Tonight at the Burchfield-Penney, Buffalo Spree hosts a panel entitled “Journalism on the Brink: When the daily paper becomes the daily blog, who wins and who loses?” It’s at 7pm, and it’s free.

By far the least interesting and least qualified participant on this panel is me:

Brian Connolly, web editor for the Buffalo News

Jim Heaney, blogger and columnist for the Buffalo News

Geoff Kelly, editor and blogger for Artvoice

Newell Nussbaumer, EStudent Network

Ben Siegel, editor for Block Club

Elena Buscarino, Buffalo Rising

Alan Bedenko, Marc Odien and Chris Smith of WNYMedia.net

The Buffalo International Film Festival 2009 kicks off this Friday, October 9th.  Artvoice and BIFF will be giving out tickets throughout the month-long festival. We’ve got a pair of tickets for each event, and in addition we’ll have some extras for opening night featuring Charlie Chaplin’s Lost Outtakes and for the Saturday October 17th Ray Bradbury It Came From Outer Space matinee.

For more information and to register for your chance to win, visit our BIFF page.  Winners will be selected at random – we’ll notify you via e-mail and have your tickets waiting at will-call.  Registering once makes you eligible to win a pair of tickets to any of the BIFF’s events.  Good luck!

Visit the BIFF2009 website to see the entire schedule of events.

The Yes Men have blanketed the streets of New York with a fake edition of the New York Post. Here’s video.

A new telephone poll commissioned by WGRZ TV has already been posted with a story in the online version of Buffalo Business First. This, the “final poll” commissioned by the TV station from Survey USA, puts Mayor Byron Brown ahead of challenger Mickey Kearns.

Survey USA also conducted a poll for WTVD-TV in Raleigh-Durham, NC last fall, for the Presidential election. There, three previous Survey USA polls had put McCain up by eight, five, and four points, while the fourth one put him up 20. Said McCain would get 58% of the vote, Obama 38%.

On election day, Obama won North Carolina and picked up 15 electoral votes.

So remember, polls are good space fillers for media outlets, but they aren’t always accurate, and they don’t even have to be, no offense to Survey USA.

People seem to love ‘em, though, so I figured I’d get a little mileage off this one, seeing as somebody else paid for it.

Business First has an online poll that asks its readers whether Mayor Byron Brown deserves re-election.

At 2:53, 84 percent of voters said he did not. There had been 270 votes.

Polls like this are nonsense, really, but I am interested to see how quickly the numbers tilt in Brown’s favor, once the second floor of City Hall gets wind of it and orders the legions to start voting.

AV’s courts and utilities correspondent, John Duke, sent us this dispatch today, occasioned by Monday’s front-page Buffalo News piece on Kevin Gaughan’s downsizing government campaign:

In a poorly written and misleading article printed on the front page of the Buffalo News on Monday, a reporter claimed that the man who started the government downsizing revolution in Erie County, Kevin P. Gaughan, may not be able to control it and should let local politicians assist him in removing their positions from the taxpayer’s bankroll.

The Buffalo News doesn’t agree with Gaughan’s common sense.  He has always said, “The petition process to get downsizing on the ballot must be pure; and purely grass roots.  This effort is nonpolitical and citizen-driven. There’s just one class of people I don’t think have a place in it, and that’s people running for office. I do have to guard the integrity of the effort.”

Supporters and opponents say Gaughan has tapped into a pent-up desire for change.  After pointing out a provision in state law allowing the votes, Gaughan organized the successful petition drives and campaigns to reduce the town boards in West Seneca and Evans from five members to three.  He can also take credit for downsizing efforts in North Collins and votes in Lancaster and Depew.

“It’s very difficult to find a politician who supports this, but it’s almost impossible to find a citizen who doesn’t support this,” Gaughan said.

Gaughan has accepted the support of West Seneca Supervisor Wallace C. Piotrowski, who welcomed him into the town.  “I would tend to agree with Gaughan. After this decade long fight for him, he doesn’t trust politicians. We don’t need any help from political parties,” Piotrowski said.

Paul Becker, of Orchard Park, the former municipal liaison for the Erie County Water Authority, said he always has been interested in good governance, and he thought Gaughan’s proposal sounded good.  Becker collected signatures to get the measure on the ballot in Orchard Park.  “People have a pent-up desire to see some kind of change. People feel they want a voice. I think this is a good opportunity to have a voice,” Becker said.

Downsizing votes are scheduled next month in Alden and Orchard Park. Gaughan said those two communities can expect a discussion on the nature and purpose of local government.

Will the movement continue in Orchard Park and Alden; is it unstoppable? Opponents in both towns predict it will pass.

With successful votes taking place and with thousands of Erie County residents signing on to the idea, Gaughan said many of his volunteers found him through his Web site, http://www.letpeopledecide.org/ , where more than 19,000 people have registered.

“Sometimes I ask myself why the hell I do this,” Gaughan said. “I think this is the finest community in America, and it deserves the finest government.  It doesn’t have it.”

