Reply With QuoteWhere did you get that info?he added to the UB payroll at taxpayer expense.
So now we find out that Homer Simpson and the boys have retained not one , not two but three lobbying firms to promote the hopelessly idiotic agenda put forward by Homer and the band of California "consultants" that followed him east and that he added to the UB payroll at taxpayer expense. What has he gotten for the thousands and thousands of dollars flushed down that toilet? Multi- million dollar budget cuts and a tuition increase, 90% of which was kept by the legislature, making it nothing but a tax increase imposed only on college students. Good work Homer and a great job by those lobbyists! Homer says he hasn't the time to lobby and needs the help. Now I'll grant you he needs the help as anyone who has actually met this hapless clown can attest. But gee, I thought that the primary job of a university president was to promote the university to all important constituencies and that includes the legislature. Memo to the UB board of trustees: The next time you're hiring a president remember; you have only one first choice and there'e all the rest. Ranking the laggards is a wasted fruitless effort that leads to a hiring "number 2' on the list and you can end up with a mess. There's only one top choice and if that person turns you down wait awhile and start again. If "number 2" was really your choice that person would've been "number 1". By the way, the late Bill Greiner was a very effective lobbyist for UB and actually had accomplishments to show for it.
Where did you get that info?he added to the UB payroll at taxpayer expense.
The Buffalo News:Originally Posted by cookie
UB leads in lobbyist spending
State’s public colleges spend nearly $1 million
By Tom Precious
NEWS ALBANY BUREAU
ALBANY — New York’s public colleges are spending nearly $1 million this year to retain well-connected lobbyists that push policies — including tuition hikes — and tap into whatever state money is available at the Capitol.
And the University at Buffalo leads the pack, employing three different lobbying firms.
The money spent to hire an army of lobbyists boasting ties to the Legislature and governor’s office doesn’t include what the colleges will spend beyond retainer fees, such as their own in-house government affairs offices and expenses for receptions at the Capitol to lure lawmakers to hear their case.
And it doesn’t include the nearly $600,000 that the central office of the State University of New York, located a few blocks from the Capitol, has budgeted this year for its own internal lobbying staff.
College officials say the politics of Albany give them little choice but to spend the money on lobbyists.
“I don’t have the time myself. I have a day job. And I have far too few people to do what needs to be done right now,” UB President John Simpson said of the lobbyists hired to get moving a major plan that would give UB and other SUNY campuses more latitude on everything from tuition to venture deals with private companies.
But critics say the public colleges’ hiring spree of lobbyists is another sign of how twisted the Capitol has become: State agencies like SUNY campuses feel compelled to spend money to lobby the state. And critics wonder why schools can’t rely on SUNY’s central office in Albany to handle their lobbying requests at the Capitol.
“I guess some schools have added a new degree: magna cum lobby,” said Blair Horner, a lobbyist with the New York Public Interest Research Group.
“They need to have contacts and access that only contract lobbyists can give, and I think that’s a sad commentary on how people think about Albany, and it may be the reality, which is worse,” Horner said.
Full story:
http://www.buffalonews.com/2010/05/1...-spending.html
What accomplishments? Wasn't he mostly into football?
Nope. It says right in the article that it's not state or taxpayer money.
All the SUNY campuses that hire lobbyists — except Purchase — pay them using only “nonstate resources,” Henahan said. In some cases, such as Buffalo State and UB, that means funding from their nonprofit foundations — which are supported through donations and endowments — that support campus programs.
Thanks for pointing that out. I think UB is doing what it needs to do to progress. It's not using taxpayer money for that, so I say more power to them. UB has a long way to go to meet its goals, but as it progresses it does attract a lot of people -- not just students (who buy stuff -- beer etc --) and thus help our local economy, but faculty, who come from out of town and bring new money to our housing market and the rest of the economy.
In the interest of full disclosure: My husband is a UB professor, so ...yeah...I guess I'm biased in my opinions.
I didn't say lobbyists were paid for at taxpayer expense. I said that the consultants that Simpson brought with him from California were added to the payroll. I suppose one could file a FOIL request to determine how the lobbyists are really paid. But since UB typically ignores FOIL requests you would likely have to sue them as did a local lawyer trying to find out how much UB spent for outside counsel fees in a lawsuit against a developer who wanted to build some apartments near the campus. He prevailed in the lawsuit. Many times endowments are made to universities for carefully defined and specified purposes. I wonder how many endowed funds given to UB were given for the purposes of lobbying? Around these parts we tend to drink the koolaid because we're so desparate for something, anything to provide a glimpse of hope.
I'm confused. Exactly what is your complaint? Is having UB here a bad thing? I mean, it could move. Lots of folks would love to have a job generator in their town. Then again, this is WNY, where no one likes anything.....
No, we just don't like being fleeced by our government...well a few less months of winter would be nice.I'm confused. Exactly what is your complaint? Is having UB here a bad thing? I mean, it could move. Lots of folks would love to have a job generator in their town. Then again, this is WNY, where no one likes anything.....
And we get fleeced quite well .
Yes, I agree. But how does UB fit into that? How does it fleece us???
I don't think it does, I didn't mean to infer that.Yes, I agree. But how does UB fit into that? How does it fleece us???
Too true. What amazes me about NY is HOW MANY ENTITIES CAN IMPOSE TAXES!
State, of course. But also, county, town, schools, cities, villages and EVEN fire districts. Fire districts!! I'm from California, which is both a curse and a blessing...but I've never seen so many people with the ability to impose taxes.
Also, I'm still shocked by the way property assessments are handled here. It's like black magic or something -- certainly not anything resembling reality.
Why did you go from the frying pan???? At least the weather is much better there
A long story. But I have to tell you that WNY is gorgeous. I mean, we live around the block from a waterfall. In California, only rich people have that luxury. And we still don't lock our doors -- a big change from bringing my babies home each evening to the roar of police helicopters over head looking for what...I don't know. And the Rodney King riots. And earthquakes.
I guess because I'm not from this area I'm always amazed by it's beauty, and by how self destructive the politics are. If WNY could just get more jobs, it would be the next hot spot.....
I wonder if those donating to the various foundations were told their money would be used for lobbying
I bet the majority of the people donating were doing it to get trees planted, books purchased for the library, to support clubs, etc. and not politics
Vote for freedom, not political parties.
Politicians need to cut spending
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