique.

See also earlier Re-ENERGIZE BUFFALO posts dealing with the Great Lakes.

In the NEWS

The Buffalo News endorsed Senate passage and Obama signing of a climate change bill, stating that the House bill which passed is not perfect, the Senate version could be improved, and the version that the president signs could be better still. See the Editorial below.

Action on climate change -- 7/02/2009
House passage of an emissions bill starts nation toward global solutions
"This time, we’re all going to the moon. The climate change bill that narrowly passed the House of Representatives Friday recalls nothing so much as President John F. Kennedy’s 1961 call for the United States to send a man to the moon within a decade."
"But we need a bill passed and signed, or we will never get this mission launched." Read the full Editorial in The Buffalo News.

Video interview on the climate change bill - 7/01/2009
Buffalo native Jason Kowalski, Policy Analyst at 1Sky.org in Washington DC, favored strengthening the recently-passed House climate change bill in support of renewable energy, green jobs and a global emissions agreement in a TV news interview.

Obama pressures Senate to pass climate change bill -- 6/28/2009
WASHINGTON (AP) — Hailing the House, President Obama put pressure on senators Saturday to follow its lead and pass legislation to limit greenhouse gas emissions, helping usher the U. S. into a new age of energy efficiency.
“Now my call to every senator, as well as to every American, is this: We cannot be afraid of the future. And we must not be prisoners of the past,” the president said in his weekly radio and Internet address. “Don’t believe the misinformation out there that suggests there is somehow a contradiction between investing in clean energy and economic growth. It’s just not true.” Read the full Associated Press report in The Buffalo News.

White House says global warming is already here and getting worse -- 6/17/2009 WASHINGTON (AP) — Rising sea levels, sweltering temperatures, longer droughts and heavier downpours — global warming’s serious effects are already here and getting worse, the Obama administration warned Tuesday in the grimmest, most urgent language on climate change ever to come out of any White House.
But scientists and government officials seemed to go out of their way to soften the message. It is still not too late to prevent some of the worst consequences, they said, by acting aggressively to reduce world emissions of heat-trapping gases, primarily carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels. Read the full Associated Press report in The Buffalo News.

Hurray, Yahoo! -- 7/03/2009
Hope for boost to ‘new economy’ helps justify costly incentives
Yahoo! is coming to Western NY. The NY Power Authority, urged by Gov. Paterson, is selling Yahoo! discounted hydropower, a subsidy of $33,000 to $54,000 per job, per year, for jobs that pay $65,000 to $75,000 plus benefits. That's more than four times the average annual per-job power discount of $12,446. Read the full Editorial in The Buffalo News.

Solar panel maker gets low-cost electricity -- 7/01/2009
Sunworks pledges to create 175 jobs
"The state Power Authority has awarded a large block of low-cost hydropower to a fledgling California company that plans to build a plant in Western New York to manufacture solar panels."
"Sunworks Solar plans to spend $200 million to build a plant that would employ 175. The New York Power Authority on Tuesday agreed to allocate five megawatts of hydropower, which it will sell to the San Francisco-based company for about one-quarter the market rate." Read the full report by James Heaney in The Buffalo News.

High-Speed Rail Corridor to Buffalo !

Obama lists Buffalo as high-speed rail candidate - 04/17/2009
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration announced Thursday that it is proceeding with plans to allow 10 rail corridors — including the Empire Corridor linking Buffalo and Albany —to compete for up to $13 billion in federal high-speed rail funding. Only six of the 10 corridors are expected to receive funding, but local lawmakers are hopeful, as the White House invited Rep. Louise M. Slaughter, the Fairport Democrat who is spearheading the upstate New York high-speed rail effort, to attend Thursday’s announcement.

While competition for the funding is expected to be fierce, local lawmakers believe the upstate route has an advantage because it could be built on a third track along an existing right of way. That means it could be built more quickly than other highspeed rail corridors — which is important because the first $8 billion aims to fund projects that are “shovel-ready.” “The ‘third track initiative’ is deserving of federal support and I intend to fight tooth and nail to make high-speed rail in upstate New York a reality,” Rep. Slaughter said. Read the report by Jerry Zremski, News Washington Bureau Chief, in The Buffalo News.
The map below shows the NY Empire Corridor, and how it would link Buffalo to Albany and NY City, as well as to the existing Northeast Corridor from Boston to Washington DC.


