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Maybe someone can enlighten me on the expertise or credentials of the fine city council of lackawanna. I am not sure what each one of these individuals has as a career or as an education?
COUNCIL PRESIDENT RONALD R. SPADONE
FIRST WARD: ANDREA HAXTON
SECOND WARD: GEOFFREY M. SZYMANSKI
THIRD WARD: CHUCK JAWORSKI
FOURTH WARD: JOSEPH J. SCHIAVI
Might we see some fresh blood in politics in Lackawanna or the same musical chair democrats?
When was it necessary to have credentials to run for a political office in Lackawanna? The voters in Lackawanna will vote the Democratic line.
He makes a vaild point.
I'm going to make up forums for each county exec candidate. We should ask each for thier resume. Schooling and business experience.
That's why WNY is in the condition it's in.. people work/get elected by who they know now what they know in a lot of cases.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr. Lackawanna
Actually, Andrea Haxton won as the Republican Candidate (although she is a registered Dem).
The Time is ripe for someone. Lots of problems in the City that are getting ignored by the present Mayor and Council. Mayor is hoping to hide the problems till after his re-election this November, while the Council just nod in agreement so they get the little bit of jobs out there.
If someone wanted to run a campaign about the real issues and could identify those issues (Bethlehem Steel assessment case being mishandled, for one), you would see some lazy politicians start scramblin. Haxton came out of nowhere to beat a democrat backed by the democratic machine. My opinion is the silent majority prevailed in that one. No one ran in the other elections, leading to unopposed victories - but if there was opposition it may have been more interesting than anyone there wants to admit.
Rumor on the streets is the current mayor is afraid of any opposition and will pay any price to avoid it.
Merge Lackawanna and Buffalo! It should've been done when Bethlehem & Republic Steel closed and Mobil and Hanna Furnace....etc
The City of Buffalo in my opinion is in no shape to take on the city of Lackawanna as a liability. (at this point I would no consider it an asset, economically) The city needs to undergo numerous changes in current decision making strategies to establish long term economic stability. Once that is reached then we can discuss the posibiloity of a merger. Unitil that happens we must discuss what is going on now and how we can build a better sustainable community.
Secondly, I agree that I am assuming too much when asking for the qualifications for the current council members. A long as your breathing, are a registered voter, and establish residency your in. Sorry forgot being a democrat! We as voters would hope for the best educated and knowledgable canidiate to be elected but as politics would have it this is not always the case.
As of right now I think Haxton's community ties makes her a people's candidate although I don't believe she knows anything about the bigger political picture of local government and its role and responsibility.
Chuck Jaworski has been the entrenched 3rd ward councilman for as long as I know. (I am rather young) I am not sure what initiatives, goals, or strategies he has proposed to be proactive in Lackawanna.
As for Schiavi and Syzmanski they are the two warm bodies. I think they both just fill the chairs at council meetings. Their proactive nature is to be desired. Although Syzmanski has his work cut our for him as Kozub left the 2-nd ward in shambles. I am not sure how he got away with wining the County Leg. race with the second ward the way it is.
Posted on an another thread.Quote:
Originally Posted by Gork315
Just an idea.
What if Lackawanna were to be folded into the City of Buffalo. I think one of the reasons the City of Buffalo is in bad shape is the fact that it can not expand. Buffalo is checkered with old abandoned industrial sites that stall development. Furthermore, the reason Lackawanna is in bad shape is because it was a single pony show and the pony is dead.
Just think about it. The city would promise to make the old steel sites the focus of all new industry and give incentives for industry located in the city to move to Lackawanna. Making the Bethlehem site a true port of Buffalo. This would clean up the Bethlehem site to the point where industry could move in. Lets face it, Lackawanna does not have the power to bring in another big dog to that site with Buffalo next door and the only use of that site will be industry. This would free up the 1st ward and outer harbor for other uses. People have such a love for the grain elevators, what if there we new grain elevators build on the Bethlehem site? This would create a more condensed "Industrial Core" that is in city limits.
It would also open up the land from existing industry in the city for either land banking or light industry. The outer harbor, first ward and other areas of Buffalo locked by residential communities could be taken back for green space or development.
Lackawanna would not loose it's identity just it's city charter. It would be a proud and distinctive community like Allentown, South Buffalo or Black Rock.
If it was to merge, wouldn't the citizens of Lackawanna have to approve by a vote before the two cities could merge? I for one would vote no.Quote:
Originally Posted by leftWNYbecauseofBS
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr. Lackawanna
May I ask why? Not how thing currently are but if things were different. Like in my post.
If the city of Buffalo and Lackawanna were to merge.Quote:
Originally Posted by leftWNYbecauseofBS
I would vote against it because:
1) We probably would have forced school busing in Lackawanna.
2) We would see a great increase in our property taxes.
3) Buffalo can't live within their budget now how would it be any better when Buffalo has control of Lackawanna.
4) The voters in Lackawanna would loose what little control it has over the day to day operations of Lackawanna.
5) Police and Fire services would go downhill.
6) Who would want a garbage fee like Buffalo has.
7) Lackawanna City Hall is easy to get to while Buffalo's City hall is not.
8) Snow plowing in Lackawanna is good. In Buffalo it's not so good. Would Lackawanna still have a high snow plowing priority after the merger?
9)Poor moral in the Police and Fire Departments their unions would always be asking for more money, there would be parking tickets blitz's and talks of slowdowns etc.
OK. So much for my idea. LOL.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr. Lackawanna
I think that most of these issues can be classified as "quality of life" and "responsible government", and small cities like Tonawanda, Lackawana, and even Jamestown, whatever their other shortcomings, offer more of both than big cities like Buffalo, which is why these cities' populations aren't falling nearly as much as the COB's. My siggie says it all! :DQuote:
Originally Posted by Mr. Lackawanna
In fact, aside from the rundown areas just east of the old steel mill complex, most of Lackawana is a modest first ring suburb that has more in common with Blasdell or parts of West Seneca than it does with Buffalo with the exception of South Buffalo south of the First Ward. I think that perhaps Lackawana might be a candidate for merging it's police and/or fire department with Buffalo's if the costs are right (they might not be) since those would be two of the biggest costs the city faces (the school district is independent of the city government).
She owes thousands in property taxes and doesn't deserve
to hold office.
I suggested to legislator Mills, author of an integrity in
government bill which would remove bad apples, that he
should extend it to those who owes taxes too.:eek: