Southtown Democrats and Congress

[Publius]

With Rep. Jack Quinn's startling announcement, democrats are scrambling from all over Erie and Chautauqua County to try to take over this truly open and democratic leaning seat. For anyone in the 27th district, or has experience with any of the plethora of candidates available, who do you think would be our best representative to congress from WNY?

(Note, only ten options are available which doesn't begin to cover the number of candidates so only the most plausible are included)

[WNYresident]

I pick Paul tokaz seeing i have never heard anything negative mentioned with his name. I have seen his name pop up in items which were community orientated.

[therising]

I also picked Toakasz because I've met him and I like him.
Seems like the kind of guy who cares about his constituents.

[morphinebrian]

i like masiello. not because i think he would be a good congressmen, just so he is dropped as mayor.

[citymouse]

Brian Higgins has the brains, education and the track recored of delivering to his district.

Take a ride down to the foot of tifft street and check out his board walk, the construction next to it and bike trails going in along the shore. He has worked with Quinn and clinton to get funding to straigten out that crazy road that approaches the coast guard station and skyway.
He is also an advocate for getting rid of the Sky way to asteicly transform the waterfront and encourage investment. (who Wants to invest in anything under a bridge.
He also hoped to link downtown with outer harbor development.
He seems to have vision for the area and delivers on it.
One of the few.
I think he would be very effective foe WNY in Washington.

[citymouse]

I just heard the republicans are trying to get Number 12 himself to run for Quarterback, opps, I mean congress.
It is from some very reliable sources.
Kelly was a great foot ball player, but I don't think he is congressional material.
He would raise a lot of money though and bring a lot of his own in as well. Thats what it's all about isn't it? Plus with his name recognition how could he lose?
I don't think he has decided yet.
I hope the rumor is not true.

[Publius]

A Republican-leaning football player whose leadership on-field inspired Buffalonians and led him to a seat in Congress? Nahh... that could never happen.

I'll admit first time I read that I thought it was a little silly, but then the idea of a politically unattached individual whose character, personality, and name are well known actaully started sounding interesting. Just about anyone else running already has their agenda, their clique, their alliances in terms of who gets to tap into their patronage network. Does sound kind of appealing.

Hell, if it works out at least we can wait 20 or so years and maybe cheer on the Dole-Kelly ticket.

[citymouse]

After I posted that I was solicited by a telephone poll and one of the areas of question was about the congressional seat vacated by Quinn.
Kelly was part of the poll. so It must be true.

[citymouse]

Word is Kelly dropped out.
Too much baggage. He left too many small bussiness guys in the lurch when he shut his resturant and didn't pay them.
Now I heard Nancy Naples is leading the Republican parade.

[therising]

Here'a an intertesting observation:

You post a poll asking what should be done about the furniture scandal, and you gets tons of replies....."whoop him"..."fire him".."put him in jail"...etc...

Then someone posts a poll regarding the election process, and there are only 9 relies!

Kudos to everyone who voted, and shame on you to those that didn't.

I hope this is not indicative of the "all politicians are crooks, but I don't vote" attitude that exists today.

[yokes]

some of us dont think any of these dems would represent us well in congress :D

[citymouse]

Problem is what republican with any legislative expirience is running?
Quinn was a moderate and he represented the views of a working class district well. Kind of a Jacob Javits republican.
I don't see anyone from that party stepping up to the plate.

[yokes]

its still early. Frankly I dont see much great leadership in the above list. Time will tell

[Marc]

Originally posted by therising
Here'a an intertesting observation:

You post a poll asking what should be done about the furniture scandal, and you gets tons of replies....."whoop him"..."fire him".."put him in jail"...etc...

Then someone posts a poll regarding the election process, and there are only 9 relies!

Kudos to everyone who voted, and shame on you to those that didn't.

I hope this is not indicative of the "all politicians are crooks, but I don't vote" attitude that exists today.

I'd have to educate myself on most of these canidates before I'd feel comftorable endorsing one. I'm sure I'm not the only one.

[therising]

West Seneca Supervisor Paul Clark has thrwon his hat into the ring. Anyway of adding him to the poll?

[citymouse]

How could you take him seriously. He is a giambracrat.

[WNYresident]

Someone mentioned nancy naples will give it a shot. Are the republicans offering her for the spot to be able to replace the comptroller? Get a comptroller a little more purchase friendly in the county and we'll have $300 plastic cups, $100 rolls of toliet paper and more :)

Someone emails me that i'm too negative against politicans and the local governments. I think we need more people like me that understand the value of a dollar and that it should be spent wisely.

