If you recall, a few weeks ago a pool supply company burned down on the west side of Buffalo. The Buffalo Fire Department did not handle that fire well, from a public safety standpoint (or a fire fighter safety standpoint). That should have been the wakeup call for Buffalo to make sure that fire fighters were trained and protected properly, and that a public notice system is put in place for industrial accidents. It is the city’s responsibility to have an emergency plan in place.

One other thing, the use the term “blast radius” is a little inaccurate in the case of a ethanol plant. That would be a radius for a chemical cloud and vapors, if an ethanol plant ever burned or blew up, it wouldn’t create a 5 mile crator, fire ball, or anything else you infer. Fire damage would be contained on site, the real risk to the public would be from chemical vapors and toxic smoke. The more likely risk would come from groundwater contamination (ala Love Canal), so site planning is key to address these risks.

The other joke is the who premise of the economic roundtable. To have the NYC Partnership come and discuss their model is a waste of time and giving false hope to people in Buffalo. There is no financial or nonprofit sector in Buffalo large enough to impact the economic future of the city.

We have a few struggling local businesses and some national corporations that are in the last stages of disinvesting in WNY. We also have 1 foundation, Oshie, that is poking around in the soil for some ideas and another, Wendt, that is totally currupt and detrimental to the community.

Buffalo needs a more radical approach than some pin money from local business. How many Chinese Auctions can you have? Buffalo needs a big employer to show up and create new jobs.

Maybe China will come here and build an auto plant or India will come here and build a chemical plant. That is Buffalo’s only hope. Some developing country will find Buffalo very attractive. We have a government that can easily be bought. A local population that is beaten down and unwilling to challenge the status quo. And, a small and insignificant local elite that will marvel at any trinket dangles in front of them. Yes, China and India can come to WNY and buy the place and the people in a heart beat. It would be the easiest conquest in world history. They could come in and dominate WNY and the US government would no longer have to answer endless gripes.

If we are really lucky a country like Brazil would come and buy WNY. Then they could educate us about democratic governance and social justice.