CSX to help on high-speed rail - 03/26/2009
WASHINGTON — The company that owns the right of way where an upstate high-speed rail line would be located is willing to work with government officials to get the new rail project going, lawmakers said Wednesday. CSX owns the right of way for the proposed high-speed rail line between Buffalo and Albany, where it currently runs freight trains. Both Sen. Charles E. Schumer, D-NY, and Rep. Louise M. Slaughter, D-Fairport, met with Michael Ward, chief executive officer of CSX Corp. A CSX spokesman, said the meetings with the lawmakers were productive, and the participants agreed on the need for the company and government to cooperate on the project to make sure that upstate’s freight and passenger rail needs are met. Read the report by Jerry Zremski, News Washington Bureau Chief, in The Buffalo News.

Buffalo's Central Terminal promoted as high-speed rail hub - 03/24/2009
Fast trains could be accommodated

If high-speed railroad service becomes a reality between Western New York and other parts of the state, some East Side activists are lobbying to make Central Terminal the major hub.

Transforming the massive Art Deco landmark into a mixed-use complex that would accommodate fast-speed trains makes sense on several levels, they insisted Monday during a City Hall strategy session.
They said the terminal’s location only two miles from the downtown core, its abundant parking and its existing rail infrastructure make it an ideal site as officials eye plans for spending federal stimulus money on high-speed rail corridors. Read the report by Brian Meyer in The Buffalo News.

Extend Metro Rail to Central Terminal, Airport - 04/17/2009
Bravo! Now that The News has championed Metro Rail extension to the Central Terminal in order to accommodate high-speed rail passengers, how about going the whole way—to Buffalo Niagara International Airport? Think of it—intermodal connectivity in every direction. With Metro Rail extended to the airport and Transit Road, and with Amtrak available at the Central Terminal, anyone headed in either direction could use any mode of travel that’s convenient.
For instance, a visitor seeking low air fares could hop on Amtrak, connect to Metro Rail at the Central Terminal and reach the airport, all without the pressure of airport parking. Customers and employees of the airport or Amtrak could hop on Metro Rail at any convenient station and reach their destination, and leave the car at home.
Metro Rail is the world’s greenest mass transit, via hydropower from Niagara Falls. Connecting Metro Rail with Amtrak and the airport will demonstrate to the world that Western New York has the vision to build on this wonderful asset.
Gladys Gifford
President, Citizens Regional Transit Corp., Buffalo

High-speed rail line will benefit economy - 03/17/2009
The recent announcement by Gov. David Paterson about the development of a comprehensive rail plan for the state is welcome news indeed. Even more welcome is the growing support from all corners for high-speed rail, which will truly bring New York into the 21st century and will generate significant benefits for the upstate economy. As a family with sometimes weekly trips to Albany and New York City for both business and pleasure, we dream of a time when the state has a truly functional rail system. One that operates on time, with limited freight-train delays, making it possible to work while commuting, and saving energy. Read more here.
Woo-hoo, see you on the train!
Lucinda B. Ingalls
Buffalo

Improving rail system should be a ‘no-brainer’ - 07/23/2008
Last week, I took the train from Washington, D. C., to Buffalo. It was a pleasant trip, but what surprised me most was the cost: $71. That was less than the cost of the gas to drive, $83.50, and much less than the nonstop air fare, $600. It did take longer, but the seating was much more comfortable than the airplane and it avoided all of the hassle connected with airport congestion and auto traffic difficulties. There were a large number of people joining me for the trip. And I am sure we all saved gas and the production of large volumes of greenhouse gas.
With the airlines increasing costs and reducing service, you would think that it would be a “no-brainer” connected with the idea of improvement in the rail system. Read more here.
Philip J. Kintner
Colden

In the NEWS -- 4/5

Power to the People of Upstate NY
The NY Times - 4/3/2009
A consortium of private investors that sought to build high-voltage electricity transmission lines to carry power from renewable sources Upstate to New York City said on Friday that it was suspending its efforts. The NY Times report is here.

Wind turbines could more than meet U.S. electricity needs
Los Angeles Times -- 4/3/2009
Arlington, Va. -- Wind turbines off U.S. coastlines could potentially supply more than enough electricity to meet the nation's current demand, the Interior Department reported Thursday. The biggest wind potential lies off the nation's Atlantic coast, which the Interior report estimates could produce 1,000 gigawatts of electricity -- enough to meet a quarter of the national demand. The full report is here.

Offshore windpower is also feasible inside the U.S. on the Great Lakes. Video discussing the possibility of Offshore Windpower on Lake Erie is here, presented by Dave Bradley.