It may be news to the News; but Erie County is very fortunate to have an activist such as Kevin Gaughan looking out for us.  Can you imagine if we left it to the politicians?

I believe—and I’m pretty sure Gaughan would agree—that the number of politicians in our region is not as big an issue as the number of governments, and the duplication of services, and the resulting proliferation of patronage jobs and contracts whose beneficiaries protect the status quo like a growling dog hovering over a bone. (You can read about Gaughan’s campaign here and decide for yourself if you agree with what he’s doing.) But, like John Duke, I also didn’t quite get the point of the News article. Gaughan should not take credit for his work? He should welcome the co-option of the campaign by politicians and the politically motivated?

Good for Buffalo News editor Margaret Sullivan, calling out Mayor Byron Brown for his administration’s habit of stonewalling on the release of public records to the press.

We’ve been complaining about the problem for two years, and we published a cover story about the problem in February 2008. One AV editor was forced to FOIL minutes to a meeting of the Planning Board, which usually posts its minutes online, when the links to the minutes he needed were broken.

I had always imagined that Brown administration officials treated us more poorly than they did the News, because we’re smaller and have fewer resources with which to demand our rights under the law. I guess I was wrong.

Out of fairness, however, one city agency has always responded quickly to FOIL requests: BERC, under both Rich Tobe and his successor Brian Reilly, has never dragged out the process past deadlines, always provided the documents requested. The law department, too, under Alisa Lukasiewicz, was generally quick to respond, at least if the documents requested had been generated in the law department.

Buffalo, where’s the love? Queen City, Nickel City, City of Good Neighbors — the fact of the matter is, we have a lot to offer, and it’s your turn to show your fellow Buffalonians just how much you love Buffalo. Send your concept videos to Artvoice, and the best videos will be produced with professional audio/video equipment by the Artvoice Web Team, with you in the director’s chair! Your video can be about anything you love about Buffalo and the surrounding area. Because you know what? Buffalo, we love you.

Create a two minute (or shorter) video about Buffalo. It can be about anything — your favorite hang out, your favorite people, or perhaps Buffalo’s architecture really catches your eye. There are no restrictions on the type of video you may create — narrative, music video, storyline, documentary, anything at all. Upload your video to youtube.com and let us know about it at artvoice.com/videocontest.

Visit the contest page for rules, prizes, and full details!

From the “Snappy Answers to Stupid Claims” department…

On page A3 of today’s Buffalo News, you can read the full-color, full-page open letter to the community from The Buffalo Niagara Partnership Executive Committee, also known as “the usual suspects.”

Question: What kind of Chamber of Commerce is so jittery about its public image that it feels the need to buy such expensive ad space in an attempt to convince the community it allegedly serves that things are on the right track?

Here are the things the BNP is taking credit for:

UB 2020 established as the regional priority for Albany action

Unfortunately, it’s a plan rooted in the dream that public money should be spent with no oversight. This is a plan? Why not just propose robbing Fort Knox? Both plots are illegal. Only difference is when the UB plan fails, the perpetrators won’t go to jail, they’ll just blame “politics as usual” for foiling their dubious scheme.

Modernization of the Buffalo Niagara International Airport and bringing low-cost carriers to our region

Just how much more modernization needs to be done at the airport? Transporter machines? This place has been modernized so many times you’d think we’d be zipping around it like the Jetsons wearing jet packs.

Construction of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus and creation of nearly 5,000 jobs in the life sciences

Sure. How are things progressing with the dissolution of ECMC as a public benefit corporation? Don’t mind me, just a taxpayer, just asking.

Federal Courthouse going up on Delaware Avenue

Really? Taking credit for this? I had no idea a group of local businessmen exerted such influence on the Federal Government. Should be a busy place.

Development of more than 1,000 lofts, apartments and condos in downtown Buffalo—a place very few people lived in just a decade ago

Over the past 16 years, Andrew Rudnick has made like $6 million dollars in salary as head of BNP. Buffalo is the third poorest city in the nation, and lots of people live downtown. They just don’t have much food, and little shelter.

Demolition of the Aud and significant work on the outer and inner harbors

Excellent. Destroy a monument to American War Veterans in the hope of luring a fishing store. Better throw a few more buckets of tax breaks into the water. Drives ‘em into a feeding frenzy.

Retention of the Niagara Air Reserve Station

“Retention” sounds so much better than “reduction.”

Creation of Charter Schools throughout the region

Why shouldn’t we be discovering more ways to siphon public education funding into private enterprises? Think about the kids.

Downsizing of the Buffalo Common Council
The benefits of this accomplishment are all around us, for everyone to see.

Introduction of an affordable Enhanced Drivers License as an alternative to passports at the border

I don’t know whether I should feel safer or more of a sucker. Maybe I should buy a Nexus card for good measure.

Business Backs the Bills effort, which kept the team here

Which, for nine days every fall, guarantees a surge in alcohol related arrests for local law enforcement.

