Staff Reports
Niagara Gazette
NIAGARA FALLS — CHEERS
• PARK IT IN THE FALLS: Niagara Falls just can’t buy this kind of publicity. Public Enemy stars Flavor Flav, Chuck D and company were in town this week to shoot their latest music video. “The idea behind the video is to capture the beautiful landscapes of the world and take advantage of what God gave us,” Chuck D said. “We are looking to shoot in real world scenes and what better than Niagara Falls.”
• STANLEY CUP: But wait, the Falls is getting a bit more publicity as Patrick Kane of the 2010 Stanley Cup-winning Chicago Blackhawks stops by this morning with the Stanley Cup in tow. Kane will first hoist the cup on the Hurricane Deck at the Cave of the Winds for an NHL photo-op. He’ll also accept a key to the city from Mayor Paul Dyster during a ceremony.
JEERS
• WHERE’S THE MONEY? In 27 years, Social Security will be broke. Bankrupt. Finished? Maybe not, at this point it will collect enough in payroll taxes to cover about three-fourths of the benefits. The federal government needs to address this now. For the first time since the 1980s, Social Security is paying out more money in benefits than it collects in payroll taxes. Social Security’s short-term finances are being hurt by a recession that shed more than 8 million jobs. Its long-term finances will be strained as 78 million baby boomers reach retirement age. While we may not have answers to fixing this problem, government officials need to find a way to protect seniors.
• LET’S COOK THE OWNER: A Cheektowaga man deserves more than animal cruelty charges for the way he treated his cat. Gary Korkuc, 51, was pulled over by Buffalo police for running a red light. After hearing meowing, officers checked the trunk and found 4-year-old Navarro in a cage, his fur covered with oil, crushed red peppers and chili peppers. Police say Korkuc told them he did it because Navarro was ill-tempered. Police say he told them he was going to cook Navarro. Hopefully, justice will make sure the owner is the one who is cooked.
