Another Voice
Tom Vrabel: Pointless war is draining funds, risking security
We often hear in American political rhetoric that the war in Iraq is unjust, but that Afghanistan is the “good war.” It is important that we, as a nation, become aware that this is a false claim and that the war in Afghanistan has detrimental effects on Afghan civilian populations. (Updated: 11/20/09 8:54 AM )
Bishops’ influence on House bill disrespects other faiths
Freedom of religion, diversity and responsibility have been some of the fundamental religious principles for Unitarians and Universalists during the 178 years we have worshipped in Buffalo and Western New York. As the minister of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Buffalo, I have seen how the people of my church depend on their faith in these principles to live well and survive in this world. (Updated: 11/19/09 7:06 AM )
Greg Slabodkin: Buffalo poised for improvement as recession ends
There are encouraging economic signs that the recession, the worst since the Great Depression, is ending. While there’s been financial devastation on a global and national level, when it comes to the effects of the recession on the local economy, there is a silver lining for Western New York. Granted, the economic conditions in the Buffalo area have been bad for a long time. Yet we seem immune to many of the negative effects the rest of the country has experienced from the recession. (Updated: 11/18/09 2:23 PM )
Greg Dobbs: Misleading the media: Truth and consequences
There’s a reason why these days, a hoax — balloon boy in Colorado, the faux Chamber of Commerce climate change news conference in Washington, D. C. — is more likely than ever before to work. (Updated: 11/17/09 1:36 PM )
Kathleen Sebelius: Check flu.gov while production snags are fixed
Many Americans are worried about the 2009 H1N1 virus, and many of you are still waiting your turn to be vaccinated. Like you, I am deeply saddened by the illness and death caused by the H1N1 flu. And as a mother, I understand the frustration and anxiety parents feel when they cannot find vaccine for their children, and all of us feel when our expectations exceed our options. (Updated: 11/16/09 12:05 PM )
Arthur J. Giacolone: Dissolution of East Aurora neither inevitable nor wise
The Village of East Aurora is admired throughout Western New York. Its 125-year experiment as a separate municipality has worked so well that even consolidation activist Kevin Gaughan sang its praises. (Updated: 11/15/09 8:46 AM )
Maria R. Whyte: Collins’ closure pattern pits Buffalo against suburbs
In his 2010 budget, Erie County Executive Chris Collins has proposed closing the health clinics at 608 William St. and 1500 Broadway. These county clinics provide 22,000 patient visits per year serving a largely low-income, minority population of adults and children. There are two major problems with this proposal. (Updated: 11/14/09 11:48 AM )
Joseph A. Gardella Jr.: Tonawanda Coke must cooperate to cut emissions
It is particularly frustrating to read J. D. Crane’s recent Another Voice, since it suggests a profound lack of understanding of what this community is asking for, and a refusal to take responsibility for his company’s actions. (Updated: 11/13/09 9:25 AM )
Charles Lamb: Niagara County can’t tolerate more toxic wastes
The idea that bringing toxic wastes to Western New York for burial is a benefit is preposterous. A column submitted by a spokesman for Chemical Waste Management, touting the economic benefits of having a toxic waste disposal facility here, needs to be challenged. (Updated: 11/20/09 3:32 PM )
Lt. Col. Rob Waldman: Live with integrity to honor Americans in uniform
As we celebrate this Veterans Day to honor our country’s heroes and pay respect to their service and sacrifice, it’s difficult not to get caught up with the emotions and controversy surrounding the recent massacre at Fort Hood Army base in Texas. (Updated: 11/11/09 8:47 AM )
Richard Iannuzzi: Union supports all schools, including charters
I’m proud to be the president of a union that prides itself on being democratic and advocacy driven. So, while I disagree with the accuracy and much of what the local leaders at Charter School for Applied Technologies wrote about New York State United Teachers and charter schools in the Nov. 4 Another Voice column, I support their advocacy for charter schools within our democratic union. (Updated: 11/11/09 8:48 AM )
Robert S. Wistrich: On pogrom’s anniversary, old questions rise again
On Nov. 9, 1938, a massive nationwide anti-Jewish pogrom took place during peacetime across the entire territory of the Third Reich. The pretext for this orgy of violence was the shooting in Paris two days earlier of a German diplomat by a 17-year-old Polish- Jewish refugee. (Updated: 11/09/09 9:13 AM )
Bruce A. Boissonnault: Lack of transparency can undermine reform efforts
In health care reform, what you don’t know can hurt you. Quality of care varies widely from provider to provider, and access to meaningful, objective information about those providers remains highly restricted in the United States. That may explain why U. S. health care results are the worst among all the world’s developed countries, according to multiple independent sources, including the World Health Organization. (Updated: 11/09/09 9:14 AM )
Diane Held: State must protect farmland so we can feed ourselves
It’s fall in Western New York, a time of apples, grapes and pumpkins—a time of abundance. Food seems plentiful, but can New York farms grow enough food to feed the residents of our state? (Updated: 11/09/09 9:16 AM )
System’s woes holding back American prosperity
The Legatum Institute just released its annual Prosperity Index, which ranks 104 countries in the only global assessment of wealth and well-being. It should come as no surprise that the United States ranked quite high overall, coming in at ninth. (Updated: 11/06/09 6:58 AM )