Wow, after all that, Buffalo Bills running back Marshawn Lynch will get a mere $100 fine for his hit-and-run “accident.”

Bills running back Marshawn Lynch’s actions showed “a reckless disregard of human life or property,” an administrative law judge ruled today in revoking Lynch’s driver’s license and accepting his guilty plea in a May 31 hit-and-run accident.

During an approximately six-minute hearing in the Traffic Violations Bureau downtown, Judge Thomas L. Gagola also fined Lynch the maximum $100 for the traffic infraction of failing to use due care toward a pedestrian. Lynch also paid a $50 surcharge.

“I will, under these circumstances, impose the maximum fine of $100,” Gagola announced from the bench, before revoking Lynch’s New York license and his vehicle registration.

“He is not to drive in New York State until he is authorized to do so,” Gagola said.

Lynch’s full statement can be view here. Of course, his license will only be temporarily “revoked.” So, I’m sure we all can’t wait for him to one day be driving on the road again.

Read Full Post »

Wow, now that she’s effectively ended her campaign Hillary Clinton is actually doing something for the city of Buffalo.

In a letter sent to David Ogrean, the Executive Director of USA Hockey, Inc., Senator Clinton enthusiastically supported our fair Buffalo as a potential candidate for hosting the 2011 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Under-20 World Championships.

Senator Clinton highlighted Buffalo’s charm with shout-outs to Shea’s, the Zoo, nightlife, the Albright-Knox, Niagara Falls, and many more. Adding to Buffalo’s credentials, Senator Clinton did not fail to mention the great success the city has had in hosting other large-scale events. Events such as the recent Winter Classic, along with the NCAA basketball tournament, New York’s Empire State Games, The World University Games, the NCAA Frozen Four, and the National Hockey League Entry Draft.

In her letter, Senator Clinton states, “Given its location, amenities, and enthusiastic hockey fans, I believe Buffalo, New York is the ideal location for the 2011 IIHF Under 20 World Championships.”

OF course, after the bloody campaign she’s been through, with the Clinton Brand virtually destroyed, I’m not sure Hillary’s the one to be fighting on behalf of Buffalo.

Read Full Post »

Petition to Rename Buffalo’s Airport after Tim Russert

Read Full Post »

This afternoon, while in the middle of a business meeting, I learned that Tim Russert had died suddenly of a heart attack.

The Washington Post reports:

Russert, 58, collapsed while recording voiceovers for his Sunday morning interview program, NBC reported. He was initially reported to have suffered a heart attack while working in his office on Washington’s Nebraska Avenue, but the network said later only that he was “stricken at the bureau” and subsequently died. Further details were not immediately available.

Russert served as NBC’s Washington bureau chief and the host of “Meet the Press,” the top-rated Sunday talk show, which had an enormous influence on politics and was marked by his aggressive style of interrogation. As a frequent commentator on the “Today” show, “NBC Nightly News” and other shows, Russert wielded such clout that when he declared that Sen. Barack Obama had wrapped up the Democratic nomination last month, his pronouncement was treated as a news event in itself.

Russert’s television career was marked by a voracious appetite for politics and a shrewd understanding of how politicians interact with the media. He also wrote a book about his father, titled “Big Russ and Me.” Last week, he moved Big Russ to a nursing facility.

Former NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw gave MSNBC viewers the news of Russert’s death at 3:40 p.m.

“He worked to the point of exhaustion so many weeks,” Brokaw said, adding: “This news division will not be the same without his strong, clear voice.”

I met Tim Russert back 2004 when I was one of the official bloggers at the Republican National Convention. I had been away from Blogger’s Corner and came back to my laptop and he was there, looking at bumper stickers I had brought to the convention for my blog, Blogs For Bush (now Blogs For Victory) I actually didn’t recognize him at first because he looked very different to me, but we spoke for a bit, and I gave him a bumper sticker.

MSNBC.com has a timeline of Russert’s life and career.

Read Full Post »

It’s kind of depressing that I left one gun-crime-ridden city for another.

Bloody street violence struck Buffalo this week when at least five people were shot over a two-day period — Sunday and Monday — during four separate incidents across the city.

Four of the people were shot Sunday, but the most seriously injured was a 25-year-old man who was sprayed with a flurry of bullets that struck him multiple times in the head on Wohlers Avenue early Monday.

Antonio U. Jones was fighting for his life in Erie County Medical Center on Tuesday. Hospital officials declined to release his condition, but the shooting is being investigated by Homicide Unit detectives, which is an indication of the seriousness of Jones’ head injuries.

Police responded to a call of “person down” and found Jones in the street at about 3 a. m., according to Buffalo Police Department spokesman Michael J. DeGeorge.

DeGeorge said police have no suspects or motive in the shooting.

Records show that Jones has been arrested several times, including a court conviction in 2001 for attempted robbery.

Back in Boston, MA, the incompetent mayor, Tom Menino, talked tough on crime, but was more tough on guns. He prided himself on his gun buyback program, which did nothing to improve the gun violence epidemic. So, you can imagine I wasn’t surprised to find out that Buffalo had its own gun buyback program last year.

Mayor Byron W. Brown today announced the City’s “No Questions Asked” Gun Buyback Program will take place on Saturday, June 2, 2007 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at six drop-off sites across Buffalo.

“Late in 2006, I announced that the City would conduct a gun buyback program as one of several tactics we will use to rid our streets of illegal guns,” said Mayor Brown. “And during my annual State of the City Address I reiterated that this program would be a no-questions-asked process where guns submitted at several locations will enable the individual to receive a pre-paid credit card at a dollar value based on the caliber of the weapon.”

Buffalo’s program is modeled after several other city’s successful gun buyback efforts, particularly the City of Chicago that in two different one-day gun buybacks retrieved over 4,200 guns.

The program netted 800 guns, and as you can see from recent headlines, it has worked so well.

Read Full Post »

Security Breach At Buffalo Airport

Read Full Post »

Mayor Brown proposes inspector general for city, at $80,000 a year

Read Full Post »