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2 • Thursday, September 5, 2024 MOOSE LAKE http://mooselakecartoons.com
Editorial
Is RFK Jr. correct?
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. addressed the nation on Aug. 23, 2024. During
his presentation from Phoenix, AZ, Kennedy suspended his 2024 cam-
paign for U.S. president and endorsed former President Donald Trump.
Kennedy stated, "Three great causes drove me to enter this race in the
first place, primarily. And these are the principal causes that persuaded me
to leave the Democratic Party and run as an independent, and now to throw
my support to President Trump. The causes were: free speech, the war in
Ukraine, and the war on our children." PERSPECTIVES
Regardless of what you may think of Kennedy’s decision, or candi-
dates Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, it is important to consider . . .
Kennedy’s insight on the war in Ukraine ["In 2019, America walked Balancing act: UB study links gentrification
away from a peace treaty, the Minsk Agreement, that had been negotiated
between Russia and Ukraine by European nations."], the state of medical to reduced crime, but downsides
care here ["Today we spend more on healthcare than any country on Earth,
twice what they pay in Europe. And yet we have the worst health outcomes
of any nation in the world. We’re about 79th in health outcomes, behind of gentrification can’t be ignored
Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Mongolia and other countries. Nobody has a
chronic disease burden like we have. During the COVID epidemic, we had eighborhood gentrification lowed by a surge in development are vulnerable but do not gentrify,
in Buffalo between 2011 beginning around 2010. This was according to Barr.
the highest body count of any country in the world. We had 16% of the
Nand 2019 was associated fueled by state-funded projects and “Although both are disadvan-
COVID deaths even though we only have 4.2% of the world’s popula-
with a decrease in property crime, private investment. In addition to taged, the latter are more so. It is
tion."] and the state of the U.S. political system ["What most alarms me
isn’t how the Democratic Party conducts its internal affairs or runs its independent of a general decrease in those changing features, Buffalo, in important to take these preexisting
candidates. What alarms me is the resort to censorship, media control, and similar crime city-wide during those the last 20 years, has become a des- differences into account if we are to
same years, according to a Universi- tination for refugees and migrants. say gentrification matters for crime.
weaponization of the federal agencies. When a U.S. president colludes
with, or outright coerces, media companies to censor political speech, it’s ty at Buffalo study. “By studying neighborhoods in By looking at two differences –
an attack on our most sacred right of free expression. And that’s the very The findings published in the cities like Buffalo, we can look at those between gentrified and never-
right upon which all of our other constitutional rights rest."] journal PLOS One could help city gentrification in a place that has gentrified tracts, and changes over
While much of the media attention is unfortunately on sound bites, planners and lawmakers faced with continued to go through economic time within the same tract— our
giveaways, personalities and name calling, Kennedy, if nothing else, has balancing issues like neighborhood hardships while simultaneously ex- multipronged approach does this,"
shed a little light on issues that should be of concern to the electorate. improvement and crime. The periencing the hallmarks of gentrifi- says Barr.
As more and more news organizations cease operations, the flow of study’s authors, however, caution cation,” says Zhang. “Buffalo’s The results were the same across
that gentrification is often accompa- unique experience with gentrifica- the study’s multiple approaches:
information is extremely important in our republic. Those familiar with the
tyranny of communist governments appreciate the value of dissent. Kenne- nied by multiple effects, and the tion, despite its ongoing economic Gentrification was linked to reduced
wide-ranging impact of the process struggles, provides insights that can crime.
dy’s comments should be disconcerting.
He stated, "The Democratic Party’s censorship of social media was demands carefully measured apply to other, older industrial cities “Although this study does not
thought ahead of any direct action. aiming for revitalization.” speak directly to policy changes and
even more of a naked exercise of executive power. This week, a federal
judge, Terry Doughty, upheld my injunction against President Biden, “If well managed, gentrification The current study, which relied their effects, plausible ways forward
could be part of a strategy to make on census data and data from the might include affordable housing
calling the White House’s censorship project: ‘The most egregious viola-
tion of the First Amendment in the history of the United States of America.’ neighborhoods safer,” says Zhe Buffalo Police Department, also programs, community engagement
Zhang, a sociology graduate student distinguished itself from previous efforts and economic support for
His previous, 155-page decision details how, just 37 hours after he took
the oath of office swearing to uphold the Constitution, President Biden and in the UB College of Arts and Sci- work by not looking at gentrifica- long-term residents to ensure that
ences, and the study’s lead author. tion as a discrete process. Earlier the benefits of gentrification, such as
his White House opened up a portal, and invited the CIA, the FBI, CISA,
which is a censorship agency, the center of the censorship-industrial “However, it must be emphasized studies have centered on the differ- reduced crime, do not come at the
that gentrification is a complex is- ences between gentrified and non- cost of the most vulnerable popula-
complex, DHS, the IRS and other agencies to censor me and other political
dissidents on social media." sue, and the countervailing effects gentrified areas, but Zhang and Barr tions,” says Zhang.
