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Artvoice Weekly Edition » Issue v8n42 (10/14/2009) » Section: Week in Review


Seven Days: The Straight Dope From the Week That Was

by Geoff Kelly
On Wednesday afternoon, at the public library downtown, Erie County Executive Chris Collins announced the formation of a Rare Books Commission to explore how best to showcase the collections of rare manuscripts and literary ephemera housed at various regional institutions. Given that the budget and four-year plan Collins unveiled a week earlier threatens to devastate the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library System, the commission might consider expanding the scope of its mission. Collins’ four-year plan holds county support for the regional library system steady at $22.2 million per year. But the libraries already have been dipping into reserve funds to stay afloat in recent years. At the current funding level, those reserves will be depleted by 2011, the year that the county runs out of Obama stimulus money, when the Collins budget suggests a possible 10 percent cut in county funding for libraries. Such a cut virtually ensures that the libraries will cut hours or close branches, reduce staff, and curtail acquisitions. As a result, books and access to books will indeed become more rare.

Scorecard: The Week's Winners & Losers
In what may be the most pathetic performance and embarassing loss of the “Dick Jauron Era” — of which there were MANY eligible candidates — the Bills let lose a real shitter of a game Oct. 11 in their 6-3 loss at home against the winless Cleveland Browns. While not all of the blame falls on the coach (Roscoe Parrish and your “razzle-dazzle”, we’re looking squarely at you), poor execution, gutless play calling and drive killing penalties is indicative of the lack of proper leadership. While team owner Ralph Wilson tepidly stands by his coach (which the Week in Review doesn’t think has anything to do with the estimated $6 million left on the three year extension he signed this offseason) the vox populi sure have made up their minds. The websites firedickjauron.com and firedicknow.com have recently popped up and firedickjauron.wordpress.com has already raised almost $1,200 to pay for a billboard on Interstate 190 imploring Wilson to can both Jauron and general manager Russ Brandon.



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