[buffnik]

Not one woman in the mix! Sad!:(

[citymouse]

If Nancy Naples does such a good job as a fiscal watch dog as she says then we should keep her right where she is.
She came from a banking background anyway so she has the expirience for what she does.
Congress, on the other hand is a different matter. How much expirience does she have in a legislative body.
This is no time to learn. There is too much going on in Washington and in this country, and especially in WNY. We need somebody who knows his way around a legislative body. Some body who knows how to deal with commitees and can be effective almost right away.
I don't think she has the background for that.
I have been reading a lot about Brian Higgins and have looked into his recored and what he has acomplished for his district. He seems to have been very effective. I would think he would be the logical choice, if it comes down to the two of them, which it looks like it will.
Is there any way you could run a one on one poll between the two, but then again it would not be correct because more than the district allowed to vote in this race would take the poll wouldn't they?

[Curmudgeon]

We need somebody who knows his way around a legislative body. Some body who knows how to deal with commitees and can be effective almost right away.

Translated: We need a career politician with connections who can be most effective at bringing pork-barrel spending projects to his district. We can then spend other peoples money on ourselves.

Sound familiar?

[citymouse]

And what type of candidate would you say we need in congress?
Who do you recomend?

[citymouse]

How about if we land a candidate who is a fiscal conservative, one who dosen't belive in bringing federal money into the district. Somebody who never indroduced legislation in any representative body, somebody who never served on any legislative comitees and would deny an appointment.
I'll bet all the other congressmen would say" thats how I want to be, my district dosen't need that, It;s better for the country as a whole if we do as the new mwmber from western New Yorl and refuse money and try not to obtain money for our district".
Translation, you don't know what you are talking about again.
Aside from the "pork barrel projects" you feel western New York dosen't need, There are other issues that congress concerns itself with like national security and foregien relations, It's not all about your wallet.
I feel better having a competent representative.

[WNYresident]

Originally posted by Curmudgeon
Translated: We need a career politician with connections who can be most effective at bringing pork-barrel spending projects to his district. We can then spend other peoples money on ourselves.

Sound familiar?


SOunds really bad when you say it that way. But it's true. As a region we should be able to support our infra structure that we created.

[WNYresident]

Originally posted by citymouse
How about if we land a candidate who is a fiscal conservative, one who dosen't belive in bringing federal money into the district.

How abotu someone who is a conservative which will bring in federal money for causes which acutally help the region. New generators for the dam to lower our electrical cost, Wind energy off the lake which is directly pumped into the local government building to lower our cost... stuff like that. No more sport stuff, subways, etc...

[WNYresident]

Citymouse, i wouldn't want to see federal money going to bail out labor contracts if the region itself can't support the contracts it so foolishly signed..

[citymouse]

I can't recall when we have ever had federal money go to any municipality to bail out any contracts. If I said anything to give you that impression please point it out.
You can't be that Niave as to think that who ever we elect to take Quinns place would forego any money for development in Western New York would not do so. Call it pork if you want.
Jack Quinn was a very good at doing so, He sat on the transportation commitee and delivered fifty million for water front development. The fact that the local pols sat on it wasn't his fault.
I am sorry you don't agree with me on this. I think it would be better to have some one with legislative expirience representing me in congress. I don't trust Naples and I don't think it is her area of expertice.
I have seen what Higgins has done on the waterfront with a little bit of money from the state. Call it pork if you want, But improve the quality of life and you will improve the district as a whole.
Plus I know he has a little time in this area of goverment under his belt, The fact that you call him a "career politician" is a little unfair. It seems to me you would want someone who would be expirienced and had some connections and could be effective rather then some inexpirienced novice who would be overwhelmed by the congressional system and just vote the party line.

[citymouse]

Higgins also has been trying to get the regional power authority to sell it's electric to local residents and business at a lower rate rather then selling it down state.
He has been stonewalled in this endevor in Albany for the past few years (It has been mentioned in the papers from time to time).

[WNYresident]

Exactly why would they sell it cheaper down state. You think they would leave it cheap here to attract people to the area. Good example is when you hear talk of selling fresh water from the lakes. I would rather say too bad you moved over where there's no water. Come move back here where the water is.

[citymouse]

I don't know the particulars. Iam pretty sure the majority of our electric comes from the huntley plant on river road. It is coal generated and costs more to produce than from Niagara falls. I don't know if that is still true but it was at one time. I don't know if they are selling it cheaper downstate, but I do know they could sell it cheaper here. I have also heard Higgins comment on this many times.

[absolivious]

Given the high density demand (usage) of downstate (NYC, L.I. etc) the increase cost to us will be immense, while the savings to the average residence in Nassau County would be pennies a month.

Rest assured Higgins is not the only one from our upstate delegation working on this, otherwise it will be the literal death knell for the entire upstate economy.