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Artvoice Weekly Edition » Issue v7n34 (08/21/2008) » Section: Letters to Artvoice


Higgins On Iran

Thank you so much for Julia Hall’s excellent article about Guantanamo Bay (“Eight Days in Guantanamo Bay,” Artvoice, August 14, 2008).



The Cost of Demolition

Holy flying shingles, Batman, the city was applying for $30 million to help pay for the demolition of 939 vacant residential properties and five vacant commercial properties, but only received “little more than $10 million” plus $22.5 million from the city, $15 million from the federal government, and $2.5 million from the private sector (“Raze the Roof,” Artvoice, July 31, 2008). This adds up to the city receiving $50 million to raze the aforementioned properties.



The County Holding Center

Understandably concerned about multiple deaths at Erie County jails, federal inspectors from the Department of Justice want to inspect the Erie County Holding Center, but County Executive Collins won’t let them in. Instead he relies on the advice of County Attorney Green who states that if allowed inside, the federal government would force the county to provide inmates at the Holding Center medical benefits “far greater than what the typical Erie County taxpayer has available to them,” including annual mammograms. Green’s argument is a straw man that adds nothing to public discourse about conditions at our jails.



A Chicagoan Responds

I am writing in response to the article on “Activism v. Nihilism” by Bruce Fisher (Artvoice, August 7, 2008). I was born in Buffalo but grew up in Chicago, and I am back to visit twice a year. Each time I return I check out Artvoice, and I have enjoyed its normally sharp and insightful articles. I was appalled to read the utterly misinformed take on Chicago provided by Fisher, which seems a dire omen for Buffalo.



Corrections

We failed to credit the artist who did last week’s cover illustration. The artist is Janet Hamlin of the Associated Press.





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