Buffalo 180

Are you saying this is a scam? How so?

Let's try again: What is your objection to Buffalo 180? Why do you want this woman to go back to where she came from?

For what it's worth, "scheme" has a few definitions. One of them is, "An underhanded plot." Generally, it's a good idea to know what words mean when you use them. Well, it's recommended - but I suppose, in your defense, it isn't required.

So what your saying is that increasingly taxpayers are privately paying and volunteering to duplicate functions that we are paying municipal, county and state taxes to perform! ANYONE SEE A PROBLEM HERE?

Celebrating Buffalos 180th anniversary in 2012...please take a backseat. The Historical Society is planning a major national market for the 200th anniversary of the war of 1812, the battle of lake erie, the burning of buffalo...which should major focus on the mouth of the Scajaquada where the old civil war naval yards used to be, where Admiral Perry had is ships built and stocked with war materials, as well as the castle, fort porter, the columbus park demolition for the peace bridge, front park restoration and Niagara Street as an International Gateway entrance to downtown Buffalo.

Somehow this blond with big ego and big ideas wants to clean up the city for the 180th anniversary. How, plant trees? No, we have Retree Buffalo! How, cleanup our rivers? No we have Buffalo Riverkeepers? How, restore our parks? No, have Olmsted Parks Restoration Plan for that! I know have historic buildings? Only one left is the Statler and that sounds beyond her. Community Gardens? Nope taken! Neighborhood Associations & Community Associations to restore our urban neighborhoods? Nope taken! Erie Canal & Waterfront? Taken! Light Rail and Transportation? Taken!

Seems like this legally blonde wanna be leader simply doesnt want to be a team player but is looking for a bunch of followers to build her own platform. Hey not criticizing but just calling it as I see it.

Might have more respect if she came back to Buffalo with a mission to support what was already here before branching out on her own agenda.

Oh and typically...special anniversaries, particularly for cities etc, are done in 25 year increments which doesnt make 180 years much more special than 181 years.

However, 200 years of the 1812 war has national and international significance. There would be nothing more than the 13 colonies if the British had not nearly bankrupted themselves securing the ohio river vally from the French and Indians. The unfortunate repurcussions for that war would eventually lead to our own revolutionary war as the colonists refused to pay for their liberation of their French neighbors and Indian allies, further the British promised the Indians that they would not settle the Ohio River Valley and the Great Lakes and that was another reason for the revolutionary war as every one of the colonists rich and wealthy landowners had already started to purchase land there. It also set the stage for the end of the French Colonies in Florida and the Louisiana Purchase. The national threat of our western frontier made Buffalo/Niagara Falls and the Erie Canal of strategic important!...ALL THIS AND OUR CITY BUFFALO AS THE GATEWAY TO THE OHIO RIVER VALLEY, THE DEFENSE OF THE GREAT LAKES, THE SUCCESS OF THE WAR OF 1812 AND THE EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR...ALL HAD SEEDS IN OUR LITTLE OUTPOST OF A TOWN!

Pretty close. Aren't you suppose to ignore me? Do it then.

She may have the best of intentions, but asking people who've never heard of her for $180 donations before the group has done anything sounds strange. Oh wait, sorry, not donations but "commissions".

The group's survey at that link sounds mostly more cheerleaderish than useful for anything.

Maybe eventually there will be more substance, but there doesn't sound like much yet - "A three year Extreme Makeover for the City. Buffalo 180 will "turn the city around"... ", and her answer really didn't explain how it's different from any other group. Maybe they don't know yet, which is ok but then they shouldn't be surprised or offended when people ask questions.

There are no private sector unions left that are a threat to the national economy. It used to be that breaking the unions was a 60 national security goal and it was because they challenged the President of the United States. The railroad unions shut down the country until FDR used WWII to nationalize them stating security purposes. Steel attempted to shut down the US economy under Eisenhower so Eisenhower open the nation to Steel imports....the list goes on Truckers under Hoffa and organized crime and now the truckers union is dead because the country has been opened to Mexican and Canadian Trucks under NAFTA.

