Francine DelMonte And The Lollipop Guild

A friend who has worked for years in the office of a Democratic member of the New York State Assembly tells us that Francine DelMonte's colleagues in her own party have a nickname for her: Wicked Witch of Western New York. It seems her brand of hyperpartisan hardball politics is even off-putting for many of her fellow Dems.

And, frankly, it should be. After all, sometimes Democrats themselves end up among the biggest losers in Francine’s constant efforts to wage all-out partisan warfare.

Readers of this space already know about Francine’s seizure of the county taxpayers’ paltry share of revenues from the Seneca Niagara Casino—this despite Niagara County being defined as one of the casino’s host communities and not receiving a dime in taxes from the casino. This has left organizers of events like last weekend’s successful Olcott Pirate Festival—an event critical to the tiny lakefront hamlet’s economy for its ability to draw tourists and their dollars—scrambling to find ways to fund such events next year.

So bad is it, in fact, that Clyde Burmaster, the venerable vice chairman of the County Legislature, was left apologizing to the Youngstown Village Board last week as he told them that $10,000 he was providing to help them put together a brochure marketing their downtown businesses and to market the annual Youngstown Level Regatta would be the last such funds he could promise.

For those reasons, news that comes to us now sickens us, and reminds us that Francine’s nickname is justly earned.

You’ll all remember back in the spring, when Francine first engineered her grab of Niagara County’s share of the casino dollars. At the time, Francine told us she was redirecting dollars owed to residents of the Town of Niagara, Lewiston, Porter, North Tonawanda, Wheatfield, Cambria, Wilson, Pendleton, the Town of Lockport, the City of Lockport, Newfane, Somerset, Royalton, and Hartland to repair the decrepit roads in Niagara Falls. As she told the Buffalo News in March: “If the road issue wasn’t the priority it is, you wouldn’t have so many people calling out for funding to be diverted to help the city come to grips with the situation.”

Well, apparently Francine has forgotten all about those decrepit roads.

New promotional materials paid for by the Niagara County Democratic Committee include the following comments from the Wicked Wi—er, Assemblywoman DelMonte: “After [seizing the casino funds], I was able to see to it that the economic development money from the casino goes directly to the City of Niagara Falls, where I know it will be used for real economic development,” she reports. “Right now we are working on a project that will develop the areas of the City which were part of the Underground Railroad. It’s a program that will bring thousands of tourists to our community, one that will create jobs as well as highlighting the role Niagara Falls played in the historic movement to help slaves escape to freedom.”

So, which is it, Francine? Was the county’s share of casino dollars going to pay to re-pave Pine Avenue, or was it going to market Underground Railroad tourism? And, if it is Underground Railroad tourism, then how is that more legit than the tourists brought in by the Peach Festival, which benefits Democrat Supervisor Fred Newlin’s Lewiston, or the Electric Lights Parade, which benefits the Town of Niagara, where Democrats enjoy a healthy enrollment edge, or Canal Fest, which benefits a North Tonawanda that has otherwise languished under Democrat Larry Soos?

The truth is, this was nothing more than hardball, bitter politics, aimed at hurting the more Republican areas of the county to benefit Francine’s loyal political allies on Pine Avenue. And it’s proof that her Democratic colleagues in the Assembly know her best after all.

We suggest Francine should watch out for falling houses.

Website Turns Up The Heat On Newlin

Back in October of 2008, we blogged about Lewiston Supervisor Fred Newlin voting himself a 37% pay increase smack dab in the middle of the worst economic crisis our country has seen in decades, adding "families in our community are struggling, as they are across the country. A quarter of a million homes were foreclosed on last month. Corporations are laying of thousands of employees every day. People are going without health insurance because they can't afford it. Hourly workers are going without raises. The state of New York is looking at a multi-billion deficit next year, which is sure to trickle down to the counties and towns across the state. Seniors are worried about how they're going to pay their heating bills this winter."

Somebody else noticed too.

We received an email yesterday regarding the launch of a new website that is designed to address that same pay raise issue, http://www.37percent.info/. Despite just a brief look at this site, it's obvious that someone put a significant amount of time and effort into gathering the information contained on the site and putting it up.

It contains links to pages such as Newlin’s Hand in the Cookie Jar - Pattern of Greed, Newlin’s Salary Increase, How Does Newlin’s Salary Increase Compare to Others?, Mazierski Challenges Newlin, July Ad in the Sentinel as well as others discussing the Tax Increase for Town of Lewiston and the Bad Power Authority Deal for Lewiston.

But the site most definitely focuses on the fact that Newlin voted himself a 37% pay increase. The website also notes that "even more shockingly, within the same budget, a long-time coordinator of children’s programs at the Lewiston Library was cut."

As Newlin faces a stiff challenge from Katherine Mazierski (who organized the protest and picket at a NCDC fundraiser last year), this website is sure to be the political talk of the town in Lewiston. Mazierski and her supporters are obviously willing to put some serious effort and resources into this campaign.

This will certainly be one of the more interesting and entertaining local races to watch for the next four months. Stay tuned!

Further Details Of Lewis' Swine Flu Debacle

This blog broke significant ground last Wednesday when it revealed some of the inside details of County Manager Greg Lewis’ failed attempt to contain news that the swine flu virus was on the loose in the Niagara County Courthouse in Lockport.

We asserted then that the public had a right to know, as, frankly, did the county’s workforce—it was they, after all, whose health was on the line.

What we find galling, therefore, is new details that reveal Lewis apparently engaged in a systemic effort to cover up this information and keep it from both the public and the workforce.

In a memorandum sent to county employees at 11:01 a.m. Wednesday (nearly four hours AFTER this blog reported the presence of swine flu, and more importantly, a full 26 hours after Lewis was notified!) Lewis stated “Niagara County management wishes to communicate to all employees that there have been no laboratory confirmed cases of H1N1 influenza in the Niagara County workplace or the Niagara County employee population.”

That memo goes on to say, at length, “Precautionary sanitary measures were taken on Tuesday, July 7 within the workplace regarding clean-up of office areas where illness was reported, which unfortunately may have led to speculation regarding the H1N1 flu. Again, Niagara County has no laboratory confirmed cases of H1N1 influenza in its workforce. Due to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (‘HIPAA’) and general employee privacy concerns, however, the County will not ultimately announce the result of reported testing of any employee.”

That was Wednesday morning. By Thursday afternoon, though, Lewis was singing an entirely different tune, issuing a second memorandum at 4:40 p.m. This one stated: “A laboratory confirmed finding of Novel H1N1 Influenza A involving a Niagara County Courthouse employee was received late Wednesday by County officials.” Lewis goes on to advise employees to wash their hands. And note the time: 4:40 p.m., just minutes after the end of the county workday—this despite the fact Lewis had known all day the results of the test.

So, what caused the shift in Lewis’ opinion?

Perhaps Lewis genuinely believed that there was no swine flu in the government.

But no, that’s just not the case. An email circulated among several key members of the government reveals Lewis had every reason to believe, in advance of issuing his memo denying swine flu’s presence, that it was there. In an email sent to Lewis at 8:01 p.m. on Tuesday—the night BEFORE Lewis denied the presence of swine flu in the county offices—Health Director Daniel Stapleton wrote:

what about if/when the testing results come back positive for confirmation of H1N1? Should the cover say "at this time" or leave it alone? I don't want us to have to give an update if the testing comes back positive for H1N1, which it probably will.

As we all know, Lewis went ahead and issued a weasel-worded denial of swine flu the next morning.

So, what transpired to change Lewis’ mind by the next afternoon?

The same thing that forced him to deal with the issue in the first place: the county attorney’s office got involved, this time in the form of County Attorney Claude Joerg himself.

Our sources tell us that Joerg, after reading Lewis’ initial memo to employees and then receiving word that the swine flu tests had come back positive, was forced to seek an outside legal opinion to demand Lewis release the information.

You read that right: the county attorney was forced to threaten Lewis with legal action if he didn’t inform county employees of a very real threat to their health.

Greg Lewis has been a festering sore on Niagara County government for far too long. He is arrogant, oafish, and inept. But now, we can see he is also dishonest, more concerned with keeping problems hidden than addressing them honestly and capably.

We will, once again, renew our call to the Legislature: fire this idiot. Fire him now, before someone gets hurt.

Checkin' The Stats

It's not often that we at Niagara Times will engage in self-promotion, but when a recent contributor stated, "this blog is just a tool for stoking the republicans. It has 8 readers, 6 are just yes men, 1 is a know it all, and me", I figured it was a good time to check the stat counter. You may click on it to see a larger view.

Summary (Niagara Times) 10th July 2009 07:06:46

	Page Loads	Unique Visitors	First Time Visitors	Returning Visitors
Total	106,047	79,115	35,037	44,078
Average	35,349	26,372	11,679	14,693
Year	Page Loads	Unique Visitors	First Time Visitors	Returning Visitors
2009	29,239	23,164	11,186	11,978
2008	56,055	42,649	18,640	24,009
2007	20,753	13,302	5,211	8,091

Returning Visitors - This person is returning to your website for another visit an hour or more later.

First Time Visitors - This is considered their first time at your website.

Unique Visitor - This is the total of the returning visitors and first time visitors - all your visitors.

Page Load - The number of times your page has been visited.

Thank you to the nearly 80,000 unique visitors, in just our two+ years in existence, and their 106,000+ page loads. Oh, and even though mama didn't raise no math major, I'd say those numbers are somewhat higher than the "8 readers" of this blog that was suggested.

Happy Friday.

Paterson Kicks Dirt in Our Face Again

Governor Paterson tried to portray himself as a bold leader yesterday when he appointed a Lieutenant Governor to help break the Senate stalemate. First let me get two things out of the way that aren't part of this post:

1) It's clearly illegal and Paterson should be impeached for shredding the New York State Constitution. This joke of a Governor is making a mockery of the Empire State.

2) This move won't end the Senate chaos, it will add to it.

OK, but that's not want I'm focused on today. Paterson again sends a signal that he doesn't care about Upstate representation in State Government by picking another member of the Manhattan elite for this position. Think of the people running the show in the state right now. Paterson (Harlem), Silver, (Lower East Side of Manhattan) DiNapoli (Nassau County), Malcolm Smith (Queens) John Sampson (Brooklyn) Andrew Cuomo (Queens). Heck, let's throw in Senate reform coalition members Dean Skelos (Nassau County) and Pedro Espada (Bronx.)

And into this mix, the ever-wise David Paterson thought that naming someone from Manhattan as L.G. was appropriate. This guy has no clue that there is a whole other world beyond the Tappan Zee Bridge.

There are plenty of qualified upstate Democrats, particularly in WNY, who could have filled this role. As a matter of fact, WNY's absence from any leadership role anywhere in government is reason enough to consider secession...and I'm being serious there.

Add to all of this that the accidental governor named a over-hyped, media seeking, political chameleon...Richie Kessel...to head the New York Power Authority rather than someone from this community that is directly impacted by NYPA and you can see Paterson could not care less about our community.

(Sidenote: Shouldn't there be a ban on adult man going by the name Richie. Don't you cross a timeline in your life when it should be Rich or Rick? But I digress.)

I have never been a big fan of the Cuomo clan, but I hope Attorney General Cuomo sticks to his guns that this is an illegal appointment and helps make this blow up on Paterson.

Lewis A Threat To Employee Safety & Public Health

Details are still emerging, but yesterday the Niagara County Courthouse apparently had a major swine flu scare requiring offices to be “deep cleaned with a bleach solution,” emails obtained by the Niagara Times reveal.

County Manager Greg Lewis, meanwhile, spent most of the day AWOL on the issue, and building a wall of denial around the problem, trying to keep information about the potential outbreak secret from county employees and members of the public who conducted business in the Courthouse in recent days.

Let me repeat that: Greg Lewis tried to keep information about an outbreak of a serious, and potentially deadly disease from county workers and the public.

Lewis was first made aware of the problem at 9:30 a.m. in an email from Labor Relations Manager Dave Watroba, which we will quote at length:

[An employee] from the DA's office has notified us of one confirmed case of swine flu in their office. That person is in the hospital. Another employee is being treated for unconfirmed swine flu. A third is a "probable" case and a fourth is going to the doctor today, reportedly not feeling well.
The Dept. of Health has been notified. The office is being deep cleaned with a bleach solution today.

For hours afterwards, though, nothing happened. Sources tell us that Lewis, along with Human Resources Manager Peter Lopes, made the determination that they would not notify county employees or the larger public about the potential outbreak because they didn’t want to cause employee unrest. They then made the decision to keep discussions to only a handful of Lewis’ closest confidantes, including Lopes and Watroba. Even department heads in the government were left unaware.

We are also told that rumors began to fly inside the Courthouse that something was amiss around lunchtime when word of the cleanup began to spread, and that’s when county employees began to demand answers.

However, it wasn’t until after the county workforce’s workday ended at 4:30 p.m. that Lewis finally made the decision to act, and that only after a lawyer in the county attorney’s office got involved—apparently tipped off by contacts in the DA’s office—and the press started making inquiries. An email sent by County Public Health Director Daniel Stapleton at 4:50 p.m. sums the issue up:

i just got off the phone with Rick Pfeifer from the gazette and Joe Foltz from county atty office. Tomorrow, I recommend that a memo to all county employees needs to go out from their employer with comments, education and directions from the Public Health Department, consistent with our outreach to the public. Thoughts?

Finally, at 6:29 p.m., Lewis made the decision that employees should be made aware of a potentially life-threatening disease:

I am ok with a memo to County employees provide HIPPA compliance is assured and the communication is carefully crafted in accordance with Public Health guidance on the subject matter of H1N1..

My best,

Greg Lewis

Did you get all that? At 9:30 in the morning, Lewis is alerted to a potentially serious health risk to employees. Rumors are flying within hours. But he can’t make a decision to act until AFTER lawyers tell him to do something and AFTER the media starts demanding answers—and AFTER workers had already left for the day.

Think about how many people were potentially exposed already on Monday. Think about how many more, though, were senselessly exposed on Tuesday because Lewis refused to act. People have a right to know if they’re at risk of contracting serious illness.

Think about pregnant mothers who chose to go to the Courthouse, whether they had business in the County Clerk’s office or were reporting for jury pool duty.

Think about young children accompanying parents on errands or seeing the legal system in action.

And think about the hundreds of county workers who weren’t warned to stay away all morning.

And then realize: Unlike you, Greg Lewis didn’t think about a single one of them.

His piss-poor attitude is one thing. His constantly courting employment elsewhere is yet another. But this, this is too much. Playing games with the public’s health, and that of his employees, though, is an entirely separate issue. If he isn’t removed for the first two reasons, then the third should be an impeachable offense.

Will someone in the Leg please grow a pair and kick this guy to the curb?

Dyster Is A Disgrace

The Niagara Falls Reporter has it right this week as it slams do-nothing Mayor Paul Dyster for, well, doing nothing about the sex offender hotel that is right around the corner from Niagara Street Elementary School. This flop house for the absolute scum in our society is located within 1,500 feet of the school, a clear violation of county law.