of crime reduction must be consid- also examine changing crime rates This study is a first step toward
As the 2024 presidential election draws closer, let’s hope more atten-
tion is paid to free speech, foreign affairs, and the war on our children. ered alongside potentially negative within neighborhoods as they un- understanding gentrification’s ef-
outcomes, like displacement of dergo gentrification. They studied fects on crime on mid-size cities, but
long-time residents.” 79 different census tracts – areas more work is needed.
Since the 1990s, gentrification, containing 1,200 to 8,000 people – “We encourage qualitative re-
Quinn Minute – which involves an in-migration of a in the years leading up to and fol- search – stories from people in these
new, middle-class population fol- lowing gentrification. areas – as well as quantitative re-
Swimming Lessons lowing a period of economic de- “This approach helps clarify search like ours, to better understand
cline, has changed many urban whether crime rate changes are due the underlying reasons behind the
am a certified Baby Boomer, so As you probably know, some landscapes in the U.S. to gentrification itself or other fac- link between gentrification and
Iwhen I grew up in the 1960s frogs secrete a substance that But most research on gentrifica- tors,” says Zhang. crime and other effects resulting
there were nearly three zillion kids makes them slippery. That frog slid tion has been in large cities like Neighborhoods that eventually from the process, both positive and
in my neighborhood. out of my hand, and back into the New York, Los Angeles and Chica- become gentrified are different in negative,” says Zhang.
Nearby was a public pool that water. go. Because lessons learned in those some ways from neighborhoods that
offered free swimming lessons each I kept chasing him around the large cities do not necessarily apply
summer. Most of us kids begged to pool, and he kept evading me until to smaller cities, Zhang and study
attend those lessons, and most of us – suddenly – he got sucked into the co-author Ashley Barr, PhD, an as-
did. filter. sociate professor of sociology at
This was just a medium sized That’s the day I learned that – UB, expand upon that earlier work
pool, not equipped to hold a full like that frog – some people don’t by focusing on Buffalo, a mid-sized
neighborhood. Sometimes there realize when the water’s too deep. city.
were so many of us, it heated the And they don’t pay attention to Buffalo, a characteristic Rust
water…which brings me to my sto- those who offer help. Belt city, prospered through the ear-
ry. Then, suddenly they realize that ly 20th century, but then experi-
One day, I was standing in wa- jumping into hot water constantly enced high unemployment and
ter near the pool’s edge, when I saw can be very draining. population loss in the 1980s, fol-
a small green object. It was a medi- FAMILY MEMORY BOOK? –
um sized frog, swimming freestyle Turn old thoughts into a new mem-
around the edges. ory book…for a very affordable Business group
But the frog wasn’t there for the price. For more details and a nice
lessons. It apparently wanted out. discount, contact rates lawmakers THE HUSS SUPERSTORE on Military Road near Grote, which
What could I do? Memorygram.com, and insert the was vandalized a few weeks ago, has closed for good. On
I walked over to the frog, cra- discount code rix20. For even more from page 1 Monday a sign could be seen in the window saying “We are no
dled it in my hands, and lifted it details, e-mail Rix at The NFIB noted the longer in business. God Bless!” photo by Amber Healy
onto the edge. Since this water con- rix@rixquinn.com with the word Voting Record does not reflect ev-
tained chemicals, I probably saved MEMORYGRAM in the “Subject” ery element considered by lawmak-
that amphibian. line. ers when voting, nor does it
But he sat on the edge for a represent a complete profile of the Published by Buffalo Standard Printing Corp.
minute, then jumped back into the Place your legislators. The voting record in- Roger Puchalski - Editor
pool. Again, I cradled him to help advertisement here! cludes 10 key votes in both cham- Roxie Harbison - Sales & Marketing
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