After much ribbing about the non-existent and/or empty “views” section of his website, Republican candidate for Congress in the 26th district has finally gotten around to having some.

I am running for Congress to bring real change to Washington, D.C., restore accountability, get people to stop the partisan bickering and start solving the problems families are facing. This is what Western New Yorkers are demanding, and it is what they deserve.

By working together we can make these things happen, and we can get Washington working again for Western New York.

If we do that then we can help create jobs at home, lower taxes for hard working families, develop a real energy policy, and ensure access to affordable healthcare for all Western New Yorkers.

Washington working for Western New York. That’s a great idea. Um, what’s his predecessor been doing along those lines for the past 10 years? It’s all platitudes cribbed from some primer on how to run as a Republican but sounding like a Democrat. Republicans don’t give a shit about “affordable healthcare”. They’re far more concerned with taxation of the wealthiest 1%, not “hard working families”.

The most important thing for our families is having jobs not just for us, but for our children. Right now Western New York is facing the challenge of entering a 21st century economy and not having enough jobs for our children. Fortunately, Western New York is well equipped to face these challenges. We have a world-class workforce, excellent educational institutions and a work ethic second to none. What needs to happen is the government, in Washington and Albany, needs to get out of the way and let businesses do what they do best – create jobs. When I am elected, I will fight everyday for policies that increase the incentives for businesses to take risks, be entrepreneurial and ultimately create jobs.

How is Washington in the way, and would he do to get it out of said way? Taxes and spending, evidently - no surprise, coming from a Republican candidate. The problem is that the Republican party has put the Democrats to shame in terms of the growth of government and government spending at the federal level since George W. Bush came to office. Why are we to believe that Lee would not help perpetuate that state of affairs? Bush has grown government, kept taxes low to help the budget deficit balloon, engaged in nation-building adventures in the middle east and then shortchanged them when it got difficult.

Definitely Washington is broken. Definitely Albany is broken. What can Lee as a congressman do to fix Albany? Again - platitudes that sound phenomenal but have no meat to them.

Lee also says we need a “comprehensive energy policy”:

- Lessen our dependence on foreign oil by increasing American made energy through exploration;
- Promote new, clean, reliable sources of energy;
- Encourage conservation, and;
- Increase investment in research funding for alternative energy.

Respectively, how, what, how, and what? The call from McCain and Bush has been for drilling everywhere. Respectfully, that’s like putting a Band-Aid on an amputation site. Nice sentiment, but it would take literally years - if not a decade - before any such drilling would have any effect on the market. Furthermore, conservation is now in full effect, given the cost of fuel. Price is up, demand is way down. So, if all this is run by the market, why does lower demand equal ever-higher prices?

Again - demand for gasoline has been dropping, yet the price continues to rise. The idea that this is just market forces at work doesn’t fly. In 2008, it is high time that we develop and reach a consensus on a fuel for personal conveyances to replace petroleum. We’re using technology that’s over 100 years old.

Lee also believes that health care is an issue. The buzzword is “market-based”. Anything the Republicans recommend will be characterized as “market-based”, while they will criticize the Democrats’ plans as being “socialized medicine”. Meanwhile, all of the plans being suggested are market-based. No one is proposing socialized medicine.

While Mr. Lee complains that WNY is not getting its fair share of federal dollars, he also argues:

I will fight for a more transparent and fair system that will ensure real earmark reform. Any dollar being spent by the federal government should be done so in the light of day not behind closed doors. I want to change the way Washington does business by ensuring that we have an open system that holds our leaders accountable. Just like a CEO would want, Western New Yorkers deserve to know exactly how their money is being spent - that can only happen with a more transparent and accountable Washington.

How? What sort of transparency is he proposing? And which is it? More fair share, or fewer earmarks?

In other news, Chris Lee held a fundraiser last night. It was a swanky affair at the Marriott on Millersport. All of the Republican glitterati were in attendance, and Tom Reynolds introduced Lee to the crowd. Illuzzi was there enjoying the free food, making subtle threats, and writes:

I had the pleasure of attending what was truly an “All-Star” fundraising event last night kicking off NY 26 Congressional Candidate Chris Lee’s fundraising efforts.