“Some of our success, however, is largely invisible,” the ad crows. Yeah, we know all about it. Invisible like the Emperor’s New Clothes.

At the risk of drawing to him the attention he so craves, I will respond to Joe Illuzzi’s rant about the post three below this one, in which I reported that Stonewall Democrats of Western New York has endorsed Mickey Kearns for mayor. Outcome magazine reported that Mayor Byron Brown was ineligible for the endorsement under Stonewall’s rules because Brown advertises with Illuzzi, who Stonewall considers to be an opponent to LGBT rights.

Illuzzi responded to the post thusly:

I have just been told by an impeccable source that this entire Artvoice – Outcome scheme was orchestrated by Assemblyman Sam Lollipop Kid Hoyt & Artvoice scribe former Giambra Deputy Erie County Executive  Bruce Fisher.
In fact what we have here is Hoyt & Fisher using their resources, GLBT advocate Artvoice, GLBT Outcome & the  Stonewall Democrats,  to extort from political candidates a commitment not to advertise with PoliticsNY.Net or lose the Stonewall endorsement (which means absolutely nothing).
Please remember two years ago GLBT Outcome, Hoyt, et al., tried the same thing. This time they got dirt/scum bag Deputy Erie County Executive Bruce Fisher & GLBT advocate Artvoice to go along. Fisher not only writes for Artvoice but he is a neighbor & friend of Publisher Jamie Moses. Outcome actually writing that Hoyt was innocent of the charges laid against him with the NYS Assembly. Please recall the Assembly ethics committee found against Hoyt predicated on one of his very young vicitms testimony; later Hoyt admitted to at least one violation of his oath with a student. Hoyt was thrown out of the Intern program for his malfeasnace. The story is far more egregious than a simple affair with a student 15 years younger than Hoyt. But why inflict any more pain on his very young victims for making bad choices. Hoyt’s statement about protecting his family were all lies. He got caught with his pants down via his published emails. Bruce Fisher isn’t much better an ego driven dirt/scum bag, the Biblical fool. It is worth repeating other than Giambra I have not found one person in Giambra’s inner circle who does not say former Deputy Erie County Executive Bruce Fisher was the heart & soul of Giambra’s failed administration other than Giambra himself. …

On background a few days ago I saw Artvoice writer, former & all around dirt/scum bag former Deputy Erie County Executive Bruce Fisher huddled with Sam Lollipop Kid Hoyt at an Elmwood coffee house. Fisher is the central figure in the failure of the Giambra administration other than Giambra himself.
Artvoice this week under Editor Geoff Kelly’s by line does a hit piece on yours truly for my position opposing gay marriage (scroll down) using the same Stonewall questionnaire. I have always held back with respect to Artvoice because of my regard for Publisher Jamie Moses. I will write I was Artvoice’s principle source via the City Charter review 10 years ago & the original source when Moses decided to enter the fray with respect to the  Golisano/Sabres story a few years back. However, in this weeks’ edition, & I know this is Bruce Fisher not Kelly, Kelly starts quoting Hoyt’s favorite BI weekly or BI something “Outcome” in a personal attack against yours truly. I am very disappointed Moses would allow this to happen. I know Moses story! But you know what … so what … we’ll just let this one pass! …

So many inaccuracies. Here are a few:

1. Illuzzi was not AV’s primary source on our coverage of Buffalo’s charter revision process. How can I be sure? Because I wrote many articles in Artvoice about the Charter Review Commission, and Illuzzi and I have never met or spoken. My primary sources were Jim Magavern and George Arthur. (In an email, Joe said he spent time talking with another Artvoice correspondent on the issue. Okay, sure. But another journalist, if that’s what Illuzzi fancies himself, has never been a “primary source” for any AV article about local government.)

2. This was not a hit piece on Illuzzi. Just because his name is mentioned in a story, it does not follow that he is its subject. The subject was Stonewall’s endorsement. Pride goeth before the fall, Joe. (In his email, Joe continues to insist the post was entirely aimed at him.)

3. Illuzzi’s “impeccable source” is a liar. Neither Hoyt nor Fisher put me up to writing that innocuous blog post; neither of them is capable of steering me, or Jamie Moses, or any other writer at this paper to do anything. That they can is a fantasy concocted in the fertile, paranoid imaginations of Joe Illuzzi and possibly the mayor’s office. (Illuzzi’s response: “No! Geoff you are the liar!” Welcome to the schoolyard.)

4. Fisher is my friend and Jamie’s. He is not a neighbor to either of us. All of our addresses are simple to find, but I don’t think Illuzzi is big on fact-checking.

The first example suggests Illuzzi is deluded; the second that he is self-absorbed; the third that he will believe—and publish—anything anyone tells him; the fourth that he can’t be bothered to check if what he writes has any validity to it. Why then should anyone believe anything he publishes?

To borrow one of Joe’s favorite phrases: That’s rhetorical.