I dont have a problem with unions and I like them in companies but the real issue is that many of the purposes of unions were taken over by government agencies many years ago.

As we see from bankrupt states like California and New York as an example. The only unions that must be broken up are civil service unions including teachers who have grown into a 4th branch of government and their demands legislated upon the taxpayer. Demands that suck all the investment out of infrastructure and the private sector for the expansion of government payroll and excessive benefit packages.

Don't forget: and funny.

Elena>"to bring her plan to fruition"

It sounds like overselling to describe her plan as an "Extreme Makeover for the City" and to say it will "turn the city around" with community projects and events.

Maybe pointing that out is naysaying, or maybe it's useful feedback to consider. Usually it's better to under-promise and over-deliver than the reverse. At least she might want to describe the projects and events that would be an EM and turn-around for the city if she seriously thinks she has that kind of plan.

christine, why don't you get a man and have a baby?

She does state there are a lot of organizations out there but that her group will be directing these organization to build the methaphorical house. 180 is the project manager, the group to get all the other pieces moving, the ringleader, the conductor. They will give the marching orders. At this point it might be best for PUSH and Reuse to just stop what they are doing and wait for the 180 memo.

Now we just need a not for profit to manage 180. Maybe someone can start 190, or maybe just call it redundacy

Very well said.

Although there's nothing wrong with anyone being vague and sloganny, people will point it out - especially when someone is raising money. This doesn't mean she won't express substantive ideas eventually for her 180 group, but so far it sounds like cliches and metaphors.

Dear Bumperstickerdontwork,
Really? Hhmm, a chief you say...now let me see...other than my opinions...at what point have I asked you or anyone for money and asked you to follow like a mouse as I play an empty tune upon my flute.

You must be a feminist or a feminist sympathizer...always in control, always telling others what to do, always defending your girl power...and of course...whenever...you cant achieve your feminist manifesto...then your a poor fragile victim. Yah just gotta love that hypocrisy and double standard.

Yup...Im strong enough to be President, CEO etc...but Im not strong enough to bear the equal responsibilities of selective service, military service, reproductive equality, marriage, parenting or self defense...oh and as a feminist I must have my own government agency "Bureau of Affairs of Women and I must have my own gender specific hospital "Womens and Childrens Hospital" and I must have my own gender specific clubs like "Women in Business" while at the same time attacking anything that is gender specific to the male gender as hateful, mysogenistic, sexist, prejudiced, etc.

Isnt feminism lovely!

Give me the days prior to feminism...the women who settled the 13 colonies, who settled the great lakes and the prairies, who settled the west coast and north west and the woman who manned the factories in world war two and then gave up their jobs for their returning GIs that defended this nation. None were victims and all did it with their husbands and families. Give me the christian women who alongside men built schools, colleges, hospitals, hospices, orphanages, shelters etc. None were victims. All did it in partnership with the male gender.

But today, the stench of hypocrisy of women chiefs who defend abortion and euthanasia, defend their special rights and silence the words of criticism through the laws of victimization...well...sorry...but Buffalo180 just smells like more hypocrisy and stench of empty feminism.
Thats my opinion...
Have a nice day...

Have a nice day!

Thanks, 2roadsdiverged, for trying to divert the thread back to constructive criticism.

After hearing the piece on 180 this morning on the NPR Roundtable, I'm even less knowledgeable of what Buffalo 180 seeks to accomplish and how it intends to do so. The absence of a full-fledged organizational website or other publicity materials makes it kind of hard to take it too seriously -- and while I don't doubt the interest Ms. Emhof has in "turning the city around," but I would like to see some more details.

The survey doesn't seem to have much purpose other than morale-boosting and collecting an email list.

All that said, I have no idea how this thread devolved into a "discussion" of feminism ... what the hell, Christine?