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

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Wishing for an end to violence? Rochester 2009: Celebrating 175 years or Burying 175 Murder Victims? January 5, 2009  This year, Mayor Duffy will ask Rochesterians to focus on the future by taking a glance backwards. The city will celebrate 175 years of cityhood. But if trends hold, the Mayor will have to acknowledge another grim statistic: Rochester's 175th murder since the beginning of the Duffy administration. Though certainly not the mayor's fault -- one has to wonder, is Rochester's violence going to be Duffy's undoing?  Read More ... Aaron E. Wicks

CONCLUSION: 1st Annual Smugtown Beacon Award Winners ! January 4, 2009  (Rochester, NY)   -   Your votes, nominees, and astute comments have been tabulated and compiled.  Now it's time to have a little fun---here in the first couple of days of 2009.  Welcome to the 1st Annual Smugtown Beacon Award Winners ! Read More ... Christopher J. Wilmot

The First Annual Smugtown Beacon Award Nominees   Rochester, NY   -   Whom, what, where, are the most smug, insufferable, arrogant __? Welcome to the First Annual Smugtown Beacon Award Nominees.  By about year's end, we will compile your thoughts, assertions, and pet peeves, and tally the results.  So, what sticks in your craw?  What about Greater Rochester strikes you as insufferably smug?  And don't feel you must limit yourself to Rochester.  Remember, every town is a smugtown.  Please read and enjoy our first ever list of Smugtown Beacon Award nominees.  Read More ... Christopher J. Wilmot

Regarding Greater Rochester: Why Life's Better Here. December 31, 2008   (Rochester, NY)   -   Greater Rochester has many naysayers--sometimes including this publication.  But, your author has visited 47 U. S. States; three Canadian Provinces; Mexico a number of times; South America; Europe, and Asia, and guess what?  There's no place I'd rather live (Read Carefully:  This is not some perverse, end of year joke, or New Year's Eve grandiose claim!).  If you give me a chance, brevity will prevail, and I'll tell you why. Read More ... Christopher J. Wilmot

Gannett's Lesson to RCSD Students: Journalism Without Standards December 30, 2008  Why are newspapers losing readers? One reason might be the obviously decline in journalistic standards. Witness a recent article in Rochester's Democrat and Chronicle -- a shameful puff piece devoid of substance, replete with editorial subjectivity and, perhaps worst of all, a wasted opportunity to address an important issue in urban education.  Read More ... Aaron E. Wicks

Op-Ed Briefs: Hamas Asked for It; Medley Center Forgot One Thing; I Went to Stand In an Endless Ticket Line, and an Amerks' Game Broke Out. December 30, 2008  (Rochester, NY)  -   Israeli tolerance for anti-semitism has come to an end.  God (Allah) Save the Palestinians!  Medley Center is poised to solicit ultimate governmental (COMIDA) approval to move ahead with their behemoth plans to construct a small city in the town of Irondequoit.  There's just one small problem with their plans for a retail Mecca.  The Rochester Americans have been drawing flies, and are still the worst team in the league, despite better goal tending.  Drawing flies, accept for last Friday night (12/26/08) when hundreds left before the game began. Read More ... Christopher J. Wilmot - 1 opinion posted

Upstate Secession: Political Obstacles Abound December 28, 2008  What will it take for Upstate to divorce its downstate bride -- an act of Congress? Yes, and quite a bit more. Arguments about the economic and political viability of an Upstate state are numerous, but all must pass through the political considerations of both Albany and Washington. Divorces -- especially political ones -- are never easy.  Read More ... Aaron E. Wicks

Time for Upstate New York to Secede from Downstate? December 24 2008   (Rochester, NY)   -   With the Late, Great State of New York losing 30% of its tax revenues due to the implosion on Wall Street, is this the perfect time to begin serious discussions about Upstate and Western NY seceding from Downstate?  Caroline Kennedy and Andrew Cuomo's solicitation of Hillary's Senate seat prove we've never been less relevant to Gotham. Read More ... Christopher J. Wilmot

Still in Theaters: "Milk" (2008); Starring Sean Penn December 19, 2008  (Rochester, NY)   -   The third in an unconnected series of films about the late San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk, director Gus Van Sant's "Milk" (2008), is powerful, well acted, yet somehow misses the mark when attempting to inform the audience just why gay activist & politician Harvey Milk was assassinated.  However, Sean Penn's portrayal is remarkable. Read More ... Christopher J. Wilmot

