Welcome! Welcome to Greater Rochester's newest and boldest news, opinion, and information website, The Smugtown Beacon. Read More ... Christopher J. Wilmot

Silver: Reform midwife or executioner? New York's Special Budget Session: The Birth or Death of Albany Reform? November 16, 2008  When the New York State legislature convenes for a special session on Monday, one thing is certain: there will be plenty of budget pain to go around. But what is less clear: will this debate inspire non-budgetary reform or will it justify its death?  Read More ... Aaron E. Wicks

Duffy to RCSD: "Drop Dead." Election 2009: Rochester Schools in the Crossfire November 10, 2008  Tired of election stories? Get ready for 2009. Robert Duffy has thrown down the gauntlet once again: he wants more influence over the city schools. With his re-election campaign gearing up and three school board seats up for election, 2009 is going to provide a bare-knuckle education to voters regarding control of their tax dollars. Read More ... Aaron E. Wicks

The Death of the Rochester Americans November 8, 2008   Rochester, NY   -   The Rochester Amerks lost their 10th game of the season last night; to Manitoba, 5-1.  The problem is, the Amerks have played only 11 games.  Long time hockey fans of the only pro game on ice, in town, are witnessing (on TV highlights only) the demise of the Rochester Americans.  Can anything be done to stop their slide out of town? Read More ... Christopher J. Wilmot

Election 2008: Winners and Losers Abound in Rochester and Across the Country November 5, 2008 Any schlimiel can look at the numbers and see who won which election. Here at the Smugtown Beacon, we go behind the numbers to identify some of the winners and losers that lurk behind the numbers. Read More ... Aaron E. Wicks

President-Elect Obama: History Made vs. Fiscal Handcuffs; Lee & Massa Cruise, While Dollinger Calls the Cops. 11:15pm (EST), November 4, 2008   Rochester, NY  -   Tonight an African-American man was elected President of the United States.  It's about time.  President-Elect Barack H. Obama is hardly a token candidate:  Obama's intelligence and leadership skills earned every winning vote this year.  But despite Obama's partisan advantage with Democrats retaining both Houses of Congress, how many campaign promises can President Obama keep as he faces trillion dollar deficits upon his January inauguration?  Plus, local election surprises and police actions. Read More ... Christopher J. Wilmot

Homer Plessy, famous octoroon Obama's Election: The Last Nail in the Coffin of Plessy v. Ferguson October 28, 2008  Although Americans still have to go through the formality of voting, there is little doubt that Tuesday November 4th, 2008 will be the day the United States elects its first African-American president. It will not mark the end of racism in this country, but it will retire once and for all the idea of separate but equal.   Read More ... Aaron E. Wicks

The Tomfoolery of the Democratic Party October 24, 2008   Morro Bay, CA  -   From Barack Obama's 'soak the rich' class warfare tax proposals, to Speaker of the House Pelosi's hypocrisy regarding Iraq troop withdrawal timetables, the baying of the arrogant Democratic jack-asses has reached a feverish--and deafening--pitch.  Now that the community organizer from Illinois is almost assured a presidential victory on November 4th, is there anything that can be done to stop the Great Society party from sticking their hands in your wallet or purse? Read More ... Christopher J. Wilmot

Pelosi's Speech, and 'Nattering Nabobs' Visit Further Ruin on Economy September 30, 2008   Rochester, NY   -   Amidst the worst banking crisis in nearly 80 years, the House of Representatives yesterday voted down a $700 billion economic rescue package that likely would have shored up the U.S. economy.  Living up to their reputation as reactionary representatives, House members from both sides of the aisle could have displayed true statesmanship--but instead listened to irrational constituents rather than the financial experts--and ignored common sense.  Read More ... By Christopher J. Wilmot

Rochester, NY News and Politics

The Future--and Survival--of Greater Rochester September 22, 2008  Rochester, NY  -   The national unemployment rate has hit 6.1%, a multi-year high.  Economically, things are even worse in Upstate and Western New York.  Our young adults continue to leave this region in droves.  Our population is aging quickly, which certainly fosters growth in the home health care sector, as well as bolstering the fortunes of our region's largest employer--the University of Rochester / Strong Hospital.  But, in the future, will doctors examine doctors; nurses treat other nurses; and will waiters wait on waitresses?  With the enormous and out of control tax burden in New York State, how, indeed, will Greater Rochester create a more diverse, and younger workforce? Read More ... Christopher J. Wilmot

"Republican Robach" Rants Ring of Opportunism September 12, 2008 Turn on your TV or open your mailbox and you will learn something that Democrats have known for six years: Sen. Joseph Robach (R-56) is a card-carrying member of the Republican Party. Why is it Democrats have been so slow to come to this shocking revelation?  Read More ... Aaron E. Wicks

Next on A&E... Rochester's Murder Victims August 11, 2008 With crime down in Rochester, Chief David Moore has decided to celebrate by splashing the lurid details of Rochester's violent crimes on national television. Hey, Rochester, you're pride is showing!  Read More ... Aaron E. Wicks

National Politics

Bailout Take Two: Will It Matter? October 6, 2008  When the House passed the Senate's revised bailout legislation last week, many pundits and Wall Street types breathed a sigh of relief. Markets rose, banks exhaled and Sen. John McCain thought for a moment that his Presidential bid might get back on track. Among those angry House members, who blinked? Will they regret their vote switching if the markets fail to bounce back?  Read More ... Aaron E. Wicks

The Bailout Vote: Oligarchy Meets Boobocracy September 29, 2008  The Wall Street versus Main Street battle has been joined. Was the House defeat of the bailout bill a victory for Main Street or the triumph of election-year pandering? Ask your local Democrat, they can tell you...  Read More ... Aaron E. Wicks

The Palin-Conservative-Anti-Socialist Lie October 22, 2008 For years conservatives like Sarah Palin have argued that any taxation -- but particularly progressive taxation "punishes" success. Whilst the problems with this argument are many, the biggest among them is that this claim is founded on a lie.  Read More ... Aaron E. Wicks

Global News and Opinion

Seven Years Later: 9/11 Surprises September 9, 2008 -- Seven years ago, Americans wondered if the entire world had changed for good. On some level we must have known that some things would not be changed -- even by an attack of such horrible proportions. But it was equally certain some things would never be the same. Since then, there have been some pleasantly unanticipated boons; likewise, there have been some unexpected disappointments.  Read More ... Aaron E. Wicks

The Mother of All Credit Crises October 13, 2008 $700 Billion bailout? Mere chump change. The real bailout Americans need carries a price tag closer to $50 trillion. That's seventy Wall Street bailouts -- and there's no government, no cache of money that finance this bailout.  Read More ... Aaron E. Wicks

Society and Culture

America's Energy Policy: Trim the Fat September 13, 2008 Wind power? Solar? Energy from dirt? How about something even simpler and cheaper than all those options: every American just loses some weight.  Read More ... Aaron E. Wicks

Integrated Schools? What a Concept! September 23, 2008 More than fifty years after the legendary Brown decision, schools across the country continue to be deeply segregated. Former Fairport (suburb) and Rochester (city) superintendent William Cala has a solution: a "metro" school co-located with a college to focus on student achievement and break down racial and class walls. Can it work?  Read More ... Aaron E. Wicks