The state is supposedly trying to do something to move them, but needs time. Screw that. Dyster said the problem is one of coordination. Screw that too. The problem is that dirtbags who should have been either locked up forever, fried in the chair or castrated because they like young children and are INCURABLE are now housed around the corner from a school.

If Dyster has 10 cents worth of leadership, he’d have the Niagara Falls Police Department arrest all these losers and throw them in jail until the state figured out where to house them. That would send a strong message that the Mayor cares about protecting the most innocent of Niagara Falls residents. Instead, egg-head Paul is concerned about coordination of agencies. Nice.

Say what you want about his ethics, but why do I somehow think that former Mayor Vince Anello would be leading the welcome wagon of residents with baseball bats and pitchforks to make the point that these losers are not welcome to live in our community near a school and maybe such a message would get the Albany bureaucrats moving a little faster.

And before I wrap up, let me slam Francine Delmonte and her Albany masters in the Assembly for not passing real legislation – rather than a watered-down civil confinement law – that would keep these sick individuals locked up forever. You’re always doing it for the children…for providing education to children, health care for children, social programs for children, can’t do enough for the children…..but lo and behold we should actually protect them from getting sexually attacked by sickos in the community. Shame on you.

Wojtaszek Would Make An Excellent State Chairman

We'd like to wish Niagara County GOP Chairman Henry Wojtaszek the best of luck in his pursuit of the New York State Republican Party Chairmanship. At this point, it appears as if it will be a two-horse race, with former gubernatorial candidate John Faso also seeking the top GOP position in the state. Of course, it's not clear if current chairman Joe Mondello will run again when his term expires in September.

Wojtaszek recently left his position with the law firm of Harris Beach to devote his time and energy to the effort.

In order to win the top spot, Wojtaszek will have to win over the majority of the 61 other county GOP chairmen & chairwoman. That will be no easy feat for someone from the most northwestern county in the state. But if it can be done, Wojtaszek can do it. Why? Because he wins races, and that's what matters. While most GOP parties in counties across the state are struggling with a two million voter-enrollment disadvantage, Wojtaszek has transformed the Niagara County GOP into one of the most successful county parties in the state.

Not only that, Wojtaszek has other qualities that the GOP needs at the top; he's an excellent communicator, he's able to lead without being authoritarian and yes, I'm not afraid to say it, he he the physical attributes to be the face of the party.

Once again, best of luck to Wojtaszek. We're looking forward to following this story closely for the next few months.

Stachowski & Thompson Playing For The Wrong Team

As we've been saying for months, and today's Buffalo News Outrages & Insights reinforces, Western New York's Democratic Senators Bill Stachowski and Antoine Thompson have been playing for the wrong team. From the Buffalo News piece:

Here's how clueless Bill Stachowski and Antoine Thomspon are: The Democratic leadership trotted the out in Albany Thursday to plead for passage of an extension of the Power For Jobs program.

Trouble is, the program does Western New York little good. In fact, it's one of the ways the profits from the Niagara Power Project are used to benefit downstate business interests.

Here's what I reported on the program in 2007 in my Power Failure investigation of the New York Power Authority:

The program was started in 1997 and was supposed to end in 2000, but lawmakers continue to extend it. In the process, they have required the authority to reimburse the state for an increasing share of lost tax revenue, now 100 percent. The program involved 599 companies as of a year ago, including 89 from Erie and Niagara counties, whose allocation of discounted power accounted to 12 percent of the statewide total.

Power For Jobs is now slated to end this June, but the authority as it now stands remains on the hook for another contribution of $175 million.

While Niagara power isn't the sole source of funding for the voluntary contributions, the Power Authority acknowledges the plant's profits do go a long way.

In other words, profits from our plant are being used to subsidize the operations of downstate businesses.

Rep. Brian Higgins is negotiating with the New York Power Authority to secure a portion of the Niagara Power Project's profits to benefit Western New York. The expiration of the Power For Jobs program would free up money towards that end. But we've got Thompson and Stachowski doing the bidding of downstate interests instead.

They're team players, all right. Just not our team. (end)

Antoine Thompson, it seems , is virtually incapable of articulating the number of jobs the Power for Jobs program will preserve. Watch this video of Thompson channeling Dr. Evil at yesterday's press conference. It would be hilariously funny if it weren't so pathetic.

At the same presser, Stachowski, in an attempt to justify his existence while the Senate Dems continue to bring state government to a grinding halt, says that he is entitled to receive his $100,000+ compensation because he busy in Albany "reading computer mail". Mmmmmmm, that'd actually be called "email", Bill. See the video below:

Lewis Still Looking For A Way Out

I was flipping through the channels recently, when I came across a segment in which a self-defense instructor was teaching a student how to defend herself. The teacher was decked out in full-body protection so the student could really let loose while practicing her punches and kicks to key areas such as shins, knees, groin, stomach, ribs, solar plexus, chin, jaw, face, and temple. There certainly is value in knowing how to defend oneself in the event of an unwelcome confrontation.

This morning, I feel like that self-defense instructor who was getting punched in the stomach and kicked in the groin, except without the abundance of padding. Why? Because Greg Lewis is up to his old tricks again - he wants out, and he's actively seeking other opportunities while employed by the people of Niagara County.

In yet another exclusive to Niagara Times, we have learned that Lewis has applied for the position of Brevard County Manager in Florida. The search is being handled by this firm. As if this weren't problematic enough, Lewis is also seeking the opportunity to serve as the County Manager in Johnson County, Kansas. Why is it a problem? Because he is under contract to serve the residents of Niagara County. Why is it further problematic? Because his current contract doesn't expire any time soon. Granted, if it were close to the expiration of his current deal, and an extension wasn't on the table, he should seek other opportunities simply to provide himself and his family the security they need.

But he's not. He's serving under a relatively new deal and he, once again, is looking to abdicate his responsibilities to the people of this community.

People are always saying that government needs to be run like the private sector. Although we generally disagree with that premise because it's basically apples and oranges, this is absolutely the type of scenario which should be treated like the private sector. And that reality is this: This type of behavior would never be tolerated in the private sector. He'd be fired on the spot for actively seeking other employment.

Now, we've covered Lewis' desire to leave Niagara ad nauseum, including pieces here, here, here and my personal favorite, here.

But he is repeatedly allowed to kick the people of this community in the proverbial nuts, and no one says a damn thing about it! How the hell is that possible? Please, someone in the county legislature publicly question Lewis at the next meeting and get some straight answers from this guy. Does he want to work in Niagara County? If so, why is he actively seeking other employment? If not, get the hell out! How difficult is this? Allowing him to continue this behavior unquestioned is the same as condoning it.

Lewis is an opportunist. He's jumped from job to job, always looking for the next best thing. When he finds it, he's going to leave this county in a predicament. Address the problem now. If not, don't say you weren't warned. Don't say you were caught off guard. Don't say you didn't see it coming. Dump this guy....immediately.

Lewis Has Big Plans - For Your Money

The following is a communication from county manager Greg Lewis to a firm that had inquired about the county's wanting to participate in a "Green Fleet" program.

As County Manager, I feel it is high priority to launch a significant "green" initiative. We need to become sustainable as an organization.

I would identify "ends" or "outcomes" at the end of a green day would be:

- Green fleet
- All green buildings
- A green transportation strategy to move employees to, from, and around to assigned tasks and sites while at work
- A green transportation strategy to move citizens served when required to do so per County core functions
- A green strategy to deliver County core services to make the County safe and secure, assist the most vulnerable, and implement public infrastructure
- A green strategy to advance County economic development
- A green strategy to provide green administrative internal support The County is going to need to decrease its carbon footprint, become more organizationally sustainable, and decrease our costs and increase our productivity.

Now, I'm far from a tree hugger, but I recognize the value of "going green". Do I buy into the hype about global warming? Of course not...it's rhetoric and hyperbole at its worst. But I'll acknowledge the fact that there are environmental benefits from going green.

But once again, Lewis is making statements of his intentions with no concept of the cost involved. He's already got big plans for his "campus" plan, which will cost a minimum of $150 million. Now he wants green buildings and green vehicles. By the time Lewis has implemented his green plans and his campus concept, this county could be looking at a quarter of a billion dollars in expenses, all of which will be raised on the backs of homeowners and taxpayers.

It has to stop, and it has to stop now. From the day he arrived here (thanks Dennis & Renae), he has thought about one thing: his legacy. And while he may angling for the Gregory Lewis Public Works Facility to be constructed in his honor, the only thing we, the taxpayers, will be left with is a legacy of bad decisions and a mountain of debt at the hands of Greg Lewis.

Dump this guy now.

Stachowski's Shameless Rhetoric

The following is a letter that appeared in the "Everybody's Column" of the Buffalo News opinion section on June 26. It was written by a gentleman by the name of Vincent Blasio of Lake View:

Last week the 58th Senate District received a mailing from Sen. Bill Stachowski. In this mailing, it lists why Stachowski so proudly voted yes for what he calls a “balanced, responsible budget.” Now we know that this is the furthest thing from the truth.

The truth about this year’s budget is that it was done by downstate leaders at the expense of upstate residents and done behind closed doors with little transparency. Stachowski didn’t even stand up for himself, let alone stand up for his constituents, during this budget. To send out a mailing paid for by the taxpayers at a time when the Senate can’t and won’t even meet is just appalling and an insult.

I would ask that the senator please save the rhetoric for campaign time and save the taxpayers the expense in these mailings. With this in mind, I have decided to petition and become a candidate for the New York Senate 58th District. We cannot afford to keep business as usual!

Given that I wouldn't trade Stachowski for a bag of pucks if he were a hockey player, I had to get my hands on this piece of literature. It appears below:

It really is amazing that Stachowski has the audacity to put out a piece of literature that is so full of blatant lies. I mean, come on...."Senator Stachowski and his colleagues were able to pass a balanced, responsible budget that will serve the best interests of Western New Yorkers and their families while putting the state back on the right track"? Really, Bill? You think that we're on the right track now? By "best interests of WNY families", do you mean that they'll be able to garner boatloads of frequent flier miles because we'll have to fly to visit our children who will be living somewhere else since they can't find a job here?

By "responsible", do you mean a budget that raises taxes and fees by $9 BILLION smack dab in the middle of the largest fiscal crisis in generations?

I agree with Vince - keep your damn pie hole shut, save the political rhetoric for those who are stupid enough to believe that bullshit you're spewing and get your sorry ass back to Albany so you can continue to be the same ineffective legislator you've been for 27 years.

"Referendum on the Separation of New York" ipetition

We came across an interesting ipetition entitled " Referendum on the Separation of New York" recently.

The petition sponsors state that the petition "has been initiated by a group of citizens who are very concerned with the current direction of the state. We represent all walks of life, and believe that extreme measures must be undertaken to ensure the survival of Upstate New York.

We believe that the people of this state have earned the right to have our voice heard, and implore upon all elected officials from across the state to support this legislation to put the separation of the State of New York to a referendum."

Since we've been highly vocal on the upstate/downstate disconnect, we're going to go ahead and sign the petition. We'd like to encourage our readers to do the same. Please feel free to pass along the ipetition to anyone you believe would support sending this issue to a referendum.

The ipetition can be found by clicking here.

By the way, your email address is not displayed when you sign the petition. After you click "Sign the Petition", ipetitions will ask you for a contribution. Just hit "Next", then "Cancel and return to ipetitions". You do NOT need to make a contribution to sign the petition.

Friday Ruminations

Geez Tom, is it really that difficult to acknowledge the source of your story by name? Come on, type it with me...N-I-A-G-A-R-A-T-I-M-E-S. That wasn't so hard, was it? Seems our posting of Lewis' plan has put him on the defensive. Too damn bad.

For those of us who live in the eastern end of the county, the relocating of the YMCA from downtown Lockport to the town has been a big issue for years. Many want the Y to remain in the city, while the Y board wants to move into a palatial facility in the town. The letter to the editor by prominent Lockportian Ben May and subsequent article on the issue are likely sending shockwaves through the plans for the project. And as the article insinuates, Mark Albeiz is one of the most arrogant people you'll ever meet. Where he gets that, who knows? You run a freakin' YMCA, and badly at that.

Talk about throwing your own under the bus. Dem State Senator Kevin Parker, furious over David Paterson's order that senators pay and per diems be withheld, called Paterson a "coke-snorting, staff-banging" governor. Wow, that's harsh. Funny as hell, but harsh.

The Niagara Falls School Board hired the sister of former Superintendent Carmen Granto without so much as an interview of any other candidates. Talk about nepotism at it's worst. Maybe she'd have ultimately gotten the job anyway, but at least try to not give the appearance of being a bunch of in-breds.

Western New York's own state senator, Bill Stachowski, has earned the dubious distinction of billing the taxpayers for the most expenses of any senator in the state, raking in $30,000 for travel and other expenses last year, in addition to his nearly $100,000 salary.

We're going to go out on a limb and predict that the corruption charges against former Niagara Falls Mayor Vince Anello will be tossed out. Was the loan squeaky clean? Probably not, but there's not enough to convict either. Irregardless, the charges are just another black eye on a city that has been the epitome of political corruption for decades.

The Niagara County Sheriff's Department has an new website which is chock-full of interesting and helpful information. The site address is www.niagarasheriff.com.

Lastly, God bless to the families of Farrah Fawcett and Ed McMahon. Michael Jackson, on the other hand, can rot in hell with the rest of the pedophiles. How the hell anyone can celebrate the life of this piece of shit is beyond me. Did he make some decent music? I suppose. Does that overshadow the multitude of allegations related to his preying on children and fact that he spent tens of millions of dollars to keep his victims quiet? Absolutely not.

Lewis' Restructuring Plan Lacks Substance

On April 7, the Niagara County Legislature unanimously passed a resolution "authorizing the county manager to begin the process of restructuring all Niagara County departments due to proposed funding cuts to New York State programs proposed by Governor David A. Paterson, and due to the proposed receipt of federal stimulus money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009." Fair enough, having a plan in place for contingencies cannot be a bad thing.

What's somewhat befuddling is the "restructuring" that County Manager Greg Lewis has identified. While some may have merit, others are cause for concern. For example, as part of his "restructuring", Lewis wants to adopt a mortgage tax with revenues to be dedicated to his $60 million+ campus concept. In other words, his plan for restructuring calls for a multi-million dollar tax on homeowners of this county.

Other recommendations may meet with some opposition as well. His idea to transfer all county parks to the towns will be challenging as the towns will likely not want to take ownership of the parks.

He also wants to increase the "recordation fees" with revenues to be allocated to the public works facility. If simply raising taxes is being presented as "restructuring", we don't need him or the position. Garnering a share of the cell phone tax from the Sheriff's Department - good luck with that one. And asking all other jurisdictions in the county to use the county's communications center will never, ever happen.

Lewis' full list of restructuring recommendations follows:

- Replace the 5 standing committee process with a committee of the whole process with the committee of the whole to meet the Tuesday prior to each regular County Legislature meeting.
a. The committee of the whole meeting agenda to be divided into segments with each segment to be devoted to a core tier (i.e., CSS, CS, PW, ED, and ADM)
b. The tier segments within the committee meetings to be presided over by Tier Chairs/Vice Chairs
c. The Clerk of the Legislature’s Office to provide support, staff, and recordation for the committee of the whole meetings
d. A robust meeting, agenda, resolutions, minutes, and other documentation software program to be implemented to support all Legislature meetings.

· Realign mail room and print shop to be under the management of the Office of Management & Budget.

· Realign the support and staffing for coroners to no longer be provided by the Clerk.

· Implement the Public Works Facility to centralize and consolidate the Public Works operations.

· Realign the Office of Weights and Measures to be under Public Works.

· Implement the Homeland Security and Management Director position/Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management per the Administrative Code.

· Transfer all County parks to the Towns in which they are located and provide Greenway funding to the towns to assist in funding park operations.

· Adopt a mortgage tax with revenues to the County to fund public works operations.

· Adopt increased recordation fees with revenues to the County to fund public works operations.

· Institute having a share of cell phone usage sales tax go to the County to fund Sheriff’s Communications Center.

· Promote all other jurisdictions within Niagara County using the Niagara County Communications Center.

· Implement the Niagara County Communities Comprehensive Plan.

· Immediately set aside remaining casino revenue to offset property tax used to fund the Economic Development Department in the 2011 County Budget.

Senate Dems Sit Through Pledge of Allegiance

Prepare to feel your jaw drop and your blood boil.

Here’s shocking video of State Senate Democrats, including Antoine Thompson, Darrel Aubertine, Dave Valesky, Bill Stachowski and Brian Foley sitting through the Pledge of Allegiance in protest over their loss of power in Albany.

The video shows one Democrat, Brooklyn’s Martin Dilan, trying to join in reciting the Pledge, but he is immediately and forcefully pulled down by two fellow Democrats, Kevin Parker of Brooklyn and Ruth Hassell-Thompson of Westchester.

Not a single Democrat lawmaker stood during the Pledge.

The Democrats’ protest was an outrageous mixing of common civics and politics. But it shouldn’t be surprising, considering their refusal even to show up for nearly three weeks leading to yesterday, when they locked themselves in the Chamber ahead of Republicans in a stunt reminiscent of the child’s game, “King of the Mountain.”

WNY's Geographically-Challenged Assemblywoman

Perhaps all those years ignoring her non-Niagara Falls constituents have confused poor Francine DelMonte. That’s the kindest explanation we can offer, here at Niagara Times, for her increasing confusion about what’s in her district, and, more importantly, what isn’t.

Regular readers of this blog already know that Francine, in her zeal to claim credit for something—anything!—positive that happens in this region, singlehandedly almost scuttled the very promising Yahoo! deal that Town of Lockport and county officials have been negotiating quietly for months. It irked us to no end that Francine not only desperately wanted credit for a deal that she had nothing to do with, but more importantly, an economic development project that wasn’t even in her district.

We hoped that this was just a bizarre aberration, maybe the result of stress from watching her new-found power evaporate during the State Senate coup.

Unfortunately, it was just the tip of the iceberg.

This weekend, DelMonte again wandered out of her district and tried to take credit for events in Lockport AGAIN, this time showing up at Spring Lake Winery. Now, if Francine were just showing up to buy a few bottles of Spring Lake’s excellent cabernet sauvignon, it would be understandable. Instead, though, she was at the successful vineyard to put on a big show, complete with pronouncements of her support for Niagara County’s wine industry—and she did this despite the fact that there are several wineries IN her district! (For those unaccustomed to the rules of the political world, politicians holding official events in other politicians’ districts is considered quite gauche and a strict political no-no. No wonder Francine is rumored to have few friends even on her own side of the aisle in the state Legislature.)

Even that wouldn’t be so damn peculiar, if it weren’t for the fact that on Sunday, a significant event actually did occur inside Francine's district, and she totally ignored it! Up in Newfane, Budwey’s opened up a 20,000 square-foot store that will employ close to 100 people. Francine, who allegedly represents Newfane, was nowhere to be seen. She didn’t even send a staffer, or even a congratulatory note to be read aloud. (Granted, we’re willing to chalk much of this up to the fact that Francine had absolutely nothing to do with this, either, unlike Sen. George Maziarz, Newfane Supervisor Tim Horanburg, and County Legislature Economic Development Chairman Rick Updegrove, who were all given a hero’s welcome by Frank Budwey himself.)

We’d suggest that if Francine wants to try to horn in on the credit for economic development successes in Niagara County, maybe her staff could help her out by letting her know just what towns are part of her district. But we also realize that the county is a lot bigger than Pine Avenue, so maybe she gets a little confused sometimes.

So in that spirit, Niagara Times offers the following handy map for Francine. Her staff can go ahead and print it out, and refer to it whenever Francine is confused about what’s in her district, and what isn’t. Think of it as ol’ Hobbes doing his civic duty to help a wayward and geographically-challenged politician:

Senate Dems Friends & Family Plan Thrives

I'm not for one second going to pretend that when the GOP was in control of the State Senate, they didn't have their share of patronage. In fact, there's probably not a governmental body in existence that doesn't have some level of patronage.

But what the Democrats have done in Albany should disgust anyone who lives in this state, regardless of party. Under then Majority Leader Malcolm Smith, the Democrat-led Senate Majority hired over 100 new staffers since April alone. To add insult to injury, they did this after raising taxes and fees by $8 billion.

Smith had said that the Democrats had cut close to 200 Senate positions. But state records show that the 186 Senate job cuts Smith spoke of had been reduced to just 74 between April and the June 6 payroll, meaning 112 new staffers were added.

Most of the job cuts were Republicans who were fired or retired as a result of the GOP losing the majority. They were quickly replaced by Democrats, many of them making six-figure salaries.

According to a report in The Daily News Saturday, that the Senate payroll jumped by $3 million the first six months the Dems controlled the Senate.

This is so offensive on so many levels. And I know, people will come in and say "the Republicans did it!" Maybe they did, but not nearly to the level as we've seen this year. And didn't the Dems sweep into office under the premise of change? What change were they talking about...vote us into office and we'll screw you even more than you were getting screwed? Because that's exactly what happened.

This is just another example of why the State Senate is better off in the hands of the of the GOP. There's no accountability with the Dems. They are looking out for their NYC interests and those of their friends and nobody from Upstate better stand in their way.

Abusing The System

If there was ever a doubt why so many people, myself included, have disdain for public sector employees, look no further than today's excellent story in the Union Sun & Journal by Joyce Miles.

The story focuses on Michael Collette, an 18-year member of the Lockport Fire Department. He has not worked since March 20 due to a back injury he says he suffered on the job. Was he hurt saving a life? Nope, he was lifting a box. Collette alleges that because of this box-lifting injury, he can't work. But on his Facebook page, Collette boasts about yachting on the Hudson River, traveling to Florida, buying a home and opening a second limo outlet in Naples — and planning a month-long “Great RV Tour” of the western United States. But he can't work. Oh, and he's collecting his full, taxpayer-funded salary of $67,000.

Yes, you are paying for this guy to live his twisted life of luxury. Not only are Lockport residents paying him to jaunt across the country, you are paying overtime for the personnel that is forced to work because he's off yachting. How freakin' sickening is that?

Collette is quite angered that the city would dare question the validity of his claim. In Miles' piece, he states, "It’s a slap in the face. I was injured at work; it’s on the record,” he said. “Plain and simple, the city has been illegally using my sick days. ... They’re jeopardizing my career, my future, my retirement and my hard-earned benefits." Well boo-freakin-hoo.

You are jeopardizing the ability of people to stay in their homes because stunts like this out of public sector leeches like you have driven our property taxes insanely high.

As a side note, if this clown got hurt lifting a box, what the hell does that say about his ability to exert himself physically on the job? Actually, I'll answer that one myself - I've seen many of the Lockport Fire Department workers - let's just say that there is obviously no minimum physical fitness requirement to remain employed. But again, I digress.

The city of Lockport is willing to put Collette on "light duty", which means he'd be assigned to dispatch. The union president, Randall Parker, insists the city has to “negotiate” terms before the union would allow a disabled member to be employed differently. I'm so sick and tired of these clowns with their bloated salaries, free health insurance, lifetime benefits, exquisite retirement package and their disgusting sense of entitlement. You are not entitled to a goddamn thing. Go out and get a job in the private sector and get a real taste of life.

I know, I know, you'll say come do my job. I don't want your job. What I want is to see every municipality evaluate every service they provide to see if the private sector can do it cheaper, including public safety, because this has to stop. We are being taxed to death and leeches like this guy will keep taking and taking until there's nothing left to take.

Local Races Taking Shape.....Kind Of

There are some interesting rumblings coming out of both the Republican and Democratic camps as some of the local races start shaping up. Over the next couple of weeks, we'll take a look at some of those races, including those for county legislature.

One race that seems to be generating much conversation is the contest for the 6th Legislative District, currently held by Danny Sklarski (D-Niagara). Sklarski is being challenged by Town of Niagara Councilman Rob Clark.

What is at the center of the discussion is the apparent unwillingness of Clark to move forward with his campaign, while Dem Chairman Dan Rivera pushes Clark to continue. Clark, it seems, is apprehensive about what may come out during the campaign. As we have alluded to before, Clark was one of several local candidates who received campaign contributions from business interests that turned out to be a front for prostitution ring that forced women into sex slavery.

We've also questioned Clark's response to demands that he either give the money back or make a donation in the same amount to a local cause for women. On this blog, when challenged by a commenter about the donation, Clark stated "No I didn't give it back. Who would I give it to? I haven`t seen the shop owners in almost 2 years. What good would it do if I gave the $100 to the "employees" of the ring. They wouldn`t see it. The Government would probably keep it. I'm willing to bet that they are probably doing better than most of us right now."

Personally, I think that's a garbage answer. "I'm willing to bet that they are probably doing better than most of us right now"? These are women who spoke no English, were forced into sexual slavery and lived in virtual cages when not being forced to perform sex acts. How the hell would you think they're doing better than most of us right now? But, that aside, the answer is still garbage. You could have very easily, very quietly made a donation to a local women's shelter to, if nothing else, clean your conscience.

Anyway, I digress.

Rivera has made a promise of significant resources to Clark, but Clark's heart is not in it. Word is that there is a combination of two things weighing on Clark. Some of the things we already alluded to coming out as well as his lack of faith in Rivera to deliver on his promise of help.

On the latter, we can't say we blame Clark. Rivera has been (in)famous for not delivering for his candidates. We've learned that Rivera's fractured relationship with former congressional candidate Jack Davis is still damaged. Rivera recently approached Davis, who pumped $30k of his own money into the Dem's campaign coffers two years ago, with an offer of reconciliation. Davis wanted nothing to do with it. In fact, Davis still plans to swing those campaign dollars into the GOP's campaign war chest. That will indeed make it difficult for Rivera to keep his promises of resources to potential candidates.

As the petition deadline approaches within the next few weeks, it's going to be very interesting to see if Clark does indeed submit his petitions. Don't be surprised if you see a swichteroo from the Dems in this race. If nothing else, this year should be an interesting one in local politics. Stay tuned, there's much more to come.

Another Perspective

Senate Dems Use Dirty Tricks/ACORN Thugs To Halt NYS Government - from Monroe Rising

The senate democrats’ actions speak for themselves. After the newly formed bipartisan coalition state senate passed historic reforms never before seen in New York’s history, Malcolm Smith immediately sprang into action in an effort to unravel the coalition and re-secure absolute power for himself and his members.

First up on the Senate Dems “block reform” agenda, have your top government hack shut off the lights in the chambers and kill the live public video feed to prevent access by the public and the press. This also helps stop the new group from holding the meeting.

Next, send your taxpayer-funded attorneys out judge-shopping to get injunctions filed in order to stall the process so you can create a game plan.

Then, start running robo calls attacking your two members for joining the bipartisan reform coalition. Use/leak information on them you previously kept under wraps when they were on your side.

Reach out to Al Sharpton and have him call in the troops. Get them to protest at the homes of the two Democrat Senators and maybe even have them break into one of the homes for a little added scare.

Have your government staffers reach out to their political blog friends and use them for political messaging spin.

Have one of your top government hacks lock the door to the chambers to prevent the bipartisan reform coalition from conducting the people’s business.

If you can’t stop government from moving forward in the courts, bus in the federally funded ACORN protesters to physically intimidate senators and their staffs. Spitting in the face of a female staffer might just get her to back down and shut up, in a kinda spousal abuse sorta way.
Finally, if all else fails and the Senate Democrats can’t figure out a way to gain back the absolute power they so desperately want to ensure the senate remains a New York City driven chamber, simply don’t show up for work, ensuring nothing gets done in state government.

In effect, hold the state senate and the public hostage until you get your power back. Somehow, I don’t think this is what voters had in mind when they supposedly pulled the Democrat Absolute Power lever in their voting booths last year.

Virtuoso's Fuzzy Math

At Niagara Times, we frequently think that Dennis Virtuoso has finally sunk as low as he’s capable of.

Usually, he manages to prove us wrong within a couple of weeks.

And, so it is with the issue of downsizing the county Legislature.

Republican Majority Leader Rick Updegrove of Lockport and Legislator Paul Wojtaszek of North Tonawanda, who many view as a rising star in the Majority, took the strong step of introducing legislation to downsize the Legislature following the 2010 census.

At Niagara Times, we certainly see the value in this approach. With the county manager form of government and Niagara County’s Administrative Code, frankly, there’s just no need to have 19 legislators anymore. Any fool could see that.

Which brings us back to Dennis Virtuoso. We imagine Dennis found himself in quite the pickle when Buffalo News reporter Tom Prohaska called him and asked him if he supported downsizing the Legislature. After all, even Dennis must know how popular downsizing government is on the tail of the recent referendum in West Seneca and Evans. So, coming out against government downsizing would do him no good politically.

And yet, Dennis has to know that with its plunging population Niagara Falls stands to lose the most in any redistricting. Heck, we’d even venture a guess that Dennis’s seat will probably be in the cross hairs of any redrawing of the maps by the GOP-led majority. So, how does a guy like Dennis avoid being against something hugely popular, and yet try to kill it?

He lies, that’s how.

Which is exactly what he did: “‘I don’t have a problem with it being reduced as long as the public understands they’re going to have to maybe wait longer for a response to a problem,’ [Virtuoso] said.”

“Where it’s going to hurt is the towns and villages more than anything. I know we’re going to lose a seat in the city [of Niagara Falls], but that doesn’t hurt as much. Some legislators might be representing as many as four towns.”

Um…yeah.

There’s just one little problem with Dennis’s math. A quick check with the U.S. Census Bureau shows us that Niagara Falls has, from 2000 to 2006, seen a projected 5.9% drop in its population. Meanwhile, the entire county population only shrank by 2.4% (and much of that number includes losses in the City of Niagara Falls). To use raw numbers, the population of the Falls shrank by 3,267. The entire population of the county, meanwhile, shrank by 5,380. Subtract the Falls number from the county’s, and you get a difference of 2,113.

In other words, while Niagara Falls lost 3,267 people, the rest of the county lost 2,113. There’s no way mathematically that the towns and villages will lose more seats than Niagara Falls. You don’t even have to be smarter than a Fifth Grader to figure that one out.

Breaking it down even further, each legislator currently represents about 11,600 constituents. If the Leg downsizes to 15, each will represent approximately 14,667 residents. If indeed the projections related to the plummeting Niagara Falls population are confirmed in the 2010 census, Niagara Falls is sure to lose at least two seats, likely two and a half.

Which means that, once again, Dennis Virtuoso is caught telling an untruth—and he’s doing so to scare people out in the towns who would otherwise support this measure into opposing it on false grounds.

We just wish members of the press could figure stuff like this out before they let him spew his lies.

Stachowski's Dilemma

Odds are that before recent events, you'd never heard of New York State Senator Bill Stachowski. This despite his having served over 27 years in the Senate. For most of his career, Stack toiled in virtual obscurity. He sat in the minority for those 27 years, until the Senate majority flipped with the 2008 election. All of the sudden, what Stachowski does matters.

He was identified by the Buffalo News as being the swing vote in the debate over gay marriage, and has been a strong ally of the union-dominated Working Families Party. Stachowski is faced with something he had never encountered in his previous 27 years in office: Relevance.

After last week's coup on the floor left the Republicans with a fragile 32-30 majority, one of the rogue senators, Hiram Monserrate, insinuated that the now "coalition" will fall apart if more Democrats don't join in.

Bill Stachowski, a Dem from Lake View, is one of the senators being heavily targeted by Upstate and Western New York interests to flip. Anthony Baynes, the former chairman of the Erie County control board and Buffalo-based Mark Hamister are just two of the prominent local businessmen that are said to be exerting pressure on Stack to side with the new coalition form of government.

As part of the enticement to flip, Stachowski has been offered the Chairmanship of the Senate Finance Committee by the GOP-led coalition. During last year's election, when Stachowski was facing a significant challenge from former Buffalo cop Dennis Delano, Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith promised this chairmanship to Stack. He failed to deliver on his promise. The chairmanship of Finance is one of the three most powerful positions in the Senate. The chairman of Finance is in a position to bring millions of dollars in funding back to his district, as well as wield significant power over the direction of legislation in this state. In essence, this position puts the person holding it in a position to do tremendous things for his district.

Which brings us to Stachowski's dilemma. If he says no to those who are pushing him to align with the new coalition and take the Chairmanship of Finance, he is saying that he is SO strongly aligned with the downstate Dems that he is willing to put the interests of New York City-based politicians ahead of the people whom he has been elected to represent. That is downright offensive.

Out of the 62 Senate seats, Stachowski is just one of five Democrats who do not represent a constituency in or around New York City. Please, someone tell me what NYC and WNY have in common. Whether he likes it or not, Stack has more in common with Dale Volker, George Maziarz, Cathy Young, Mike Ranzenhofer and every other Senator that represents Upstate.

He needs to put political parties aside, tell the NYC political bosses that he was elected to represent the interests of Western New York, and for the first time in his career, start doing just that.

DelMonte's Recklessness

Niagara Times has succeeded in winning friends throughout government, politics, the business sector, non-profits, even the mainstream media. So, very little of what happens in this community ends up a total surprise to us.

The truth is, we have known for some time that Lockport had become the leading contender for the proposed Yahoo! data center. We also knew that both Niagara County and Town of Lockport officials were doing their best to keep any announcement under wraps until early next week, when the town would have a legal obligation to reveal that a deal was in the works with the Internet giant.

And, by all accounts, they were doing a helluva job keeping Lockport’s potential selection off the radar—press accounts were talking about Cambria and Pembroke instead. Lockport’s economic development team had even gone so far as to hide references to it in official communications, emails, even phone conversations, calling it “Project Pilgrim.”

Negotiations of this nature are a tricky thing, after all. One misstep, one bad news article, and the whole applecart can end up upended. And what’s at stake for our region is no small thing: 125 jobs, three-quarters of which will pay north of $65,000 per year.

So, if we’re a little perturbed this morning, it’s probably because one local politician, in her desperate flailing about for credit for something that she had nothing—abso-frickin-lutely nothing!—to do with, managed to jeopardize one of the best economic development projects our region has seen in quite some time.

As Buffalo News reporter Tom Prohaska notes in his missive this morning, and Niagara Times has known since a tip from a friend yesterday afternoon, Francine recklessly sent a press release about Yahoo!’s possible siting to the press—while negotiations for the Yahoo! package were entering their critical final stages.

Here’s how Prohaska put it:

“As reporters dug into ‘Project Pilgrim,’ with The News having already obtained a confirmation of the Yahoo! selection from one source who insisted on anonymity, Assemblywoman Francine DelMonte, D-Lewiston, issued a news release Thursday afternoon that Yahoo! was ‘inching closer’ to selecting a site in Niagara County.”

“About 90 minutes later, the town issued its own news release.”

Do you understand how incredibly stupid a move Francine made? How potentially devastating for this project? Yahoo! wants to make sure they’re partnering with people who can be trusted to run a successful business-siting operation. Instead, they may be wondering today if they’re getting into bed with a bunch of, well, yahoos.

Understand, the town didn’t plan to issue its own release. Instead, Francine’s decision to keep pushing the issue (in fact, one source in the news business told us quite bluntly, she is the whole reason the press was digging in the first place) forced town officials to prematurely announce this, because they had no other choice. (Except, well, lie—which is not the brightest strategy in politics. Well, unless you’ve been spending months telling everyone that Cambria would get the Yahoo! facility—and are shameless enough to claim credit when it doesn’t even land in your district. Then, lying is probably your best bet.)

We are very optimistic about the Yahoo! project, because friends inside both town and county government have assured us that this project is very much on track, and Yahoo! is very happy with the level of support and openness that both Lockport and Niagara County have provided. And, certainly, if this moves forward, this is a feather in the caps of people like Lockport’s economic development guru Dave Kinyon, County Economic Development Commissioner Sam Ferraro, and Lockport Legislator/Economic Development Committee Chairman Rick Updegrove.

But if it does come to pass, it will be no thanks to Francine, her big mouth, and her need to take credit for things that she had nothing to do with.

Stay the hell out of Lockport’s affairs, Francine, you reckless fool.

The Coup II

I must say, I'm a little confused. The people of this state have duly elected 62 state senators to represent us in Albany. The last time I checked, each of them has the right to vote any way they see fit on an issue, hopefully in the best interests of those people that elected them. So, when they walked into the senate chambers on Monday, and voted for the person they believed would be best suited to lead the senate, who'd have imagined the chaos that ensued.

The prior leadership refused to acknowledge the vote, turned off the Internet feed, called for an adjournment to the meeting, shut off the lights and left the chambers.

Last I checked, this country is still a democracy. Elected officials have the right to vote how they choose. For the Democratic former leadership to have acted the way that they did is unconscionable. Nobody anointed you the leaders of the senate, you were elected, then you were unelected.

Meanwhile, with two weeks left in the session, nothing is getting done in Albany because the Dems refuse to open the chambers. How asinine and immature. It is exactly this type of (lack of) leadership that helped two Dems make the decision to oust Malcolm Smith.

A word of advice to the Dems: Sack up, take your medicine like men and get back to conducting the business of the state.

The Coup

There are so many angles to what went down in Albany this week, there is no way we could cover them all.

Should you like to get a perspective from outside of the local media coverage, you can find some articles related to the state Senate coup here, here, here and here.

It has been no secret that we have vehemently opposed one political party controlling the Senate, Assembly and Governor's seat. The last five+ months reinforce that concern. Former Majority Leader Malcolm Smith has been a complete disaster for the Senate, Governor David Paterson has been worse, and Shelly Silver, well, Shelly is a disaster every day.

Even if the personalities were different, one party controlling all three levels was and would have continued to be a nightmare for Upstate and Western New York. From the sweep of the NYPA funds to the IDA legislation that would have crippled employers, we would have gotten screwed over and over again. The thought of Antoine Thompson in a position of power was just downright frightening.

With the coup, Upstate and Western New York once again have some level of representation. Niagara's own state Senator, George Maziarz, was said to have played an integral role in the change in power. This is a good thing for our region. Having non-NYC-centric Senators like Maziarz, Tom Libous from Binghamton and George Winner from Elmira in positions of power will only help this region get its fair share of representation.

Great job, gentlemen. Our faith in the democratic process has been restored. Don't let us down.

Rivera’s Ancestry.com Membership Pays Off

There is much to blog on in our state today, and yet we keep returning to the latest “reporting” by our favorite local “reporter.”

We put both words in quotes because, well, neither is really accurate anymore. Over the past several months, we’ve watched the Niagara Gazette’s Mark Scheer’s writing move from the realm of legitimate journalism to something more akin to writing press releases for Francine DelMonte and Dan Rivera.

And so it is today, as Scheer, no doubt thinking himself the Gazette’s answer to Bob Woodward, breathlessly informs us of the latest scandal to plague Niagara County government: it seems that the county hired a law firm where County Republican Chairman Henry Wojtaszek’s THIRD COUSIN works.

What a scoop.

Yes, you can see the machinations of the wily Republican Chairman at work here. No doubt, Henry W. cracked the whip on the Majority Caucus and demanded that his THIRD COUSIN’s employer get the job.

We suppose it could happen. Just like we can suppose Scheer could have met Rivera, played by Hal Holbrook, in the Rainbow Mall’s parking garage at 3 in the morning. (Sorry, but if Mark’s not going to take his role as a journalist seriously, well, then neither are we.)

Of course, a reading of the lead paragraph of Scheer’s press rele—er, “news article” manages to tell us the real story: “The head of the Niagara County Democratic Party believes political and personal connections may have played a part in the hiring of a Buffalo law firm that is currently representing Niagara County interests in a pair of high-profile lawsuits.”

In fairness, we’ve thought Scheer was a putz for months, ever since his famous “Stop Pointing Out to Niagara Falls That We Suck” column ran in the Gazette. But today’s hit-piece just cracked us up. If Dan Rivera “believes” it, well, it must be newsworthy.

Still, we hope to one day be in a position of influence in local politics so Rivera can go digging through our family tree. He’s apparently quite the genealogist. Heck, we don’t even know who most of our SECOND COUSINS are. Looks like Rivera’s Ancestry.com membership is really paying off!

What Scheer doesn’t know, but ol’ Hobbes does, is that Scheer didn’t even have this story first. Rivera actually pushed it on Buffalo News reporter Tom Prohaska several days ago. Prohaska asked around, including several individuals with whom the Niagara Times has communicated, concluded Rivera’s accusations had no real merit, and ended up writing an article about the merits of the lawsuits instead.

Prohaska has been in the news business a bit longer than Scheer, and knows a turkey of a story when he sees it. Moreover, though, he’s not a putz.

We still hold out hope that Scheer will one day become a real journalist. But the Gazette isn’t exactly a place where wannabes should learn their trade. Maybe it’s time that the Greater Niagara Newspapers send him down to the minors.

Selective Enforcement

As a rule, Niagara Times has tried to avoid discussing Lewiston-Porter School Board politics. We, after all, have learned the lesson of post-Vietnam geopolitics: don’t wade into a quagmire.

However, we’re also getting sick of one school district’s constant ability to embarrass Niagara County (and we’re not talking about the Niagara Falls School District, where they’re unfamiliar with the term “nepotism”). For every good, positive thing that folks in this county do, it seems that the Lew-Port district has always been ready to steal the headlines with its latest embarrassing antics.

And so it is again now that School Board President Robert J. Weller’s penchant for forwarding less-than-politically-correct emails to colleagues has come to light. Of course, it only came to light because, following the latest school board election, there is a desire by Weller’s union-backed opponents to force him out as president of the school board at the re-organization meeting that’s coming real soon.

Let’s be honest: Weller is a moron. He probably should resign. He may even be a racist, a sexist, and everything else that’s said about him.

And yet, this morning, we’re finding him more and more a sympathetic figure.

Why?

Because the Rev. Darius G. Pridgen of Buffalo has vowed to bring his entire congregation to Lew-Port’s next board meeting to raise holy hell if Weller doesn’t meet with him and grovel beforehand.

These tactics sound eerily familiar to us. Okay, they actually sound like a page right out of the playbooks of America’s two favorite shakedown artists: Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton.

And we’d prefer to see such nonsense kept out of our community.

Moreover, though, we got a laugh this morning when we googled the Rev. Pridgen’s name and found his biography at his church. The first line of that bio is great: “Pastor Darius G. Pridgen is a man that has been chosen by God to lead and change a generation.” Nothing like a little humility.

But we decided to press on with our Google search. And, sure enough, strings including Rev. Pridgen’s name and Niagara Fall Councilman Steve Fournier produced not even one hit.

So, let’s get this straight: The president of a fairly conservative school board way out in the sticks, practically in Canada, forwarding stupid jokes to his colleagues elicits loud, chest-thumping outrage from Rev. Pridgen. A Democrat Niagara Falls councilman screaming racial epithets in a bar at 3 a.m.? Never heard of him. Gotta love that selective outrage!

Weller probably should resign. But Darius Pridgen and his traveling roadshow really should stay the hell out of Niagara County. Especially when it’s so clear that Pridgen is little more than an overinflated windbag who wants, so desperately, to be the next Al Sharpton.

Go back to Buffalo, Darius.

Friday Ruminations

Do we have another "f-ing steamroller" in our midst? Governor David Paterson's secretary, Lawrence Schwartz, has labeled himself "the enforcer". You work for an unelected governor who happens to be the lowest rated governor in the state's history. Save the pro wrestling nicknames for the ring.

It's funny that the day after Schwartz announces what a tough guy he is going to be, Paterson is announcing today that he is caving into the unions he had previously talked so tough about dealing with.

The Niagara Falls Water Authority will receive an $11 million grant from federal stimulus funds to clean out a sewer tunnel along the Niagara River Gorge. This is designed to stimulate what, more people taking a dump?

New York Power Authority President and CEO Richie Kessel thinks that the lawsuit over the sweep is more about politics than reality. NYPA bylaws state that they can only charge what they pay for electricity. I'm no math wiz, but if they can only charge what they pay, how do they accumulate a surplus that exceeds $550 million? Well, we're going to find out. I cannot wait until NYPA has to open their books in a court of law.

Word around town is that the allegations surrounding Wheatfield Supervisor Tim Demler are going to get even more inflammatory. Surveillance pictures and a video are said to exist. I'm not sure being a supervisor in a rural town in the middle of nowhere is worth that humiliation.

Lastly, it's concert season time here in Niagara County. The Labatt Blue Light Concert Series at Gateway Harbor Park in North Tonawanda will feature: June 20 -- Firefall • June 27 -- Gator Country• July 4 -- Salute to America with Terry Buchwald • July 11 -- Badfinger• Aug. 1 -- Marshall Tucker Band• Aug. 8 -- Pat Travers• Aug. 29 -- Poco.

The Lockport Molson Canal Concert Series will feature: June 26 - Rusted Root; July 3 - Our Lady Peace; July 10 - The Cult; July 17 - Kim Mitchell; July 24 - Lita Ford; July 31 - Queensryche; Aug. 7 - Eddie Money; Aug. 14 - Charlie Daniels; Aug. 21 - Randy Bachman.

The lineup for Artpark's excellent outdoor concert series can be found here.

Have a safe & happy weekend.

DelMonte Fails To Deliver - Again

Is Francine DelMonte completely worthless?

We don’t mean that as a rhetorical aside. We’re completely serious. We know that previously we put a shot across Francine’s bow over her treatment of Niagara County’s taxpayers in her little power-play involving the Seneca Niagara Casino. (Incidentally, we don’t mean to beat a dead horse, but how is it that all the mainstream media around here can write stories about her money-grab without reminding us who the Senecas’ favorite lawyer is?

But back to our main point. Other than securing a whopping $900,000 or so to fix Niagara Falls’s bombed-out, devastated excuses for streets (and mind you, she didn’t secure even that paltry sum from New York state—she stole it from other Niagara County residents), we suddenly realized she hasn’t done that much for her beloved Niagara Falls, even. We accept that she has brazenly screwed everyone in Wheatfield except Tim Demler, and everyone who lives in all the other towns in her district. (If you live in the Town of Niagara, the Town of Lewiston, the Town of Porter, the Town of Wilson, the Town of Cambria, the Town of Newfane, or the Town of Hartland, we’re talking about you.) But it suddenly occurred to us that she hasn’t actually accomplished anything of note for the Falls, either.

Perhaps we make this post this morning because we made the mistake, yet again, of watching LCTV’s coverage of the Niagara County Legislature. At the meeting, we saw a woman who heads a state-funded program essentially beg the county to pony up some funds for people who live in the worst neighborhoods in Niagara Falls, so that something called “Healthy Neighborhoods” can give free smoke detectors to people living in the firetraps that pass for homes in Paul Dyster’s dystopia.

Now, we’re not about to debate the merits of this program. We, obviously, see both good and bad in it as a concept. But what struck us was the lead paragraph in Niagara Gazette reporter Mark Scheer’s copy from earlier this week: “State budget cuts are putting a dent in a program aimed at helping residents in Niagara Falls and other parts of the county guard against fire. Theresa McCabe, public health educator for the county health department’s Healthy Neighborhood program, told members of the Legislature on Tuesday her office could use their help in maintaining services that are at risk due to cuts in state spending.”

Did you get that? Francine can’t even protect a state giveaway in her own district—her own city! According to Scheer’s article, the state cut Healthy Neighborhoods’ budget by around $10,000. Amazing, isn’t it? Francine can’t even preserve a measly $10K for a program that benefits her own core constituents.

It’s almost as if she takes them for granted.

Of course, we genuinely started to feel sorry for Ms. McCabe as she pitched her program. At one point, Niagara Falls Legislator Jason Murgia even had to pimp the program to any civic groups watching and willing to write a check.

You’d think that a supposedly powerful and influential Albany Democrat like Francine could get them a simple member item.

How pathetic. And yet, they keep voting for her.

Tax Stabilization Fund

There are certain things that need legislation, and there are certain things that are simply good government. Passing a law that caps future property tax increases at 2.5 percent per year shouldn't be required, it should simply be done to the best of their ability. Unfortunately, this is what the Niagara County Legislature is considering.

Legislator Danny Sklarski, sponsor of the measure that would create a tax stabilization fund "specifies that this money is to be used only to reduce property taxes". Do we really need a law to state that excess revenues should be dedicated to reducing taxes?

The county legislature has done a good job of keeping taxes in check, especially while many counties across the state grapple with the impact of the economic downturn, reducing the tax rate each of the past four years.

But this resolution does the same thing as the state's proposed four percent tax cap - it allows legislators to raise taxes 2.5% each year, and that's too much. Personal incomes are not rising at that rate, nor should our county taxes.

Sklarski's idea of keeping a lid on taxes is an admirable one, but it shouldn't require a law to do it.....just do it.

D.D.T - Still Toxic

Talk about a dog and pony show. Niagara Falls Mayor Paul Dyster, Assemblywoman Francine DelMonte and Senator Antoine Thompson held a press conference last week to show all the world their justification for stealing the share of the casino revenue that had belonged to all of the cities and towns of this county and diverting it all back to Niagara Falls.

That justification? The roads in Niagara Falls need paving. That's fantastic, Fran. Make sure you use that rationale when you're traveling through the towns of Lewiston, Porter, Cambria, Niagara, Wheatfield, Wilson, Newfane, and Hartland when your sorry ass is up for re-election next year. Make sure you tell them that they don't mean as much to you as Niagara Falls does.

You can lie and say there's some other justification for what you've done, but we know the truth, don't we Fran; you're pissed off at the Niagara County Legislature for calling you out on the plethora of spineless decisions you've made this year, and you don't like it. You'll show them, Franny, won't you?

It's interesting that this trio is holding a press conference to announce that this roughly $1 million is going to cure all that ails the streets of Niagara Falls, especially when the city has remained a shithole even after receiving the $50 million that was dumped into it, but now that you've taken the $1 million from the county residents, everything is going to be great? Do you think we're that stupid?

I hope...no, I pray...that this thing goes to court and a judge awards the county a 50% share of the casino revenue, as opposed to the 2% it was getting before. You three are going to have so much egg on your face, you'll just need a little flour to make a nice big cake. And I'm going to be there to turn on the oven.

Thompson's Deceit Extends To Staff

We've made no secret of our belief that New York State Senator Antoine Thompson is completely useless as a legislator. Well, completely useless to those in WNY who elected him to represent us. They love him in NYC.

He supported the "sweep" of $550 million in NYPA funds to fill the state's budget hole, he voted for a state budget that increases spending by $9 billion, and he has lead the charge on anti-business legislation, such as the bottle bill.

Although we'll rarely cite another news source in its entirety, we felt this was a necessary story to convey to those in Western New York. It is a story that appeared in the May 31 edition of the New York Post. This is what you get when you surround yourself with those who are just as deceitful and deceptive as you are. Thompson, please do all of us in Western New York who look to you to represent us in Albany a favor and resign; you're a disgrace.

The story follows in its entirety.....

New York State Senator Antoine Thompson needs to check who he has working in his office -- for all is not as it seems. The Post called Thompson, chairman of the Environmental Conservation Committee and the driving force behind the "Bigger Better Bottle Bill," which seeks to slap a five-cent deposit on bottles of water, last week to see how Coca-Cola-owned Vitamin Water managed to be written out of the law.

Water drinks containing sugar -- like all of Vitamin Water's line -- are exempt from the deposit under the new law -- which was put on ice last week by a federal judge.

A staffer who identified himself as John Taylor answered the phone at Thompson's Albany office. He said the Buffalo-area senator was on his way back home and agreed to pass on a message. After a couple of days and several calls placed to both Thompson's Buffalo and Albany offices failed to get any response, another call was made to the home office to complain about the ineffectiveness of Taylor.

There, the staff was perplexed. They claimed to have nobody on staff called John Taylor. They said the Albany staffer is Shawn Curry, a recent hire as a legislative assistant.

So who is John Taylor? That's what we wanted to know. So we called him up.

The Post: "Hi, is this John Taylor?"

"Yes"

The Post: " But isn't your name really Shawn Curry? And if so why are you giving out a fake name from the Senator's office?"

"Could you hold please . . .[in the same voice] This is Shawn Curry."

The Post: "Why are you using a fake name from the Senator's office, Shawn?"

"I am very busy, I have business to attend to, I can't answer your question."

We finally reached the good senator and explained the Taylor/Curry episode. Thompson said Curry/Taylor was "young and inexperienced" but that he would be "dealt with very aggressively."

The lawmaker also allowed that "we are rewriting the bottle bill to include Vitamin Water and all other waters with sugar in them. Nobody will be left out," he said.

The bottle bill has faced stiff legal opposition from bottled-water manufacturers who claim the expense of changing packaging to comply with the law placed them at a disadvantage in the market.

Following a court ruling in Manhattan on Friday, the new bill -- with Vitamin Water included -- looks set to go into effect next April 1.

Friday Ruminations

Sounds like the Niagara County GOP committee meeting had some interesting moments last night. Seems Wheatfield Supervisor Tim Demler is being accused of an inappropriate relationship with another committeeman's wife, and was thus denied the party's endorsement. I'm not sure what the two have to do with each other, but it sure looks like its got the making of some good drama. I can see the reality TV show cameras rolling into Wheatfield any day now. I wonder if this will impede the progress of the Oz project (sorry, I had coffee come out my nose after writing that from laughing so hard).

I'm not sure what the LaSalle Business Association is or how they grade their award recipients, but someone there seriously needs to stay off of the pipe. The group awarded Antoine Thompson their Business Person of the Year. Really? Is this the same Thompson that supported a massively bloated budget that raised taxes and fees on businesses? Or the same Antoine that supported stealing $550 million from our community with the NYPA sweep? Or the same Thompson that has proposed IDA reform legislation that would cripple employers in this community? Why do I get the feeling that the LBA is in line for a nice little member item.

The potential sale of a home in North Tonawanda where a vicious attack occurred last year is causing much emotion to rise to the surface. The city wants to sell the property to recoup some of the expenses incurred from maintaining the property, while the mother of the victim wants the house torn down. The city believes that the $15,000 demolition expenses are too much. We say you can't put a price on the devastation this girl experienced. Find a way to get the money to tear it down.

We're often critical of our state leaders, and usually rightly so. But when we read that the state is removing many companies from a state-approved Empire Zone tax credits program for failing to meet the requirements of job creation, we thought that was a strong, positive message to send. Then after further thought, we realized that the state is trying to enforce the rules during the most difficult economic times in generations, which is completely ludicrous. Maybe the state should consider the fact that so many employers are struggling because of the massive burdens placed on them by this same government.

Get ready for a host of new taxes passed as part of the state budget this spring and last month as part of a plan to bail out the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Never heard of the MTA? It's New York City's transportation system, and you are bailing it out with your hard earned tax dollars.

The Buffalo News has an excellent editorial on our state leaders' extremely successful efforts to drive New Yorkers out of the state. Great job, Antoine.

David Paterson is proposing a bill to reform Albany's ethic commissions. Talk about putting the fox in charge of the hen house. I mean, really....the home of scumbags like Hiram Montserrate and Kevin Parker is going to enact ethical standards? Hell, that's the best joke I've heard all year!

DiMillo Rock Solid

Major kudos to Lockport City Court Judge Tom DiMillo for doing what too many weak-minded judges have been unwilling to do: take on absentee landlords that do little to enhance the quality of life in a community.

DiMillo whacked Martiza Brown-Igwe, owner of two properties in the city who was found guilty of 14 building code violations, with a whopping $18, 420 in fines.

This is exactly the type of action that needs to be taken in Lockport. For too long, the building inspection has allowed absentee landlords to run roughshod over the community. When they did do their job with any level of effectiveness, there was never a prosecuting attorney or a judge to actually enforce the law.

That's changed. There's a new sheriff in town, and his name is Tom DiMillo. Scumbag absentee landlords beware.

GM Plans To Retain Delphi

For many of us who've spent any significant time in Niagara County, the demise of Harrison Radiator/Delphi Thermal has been a slow, painful one. The facility had flourished at one time, spurring many spin off businesses, from smaller parts suppliers to bars and lunch spots. They've seen employment levels that at one time were approximately 13,000 fall to 2,100, and their assessment has been cut by a third in recent years, to its current $22 million level. There's also been boatloads of public cash dumped into the facility to keep it solvent.

Most people in the Lockport area will tell you that it's not a matter of if the plant will close, but when.

That doom and gloom prediction of the facility's future may be a bit premature. General Motors has announced plans to take back six Delphi facilities, including its Lockport plant, as it tries to restructure outside of bankruptcy.

This certainly doesn't mean the facility will once again be the thriving entity it once was, but it does give us hope. The loss of 2,100 jobs would be pretty devastating to the community. Keep in mind, GM plans to announce the closing of 14 more factories as part of its previously announced effort to shutter 16 plants to trim production and cut costs. The moves will lay off 21,000 workers. Be glad we're not on those lists.

Obviously this means that there are many communities that aren't so fortunate.

As one observer noted, it's not likely that GM would try to reclaim the Delphi operations unless it were serious about returning them to the fold. That's a good sign.

Projects like the possible Yahoo! one are great, and they're sure to create jobs, but let's not forget who brought us to the dance. Companies like Harrison/Delphi have been a part of this community for decades. Let's keep 'em here for at least a few more.

Yahoo!

We've all heard the excitement surrounding the possible arrival of Yahoo! into our community. As you've likely heard, the Internet giant is considering a location in Western New York, possibly in Niagara or Orleans County. As part of the negotiations, Yahoo! is seeking 15 megawatts of low cost power, which NYPA, apparently sick of being humiliated due to their repeated failures, has seen fit to allocate for this project.

We certainly hope that this deal comes to fruition. Tech jobs are the wave of the future and Yahoo! is leading that wave.

Our problem is the inability of elected officials to keep their mouths shut. Competing press conferences from both Governor David Paterson and United States Senator Charles Schumer do little to help the process along. You see, corporations prefer to have potential investments of this magnitude kept under wraps. There is no need for their competitors to know what they're doing.

What is even more disconcerting is the inability of Schumer and Paterson to understand that their asses are now on the line. They've publicly stated that Yahoo! is coming - if the deal falls through, they're going to look bad - really bad.

What they obviously don't understand is that by coming out publicly, they've strenghtened the hand of Yahoo! on these ongoing negotiations. Yahoo! is well aware of the fact that two extremely high profile elected officials have much riding on this deal. They are now in a position to not only ask for low-cost power, they're in a position to ask for much more. Frankly, I hope they do.

Our community desperately needs good paying jobs. Of course, virtually every community in the country could say the same thing. That's what makes this deal so critical, the competition for these jobs. We are hopeful that our community economic development leaders can seal the deal. If not, Schumer and Paterson will have some serious 'splainin' to do.

Mesi & Friends, Screwing The Taxpayers

We all know the story with Baby Joe Mesi; a guy who made a name for himself fighting tomato cans while gaining fame and fortune in the boxing world. He also made a name for himself on the local bar circuit.

After his boxing career flamed out, some Democrats thought he might make a good candidate for office, despite his having sustained brain damage, and he ran for State Senate last fall. Mesi ultimately fell short of his quest, losing to former Erie County Legislator Mike Ranzenhofer.

Mesi, though, landed on his feet. He was given a do-nothing job with the State Senate Democrats, leading a staff of what is reported to be 10 people in the Buffalo office of the Senate Majority.

In case you were wondering, there are just two state senators in the Buffalo area, Bill Stachowski and Antoine Thompson, who currently serve in the Democratic Majority. So, in addition to their own bloated staffs, there are ten additional people (supposedly) working for two senators. It's estimated that the office will cost the taxpayers of the state about $700,000.

In addition, it's been reported that Mesi has been on the senate payroll since January 1, despite the fact that the office didn't even physically exist until recently. One must wonder what Mesi was doing to earn that nice $70k salary, considering he hadn't had a place to go to work.

Sadly, Mesi wasn't the only political hack to benefit from the Dems takeover of the senate. In a Niagara Times exclusive, we have learned of those who sought work, or are working, in the Democrat's State Senate Majority office. They include:

• Diane Wellenc
• Erie Paul
• Geraldine Ford
• Matt Makowski
• Tashene Erbanks
• Heather Leaderstorf
• Angela McNeal
• Marthe Ngwashi
• David Pfaff
• Christopher Walsh
• Willie Morris
• Melissa Sanchez
• Bernard Ryan
• Joseph Deomond
• Steve Spillman
• Joseph Malczerski
• Jonathan Rivera
• Kristin Keane

All are connected to the Democratic Party.

Makowski is a former associate with Lippes Mathias Wexler Freedman, with a Business Law, Political Science BA from the University of Miami.

Ford and Eubanks serve on the staff of Buffalo Council member Demone Smith. Obviously if they move over to the senate office, that creates two more openings for Smith, and the patronage gravy train keeps rolling on.

Leaderstorf works for Byron Brown in the city of Buffalo's Finance, Policy & Urban Affairs department.

Ngwashi works at the Buffalo Office of the NYS Attorney General. She previously worked as the Regional Director of the NYS Democratic Committee.

Wellenc, according to NYS BOE records, gave two separate political contributions to Mesi's campaign in 2008, one for $667.50 and the second for $996.44. Who says politics doesn't pay?

Pfaff is formerly the executive director of the Erie County Democratic Committee under Steve Pigeon. He was nailed in Comptroller Mark Poloncarz’s 2006 cell phone audit as one of two political operatives who still possessed and used county cell phones at taxpayer expense for more than a year after involuntarily leaving the county. Pfaff also was involved in a highly publicized incident in which Erie County Leg Lynn Marinelli used her pork money allocation to hire Pfaff.

One seriously has to wonder, where is the outrage? How are people like Bill Stachowski and Antoine Thompson allowed to continue to rape the taxpayers of this state without justifying their actions? They've screwed us time and time again and they just go about their merry way.

These tea parties make for fine TV, but they don't accomplish a thing. People need to get up, get together and stop this insanity. Until we do, we deserve exactly what is being shoved straight down our throats.

Up, Up and Lost

It's a beautiful day in Western New York, we have along weekend coming up, and doggonit, I'm in a jovial mood today. So, I thought a little levity would be nice. Of course, the following is indeed funny, but unfortunately, so painfully on point as well. Enjoy....

A woman in a hot air balloon realized she was lost. She lowered her altitude and spotted a man in a boat below. She shouted to him, “Excuse me, can you help me? I promised a friend I would meet him an hour ago, but I don’t know where I am.”

The man consulted his portable GPS and replied, “You’re in a hot air balloon, approximately 30 feet above a ground elevation of 2,346 feet above sea level. You are at 31 degrees, 14.97 minutes north latitude and 100 degrees, 49.09 minutes west longitude.”

She rolled her eyes and said, “You must be a Republican.”

“I am,” replied the man. “How did you know?”

“Well,” answered the balloonist, “everything you told me is technically correct. But I have no idea what to do with your information, and I’m still lost. Frankly, you’ve not been much help to me.”

The man smiled and responded, “You must be an Obama Democrat.”

“I am,” replied the balloonist. “How did you know?”

“Well,” said the man, “you don’t know where you are or where you are going. You’ve risen to where you are, due to a large quantity of hot air. You made a promise you have no idea how to keep, and you expect me to solve your problem. You’re in exactly the same position you were in before we met, but somehow, now it’s my fault.”

County To Sue NYPA

Kudos to the Niagara County Legislature for moving forward with plans to sue the state over the move of New York Power Authority surpluses into the general state budget. The county will make an effort to overturn the State Legislature action that “swept” some $544 million out of the NYPA’s coffers.

NYPA states that they are only allowed to charge what they are paying for power. If that's the case, how on earth did they compile a surplus of at least $500 million? We know they took half a billion out of our community, but does anyone really know how much they make? If nothing else, this lawsuit is going to shine a big, bright light on NYPA, and hopefully, disclose the shroud of secrecy under which the organization operates.

Unfortunately, not all county legislators see a benefit of promoting open government. Falls legislators Jason Cafarella and Dennis Virtuoso voted against supporting the litigation. Cafarella, in one of the most twisted justifications ever uttered at the courthouse, stated, "We’re going to spend taxpayers’ money to raise taxes for the rest of the state." You putz, you weren't elected to represent the rest of the state; you were elected to represent the people of Niagara Falls and Niagara County, and those people are hurting. You care so much about the rest of the state....well la-de-freakin-da. What a hero you are.

Why don't you stop being Francine DelMonte's poop boy and start doing the job you're being paid to do? We all know that you cast your vote against this resolution because DelMonte gave you your marching orders. How do you feel every morning when you look in the mirror knowing you've sold your soul?

As for the lawsuit, the county will seek a permanent injunction barring the authority from making any so-called “sweeps” or voluntary payments to the state in the future. I'm not even saying it needs to be that extreme. They can still do the sweeps, just allocate a percentage off of the top to be allocated to Niagara County. Even if 10% of their profits was returned to the county for economic development efforts, we'd have significant resources to entice businesses to relocate here and current businesses to stay here. What's the downside?

Rivera's Conspiracy Theories Misguided

On Monday, we commented on the misogynistic pattern that Democrat Party Boss Dan Rivera has exhibited the past couple of years, culminating in his repulsive attacks on Legislator Andrea McNulty—attacks that have focused not on Ms. McNulty, per se, but rather on her son, giving McNulty the choice of defending her seat, or defending her family.

Now, news comes out that McNulty has chosen the latter option, and we can’t blame her. Having seen the lows to which Rivera will stoop in his illegal use of information gleaned from his employer to destroy Gary Parenti, we would, no doubt, choose the same path as McNulty.

Still, the things that are coming out of Rivera’s mouth continue to stun.

As Democrat Party errand-boy Mark Scheer recounts in today’s Niagara Gazette, “County Democratic Party Chairman Dan Rivera questioned [Independence Party Legislature candidate Russ] Rizzo’s intentions and the timing of the two announcements, suggesting they were coordinated by the powers-that-be in the rival Republican Party. Rivera contends that prior to issues being raised about McNulty’s residency, the local GOP was attempting to position McNulty as a potential replacement for Gerald Farnham, a Republican who currently represents Pendleton in the seventh legislative district. Rivera said the GOP had hoped to continue to maintain McNulty’s Ninth District seat by replacing her with another candidate, which he said now appears to be Rizzo.”

As Mr. Spock might say, fascinating.

Dan Rivera has such an insight into the thinking of the Niagara County Republican Party, that he knew their plans before they even hatched them! Yes, no doubt the wily Henry Wojtaszek planned to replace Legislator Gerald Farnham with McNulty. One wonders if Farnham was in on this dastardly plan, because sources tell us he’s been gearing up for his re-election campaign.

Even better, a member of the Independence Party announces his candidacy for office hours before McNulty declares her intentions of not contesting her seat, and we see the nefarious hand of Republican Senator George Maziarz!

Apparently, any candidate in the Ninth District (or anywhere in Niagara County) not chosen by Rivera and the Democrat high command is to be treated as suspect, and, no doubt, part of this dastardly conspiracy.

Perhaps, for good measure, Rivera can begin linking political candidates who won’t kiss his ring to the Freemasons, the Knights Templar, the Illuminati, the Bilderbergers, the Men in Black, UN black helicopters, the Vatican Police, and the Cigarette-Smoking Man from the X-Files.

Those of us with both feet planted firmly in reality are going to go about our lives and be glad that this sordid episode has now drawn to a close. We won’t miss images of Rivera and Jimmy Sacco Jr. sneaking around McNulty’s properties early in the morning trying to catch a glimpse of her in her bathrobe. And we hope this ends Rivera’s misguided rantings about conspiracies reaching all the way to the highest office in the land.

Until then, though, we suggest those who need it get the help they need. Paranoid delusions are not something that should be left untreated.

Brown & T.O. - A Match Made In Heaven

In one of the most moronic displays of political showmanship ever seen, Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown is slated to give new Buffalo Bills wide receiver Terrell Owens the Key to the City today. Why? The guy hasn't spent a single day in the city, probably ever.

I like T.O. I've had him on my fantasy team a few times, and he's an entertaining figure. He's also 35 years-old and has been at or near the top of the league in the number of dropped passes for years. Anyone under the delusion that he signed here because he wanted to needs a reality check. He needed a job and the Bills needed something to stimulate some interest in a team that currently has the longest streak in the NFL of not making the playoffs. If you're expecting 1,300 yards and 12 TDs, you're in for a rude awakening.

He's also proven to be one of the most divisive forces in NFL locker rooms in the past 10 years. His resume in San Fran, Philly and now Dallas speak for themselves.

But I digress, this isn't about T.O., it's about Brown trying to score a public relations touchdown by giving T.O. the key. So, why Owens? What the hell has this guy done to deserve this? There are hundreds, if not thousands, of people in or from Buffalo that would be so much more worthy of this honor than Owens.

Do I want Owens to be a big hit in Buffalo? The answer is two-fold: Frankly I don't care, because Bills fans are among the biggest idiots I've ever encountered, but, I do want Owens to do well because I think the region could use some good news, and something to make people feel good about themselves.

But giving the key to the city when there are so many more deserving people from this community is just insulting to those people who've done so much. How the hell Brown doesn't see that is beyond me.

Rivera Continues To Target Women

I really don't know what Niagara County Democratic Chairman Dan Rivera's relationship status is, and frankly I'm not quite sure I want to know. But one thing that is difficult for anyone to refute is Rivera's propensity for less than stellar interaction with women.

We're all quite familiar with the incident in which allegations of physical and verbal abuse were levied against Rivera by former Lewiston Dem Chairwoman Diane Roberts, which lead to her resignation.

We've also touched on the involvement with the Niagara Dems in what turned out to be a front for a sex-slave ring. As you may recall, the Dems received boatloads of campaign cash from the owners of the chain of "massage parlors", and even after they were arrested, the Dems refused to give any of that money back. These were dollars that were made by women who were literally imprisoned and forced to perform sexual acts for money.

In addition, there was Rivera's highly publicized battle with former ally Kelly Taylor, which culminated with Rivera asking the Niagara County District Attorney to investigate the nominating petitions Taylor circulated for former Congressional candidate Jack Davis.

Now, Rivera is going after another woman, and another Democratic woman at that. Rivera has unleashed his attacks on Niagara County Legislator Andrea McNulty, alleging that she doesn't live in the same house she did when she was elected.

Now, I don't know too much about the law that governs this, and frankly, I don't care. She states that she lives in the district she was elected to represent. Until someone with some actual legal standing says different, I'll chalk this up to political rhetoric. The problem, though, is Rivera. He's not waiting for someone with legal standing to issue an opinion, he's going right for the jugular of, you guessed it, another woman.

In today's Buffalo News, he doesn't state something to the effect of "we might want to take a look at this" or "I've heard she may have moved, but I'll let those who are responsible for oversight of these matters to make that determination". Nope, Rivera comes right out with this gem: “My contention is, not only is the office vacant, she’s been defrauding the public. She owes the county back her salary for the months since she moved out of her district.” Really Dan? So you think it's okay to slander someone before anyone actually has any facts on the situation? Or, is it that you think it's okay to slander a woman before anyone actually has the facts on the situation?

I've said it before and I'll say it again: I think women abusers are the absolute lowest form of scum in the human race. I'm not saying Rivera is or he isn't. But if it walks like a duck, talks like a duck...well, you know the rest.

Given Rivera's propensity for going after women, especially Dem women, Renae Kimble best cover her ass. Danny boy just may be looking for his next target. Of course, I'm pretty sure Renae could hold her own in a battle with Dan. In fact, I'd go as far as to say I think she could take him.

Parkway Angst Misguided

The Niagara County Legislature has made the decision not to take a position on the issue of whether to keep or remove the Robert Moses Parkway between downtown Niagara Falls and Lewiston.

My question is, who was even looking to the county leg to take a position on this issue, and more importantly, why? This roadway was not designed by the county, nor was it constructed by the county, owned by the county or maintained by the county. The Parkway is a state (DOT) road and it's maintained by State Parks.

For over eight years, various entities have been studying the long-term use of the Parkway. They've studied whether or not to remove it, whether to cuts the number of lanes, whether or not to upgrade it or to simply maintain it as is. In eight years of studies, not a single tangible recommendation has been implemented.

But why anyone is looking at the county leg to make this decision is beyond me. This a state decision, and the one state elected official that represents both Lewiston and Niagara Falls is Assemblywoman Francine DelMonte. She is the one person that is in the best position to determine the direction of this debate.

Her problem is this. If she comes out in support of removing the Parkway, she pisses off the residents of Lewiston. If she comes out in support of keeping the Parkway, she alienates the people of Niagara Falls. Why? Because everyone needs to protect their little fiefdom. The "leaders" in Niagara Falls believe that the Parkway gives visitors a way out of their city, and they want a captive audience. The folks in Lewiston want to keep the Parkway because it allows visitors to Niagara Falls a quick getaway to scenic Lewiston. It's all very unseemly.

That being said, the people that control this decision are refusing to make a decision. This is 1,000 miles away from being in the hands of the county leg. Francine, who has completely alienated people outside of the Falls, is the one who needs to make this call. As usual, unfortunately, she continues to pass the buck - except when it comes to supporting her pimp, Shelly Silver.

This issue has dragged on way too long. This is a state issue, I only wish we had a state legislator representing that end of the county who actually has the ability to take responsibility for her responsibilities.

Tailgunner Dennis: No Sense Of Decency

Niagara Gazette reporter Mark Scheer has quite an interesting article up this morning about what sources tell us was a more-than-embarrassing evening for Dennis Virtuoso, the Joe McCarthy of the Niagara County Legislature.

It seems Virtuoso pursued his witch-hunt of County Treasurer Dave Broderick last night at a meeting of the Legislature’s Administration Committee, and came away looking like the aforementioned McCarthy, Elmer Fudd, and Wile E. Coyote all wrapped up in one.

Niagara Times will preface our comments with this note: We continue to agree with Virtuoso in principle about Dave Broderick’s handling of the public administrator responsibilities inherent in his county treasurer job. Broderick’s failure to accord transparency to that role has damaged his personal standing and his office. Likewise, we do not condone Broderick’s decision to award real estate work associated with the disposal of estates to his wife.

But we find Virtuoso’s McCarthyesque tactics even more damaging to the institutions of county government, and even more deserving of condemnation.

The problem with Virtuoso’s pursuit of Broderick has never been whether or not Broderick’s actions needed to be scrutinized: They do. But Virtuoso was never interested in justice. Virtuoso has been trying to bully a veteran officeholder into resigning his post at risk of his good name—a post that would then be filled by a governor’s appointee.

In other words, Dennis Virtuoso has been trying to use a witch hunt to overturn a democratic election and replace a Republican chosen by the voters with a Democrat chosen by David Paterson.

And that we can’t condone.

When Surrogates Court judges Sara Sheldon Sperrazza and Matt Murphy asked New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli to conduct an audit of Broderick’s practices in the wake of revelations that he had turned to his real-estate agent wife to dispose of estates on several occasions, the issue was both taken out of the county’s hands and placed in those of the appropriate body. The Comptroller’s office is obviously the best-equipped agency to scrutinize financial practices by an officeholder. It’s also the appropriate body given that the role of public administrator was itself assigned to Broderick by judges of a state-level court, and not a county court. Niagara County never had a legitimate oversight role. Niagara County’s government could no more investigate Broderick’s conduct of the public administrator office—a state-assigned office—than it could investigate the actions of a state trooper acting within its borders.

A level-headed reading of the law would have led any reasonable person to that conclusion.

And, indeed, from what Scheer reports, and a friend inside the county government tells us, that is precisely the case that County Attorney Claude Joerg made before the Administration Committee last night.

In the process, we are told, Virtuoso—who we’ll affectionately refer to as Tailgunner Dennis from now on—was rocked back on his heels, much like Joe McCarthy was 54 years ago, by another lawyer. Apparently, Tailgunner Dennis quite literally stuttered and stammered his response after Joerg read aloud a three page legal opinion that cited case law related to the public administrator office going all the way back to 1902. Scheer’s description of Tailgunner Dennis’s reaction is a bit kinder to the Minority Leader, but only slightly: “While Virtuoso bristled at the notion the county is required to continue to pick up costs related to Broderick’s estate work, Joerg suggested it is an obligation of the county based on the laws covering the public administration of estates. In essence, he said, it amounted to another unfunded mandate from New York state.”

Anyone who has ever seen Virtuoso in action knows that he once loved to denounce those same unfunded mandates from New York state. Well, at least until his party came to control every part of the state government.

We are also told that Joerg cautioned county legislators that the audit of Broderick’s office will likely result in a demand that the county treasurer of Niagara County provide additional services in the appointed capacity of public administrator—requiring even more time, energy, and county resources to be dedicated to this task. While it was not Virtuoso who initiated this audit, we can’t help but wonder if his—and his party’s—incessant fanning of the flames might have just made government more expensive for everyone living in Niagara County. Thanks, Dennis!

We agree with Virtuoso that Broderick has failed enormously in carrying out his office in the manner that the public expects. But unlike Virtuoso, we’re not ready to shred more than a hundred years of case law and the state constitution. Dave Broderick may have to answer for his failings in a Comptroller’s audit, and he may have to answer to the voters at the polls.

But he shouldn’t have to answer to a hyper-partisan and petty tyrant on a witch-hunt. That went out of style in 1954:

DelMonte Gets Left In The Dust...Again

The recent actions of Assemblywoman Francine DelMonte have made her a figure for whom Niagara Times has very little sympathy anymore. But even if that weren’t the case, we still would have gotten a chuckle out of an article in Monday’s Buffalo News.

The News broke a story—er, reported on news released by U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer, that Yahoo! (as in the search engine company) was considering siting a data center in either Genesee or Orleans County.

Great news, and something we hope happens.

But, like a precocious, know-it-all child who has long since worn out her teachers’ willingness to call on her, Francine DelMonte rushed to put out her own press release announcing that Yahoo! was also considering siting their facility in Cambria. (You can almost picture Francine, having been left in the dust by Schumer, with her hand stretched skyward, waving it to get the teacher’s, or the press’s, attention…)

So, why do we chuckle? After all, being of Niagara County ourselves, we’d actually like Francine to be right on this one. But does anyone believe for a second that Chuck Schumer would rush to announce that Yahoo! was looking to build its data center, and create jobs, in the middle of a Republican-dominated county like Orleans or Genesee, and totally ignore Niagara County, where Democrats at least have more than a token a presence? Heck, come to think of it, Kyle Andrews, who represents Cambria, is himself a Democrat. As is DelMonte, who represents a district that includes Cambria.

It would, of course, defy logic for Schumer to do that.

Which means Francine is, in essence, telling a political whopper, and trying to look important after her own party’s senior U.S. senator just left her high and dry.

Francine DelMonte talks a big game, but between this, and her inability to get Niagara County’s stimulus funding priorities in front of U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand before Legislature Chairman Bill Ross did so, makes us wonder if Francine has any political juice in her own party at all.

Kimble: The True Leader In The Minority Caucus

We really have to commend Niagara County Legislator Renae Kimble.

There was a time, here at Niagara Times, that we thought we’d never type those words. Kimble once was, after all, one of the most radical members of the county legislature and the local Democratic Party. But since her party’s been out of power locally, Kimble has proven herself the most adept and far-thinking member of the Minority Caucus.

So it is with the news, reported in yesterday's Niagara Gazette, that Niagara County now has a lobbyist on the payroll. Niagara Times more often than not finds itself in the position of supporting Majority members, but in this case, one of the best ideas so far this year came from Kimble. It was she—and she alone, without support, other than lip-service, from supposed Minority Leader Dennis Virtuoso—who moved the notion forward as the county was looking for ways to reel in stimulus dollars.

Bigger governments, such as New York City, have had lobbyists on the payroll for years. Erie County as well, despite the fact that their county legislators are full time, and paid accordingly. But Niagara has had to go it alone, and rely on dedicated representatives in Albany like Senator George Maziarz to bring home the bacon. In the changed political climate since November, where people like Francine DelMonte seemingly have more power, yet are more concerned with settling political scores than seeing to it that the county taxpayers get their fair share of the tax dollars they send to Albany, this is an idea whose time has come.

Actually, it would have been a welcome idea years ago. But it’s honestly critical now, and Kimble deserves applause for being the brains behind the idea.

We also have to commend the bi-partisan spirit Kimble seems to be working under lately. In the Gazette article linked above, Kimble recounts to reporter Mark Scheer that Legislature Chairman Bill Ross had the chutzpah to take Niagara County’s stimulus-dollar case right to U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand. (One would think that a fellow Democrat lawmaker like Francine DelMonte would have already done that, but as Scheer’s article implies, apparently not…go figure.)

Still, it’s refreshing to see that Kimble sees herself as part of a bi-partisan team working for the county taxpayers’ interests, instead of playing petty partisan gotcha games like Virtuoso always does. That’s not to say that Kimble doesn’t occasionally make a stand for a position we find just plain wrong. But that’s why we have two parties. Virtuoso, in his quest to make everything about party and turn everything into a war, forgets that.

It hardly seems a stretch to opine that if Kimble was leading the Democratic Caucus in the Legislature, a lot more might get done—and a lot more might get done in a much more open and bi-partisan spirit.

Sweatin' With The Socialists

Get your spandex on!

Broderick Must Repay Funds

The mess surrounding Niagara County Treasurer Dave Broderick appears to be on a fast track to nowhere. Two measures aimed at changing the way Broderick handles private estate work were forwarded to a County Legislature committee Tuesday with little discussion.

One of the measures, proposed by Dennis Virtuoso, called for the county to conduct an audit to determine what public resources have been used by Broderick for his private work. Virtuoso also wants the county to bill Broderick for the audit and then seek reimbursement for any public resources he has used for estate work for which he has earned private pay. There is no gray area here...this needs to pass.

I've always said I like Broderick. He seems like a pretty decent guy, and 30 years of public service is something he should be very proud of. But if one penny of my money was used to fund his handling of private estates, work that he has been compensated very handsomely for, I want it back.

Yes, Broderick, as treasurer, is permitted by state law to handle the estates of people who die without valid wills or where problems arise with executors. But that law doesn't say one thing those duties being conducted on the public's time or the public's dime. You want to administer estates, Dave? Do it after work. Reimburse us for the expenses we've incurred for previous expenses, then just stop doing it from 9-5.

This is not a small deal. This is a misuse of public funds. As far as I'm concerned, the best Broderick should hope for is only reimbursing the county for previous expenses, and he should do it quietly and glady. Raising a stink about this will only bring more attention to it - and I'm not quite sure that's the kind of attention Broderick wants.

Ross Truly Has A Pair

Word has come to Niagara Times that Legislature Chairman Bill Ross pulled off quite the political coup on Monday.

As most of you know, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand did a rapid-fire tour of Western New York on Monday. While much of the local media decided her stop at a grocery store was more newsworthy than the higher-level discussions that took place right in Niagara County, apparently the real story took place inside the Niagara Falls Convention Center.

Gillibrand held an economic summit, attended by Niagara Falls Mayor Paul Dyster, Ross, Legislators Andrea McNulty, Dennis Virtuoso, and Renae Kimble, Lewiston Mayor Dick Soluri, and representatives of a few assorted other community interests. Niagara Times is also told that Ross had the county’s hard-working economic development director, Sam Ferraro, in tow.

Apparently, as Gillibrand circled the table shaking hands, Ross — like a quick-drawing gunslinger from the old, Wild West — thrust a copy of the county’s stimulus request into Gillibrand’s outstretched hands, before enthusiastically welcoming her to the county.

The stimulus request, which Ferraro put together some months ago, has been a centerpiece of Ross’s strategy to make sure that Niagara County gets all the federal dollars it is due. While the stimulus bill that Congress passed, and David Paterson eviscerated, is open to criticism, bringing home dollars that were yanked from our pockets—and our children’s—is a goal we can get behind.

Anyway, Gillibrand is said to have spent several minutes perusing the county’s detailed funding request, and found it to her liking. (That’s probably because of Ferraro’s rumored stringent demand that most of the items the county put forward truly met the original definition of “shovel-ready” projects.) After reviewing the report, Gillibrand announced to the room that Niagara County had her full backing for their requests, and that her office would be adding its voice in support of any project that Niagara seeks to fund at the federal or state level. Apparently she even offered to seek federal grants for projects not greenlighted by the state.

Ross and Ferraro deserve some applause for this maneuver. It was, if you’ll excuse the term, ballsy. It also just improved Niagara County’s chances of getting a return from the stimulus. For that, Bill Ross deserves a lot of gratitude.

Fournier Should Resign

When news broke Monday morning that a Niagara Falls councilman had been involved in a bar brawl, our first instinct was to roll over and hit the snooze bar. It was hardly becoming of an elected official, but it didn’t exactly rise to the level of high crimes and misdemeanors, either. Frankly, the only redeeming quality of the story at all was that it was less dull than the latest rehashing of the AES snooze-fest.

But as more details have emerged it has become clear that Falls City Councilman Steve Fournier must resign.

The Niagara Times has always been a staunch defender of the notion of “innocent until proven guilty.” However, the troubling details revealed in today’s Niagara Gazette story by ace crime-and-cops-beat reporter Rick Pfeiffer make it clear that Fournier can no longer effectively govern.

The police report against Mr. Fournier is damning. Of particular note is this passage, and here, we’ll lift directly from Pfeiffer: “‘That (expletive, racial slur) was trying to start (expletive) with me and you’re not gonna (expletive) do anything about it?’ [NFPD Officer Scott] Warme wrote Fournier said to him.”

Classy. And stupid, given that 24% of the population of Niagara Falls is non-white. Certainly, not a good re-election strategy. But moreover, not a bright governing strategy, either.

Of course, Fournier compounds his stupidity—excuse us, allegedly compounds his alleged stupidity: “‘Do you guys know who you just (expletive) arrested?’ Warme quoted Fournier as saying as he was led to the car.”

Yeah, that’s always been an effective argument.

We also got a kick out of this: “‘I don’t remember using those words,’ the councilman said. ‘Honestly, I don’t know what I said.’ Fournier also absolutely denied making a racial slur. ‘I really don’t remember saying that,’ he said. ‘I have so many African American friends, I don’t believe I would have said that.’”

Ah, yes, the favorite fallback of bigots: But, I have lots of black friends!

Still, more embarrassing might be the behavior of Fournier’s fellow elected officials in the Falls. At least Fournier has the excuse of not being sober; Mayor Paul Dyster and Council President Chris Robins have no excuses for their simpering behavior. Leaders stand up for what’s right. These clowns just mouth clichéd lawyer weasel words to protect their bar-brawling buffoon of a buddy. And, given the lows to which racial relations have sunk under Mayor Dyster, you would think he’d want to get out in front on this one.

His deafening silence on Fournier’s choice of words is no better than condoning the DPW’s whites-only drinking fountain. It’s time for Dyster to lead, for a change.

The Godfather, The Undertaker & The Assemblywoman

(Please load the youtube video/audio prior to reading).

Thanks to the efforts of Mike Hudson (of Niagara Falls Reporter fame), Stefano “The Undertaker” Magaddino’s thuggish behavior will never be forgotten. In fact, you can still get Hudson’s book on Amazon; it’s worth the price of admission. But based on some recent developments, I am hoping Hudson has a sequel in mind, involving a woman who would have given The Undertaker a run for his money.

Several sources have told us that Niagara County Legislature Chairman Bill Ross got more than he bargained for during a recent reception for dozens of foreign trade reps from Europe, Asia, the Caribbean, and elsewhere. The tour was organized using—irony of ironies—Niagara County’s share of casino revenue (along with money kicked in by Erie and Chautauqua counties).

Anyway, we hear Ross was enjoying the first night’s reception at the Hyatt in Buffalo, when who comes up to him but Francine “The Assemblywoman” DelMonte. Now, Ross had to be looking for the nearest exit, as readers of this blog know what happened the last time he and DelMonte crossed paths in a public place.

Fortunately for Ross, this time The Assemblywoman spared him a humiliating public dressing down. Instead, she came up to him, made some comment about “I want you all to see this,” and proceeded to plant a big kiss on Ross. Maybe she thought it was a warm gesture, but those of us who grew up watching films like The Godfather, Goodfellas, and Casino, and who still miss The Sopranos, we know what a kiss like that usually means.

Given The Assemblywoman’s actions immediately afterwards, I’m ruling out “warm gesture.” Ross would do well to not go on any fishing trips anytime soon.

