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Stop Reading the Reporter if the Truth Makes You Uncomfortable

By Frank Parlato

At the Niagara Community Forum Facebook page, some of its members took exception to the Niagara Falls Reporter story "Dyster Gets Down with Rappers at Doris Jones Resource Center Show," where we published pictures of Mayor Paul Dyster doing a break dance.

Darren Makesense Sneed complained: For the Reporter to turn this event into a bash the Mayor at all cost was just wrong...

Pharaoh Carnell wrote: This is such a poor spin on a positive event...

Mike Thomas: Surprised? Dyster could cure cancer and this poor excuse for a newspaper would find a way to crap on it. Anyone wonder why it's free?

Tom Stevenson: The Reporter was always questionable at best but they did do some actual investigative journalism. They were the ones that first did the story on the no bid Maid of the Mist contracts leading to Canada reopening the bids and getting a substantially more lucrative contract. In NY, we didn't bother and actually rewarded those involved with more money. Since then, they have reduced to simply a rag, dedicated to bashing whomever their political bosses don't like. They are a complete and total joke.

Tina Cosentino Flynn: Shame since they put the paper out and pay the expensive for it. They can really do something good with it for the city. They just pull stuff from the Internet true or not. And the funny part is some people believe it to be true.

Jennifer L. Abbott: Go away Reporter.

Kathy Moraca Ligammari: Jerks

Tom Stevenson: Like the Mayor or dislike him, this was a slap at a very worthwhile event...

Malissa Marie Eldridge: Dyster has worked the hardest to garner the interest of young people in Niagara Falls...I, for one, am proud and supportive of our mayor.

Karen Signorelli-Russo: He was there to support this and trying to reach these kids. Come on let's stop the bashing of everyone there!!!!!!!

Darren Makesense Sneed:some people cannot see past their hate.

Karen Signorelli-Russo: Very true Darren!!!!!!!!!!!!!... This is the exact mentality that is holding Niagara Falls down and I for one am thoroughly sick and tired of it... Kudos to the Mayor for reaching out to these kids!!!!!!!!!

And so on...

Once again the mayor's Facebook groupies missed the point. The story was not about the event but about a mayor making a fool of himself; a 59-year-old man looking inebriated and dancing like a clown.

We could have chosen to tackle the issue of bullying. To report that, in this new age of government-monitored anti-bullying, children are taught not to be brave and to stand up to bullies, like we did when we were young, but taught to run whining to authorities (i.e. government).

We, also, could have praised a mayor acting like a goof, saying he was trying to connect with the new age of "run to get help" and dance like a clown.

I don't think much of old men dancing for the cause of anti-bullying.

I figure on making bullies dance.

And, frankly, I don't think much of anti-bullying rallies that don't teach kids, especially boys, that the antidote to bullying is not cowering and tattle telling, but acquiring strong muscles, nerves of steel and brains powerful enough to outwit bullies.

Because you will be bullied in life by people, all kinds of people, sometimes even your own government.

It is better to be strong in life, rather than dependent on others to protect you from bullies.

I believe that you must never forget to say to yourself, and to teach to your children, as the difference between a firefly and the blazing sun, between the infinite ocean and a little pond, between a mustard-seed and Mount Everest, such is the difference between the man who stands up to bullies and the man who runs for others to help him.

Teach your children that in man's greatest hour of need he stands alone.

Children should be taught to combat bullies, not tell on them.

I would rather teach kids karate, or judo or boxing, teach them to fight back, rather than to cower to bullies and run to tell authorities.

Every true man will know exactly what I mean!

"Who dare meddle with me," that is the motto to teach male children to ward off bullies.

Thrash the bullies!

Teach bullies to fear you. Teach children to be fearless.

That said, so how would Mr. and Mrs. 'Weak Knees' have us report things around here anyway?

According to Business First, Niagara Falls Board of Education ranked 411 out of 429 school districts in upstate New York. That puts them at the bottom 4% of school districts. Suppose we report: Niagara Falls School District ranked higher than 18 school districts in the state!

Niagara Falls ranked as the 53rd most dangerous city out of 19,000 U. S. cities. How about if we write Niagara Falls has less crime than 52 cities in America!

According to the Tax Foundation, Niagara Falls has the second highest property tax rates in the USA. Suppose we write Niagara Falls has lower taxes than Rochester?

Despite the fact that our region produces billions in hydropower, people here pay the third highest electrical rates in the nation. We are inclined to write that this is stupendous, that, in the place where electricity is produced, people pay more for it.

But that makes us 'meanies' and full of hate.

Should we write Niagara Falls pays lower electricity than Hawaii and the White Mountains of New Hampshire?

Out of 1,183 municipalities in upstate New York State, Niagara Falls is the 55th poorest, despite the fact that it has the highest tourism visitation, possessing waterfalls that draw eight million people annually, all of them with money in their pockets.

The fact is that, somehow, the state, aided and abetted by politicians such as the wonderful wizard named Dyster, has taken all the tourism profits and this city, which should be one of the wealthiest, is one of the poorest.

Only the Reporter cares to tell it like it is.

There are already plenty of cheerleading publications.

If you want to read comforting stories about how great Dyster is, read these publications.

The truth is not always comforting.

And stop reading the Reporter, if you don't like the truth.

 

 

Niagara Falls Reporter - Publisher Frank Parlato Jr. www.niagarafallsreporter.com

Jan 28, 2014