John Mariani of the Syracuse Post Standard reports that several Native American gaming operations are behind on payments to state police for security provided at casinos. The Seneca Gaming Commission is the furthest in arrears, owing $22.8 million to the state for security at the casino in Niagara Falls and $18.1 million for the casino at Salamanca.

Three Indian nations operating five casinos owe the state police Gaming Detail more than $55.9 million for security work the state does at their casinos, Sen. Craig Johnson, D-Nassau County, revealed last week at a hearing of the Senate Investigations and Government Operations Committee, which he chairs. Some of the debts go back 10 years.

The Seneca Nation’s Niagara Falls casino owed the most, $22.8 million, followed by that nation’s gaming house in Salamanca with a $18.1 million debt, according to a list provided to Johnson by the Gaming Detail. The Niagara Falls and Salamanca units also cover the Seneca Nation’s Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino in Buffalo, the Gaming Detail’s Web page says.

The Akwesasne Mohawk Casino, operated by the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe, was next with $14.3 million due to the state police, a debt it began accumulating as early as the third quarter of the state’s 1999-2000 fiscal year, the list showed.

The Oneida Indian Nation, operator of the Turning Stone Casino outside Verona, was last on the list with an arrears of $739,000, due for the quarter that began Oct. 1, 2009.

Here’s the report.

I got a phone call late Friday night letting me know that an old friend of mine, Gabrielle Bouliane, had lost her fight with cancer down in Austin, TX. I’d known her for well over 20 years, though the last contact I had with her was to send her the lyrics to a Loretta Lynn song on Facebook as she traveled through Tennessee on her way to Texas last year. She was a Steam Donkeys insider from way back, with all the benefits and liabilities such a position imposes.

But then, she was a lot of things to a lot of people, and her circle of friends was huge. A passionate and compassionate soul who spread a lot of love from her hometown in Buffalo to her adopted homes in Seattle and Austin, Gabrielle really hit her stride as a slam poet whose performances left audiences spellbound. She was always a champion of other artists, too, and a fervent promoter of the form. Plus, she had a discerning eye for a good cowboy boot.

Her sad passing has left a hole in many people’s hearts. Circle this Valentine’s Day for the tribute/benefit being held in her honor at Nietzsche’s, 248 Allen St., 2-8pm.

Here’s a video of her final public performance, recorded December 5, 2009, at the Austin Poetry Slam, shortly after being diagnosed with stage four cancer late last year.

UPDATE: Click here to download the Nietzsche’s event flier, which describes the tribute in greater detail and doubles as a costume!

We may be Talkin’ Proud, we may Brag About Buffalo, but maybe instead of worrying about our national image as a snowbound outpost, we should worry about our national image as the home of cruel goons.

Read it and weep.

Natural gas, currently being touted as a cleaner alternative to coal and oil, is also turning some people’s kitchen faucets into flamethrowers.

Here’s an AP story that came out Saturday about an upstate New York man who is living with the new feature in his home. He suspects the gas is the result of natural gas drilling near his home. Unsurprisingly, Fortuna Gas denies any connection to the phenomenon.

Strange that the same thing happened to a Colorado man’s home last spring, and drilling was the culprit. It happened in other people’s homes, too. Here’s a link to a newscast showing more flames in Colorado.

Here’s a story filed last month about a similar situation in Pennsylvania, and here’s another link to check out.

In fact, there are several of these stories out there…

Imagine having this feature in all of the cabins in Allegany State Park.

Rus Thompson sends us this email:

SSGT John Stanz arrived back home in Buffalo on Tuesday. John has been in rehab in Germany and now Pennsylvania, since he was injured in Afghanistan. This came as a surprise to his family but of course he is welcomed home, his parents home is just not ready.

Thank You Jackie Walker for getting his sister in contact with me, we now know just what they need to accommodate his needs for the next couple years. He needs an addition built on the parents home with a bathroom. I just recorded a commercial at WBEN which was donated by the Financial Guys, Mike Lomas and Glenn Wiggle. I would not have been able to do this on my own. This is where we need your help.

Buffalo/Erie County is a place with a huge heart. When they know of a need especially someone from the Military, they will come out in droves to help. We need something along the lines of another home make over. An addition to a house is really an easy project but it comes with expenses that none of us can afford on our own.

I will be contacting my suppliers from over the years to help and possibly donate building materials for this. A local contractor told the family it would cost $70,000 to complete the job. We have already had contractors ready to donate labor and I am one of them. I will do what ever it takes to help SSGT Stanz, he came very close to giving the ultimate sacrifice, two of his friends did, they were killed in the IED explosion that injured Stanz.

Marine SSGT John Stanz fought for us, now it is time for us to stand up and fight for him.

Will you consider helping us promote this and helping us ask  for help? When I found out how badly SSGT Stanz was injured and how little the government is willing to help, I decided this is a worthy cause. Seems once more the government has failed to take care of their own. He was sent to war, he fought, almost died and now he needs us.

Christmas for a Hero

The Palms at Tandori’s

Friday the 18th from 7 pm till 9

Tickets $25.00

Thank you for your consideration.
Rus Thompson

Click here for directions to the place.

Most Buffalonians take pride when they read articles in the New York Times describing various fights to preserve our city’s heritage, like this one from last year.

