The lighter side of The News: On the road with Trump; Paladino bids goodbye; a Dow Jones crystal ball
Read the offbeat tales our reporters have gathered for this week's Off Main Street column. Businesswoman Lindsey and Carmelo Cruz of Grand Island, New York, have posted their support for Donald Trump on their Lamborghini sports car on their Instagram account. The posts, which have nearly 7,400 followers, show that the car has been covered in American flag and “Trump 2024” decals on its sides and front hood. However, not everyone is not pleased with the Cruzes' Trump-themed posts, with one expressing concern about potential impact on snowflakes and eggs. Carl Paladino, founder and chairman of Ellicott Development Co. has been a member of Buffalo Place's board for over 40 years and served as a member for the nonprofit organization. His retirement from the board was celebrated by the board, which acknowledged him on Wednesday.
نشرت : قبل شهر بواسطة Stephen T. Watson في Politics Finance
It’s not hard to figure out who Lindsey and Carmelo Cruz are backing for president this year.
The Grand Island residents have plastered their support for Donald Trump all over their Lamborghini sports car.
Lindsey Cruz – a businesswoman last seen in The Buffalo News urging town officials and residents to do more to prevent car thefts – has highlighted the transformation on her Instagram account, which has nearly 7,400 followers.
The first post, from April, showed the car as workers at Lux Restyling in New Jersey were in the process of wrapping it in American flag and “Trump 2024” decals on its sides and front hood.
A May 9 post revealed before and after images of the Lamborghini and asked how much horsepower the Trump wrap added to the high-performance sports car.
Carmelo Cruz commented: “She definitely looks faster! Let’s say 47HP added!!!,” likely a reference to Trump taking office as the 47th president if he wins re-election.
While the posts have gotten hundreds of likes, not everyone is a fan of the Cruzes’ Trump-billboard-on-wheels.
A May 15 post begins, “When you park the blue MAGA Lambo in a Blue city … It’s gonna trigger snowflakes and eggs.”
We then see Lindsey Cruz picking eggshells off a yolk-spattered windshield.
It’s not clear where the Cruzes had parked their mobile campaign sign, and Lindsey Cruz didn't respond to messages seeking comment. But a correspondent sent us a photo of the Lamborghini parked outside The Place in the Elmwood Village on May 11.
“Imagine being an adult and egging a car. Stay woke NY,” Carmelo Cruz commented on Instagram.
“It was the organic brown eggs for me though,” Lindsey Cruz added.
– Stephen T. Watson
Carl Paladino has been a fixture at Buffalo Place from the first day of the nonprofit organization's existence.
For over 40 years, the founder and chairman of Ellicott Development Co. has sat as a member of the board, helping lead the entity that oversees the downtown business improvement district.
During this time, Paladino provided a steady stream of commentary and controversy on topics from parking and permitting, to crime and security, to taxes and development incentives. He even ran for governor.
His term with Buffalo Place ended this past week, with Paladino's retirement from the board, which acknowledged him on Wednesday.
"Carl has brought up things that sometimes make us feel uncomfortable, but they need to be brought up," said Buffalo Place Chairman Keith Belanger, an executive at M&T Bank Corp.
"You'll enjoy my son," Paladino quipped, referring to Ellicott CEO William Paladino, who was nominated to the board, subject to election. "He's much quieter."
The board also presented the developer with a very heavy street paver, engraved with his name and years of service, from 1984 to 2024.
"One of the things that has perturbed Carl is the pedestrian mall, and one of the things that has perturbed him the most are the pavers," Belanger said, referring to the area along Main Street that is now being replaced with two-way car traffic.
– Jonathan D. Epstein
The Dow Jones Industrial Average recently hit 40,000 for the first time in history.
You could say David Elias saw it coming. He even put it in writing.
The now-retired money manager and Amherst resident wrote a book, “Dow 40,000: Strategies for Profiting from the Greatest Bull Market in History,” in 1999. That same year, the Dow closed at 11,497.
In his book, Elias predicted the Dow would reach 40,000 in 2016. He even narrowed it down to a date: June 2. (The Dow closed at 17,838 on that date.)
But now, the Dow has reached the milestone. Elias received a lot of of media attention about his prediction of 25 years ago, including a writeup in the Wall Street Journal .
“I feel good about it,” said Elias, 79. “As I said to one of the reporters, it’s better late than never.”
Why did it take the Dow several more years than he expected to reach 40,000? In his view, it’s a combination of elected officials not working together for the country’s best interests, and economic events including the dot-com bubble bursting and the Great Recession.
In retirement, Elias stays busy. He is a senior member of the U.S. Secret Service Cyber Fraud Task Force, and works on the Safe Schools program.
He's willing to venture another market prediction: 10 years from now, the Dow will hit 67,000.
– Matt Glynn
المواضيع: Traffic, Markets