Griffin for County Executive?
According to Random Thoughts, Channel 7 had a story last night saying just that - Griffin is seriously considering a run for County Executive.
Dan’s post prompted quite a back and forth in comments, e.g., perhaps Griffin splits the South Buffalo vote in the Dem primary (vs. Keane), helping Clark. I’d much prefer some fresh blood and fresh thinking in the Rath Building, and Griffin’s time has come and gone; no pining for what Buffalo was, but plans and ideas for what we can achieve in the future.
I concur with Dan and FedUp that it sounds like an excellent 11:00 hour for Hardwick’s show.
Gimme Jimmy? No, thanks.
Mike from Grand Island Says:December 29th, 2006 at 10:46 am
Give me James. James Keane that is
BuffaloGeek Says:December 29th, 2006 at 11:09 am
Nothing says fresh blood and fresh thinking like recycled hacks named Keane, Clark, and Marinelli.
hank kaczmarek Says:December 29th, 2006 at 11:42 am
I’n not wild about any of the pack. They’re all old school WNY Political Machine Hacks. But any of THEM would be 10 times better than Griffin.
This time his driving force could be nothing else than the enormity of the mans ego.
RandomThoughts101 Says:December 29th, 2006 at 12:17 pm
Good point by BuffaloGeek.
If Griffin is yesterday’s news, then what exactly is Keane, Clark, Marinelli, Kevin Gaughan and others being mentioned as candidates in 2007?
I’m somewhat intrigued by Chris Jacobs. I don’t know a lot about the guy but it sounds like his style of leadership could be exactly what we need.
Any other “fresh faces” out there worthy of discussion?
Watchin Stuff Says:December 29th, 2006 at 12:51 pm
“I’m somewhat intrigued by Chris Jacobs. I don’t know a lot about the guy but it sounds like his style of leadership could be exactly what we need.”
Here is an example of exactly why Jacobs does not have the style of leadership we need, from a Donn Esmonde column on 11/3/95:
Jacobs, 28, admits using a push poll in his 4th District (Buffalo) county legislative race against Judy Fisher. The Fisher-related questions — posed by telemarketers in Tallahassee, Fla. — dealt with Fisher’s involvement in the Buffalo teachers’ contract dispute a few years ago.
The telemarketers identified themselves as a polling firm. They asked people if they’d vote for Mrs. Fisher despite ethical questions related to the contract dispute. (We trust the irony of questioning an opponent’s ethics in an unethical way isn’t lost on anyone.)
Jacobs said he hired the telemarketers at the suggestion of veteran political operative Harry Spector. Jacobs, who’s making his first run for public office, said the idea was “to get the word out on (Mrs. Fisher’s) ethics case.” He called it “advocacy polling.”
That’s a pretty phrase for an ugly practice.
Other local candidates have claimed they were targets of push-polls. But Jacobs, whose tactics undermined his image as a bright political prospect, is the first area candidate to own up to doing it.
Rocket Jay Says:December 29th, 2006 at 3:12 pm
Say no to the Griffinsaurus.
The 2 people most responsible for the demise of the City of Buffalo were Jimmie Griffin and Judge Curtin. It must be in the South Buffalo water.
BenMcD Says:December 29th, 2006 at 3:57 pm
“The 2 people most responsible for the demise of the City of Buffalo were Jimmie Griffin and Judge Curtin.”
The people most responsible for the demise of Buffalo are the citizens of Buffalo.
hank kaczmarek Says:December 29th, 2006 at 5:07 pm
“The people most responsible for the demise of Buffalo are the citizens of Buffalo.”
If that’s true, Ben—its because of who they voted for, the ideology of the persons who took office, and their total lack of concern for the citizens once elected.
It would be easy for me to say its the fault of the people. Their undying loyalty to the Democratic Party, no matter what insults (taxes, etc) were heaped on them, their dogged determination to hold onto the dying Union concept, Their unchangeable belief that Big Government is there to handle all their needs, but nobody’s left in town to pay the bill.