Congressman Tom Reynolds declared the event to have set a new record for a first time candidate’s congressional fundraising event. Over 300 people in attendance!!! Early estimates are over $175,000 raised at the event.

That averages out to over $580 per person.

Lee is an unemployed child of wealth who inherited part of the sell-out of his father’s business. He’s pledged to spend $1 million of his own money on the race. Will he, like Chris Collins, forego his federal salary if elected? I recall Jack Davis making that pledge 2 years ago. Why should taxpayers cut a six-figure check with benefits and pension for a millionaire heir?

The small aircraft hanger that passes for a casino in Buffalo’s cobblestone district has shat out its first single-digit percentage payout from slot revenue that goes to the host community.

Buffalo’s the host community, right?

Or is it the great County of Erie?

Or both?

The payout is $700,000 whole, entire dollars. That buys less than 7,000 barrels of light crude. Or something.

In any event, as the Buffalo News indicates, this is going to be a battle:

The money will be staying in Albany for the foreseeable future because the city and county cannot agree on a formula to split it up.

City Hall and County Hall have staked conflicting claims on the revenues, a pot of money from slot machines that’s expected to swell to as much as $7 million annually when the permanent Buffalo casino opens in 2010.

“There’s no question in my mind that the city should get 100 percent of those revenues,” said Mayor Byron W. Brown, who makes a case for the state-mandated “host community” share to flow entirely to Buffalo.

“The casino is located in Buffalo. The city provides all the police support services and infrastructure,” Brown said. “The intent of the 2002 gaming compact between the Seneca Nation and New York State was to aid weak communities, like Buffalo, with those casino revenues.”

But County Executive Chris Collins is equally adamant about spliting the payments right down the middle.

“I’m still thinking a 50/50 split between the city and county is the right formula,” Collins said.

While the casino is situated in Buffalo, it’s a regional asset, the county executive said.

Fighting over crumbs. What a crap deal this was, and all the politicians who were associated with its negotiation should be ashamed. Ceding territory to a foreign entity in the middle of Buffalo? Taking an entire swath of land off the property tax roll in order to get a tiny percentage of slot revenue (and slot revenue only - not tables). They should have held a referendum and let the people decide whether they wanted this. Or better yet, they could have proposed lifting the idiotic, hypocritical ban on Class III Casino Gaming through New York’s constitutional process. We have casino gaming at racetracks, and we have the lottery, and we have Keno, and we have all sorts of manifestations of gambling that to ban proper casino gambling has become just silly.

The thing is - all of this was predictable and I predicted it. Niagara Falls and Niagara County underwent the same nonsense when the first casino cash made its way down the pipeline, and ne’er-do-well Mayor Anello threatened to lead a picket over it.

I think that the intent was for the city to be the “host community” and to reap the entire benefit of the casino. The county is overreaching here and should take a step back.

My long weekend begins today, so posting will be appropriately light, although Mr. Buffalo Geek might hop on if he’s so inclined.

So, consider:

McKinley High School Principal Crystal Barton ought to start talking about what’s going on. Jayvonna Kincannon, on the other hand, is in desperate need of a time out.

County Executive Chris Collins says he’s not a political animal, but the evidence shows otherwise. Not that there’s anything wrong with a politician acting politically, but why keep up the charade?

I wonder why DA Candidate Ken Case is so untouchable, but the Erie County Democratic Committee unanimously endorsed Frank Sedita III - son of the Supreme Court Justice and grandson of the Mayor. There is no question whatsoever that Sedita is an outstanding prosecutor, and chances are that, as 1st Assistant, he has had much experience helping to run that office. I’m sure he’s a good pick, but would love to know why Case wasn’t.

I want to begin dispelling a myth - I think the conventional wisdom out there holds that the people at WNYMedia.net are snarky, sarcastic snipers and gripers, and don’t try to do helpful things. That could not be further from the truth, and I’ll put the civic activism of our members and writers up against anyone. Our people have been involved with Buffalo Homecoming, Broadway-Fillmore Alive, the Central Terminal, the WNY Coalition for Progress, anti-Flipping efforts on the East Side, Revitalize Buffalo, Santa’s Park, South Buffalo improvements, Buffalo ReUse, Buffalo’s dog park at LaSalle - just to name a few. Thesis: it’s perfectly ok to snarkily gripe when you’re out there trying to implement change. Frankly, it’s perfectly ok to snarkily gripe no matter what.

The American Axle strike is now over. The Tonawanda plant will close, but the Cheektowaga plant will stay open. For now. Probably not for very long.

The Erie Canal Harbor park officially opens today. You can go there and cross the truss bridge, look at the excavated canal terminus, read some historical facts about the canal, go to the park along the water, walk along the board walk, go to the naval museum, and see some ruins. It’s quite pretty and very well built. There are most certainly very pretty things to see - the problem is that there is nothing to do there. Construction on Canal Side’s retail, commercial, and residential phases can’t begin soon enough.

John McCain is a newbie when it comes to attracting the religious whacko vote, and has - in one week - had to repudiate Rev. John Hagee, who had some very strange things to say about Hitler, and now Rod Parsley, who has some very interesting things to say about America’s founding, is a raging homophobe, and can cure disease with his touch. Maybe the Reverend A-hole Parsley could be Surgeon General.

Finally, a LOLCat:

more cat pictures

1. Chris Collins submitted a wild-ass guess as to what the county’s revenues and expenditures will be over the next four years.

2. The appointed, unchecked county control board has its own wild-ass guesses as to the next four years’ county finances.

3. The control board rejected Collins’ four-year plan. No soup for you.

4. The law creating the control board suggests that the control board ought to now bring up a counterproposal representing its own wild-ass guess.

5. The control board will do no such thing, remaining perfectly happy to pick hypothetical nits and come up with unique ways to say “no”.

6. We need Governor David Paterson to grow a pair on this issue and reconstitute the board with people who are less political and more professional. Ever hear much controversy coming from the Buffalo control board? No, because the political agenda is not there.

Whilst endorsing Chris Lee as the sole Republican candidate for NY-26, outgoing rep Tom Reynolds took a swipe at County Executive Chris Collins - the guy who’s not a politician, ‘member?

Rep. Thomas M. Reynolds promised today to “enthusiastically and tirelessly” work for Republican Christopher J. Lee to succeed him in Washington, while also swiping at Erie County Executive Chris Collins for failing to join the effort.

The retiring congressman appeared with Lee at Republican Headquarters in the Statler Towers to laud Lee’s “no-nonsense approach to cutting taxes and eliminating bureaucracy.”

“He knows just exactly what Western New Yorkers are thinking,” Reynolds said.

But the congressman also thrust a jab toward fellow Republican Collins, who had backed businessman Rick Lewis for the post and continues to discuss the race with other Republicans.

“I’m an old school politician,” Reynolds said. “So I believe that county executives from our area ought run the government and county chairmen need to do the politics.”

I would quibble with the notion that a multimillionaire who sold out his locally-based company a few months ago knows “exactly what Western New Yorkers are thinking“, but the swipe was a funny.

The Buffalo News’ Matt Spina has a comprehensive overview of Chris Collins’ first 100 days. I have been critical of some of Collins’ missteps - many of which were just silliness - but have also praised him when I thought necessary.

(Editor’s note: I have no vested interest in Collins’ success or failure, apart from the fact that I am a taxpayer in Erie County and want expenses reduced, economic growth, and to be treated like an adult. Anyone who suggests that I have it in for Collins for any reason - party affiliation, etc. - is a damned fool. I’ll criticize whatever I want, whenever I want, and if there’s a motive behind it, I’ll disclose it. If there isn’t one, there isn’t one. Bitches.)

Collins has pissed off the useless, overly political, feckless Buffalo Niagara Partnership? Fantastic.

Collins gets along well with Republicans and Democrats and merits praise from the likes of Brian Higgins and Kathy Hochul? I couldn’t be happier.

Collins is leading by example - taking away his own county car and cell phone while expecting the same of some others? Applause.

Collins wants county workers to be polite to its taxpayer customers? Fantastic.

Collins eats lunch in the Rath Building’s cafeteria, making him accessible to the white-collar rank and file? That’s the kind of little thing that builds trust and dialogue between colleagues.

Collins sometimes pores over details of an issue to separate the wheat from the chaff? I have to say it’s heartening to have a guy run the county who can be bothered to examine, question, and do it all while still managing to drive himself from place to place.

Collins has pissed off the disingenuous and redundant county control board? Glad to hear it. Those guys, too, are excessively political (mostly former hacks) who have very little to show for themselves. Saying “no” isn’t a plan.

Collins expects excellence, and is generous with praise when he sees it? That must explain why so many of his own employees seem to like him just fine.

There are people whose very survival is unfortunately reliant on county services. Collins found the volume of that need “staggering”. It is. The best way to lift those people up is to lift the whole region up and spur the growth of the economy and the growth of jobs. With Albany increasing spending by 4.5% in a recession, there’s little chance of that happening in the foreseeable future.

So, although I disagree with several of Collins’ moves, (variable minimums for all and sundry, “space management” director at over $100k, creation of many jobs, hiring of “best and brightest” means “people I know” rather than “national search”, etc.) he’s clearly moving in a unique direction for government in this region.

The negotiation of union contracts for county workers will be the watershed for Collins’ administration. One might argue that his overwhelming victory over the union-friendly Jim Keane represents a popular mandate for very, very tough negotiation of those contracts.

Part of the problem in this area has to do with a 1950s mindset on … well, just about everything imaginable, and a reluctance to look beyond the borders of the 8th Judicial District for solutions to problems.

I’d like to see us not only be smart about our present, but work towards a smarter future. More integration with the economy of Southern Ontario, comprehensive regional planning of infrastructure, marketing of the region in a more effective way, implementation of a performance-based county budget, as mandated by the county Charter. Baby steps are better than no steps at all.

Posted by BuffaloGeek 

Yesterday, WNYMedia.net cameras captured the first State of The County Address given by Erie County Executive Chris Collins.

The money quote:  “We must stop defining success as less failure than the year before.”

Next week I have a particularly busy schedule, and this week I’m preparing for it, so posting will be light from me. Buffalo Geek will fill in over the next three weeks with content that snarky and fresh as a daisy, and if you’d like to contribute throw me a line, and I’ll see what I can do.

Seriously, I’m too busy even to ask people directly.

Anyhow, in the meantime, consider this for today:

1. Andrew Galarneau names Vizzi’s in Kenmore as the home of the best burger in WNY. The talk of the town right now is the deep-fried Parkside Burger, described thusly:

If nothing else, the Parkside Burger, at Parkside Burgers and Fries, had already provided grounds for legal action. You know what happens when you take a whole cheeseburger — patty, cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, bun — dip it in batter and deep-fry that sucker?

You get a burger that comes with a side of self-loathing. It was crunchy from the batter, but juicy in a bad way, from fryer oil that soaked into the bun. We ate half, then slipped out the door.

2. I have largely stayed out of the Jayvonna Kinkannon/Michelle Stiles story, but it’s morphed into more than just a ham-handed overreaction to a student’s question. Now, it’s a story of imperial arrogance, nepotism, favoritism, theft, cheating, and other nouns that pop into one’s mind when one thinks of people given just enough power to be assholes.

3. In pledging to run Erie County like a business, Chris Collins has carried on the business-and-governmental tradition of fudging the numbers. When he says shutting down county cellphones will save “nearly $150,000″, he really means just-over-$142,000. Hey, Nancy Naples said there was no deficit just a month or two before the county declared a multimillion dollar deficit.

Channel 4 had the story of a woman who works for the county, but whose pay and cellphone are reimbursed by the federal government. She used the cellphone to keep in direct contact with about 100 new mothers as a lactation consultant. Cellphone gone, and this woman can’t fulfill her duty and obligation to her clients.

Also, Collins is targeting something called “beeper pay”, where county workers who agree to be on 24-hour call (and back in the 80s they did so via beepers) get an extra $35 in their paycheck per week. He wants to abolish that because he’s taking away their beepers. What gets lost in translation here is that it’s not the carrying of the beeper that triggers the extra money, it’s the on-call status. The union will grieve, and Collins will lose this particular, specious argument. Then, he’ll have to pay back-”beeper pay” and pay for the cost of the grievance arbitration. Savings? Diminished.

I’m all for saving money and abolishing crap we don’t need, but can’t someone make sure we’re not throwing the baby out with the bathwater? Can Collins be a bit more clear on the savings? Does everything have to be a butting of heads with the union? That strategy might not turn out quite as well as Collins hopes.

4. The Sabres as political candidate.

This reminds me of dealing with Santaland the first in 2005.

We were given very specific parameters in terms of what we could and couldn’t do, lest we make the laid off workers and their union very angry. I made numerous calls to AFSCME, and not one of my calls was ever returned. Frankly, that in and of itself made me want to say, “screw them”. I mean, if you have a beef about it, why do I have to hear it second or third-hand. At least have the decency to tell me over the phone or to my face that you oppose volunteers bringing Santa to Chestnut Ridge.

Mentholatum Corporation wants to donate a playground to the County’s Chestnut Ridge Park at a cost of $23,000. Setting up a playground (and doing cleanup) takes labor, and the problem is that any such labor is supposed to be peformed by union workers, and cannot (under the Taylor Law) be done by volunteers.

AFSCME’s John Orlando has threatened to sue the county if it permits volunteers to do cleanup work at Chestnut Ridge Park. On Hardline with Hardwick yesterday, Collins said, “sue me”.

This is a blockbuster PR opportunity all around.

Mentholatum wins for being a good corporate citizen.

The Collins Administration wins among a large swath of the population because it’s willing to go into combat with the union representing most county workers; a union with which Collins is going to have to negotiate a new contract shortly.

AFSCME will win among the large labor community in WNY, but I suspect that its stance - albeit legally justified - will render it a laughingstock among the community at-large, and will hand Collins a huge PR victory, and a lot of clout going into labor negotiations.

Of course, AFSCME will probably argue that Collins’ violation of the Taylor Law frees it from that same law’s prohibition against striking.

Looks like it’ll be an interesting year, indeed. I just hope Chestnut Ridge Park gets that new playground. Some of the play equipment there contains heiroglyphics, I think.

The Tonawanda News has significantly more detail about Thursday’s battle over a variable minimum for Chris Collins’ County Attorney choice. First, we hear from someone familiar to me:

“This will send a bad message from this Legislature that, if you’re a woman, we’re hanging out a sign that says you need not apply. You won’t get a variable minimum,” Ranzenhofer said.

So someone in the tone-deaf Republican caucus decided that the gender discrimination angle was an awesome idea. Luckily, there are actual women in the leg:

Several female legislators rose to speak against the idea that gender was the reason they wouldn’t approve the salary. Legislator Barbara Miller-Williams, D-Buffalo, said gender couldn’t be an issue because Collins’ choice, Cheryl Green, has not yet been confirmed. Legislator Betty Jean Grant, D-Buffalo, said the comment was an offensive attempt to pit the Legislature’s women against one another.

“I’ve heard the race card played many times, but I’ve never heard the gender card being played, especially by a man,” Grant said.

Legislator Robert Reynolds, Jr., D-Hamburg, said that he believes the county could find someone, male or female, to take the job for the actual starting salary of $96,000.

Ms. Grant and Mr. Reynolds both make excellent points, I think.

Republicans, however, want to be sure that their patronage slots make as much as possible off the public teat.

Legislator Edward Rath III, R-Williamsville, argued that the raised salary, which was already approved in the 2008 budget, would allow Collins to draw out the best candidate. Rath made the argument that $124,000 was the rate already being paid to the previous county attorney, but Legislator Michele Iannello, D-Kenmore, pointed out that people entering a new position with the county don’t make the same amount as those who have earned raises over time.

Correct. And why not take Rath’s argument to its extreme; if you want the absolute best candidate, why not bump up the salary to $300,000? $500,000? I mean, country club dues don’t pay themselves.

What struck Iannello as odd was the way the salary raise was presented to legislators in committee, she said. “While we were in committee, we questioned the fact that if they had someone in mind, where was the resume,” Iannello said. “They told us at that time that they wanted to approve the variable minimum so they could offer the position. It’s disingenuous of them to come before us and ask for $124,000 knowing they had someone in mind and not allowing us to review their credentials in committee.”

Yes, what about that? Unless the person has been working in county government long enough to justify step increases, a new hire should start where the rules say she starts. Full stop.

I did find it pretty funny that the “glass ceiling angle wasn’t just Collins being silly. It was a Republican talking point.

Hi there. It’s March. Is it ok to critique County Executive Chris Collins now? Is the honeymoon over? I’m just checking.

It is ok?

Oh, good.

So, Collins has selected his County Attorney, and she handles insurance matters for a Williamsville law firm. The starting salary for County Attorney is about $94,000. Collins is pushing the legislature to bump her starting salary $30,000 to $124,000, which would reflect several years’ of fictional service to the county.

I’m sure his nominee is eminently qualified to do the job, and I have no doubt that she’s well worth $124,000. In the private sector. The county legislature is loath to do it, though, for a variety of reasons. I think that there’s a notion of fairness at play there. Why is it horrible to ask the nominee to earn seniority pursuant to the rules in place?

First of all, let’s be blunt - $94,000 per year in Buffalo is a lot of money. More than enough for someone to not only get by, but get by very well indeed. So, let’s don’t pretend it’s inadequate or unfair. Secondly, why is it fair for anyone to jump the seniority line when it comes to pay raises? The rules are in place for a reason, and the salaries are set for a reason. If you’re not interested in doing that work for that salary, then don’t do it, and remove yourself from consideration. Going into government isn’t always a guarantee of a salary that is going to rival the private sector. It’s public service, you get public service money.

Thirdly, Collins, in a fit of pique, reacted to the legislatures’ sending of the salary bump to committee thusly:

“This very irresponsible action by the County Legislature imposes a glass ceiling for female candidates for county attorney,” he said. “In my opinion, the County Legislature has put out a sign saying, ‘Women need not apply.’ ”

You hear that? You hear that Michelle Iannello, Lynn Marinelli, Barbara Miller-Williams, Maria Whyte, Betty Jean Grant? You are prejudiced against women!

All of them voted to send the variable minimum salary issue to committee.

I think his comment about gender discrimination is either shameful or dumb. I can’t decide which. Next time, find someone who’ll take the $94k, chief.

Especially when you’re so vehemently opposed to a $600 payoutout to rank-and-file county workers who haven’t had a raise in many years. They may not have law degrees or handle complex matters concerning the county charter, but they treat patients, clean parks, plow roads, etc. Their work is essential to the running of the county, too. They make on average $33,000 per year with overtime, and have not had a cost-of-living adjustment since 2005.

How about by way of compromise, the county attorney gets a $600 payout, too.

Reading about Chris Collins’ decision to scrap downtown ECC campus expansion today, I reached a point in the article where I just wanted to bang my head against the wall. The sentence seemed so absurd in black-and-white. Here. You try it:

“For anyone to suggest that we have the dollars to expand greatly the City Campus, they aren’t looking at the books that I am looking at,” Collins said.

Collins convened the first of what he says he hopes will become quarterly meetings with the county’s town supervisors and its village and city mayors. He wanted the 44 elected leaders to present their pressing worries and ideas for collaboration.

Whoa - whoa - whoa. Did you catch that?

44 elected chief executives of Erie County municipalities. Plus staff. Plus loads of other stuff that boggles ones mind. Forty-four. Not including anything having to do with the county whatsoever.

Now, I know my supervisor is just dandy, and you think your supervisor is just dandy, too. Most of us think our guy is just dandy. But we have 44 guys and gals for a shrinking county of a million people. Something’s wrong with this picture.