Environment is focus of gathering
Community -- 4/5/2009
The third Environmental Congress is helping chart a regional environmental agenda. Over one-hundred organizations gathered at the Buffalo Museum of Science to collaborate and form a strategy as part of the Western New York Environmental Alliance, an initiative of the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo. “Having a healthy environment will make our region more valuable,” said Cara Matteliano, the foundation’s vice president for program, citing the region’s assets of wind and water energy. “We can have a tremendous economic impact depending on how we treat our environment.” Read the report by Karen Robinson in The Buffalo News.

Obama team takes its climate change agenda abroad
AP - 3/28/2009
The Obama administration has a single mission as it heads to the climate change negotiating table for the first time: convincing other countries the United States cares about global warming. After eight years on the sidelines, the U.S. delegation's new leadership says it is ready to assume a central role in crafting a new agreement to slash greenhouse gases. But whether the world's second largest source of heat-trapping pollution will be ready to sign onto a new deal by the end of the year could depend on Congress. See the report in The Buffalo News.

National official to head panel on climate change
League of Women Voters - 4/5/2009
The national president of the League of Women Voters will be the main speaker at a panel discussion in Burchfield Penney Art Center at Buffalo State College on April 30. Mary G. Wilson of New Mexico, an attorney and small-business owner, will head a discussion titled: “The Heat is On —Climate Change and Emerging Policies.” Panelists include moderator Bob Shibley, along with Kristin Campbell, David Kowalski and Kate Foster. The event will also honor the late Taffy Tarbell, a longtime League activist. See the story in The Buffalo News.

Hot Planet - Sunday, April 5, 9:00 pm - TV: Discovery Science channel
The effects of climate change -- massive storms, super-fires and rising seas -- are potentially catastrophic. But they are not yet inevitable. This film looks at the future of global warming, and what man -- and science -- can still do to stop it.

Van Jones: Obama's Green Jobs Adviser

March 10, 2009 -- U.S.NEWS.com
Author, activist and think tank fellow Van Jones will be joining the Obama administration next week as a special adviser on green jobs, reported the White House Council on Environmental Quality today. Jones will work with agencies and departments to advance the administration's climate and energy initiatives, with a special focus on improving vulnerable communities, according to a White House statement. Jones is the founder of "Green For All," an environmental group dedicated to bringing green jobs to the disadvantaged, and the author of "The Green Collar Economy." The full story is here.

Here is the announcement from Van Jones. Below is a video of Van Jones addressing PowerShift 2009 on March 1st:

Green Jobs in Buffalo?

Whether it's to save the planet, or save money, going 'green' is in. Everyone and everything are going green. Certain blue-collar jobs and white-collar jobs are now being repurposed as green-collar jobs, or simply green jobs. Green jobs are becoming the rage across the country, and hopefully these new job opportunities will develop in Buffalo.

What is a green job? Green jobs are well-paid, career-track jobs that contribute directly to preserving or enhancing environmental quality. Such jobs are arising because of the need to address global warming pollution caused by burning fossil fuels, and also because of the need to develop sources of clean, renewable energy, like wind, solar and geothermal. Also, investment in energy efficiency can create new jobs, and at the same time help reduce global warming pollution. The table below lists a wide variety of representative jobs that are associated with several different strategies for green economic investment.

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The table is from a report on a green economic recovery program which showed that a $100 billion investment in these areas over two years would result in 2 Million new jobs across the nation. This program would provide a major boost to the construction and manufacturing sectors throughout the U.S, and would have a very significant impact on New York’s labor market. There would be a net increase of 131,991 jobs, reducing New York’s unemployment rate to 3.8% in two years from 5.2% (June 2008). The full report on the impact of this economic recovery program on New York state is here.

Strong opportunities for creating green jobs are anticipated in the near future. President-elect Obama supports making strategic investments to catalyze private efforts to build a clean energy future. He also supports programs, like the Green Jobs Corps (see Web links on the right-side panel), that will provide youth participants with service opportunities to improve the energy efficiency of homes and buildings in their communities, and also with practical skills and experience in important career fields of expected high‐growth employment.