But at the end of the day, the people voted into office have a high standard to keep, and that is to do what is in the best interests of the Citizens who elected them—NOT to do what will keep them in office, legal or illegal. The latter is what has brought the area to the state it is in today.
BenMcD Says:December 29th, 2006 at 7:54 pm
Elected officials have a responsibility to do exactly what the voters want them to do within the context of the law. That is not to say elected officials are yes men to the public, rather they layout a set of ideals and methods of how they want to accomplish things. If they are elected then,
A. They go about performing their duties according to the way they professed they would.
B. It is reasonable to assume that the official and his ideas are what the public approves of.
If, in the course of his term, he performs as he said he would, or doesn’t, the public has the choice. They can keep him, or elect someone else. If the same official, or political ethos, is consistently re-elected, it is safe to conclude that said official or ethos is desired by the public.
Buffalo didn’t get to the state it is in overnight. One of the biggest complaints is that the same policies are always enacted. The term Old Buffalo is thrown around with great abandon. If things have been the same for years, that is a function of the public, not the politicians.
laumas Says:December 29th, 2006 at 10:42 pm
Well said BenMcD.
So much blame is placed on the politicians, when in fact they are re-elected year after year. In fact, I worked on Griffin’s campaign in his first run for Mayor, and he was elected as a a populist candidate “against old politics” particularily against the Joe Crangle machine. He won and proceeded to build his own political machine, replacing Crangle’s cronies with his own. He was re-elected year after year as the only citizens who voted/supported enmass where the City Hall workers and there friends and families from South Buffalo who were indebted to him because he gave them a job. Ironically, his downfall came as a result of alienating the police and fire dept workers by standing up to their unions and causing others in his own district to facture his support by tripping over themselves to appease a greater number of backers with projects jobs and appointments that Griffin couldn’t offer any longer.
Hawk (Not Hank) Says:December 29th, 2006 at 10:47 pm
If it is the citizens of Buffalo and its elected officials that are responsible for its downfall then how do you account for the downfall of other NE and Midwest cities? Our citizens and leaders could have had no effect there, or are we responsible for the entire rust belt’s decline?
I hate to tell you Ben (and somewhat Hank) but there were other things at play. Buffalo has has many problems, but not all of them were caused by locals. Regional and statewide market forces at play were totally out of the hands of locals. And it is not just the Democratic Party. What about Syracuse, a bastion for Republicans for decades, or for that matter Monroe County/Rochester. Those communities are not “blue” areas but have seen not only the same problems as Buffalo, but in some ways have been hit worse than WNY.
Also, how do rationalize that taxes in Amherst and Orchard Park, 2 traditionally Republican towns, are higher than Buffalo’s. Under your theory those towns should be wastelands, but they are not.
You guys need to open your eyes and pay attention to something other than the sports pages now and then.
Oh, Hank, nice shirt! Get that in Hawaii? Finally, even if we don’t agree on things, have a Happy & Safe New Year.
hank kaczmarek Says:December 30th, 2006 at 2:25 am
Hawk
Someone’s been looking for Auto Restoration Products. If there’s anything you need, I do know my job.
Nah, In St. Maarten a couple of years back.
Thanks, back at ya.
To all of WNY, best wishes for the New Year. If you read the Amherst Review, the best is surely yet to come.
Mike on Grand Island Says:December 31st, 2006 at 5:32 am
Re Geeks comments above.
The point is well taken. And I see Ms Locklear’s virtues (I viewed your positive comments about her on your blog); it’s nice to see someone like her make their points based upon quantitative and qualitative analysis as opposed to their gut or their friends needs.
The quandary is: How does one get experience managing 1,000’s of people and a large institution where some degree is concensus is necessary whilst coming in as a fresh face?
I’m backing Jim Keane because he has the managerial experience as well as the willingness to change. He has the gravitas, and in Eliot as governor, he has air-cover to make the changes necessary to make our government deliver more efficiently. He’s smart enough to hire smart people. He’s running, he’s sincere, and he’s electable. He’s no hack because if he was his golf handicap would be much better :0)
Day One begins in 19.5 hours! Let’s Roll