Just days later, a letter from Francine “The Assemblywoman” DelMonte began running in local newspapers. In it, The Assemblywoman tells us that it wasn’t personal, it was just business, her taking that money from the county’s taxpayers. You see, the County Family didn’t have what she considered a good enough “signature project,” and didn’t have the kind of strong policies in place for spending money that the Niagara Falls Family has. Naturally, all the signature projects she proposes are things in Niagara Falls, like NCCC’s failed culinary institute.

So, The Assemblywoman and Antoine Thompson decided to make the County Family an offer we couldn’t refuse, and took money from all of our families to give to her cronies in the Falls.

More laughable, though, was the notion that The Assemblywoman forth in her letter, that Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center, one of the recipients of casino cash, “serves the county.” Uh…yeah. That’s why Lockport, Newfane, Lewiston, and North Tonawanda all have hospitals of their own, Francine. I guess they can expect their checks soon?

Still, the best line, though, in The Assemblywoman’s letter has to be this: “I have also received thanks from many Niagara Falls residents who support the action taken by Sen. Thompson and me in the recent budget.”

No doubt, she told them all that someday, The Assemblywoman might call upon them to do her a favor.

This Broderick Stuff Smells

I don't know anything about the role the County Treasurer is supposed to play in being the executor of estates. Clearly, the State Legislature had something in mind for smaller counties when they wrote the law that gave the Treasurer this power.

I don't know who is and isn't telling the truth in this debacle Dave Broderick got himself into with the Snyder family. Lots of allegations, lots of charges.....and no one appearing overly honorable.

I do know that Dave Broderick has appeared to be a good public servant for the people of Niagara County for a lot of years. That record earns you some benefit of the doubt.

So, with all that said, I can't help but agree with much of the Buffalo News editorial that beats Broderick up over this estate stuff. It just doesn't smell right.

Giving real estate work to your wife from the estates you are administering...even just one....isn't right. Giving your brother legal work is wrong. Hooking up long time friends isn't acceptable. And doing it all away from the public spotlight....well, that creates the mess Broderick finds himself in right now.

It's time Broderick stand up, answer all questions, comes clean and lets the chips fall where they may. Sure, the other side is playing politics with this...that's what politicians do. But playing politics doesn't necessarily mean they are wrong.

Hey Buddy, Can Ya Spare A Quarter?

It’s the rare day when I find myself in complete agreement with both Governor David Paterson and Sen. Chuck Schumer. Okay, come to think of it, I don’t think it’s ever happened.

And I don’t normally like to get bogged down on issues of relatively minor consequence. But Schumer and Paterson’s call for a quarter-dollar depicting Niagara Falls on the obverse is a case of a small issue worth making a fuss over.

After the blazing success of the Fifty States quarter series, the U.S. mint is now pursuing an “America’s Beautiful National Parks” quarter series. As the name implies, the quarters will depict national parks from the 50 U.S. states.

The problem is, the most worthy site to engrave on the back of New York’s quarter is actually a state park.

While the City of Niagara Falls has, itself, seen better days, and I place the blame for that squarely on the shoulders of politicians, Niagara Falls the landmark never ceases to amaze. And every reader who has ever gazed across from the catwalk in Ontario or lunched at Top of the Falls or gotten drenched on the Maid of the Mist or stood in a poncho inside the Cave of the Winds knows that Niagara Falls deserves its place as one of the wonders of the world.

Likewise, the role that the Niagara Falls State Park, or, more accurately at the time, the Niagara Reservation, played as a contemporary of Yosemite cannot be overstated in helping to bring about our national park system. Frederick Law Olmsted’s ideas about parks, which were really set in motion at Niagara Falls, would prove critical in developing much of the modern national park system.

Besides, a quick perusal of the national parks in New York is a bit disappointing, and, in the case of the Statue of Liberty, clichéd.

The U.S. Mint should, in this instance, make an exception and honor real American beauty.

Byron Brown Buffaloes Buffalo

An article in Wednesday’s Buffalo News by reporter Bryan Meyer contains some wonderful news: Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown has a plan to fix Buffalo’s poverty problem. It turns out that all that is necessary is “boosting literacy rates, expanding job training, reducing neighborhood blight and promoting affordable housing.” Wow. That’s some bold thinking. In other words, every Big Government solution offered since the Johnson Presidency. Maybe Byron could declare war on poverty in a Texas drawl while he’s at it.

But wait, it gets better:

“More than 15 months after Brown hired a deputy mayor to forge an anti-poverty strategy, administration officials released the long-awaited plan at a City Hall news conference. They were joined by more than 40 community activists and service-providers, some of whom provided input during the review process. Brown acknowledged that the 77-page report is ‘just a starting document’ that will require many collaborations and extensive work.”

Okay, so it took 15 months for the new deputy mayor, Donna Brown, to write a 77-page report that is “just a starting document.” And mind you, this deputy mayor’s whole purpose in life—the reason she comes in to Buffalo City Hall and punches the clock every day—was to “forge an anti-poverty strategy.” In case you’re wondering, that means Donna cranked out less than a quarter-page of his report per day since she’s been in office, give or take a noun and a couple adjectives.

Here’s a suggestion for that anti-poverty strategy, Byron. And ol’ Hobbes is gonna offer it to you free of charge: stop hiring bureaucrats who work at a snail’s pace and spit out platitudes.

But wait. It’s not done getting better:

“While the plan does not attach cost estimates to any of the initiatives, it mentions federal stimulus aid through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act as a potential funding source for some anti-poverty efforts.”

Okay, so just to recap: Byron Brown hired a deputy mayor to come up with an anti-poverty plan. It took her 15-plus months to come up with a 77-page document. (The copy of “Everyday with Rachel Ray” I was perusing at my dentist’s office today had 168 pages—and the muffin recipe looked yum-o. But I digress.) Best of all, this slim booklet of platitudes doesn’t even offer any idea about costs or how to pay for them, except the brilliant, “Maybe we can get someone else to pay for it!”

Okay, the subject of the story was itself a bit irksome. But more irksome is the fact that “reporter” Bryan Meyer cranked his copy out without once challenging any of Byron Brown’s assertions. Didn’t a single penetrating question about this boondoggle cross his mind? Heck, couldn’t he at least have looked up Donna Brown’s salary? I mean, if she couldn’t tell us what her “plan” was gonna cost, couldn’t Meyer at least told us what SHE costs?

Whatever it is, I’m pretty sure it’s a root cause of Buffalo’s poverty.

Who Is Cafarella Fighting For?

I was more than a little disappointed by the story in the Buffalo News about Jason Cafarella, the Niagara Falls legislator and one-time renegade Democrat.

The truth is, I’ve always had a soft spot for Cafarella. He bucked his own party establishment a bit to get where he is, and for a while he showed some degree of independence from the hyper-partisan Dennis Virtuoso in the Legislature. Actually, I always thought he was kind of a straight shooter. Lately, though, he’s been voting the party line far more than bucking it, and, quite frankly, has been acting a lot like, well, like a Niagara Falls politician.

And I don’t mean that as a compliment.

So, when it broke that the Pine Avenue Business Association had allowed its members’ health insurance policies to lapse, despite taking payments from the members for insurance they thought they were getting, my first thought was, “Slimeballs.” But when I found out that Cafarella was the attorney for these guys and offering up lawyerly platitudes, I was more than disheartened.

See, when Jason Cafarella says things like “the Association had been making payments to Independent Health, but ‘did fall behind’” and the best explanation he can offer for his client’s bad behavior is “I feel very bad for all the people who were negatively impacted, and I do agree it’s taken too long to resolve this issue,” and tells the press he advised the Association’s board not to comment, I wonder what became of that straight shooter.

Look, I get that lawyers have to protect the interests of their clients. But it’s the PINE AVENUE Business Association. And that means that these were businesses not only right in the heart of Niagara Falls, but businesses right in the heart of Cafarella’s own district. And it sure looks like they got gypped.

Jason Cafarella needs to choose between his constituents and his client.

On The Wrong Track

In yesterday's Buffalo News, I read that new high-speed rail service will stop short of Niagara Falls. Rep. Louise M. Slaughter, the Fairport Democrat who is leading the congressional efforts to land funding for the Empire Corridor, said she envisions Niagara Falls as part of a long-term high-speed rail system that could connect Buffalo with Toronto, Montreal and Cleveland.

But she acknowledged that Niagara Falls would not likely be included in the first parts of the project, simply because a new route would have to be set to accommodate high-speed trains between Buffalo and the Falls.

Just a month ago, New York’s least popular governor ever, David Paterson, and Mayor Paul Dyster of Niagara Falls, were exuberant, telling us that high-speed commuter trains would be coming right to Niagara Falls.

In fact, Dyster had this to say, courtesy of Mark Scheer, the Gazette reporter who has already told us he’ll never utter a bad word about the Falls again.

Mayor Paul Dyster and City Planner Tom DeSantis, who attended Paterson’s news conference at the Rensselaer Amtrak station near Albany, expressed confidence that inclusion of Niagara Falls in the strategy will make it more likely for local projects — including the proposed $33 million inter-modal rail station near the Whirlpool Rapids Bridge — to receive much-needed state and federal funding. “It’s just a tremendous announcement from our perspective,” Dyster said. “It’s a big deal. This is a battle we won. It makes us available for funding under the appropriations bills and under the stimulus package.”

Nice job “winning that battle,” Mayor. George S. Patton, you ain’t.

Yeah, That's The Ticket

Sometimes, I’m tempted to add sound effects to Niagara Times. Just insert a big HTML button in the middle of a post that readers could hit and hear a sound effect that summed everything up. Today's, for instance, would play Jon Lovitz’s catch-phrase from Saturday Night Live, back when it was funny.

So it is with the latest news out of Paul Dyster’s dystopia: The Niagara Falls Planning Board has finally figured out what ails the Cataract City. It’s not corrupt city politicians running Niagara Falls like their own third-world fiefdom. It’s not a disproportionately high portion of the population being on some form of public assistance. (Did I say disproportionately? Try ludicrously. Ridiculously. Insanely.) It’s not that the current mayor thinks that dumping hundreds of thousands of dollars into “public art” in the center of a traffic circle is more pressing than repairing his crumbling roads.

Nope.

It’s that the current zoning codes don’t allow 60-story buildings. That, the city planning board tells us, is what’s keeping the Niagara Falls economy down and preventing a renaissance in that city.

Now, say it with me: Yeah, that’s the ticket.

Look, I’m all for urban planning, but this seems a bit like putting the cart before the horse. The Seneca Niagara Casino’s hotel is the tallest building by far on the city skyline, and it’s only 27 stories tall. The United Office Building, which went up back in the 1920s, is shorter. The rest of the skyline generally tops out at six stories or less, with only one or two exceptions—and neither one of them is giving the casino a run for its money.

By the way, the Empire State Building is only 102 stories tall.

So, while the streets of Niagara Falls crumble and its economy continues to shrink (the Niagara Falls unemployment rate stands at 12.7%, which is the highest in the region—much higher than both Niagara County and the City of Buffalo), Mayor Dyster and his merry men build public art and pass zoning codes for skylines that no one is even pondering.

I realize, too, that there are those who will point to Canada’s booming skyline and say, “It could happen here.” Maybe. But maybe the fact that Clifton Hill doesn’t destroy your car’s alignment has something to do with it, too.

Mayor Dyster should spend his time worrying about things like water mains and blacktop, not his quixotic effort to duplicate the New York City skyline.

Come to think of it, that would be the ticket.

Deadpan Dennis Not So Funny

Watching the Leg’s Minority Leader, Dennis Virtuoso, in action is like watching the greatest comedy men of all time all rolled into one. His deadpan, serious delivery of his howlers puts even Johnny Carson to shame.

And so it was the other night in Lockport, as Virtuoso rode out to challenge the Majority Caucus and defend the honor of his patron like a third-grader defending his not-so-secret crush.

Let me set the scene, for those of you who haven’t had the, um, privilege of watching Tuesday night’s Legislature meeting on LCTV yet:

Setting up one of Virtuoso’s comedy routines was Rick Updegrove from Lockport, who introduced, along Legislature Chairman Bill Ross and Lewiston Republican John Ceretto, a pair of resolutions urging the state to rescind a memorandum of understanding that frees the New York Power Authority from giving $8 million a year to four state parks, including Artpark in Ceretto’s Lewiston district and the Niagara Falls State Park in, well, in Virtuoso’s own hometown. The annual $8 million is part of NYPA’s relicensing agreement for its Niagara and St. Lawrence power projects; it goes directly into the operation and maintenance of the four state parks.

Now, you’d think a guy like Virtuoso, who is so proud to be from Niagara Falls that he defends the Cataract City at every turn, might be a bit perturbed to find out that that the big tourist draw in his hometown just got short-changed a few million bucks, right? But where would righteous outrage about a real slight to the Falls leave Dennis? Without a comedy routine, that’s where!

Now, just to remind you all of where this issue comes from, you might recall that a couple months back, Governor David Paterson, along with his new BFF Francine DelMonte, raided NYPA’s fund balance to the tune of $550 million. Updegrove and other members asked the obvious question: how do you raid NYPA’s fund balance to the tune of half a billion dollars, and then forgive NYPA’s annual contribution to parks, and then still tell people that the sweep isn’t hurting them?

Deadpan Dennis found a way, and here, I quote from the Buffalo News: "That sweep did not affect the $8 million,’ (Virtuoso) said, although he acknowledged that a general 15 percent reduction in parks funding resulted in reduced hours and dates of operation.”

Yeah. It wasn’t that the money was swept. It was all the other cuts that did it.

Actually, come to think of it, this guy’s comedy routine isn’t so funny after all.

Newfane Superintendent's Dumb Comments

It's become all too common and all too unfortunate to pick up the paper or turn on the t.v. news to learn of another story about sexual misconduct between a teacher and a student. Quite frankly, it seems to be bordering on an epidemic.

On the day that a female South Buffalo Charter School teacher was sent behind bars for four years for sleeping with a 14-year old student, a Newfane Special Ed teacher was arrested on misconduct charges with one of his students.

And what was Newfane School Superintendent Gary J. Pogorzelski's comments on this tragedy? "We are standing tall because we did initiate this investigation."

Well, whoopdeedoo.....congratulations. I'm sure that makes everyone feel better. You're standing tall today because your school district that less than a decade ago was considered one of the better small school districts in WNY has become known more for it's place in the police blotter rather than the school rankings?

Mr. Pogorzelski, you are a joke. You have no leadership skills and your school district is in shambles. Let's recap:

1) Most recent incident as outlined above
2) The debacle over whether a music teacher did or did not hit a student with a mallet. You bungled that and managed to piss everyone off.
3) The middle school principal who was "playing games" with other fellas in the bathrooms at Ellicott Creek Park.
4) The middle school teacher who was pushed out for an inappropriate (though I don't think it reached sexual) relationship with a 13-year old.
5) The student band debacle on the roof of the high school that was handled terribly.

Rather than standing tall, perhaps you should working a little harder and a little smarter to change what is clearly a poisoned culture in your system. Until you accomplish that...and you haven't shown you have the skill set to do that...you have no reason to be standing tall.