Er... ah.. there needs to be a 4th Kennedy in the Senate Government Bailout Targets Kennedy Family: Caroline May End Years of Unemployment December 16, 2008  If your name is Bush, Clinton or Kennedy, you may be in luck -- government jobs are now available. For anyone else with a passion for public service, it appears your best bet is to pony up some cash and try to catch Gov. Blagojevich before his prison term starts. The Founders must be absolutely beaming with pride at this vibrant democracy we have established.  Read More ... Aaron E. Wicks

Rochester, NY News and Politics

Dan Quatro: Ready for Beacon scrutiny? Billion-Dollar Budget, Blissful Ignorance December 15, 2008  The passage of the 2009 Monroe County budget makes clear two near sureties for the new year: Democrats will assume control of the county legislature as a result of the 2009 elections and the Democrat and Chronicle, already suffering declining readership, will continue to fade into the abyss of journalistic detritus. Both institutions will have earned their sad fates.  Read More ... Aaron E. Wicks

Mayor Duffy & Council Celebrate Christmas Early: 300 City Higher-Ups Receive Gold in Their Stockings December 10, 2008   -   Rochester, NY  -  With the City of Rochester facing multi-million dollar budget deficiits, Mayor Duffy and the holiday spirited Rochester City Council decided it was time to stick it to the taxpayers once again---by handing out hundreds of thousands of dollars in bonuses from those who can't afford it (City taxpayers), to those who probably don't deserve it---295 City of Rochester employees.  Where's the tax, and economic justice? Read More ... Christopher J. Wilmot

Sports Briefs: Kudos to Rhino's Clark; Plaxico Burress and Dick Cheney; Where's Donner? December 3 2008   Rochester, NY  -   Rochester Raging Rhino's owner Rob Clark fought hard for logical rule changes at the USL annual league meetings in Tampa:  How did Utica's best do?  What does self inflicted gunshot victim Plaxico Burress of the New York Giants have in common with outgoing Vice President Dick Cheney?  Not much.  Amerks' minority owner Steve Donner is conspicuously MIA these days whilst the Rochester Americans have ascended to the position of second worst team in the AHL.  So, should anyone send out an S.O.S. for Donner? Read More ... Christopher J. Wilmot

"One City, One Future": Rochester or Dogpatch? November 23, 2008  If Rochester's "One City, One Future" theme for its 175th anniversary celebration in 2009 sounds a bit like a Madison Avenue marketing bromide, it is for good reason. Over a dozen other cities around the United States and the world have identical "visions". To date, none appear to have accomplished this ill-defined dream. What does this say about Rochester in 2009?  Read More ... Aaron E. Wicks

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

National Politics

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

Op Ed Briefs

D&C Op-Ed Response: Courageous Pol or Kim Jong-Il Wannabe? November 25, 2008  A recent editorial in the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle proved two things: the mammals that write D&C editorials are hardly sentient and the cult of personality at 30 Church St makes one wonder if this is Rochester or Pyongyang?  Read More ... Aaron E. Wicks

Op Ed Briefs: All Locally Elected State Legislators Should Resign; Prayer at Work: Eurabia Visits America; Male Bashing: Paybacks are a Bitch. November 24, 2008   Rochester, NY  -   Since ALL local elected State Legislators seem unable to challenge their respective party leadership, perhaps our local Albany delegation should step down, for the good of all taxpayers.  The world's most violent religion now wants special treatment in the workplace.  Does America have an appetite for this kind of tolerance?  Try to find one television commercial where women are held in low esteem.  Now, try and see if you can locate a TV commercial where men aren't being humiliated or bashed.  Male bashing as high art. Read More ... Christopher J. Wilmot - 1 opinion posted

Global News and Opinion

UAW and Senate Republicans Force Auto Makers into Bankruptcy December 12, 2008  -   Rochester, NY  -   In an emergency 11th hour vote last night, the U.S. Senate failed to pass an auto industry bail-out plan.  Similar to a House version passed just days ago, Senate Republicans blame the United Auto Workers (UAW) and their failure to agree to significant wage and benefit concessions that replicate what Toyota pays their American employees.  So who's to blame?  And, will President Bush unilaterally tap part of the $700 billion holiday grab bag allocated to Hank Paulson?  Read More ... Christopher J. Wilmot

Point/Counterpoint: Should Automakers be rescued? November 27, 2008 The stock market hangs on the resolution of this question: will Congress find funds to keep America's three major auto makers from collapsing? Is this corporate welfare or a necessary, last-ditch effort to protect the millions of American jobs that connect with the enormous auto industry? Solomon himself would struggle with such a question; Wicks and Wilmot are up to the challenge.  Read More ... Aaron E. Wicks and Christopher J. Wilmot

Local and National Media Analysis

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