Everybody’s Column

Nuclear power is not environmentally sound

Doug Turner argues that politicians opposing a nuclear waste repository inside Yucca Mountain contribute to our nation’s energy woes. Advocating increased use of nuclear power, Turner references the French, who are heavy producers of electricity generated by nuclear power plants. He claims their nuclear power is cheap, profitable and environmentally sound. The French pave their highways with material in which they mix radioactive wastes, spreading the hazard across the land. They store radioactive waste in facilities along miles of coastline. Radioactivity leaks into the ocean. Reprocessing creates more waste than there was before the material was reprocessed. But discarding weapons-grade plutonium and uranium would be economically irresponsible.

Those 275 canisters of high-level waste stored in West Valley are not, as Turner maintains, on railroad cars waiting for Yucca to open. They wait in the process building behind 4-feet-thick walls. These canisters, the total 30 million curies of radioactivity on the West Valley site and the remains of the Manhattan Project strewn around Erie and Niagara counties, are perfect examples of a political attitude that allows places to become sacrifice zones. The equivalent of funding a month of the war in Iraq could rid our region of our immediate nuclear threat. Nothing about nuclear material is cheap, profitable or environmentally sound.

Judith Einach

Director, Coalition on West Valley Nuclear Wastes

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Lack of leadership in crisis is appalling

In all my years as an adult, I have never seen such a lack of leadership from our national leaders as I have the past several weeks with the country’s economic crisis. This includes the entire Congress, but especially the Bush administration, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Barney Frank, Chris Dodd, John Boehner, not to mention John McCain and Barack Obama. All of these people were in a position to recognize there was a problem brewing.

So they either recognized it and did nothing or didn’t recognize it at all. Either way, these people were grossly negligent in performing their responsibilities for the American people. None of them showed courage and leadership leading up to and during this crisis but rather tried to point fingers, cover their own behinds and worry about their own political futures at the expense of the taxpayer.

Many people have said that the heads of the failed financial institutions should be held accountable for their mistakes, and I agree. But so, too, should our political “leaders.” They didn’t do their jobs. Remember that on Nov. 4.

Joe Pici

Orchard Park

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Lasalle Park fields need a lot of work

I attended a soccer game between Emerson and Grover Cleveland high schools at LaSalle Park. The ground for play was uneven, with visible holes, and completely ungroomed. Players could easily be injured on this substandard footing. The area in front of the worn net was gravelly and hardly suitable for soccer play. Why do the school superintendent and the Board of Education allow young people to play on such risky fields?

The park was embarrassing and disheartening. LaSalle Park is apparently ignored and unkempt by the county. Is this not the park that hosts the Friendship Festival and occasional concerts? Why doesn’t the mayor hold the county to its agreement to be responsible for the maintenance of this public area? Where is the money going to keep these green spaces usable and enjoyable?

I had to leave the game because a group of “fans” were tormenting a gentleman attempting to use the portable facility by tipping it as soon as he entered it. Maybe a police car in the vicinity could influence unwieldy behavior.

Collaboration and planning between the mayor, the county executive, the superintendent of schools and the police chief for after-school events would allow these games to be safe for the players, the coaches and the fans who really wish to see the athletic competition. This is a very good example of what is lacking between these people in power.

Carolyn C. Koelmel

Hamburg

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Governor’s vetoes will hurt our region

Gov. David Paterson’s recent use of the veto pen has delivered twin body blows to Buffalo and the upstate region. First I will address the Historic Tax Credit Bill. His argument that there has been a lack of time to measure the effectiveness of the original legislation would appear as a reflection of a complete lack of insight within his administration. The basis for this revised legislation is to address the very reasons the original bill is not providing the intended benefits and success.

That bill failed to provide sufficient equity for projects to be a worthwhile transaction. Additionally his claim that the legislation would “pose a significant impact on the state’s budget” fails to take into consideration the fact that the enhanced credit would provide significant incentive for rehabilitation of existing properties, providing increased real property values, investments, jobs and neighborhood stabilization.

His veto effecting the establishment of a countywide land bank is an inexcusable sign of political pandering to a city administration that is failing to effectively tackle neighborhood and community issues. There is more than sufficient evidence that a countywide land bank would be the most prudent and appropriate method to address the growing abandonment and vacancy issues within our city and now beginning to affect our suburban neighbors. This is a regional issue that must be addressed regionally.

Fred K. Heinle

Buffalo

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Viewers have options, so drop Time Warner

September 2006 — Time Warner Cable drops the NFL Network when negotiations over fees aren’t resolved. October 2008 — Time Warner Cable drops WIVB and WNLO when negotiations over fees aren’t resolved. Is there a common variable here? It’s time to drop Time Warner Cable.

Don Poleto

Buffalo

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Recent ‘Opus’ comic was immoral, insulting

In our North Buffalo home, The News’ Sunday comics are treasured among our students who, after breakfast, scramble for their special section. As the comics are read, the humor is reflected in smiles and jokes and adds to the ambience and warmth of our home. However, the scenario changed with the “Opus” script concerning the moose and political nominee Sarah Palin on Sept. 28.

We feel the author intended the subject of satire which, in our opinion, backfired in an immoral, disgusting, insult to the subject and was unfit to be included in The News.

James McMahon

Buffalo

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