Unregistered
June 10th, 2003, 09:48 AM
I have two comments on the current fiscal mess our region is in. First, if County Executive Joel Giambra really believes in "No handout, No bail out" then he should immediately put a stop to the extra penny of the sales tax. In 1985, this was set up as a short-term bailout for the county's fiscal mess. If Giambra is such a great fiscal manager, then let's take the $115 million out of his budget and see his magic work.
The simple fact is that the county executive is no great manager, he just has a lot more money to work with - over a billion dollars since 1985.
In 1985, the city did the right thing and waived its portion of the 8 percent. If my county taxes go up, so be it. Now it is the county's turn to do the right thing and share the 8 percent, just like the counties do for Rochester and Syracuse. The City of Buffalo must survive so we all can prosper. I benefited much more than city residents when taxes were lowered recently.
Second is the Buffalo Niagara Partnership. What a failure it has been. The 1990s saw the biggest surge of wealth and prosperity in our nation's history. But all of this has passed our region. The Partnership was charged with bringing in new jobs and business, but all we have seen is loss.
I find it interesting that it has spent a lot of time and energy trying to bury the city. The Partnership should get its house in order before criticizing others. Let's not forget that it, too, receives public funds and has performed miserably.
DANIEL J. O'CONNOR
West Seneca
www.buffalo.com
The simple fact is that the county executive is no great manager, he just has a lot more money to work with - over a billion dollars since 1985.
In 1985, the city did the right thing and waived its portion of the 8 percent. If my county taxes go up, so be it. Now it is the county's turn to do the right thing and share the 8 percent, just like the counties do for Rochester and Syracuse. The City of Buffalo must survive so we all can prosper. I benefited much more than city residents when taxes were lowered recently.
Second is the Buffalo Niagara Partnership. What a failure it has been. The 1990s saw the biggest surge of wealth and prosperity in our nation's history. But all of this has passed our region. The Partnership was charged with bringing in new jobs and business, but all we have seen is loss.
I find it interesting that it has spent a lot of time and energy trying to bury the city. The Partnership should get its house in order before criticizing others. Let's not forget that it, too, receives public funds and has performed miserably.
DANIEL J. O'CONNOR
West Seneca
www.buffalo.com