But once upon a time—not too long ago—we were getting this kind of ink in the New York Times.

Could anything so embarrassing ever happen again? You betcha!

This Sunday, December 13, from Noon-1pm, The Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy is requesting the support of everyone who believes in the work they’ve been doing. Everyone is invited to gather at the bust of Martin Luther King, Jr., near the corner of Best and Fillmore—with friends, family, voices, and signs. Free hot chocolate!

Following a long-term Federal investigation that exposed violations of the constitutional rights of inmates—including failure to protect inmates from physical harm caused by excessive force used by staff, and failure to provide adequate medical and mental health care—the Westchester (NY) County Jail will now have to clean up its act or face a Federal lawsuit.

Sound familiar?

Yes, but according to a 42-page report, there are differences between the situations in Westchester County and Erie County. (Compare it with the 50-page letter issued to Erie County.)

Whereas Erie County Executive Chris Collins, County Attorney Cheryl Green, and Sheriff Tim Howard have stonewalled Federal investigators, even after the instigation of a Federal lawsuit against the County, officials in Westchester granted an on-site inspection of their jail between February 25-28, 2008.

“We interviewed Jail staff in administration, security, medical and mental health, facilities management, and training. We also interviewed inmates. Before, during, and after our visit, we reviewed an extensive number of videos and documents, including policies and procedures, orientation and staff training materials, and unit logs. We also reviewed numerous internally prepared Jail reports involving incidents, uses of force, investigations, and disciplinary matters. In keeping with our pledge of transparency and to provide technical assistance where appropriate, we conveyed our preliminary findings to WCJ officials and legal counsel for Westchester County (the “County”) at the close of our site visit,” the Federal report says.

“We thank the staff at WCJ for their helpful and professional conduct throughout the course of the investigation. The County provided us with access to records and personnel, and responded to our requests, before, during, and after our on-site visit in a forthcoming manner. We also appreciate the County’s receptiveness to our consultants’ on-site recommendations. Accordingly, we have every reason to believe that the County is committed to remedying all known deficiencies at WCJ.”

While officials in Westchester are stung by the findings, they are, apparently, working with Federal investigators to fix the violations of the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CIRPA).

It will be interesting to see which approach works best. So far, Westchester is avoiding a lawsuit—which is more than Erie County can say. In addition to the Federal one against Erie County, there’s also the one that was filed by the NYS Commission of Corrections, for violating State standards and failing to correct the violations. Sheriff Howard and his staff have said State and Federal authorities have been been unfairly picking on us here in Erie county.

The Buffalo News printed this editorial today, urging Collins and Howard to “get serious” about the issue.

Question: At what point was it OK for them not to take Civil Rights seriously?

Remember New London, Connecticut? In 2005, the struggling city won a Supreme Court case to bulldoze the homes of many residents, citing eminent domain, to make way for a huge expansion for Pfizer Pharmaceuticals. The city threw in crazy tax breaks to lure the company there, in an effort to revitalize the city. The company promised a “business and technology park.”

Now, Pfizer is shutting down its huge research facility, after merging with Wyeth Pharmaceuticals. Turns out they’re not making enough money. This leaves an overgrown field where the homes that were demolished to make way for the expansion used to stand.

Say…didn’t there used to be a big Westwood-Squibb pharmaceutical complex over by the Scajaquada on the West Side?

I mean, nothing like this could ever happen in a place like Buffalo…could it? Let’s hope a store like Bass Pro has a more stable future than the pharmaceutical industry.

AV street correspondent John Duke send in this story:

The Express Mart on the corner of Colvin and Highland Streets in the Town of Tonawanda is just a little bit different from the everyday gas station.  You can stop in for unusual items, from a hot Sicilian wrap to a Jones Pure Cane Soda (subtitled “M. F. n Grape”) to a venison snack.

Bob McDonald

Behind the counter you’ll find Bob McDonald, who also isn’t usual. Recently, a customer who was having one of those days, coasted in on fumes and without his wallet, but with a roll of dimes in the glove compartment.

Before the customer could ask, Bob said, “We take change,” and watched as the customer put five dollars of gas in the tank and then began struggling with the keys in the ignition. Bob put a small wrench on the counter as the customer returned to the store.  The customer said, “I can’t turn my keys in the ignition,” and Bob replied, “You need to get leverage,” motioning towards the wrench.

The customer took the wrench, started the car, and was all smiles as he pulled away.

“How’d ya know?” another customer asked Bob.

“I watch people, I see it all the time. He’ll be right back.”

“How do you know that?”

“They always come right back after you help them,” Bob said. “They always take off with my wrench, and I haven’t lost a wrench yet.”

County Executive Chris Collins’s proposal to build a new lockup at 120-134 W. Eagle Street is not a new idea, according to this 1998 Buffalo News Article.

The original section of the Erie County Holding Center was designed by renowned architect E.B. Green, who also designed the Albright Knox Art Gallery, the First Presbyterian Church and the Market Arcade, among other area landmarks.

The article identifies the separate, W. Eagle Street building, which currently houses the Erie County Board of Elections, as a “contributing structure” to the Joseph Ellicott Historical District.

Green also designed Buffalo’s War Memorial Auditorium, which was demolished this year and is soon to be commemorated as a coffee table book. A Bass Pro store may or may not take its place.