How about opportunities for green jobs and a Green Jobs Corps in Buffalo? Recently, NY State Assemblyman Sam Hoyt held a "Green Jobs Conference" in Buffalo. The text of his opening remarks is here, and the handout distributed at the conference is here. The conference brought together about 175 representatives from government agencies, businesses, and non-profit organizations to create a clear action plan for long-term success. Participants will continue to meet periodically in smaller groups to further develop job creation proposals and policy suggestions for consideration by state agencies. Hoyt is developing a proposal to create a concurrent green jobs and training corps program that would deconstruct, not demolish, abandoned houses in NY cities and reuse, not landfill, the recovered building materials, replicating Buffalo ReUse’s successful deconstruction model. We very much look forward to future developments on green jobs and training opportunities in Buffalo!

Help Him Change the World

"We can choose hope over fear, unity over division; the promise of change over the power of the status quo. I’m Barack Obama. If you give me your vote on Tuesday, we won’t just win this election – together, we will change this country and Change the World." -- Senator Obama, Democratic Radio Address, Nov. 1, 2008

The Buffalo News will cover the election live on the Web. Following the election on Tuesday, Nov. 4, Barack Obama will appear in Chicago's Grant Park to deliver a speech. Hopes are high among many Americans, including me, that election day will end with a victory speech in Grant Park and a real celebration. If we want it, we can make it happen by getting out the Vote for Obama!

The possibility of an election day celebration in Chicago's Grant Park reminds me of a song from the early 70's, "Saturday in the Park", by the rock group that bears the city's name, Chicago. It's an upbeat song mixed with some politically-charged phrases of the day, like "listen children, all is not lost", and "will you help him change the world". I hope that the celebratory feeling of the song will reflect the election outcome. Check out the song and video here.

Help him change the world...vote for Barack Obama on Tuesday, Nov. 4.

The Buffalo News has endorsed Obama. The News has a Web page for voters that provides a convenient comparison of Obama's and McCain's stands on a variety of policy issues. The Web page is here. It also shows the News endorsements for local election contests including Congress, State Senate and Assembly, District Attorney and State Supreme Court. Check it out, and get out and vote on Tuesday!

Polling Place Finder and Map: click here
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Great Lakes: Restore the GREATness

The Great Lakes basin contains 90% of the surface fresh water in North America, and 20% of the world's supply. Unfortunately, the Great Lakes aren't doing so great these days. Sewage from surrounding cites, toxic sediments, and invasive species are diminishing the quality of the water. The pollution and environmental destruction have raised cries from many who advocate that a major cleanup of our precious waterways is long overdue. Promises were made by President Bush in his 2004 re-election campaign, but little money to actually perform the cleanup has been provided by the federal government.

The Great Lakes basin in the U.S. includes New York, Illinois, Michigan as well as five other states that are crucial in the current presidentional race: Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Senator McCain is said to be for a cleanup, but has yet to put forward a plan. Senator Obama is a co-sponsor of legislation to implement the restoration of the Great Lakes, a part of his environmental plan. Heather Zichal, Obama's energy and environmental policy director, has said that Obama, hailing from a Great Lakes state, understands the lake's dire situation and would give them top billing. For the full story in the Buffalo News, click here.

The Great Lakes are a vital part of our environment. The lakes are the source of fresh water for millions of people, and they support regional agriculture, recreation, tourism and a muti-billion dollar fishing industry. The waterways are also economically important for hydropower, shipping and manufacturing. Restoring a healthy environment by cleaning up the Great Lakes needs to be strongly supported by our next president. The League of Conservation Voters gave Senator McCain a very low lifetime rating based on important environmental legislation, while Barack Obama was given the highest lifetime rating. McCain has no environmental plan on his website, while Obama does. To read Obama's environmental plan, including a section on "Restore the Great Lakes", click here. Obama has also proposed a trust fund towards implementing the full restoration of the Great Lakes.

Buffalo News: Obama for President

Buffalo News -- EDITORIAL -- Sunday, Oct.19, 2008

Obama for President
Voters should seize the chance to elect a transformative leader

The only thing we have to fear, a great president once said, is fear itself. Barack Obama is not afraid. Concerned. Alert. Maybe even a little alarmed. But the Democratic candidate for president of the United States is not afraid and, of perhaps even more importance, he does not seek to be elected by making us afraid.

If Americans want a future where our leaders respond to challenges with judgment and principle, rather than panic and rashness, they will elect Barack Obama president. We recommend they do so.

For the full endorsement, visit BuffaloNews.com.

Many Americans agree with the endorsement. Yesterday, a record crowd of 100,000 people turned out in St. Louis, MO, to hear Senator Obama speak!
A picture is below, and the full text of the speech is HERE.

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