Reply With Quotebut the funding he sought was more than any other politician has gotten out of them. I think he did a good thing for the area. Better than so many others.
Reprinted with my permission from my blog.Suddenly, Brian Higgins is trying to portray himself as David, willing to try to slay Goliath — the Power Authority. His actions, however, directly contributed to the 50 year license the Power Authority was granted in February.
In his quest to secure funding for the waterfront, Brian Higgins sold out to the Power Authority. He secured about $2.5 million per year that enabled him to portray himself as a hero of the people and to increase his political influence in the waterfront development. Instead of the money being used prudently, it went to a Higgins preferred quasi-government bureaucracy known as the Erie County Harbor Development Corporation. The ECHDC is now embroiled in controversy for trying to steamroll plans through that ignore the consensus plan put together with many interests, including the public.
The question at hand is, why did Brian Higgins settle for crumbs and allow the relicensing to occur? The obvious answer is the additional political clout Higgins gained from the transaction. Backroom politics also played a major role that was more or less kept out of the public eye. Anyone could see from past cursory audits of the Power Authority that hundreds of millions of dollars were being used for purposes that had nothing to do with generating and supplying electricity. The evidence existed that huge gifts were being given to New York State.
According to sources I have spoken to, Brian Higgins caved in to pressure from Governor Pataki and Louise Slaughter to preserve the revenue stream of “gifts” from the Power Authority. That makes Brian Higgins complicit with the abusive and devastating economic affect the Power Authority has had on this region. Worse, Higgins was willing to subject us to another 50 years of this abuse in return for some good press and more political influence in exchange for some scraps being thrown at our waterfront.
Brian Higgins is right about one thing, the Power Authority needs a thorough housecleaning, better yet, it should be dissolved. Don’t be fooled though, Brian Higgins is no hero, he had is own self-interest at heart all along.
The path is clear
Though no eyes can see
The course laid down long before.
And so with gods and men
The sheep remain inside their pen,
Though many times they've seen the way to leave.
but the funding he sought was more than any other politician has gotten out of them. I think he did a good thing for the area. Better than so many others.
They hate us till they need us.
Yes, thats exactly it. Higgins got more for Buffalo than anyone else but the flip side of the coin:
1) is that a large segment of Buffalos remaining industrial employers all use low cost power....which means a rather large and powerful constituency that would fight against losing it. You read the Buffalo News articles ... the low cost power subsidies per worker are more than the average worker salaries.
2) privatizing the Niagara Power Authority wouldnt necessarily lower local rates because it would mean that 100% of the power could be exported downstate to even higher rates and higher revenues. Downstate power rates are going thru the roof because they are growing.....but they will not allow any power plants to be built in their area.
3) lastly privatizing the Niagara Power Authority would mean that we could not use low cost power to attract business to our area....we would in effect have no more local influence over a private corporation.
4) downstate doesnt even want the Niagara Power Authority privatized because it would allow low cost power to be competitively bid on by buyers from out of state.
The end result....would be that Niagara County would get property taxes from a private corporation and Buffalo would get some compensation for the Ice Boom but we could loose all of our low cost power and the remaining employers dependent on it and the potential to use low cost power to attract future employers as well as any influence to increase our share of low cost power in the future.
Hey if Buffalo Niagara had the lowest taxes, the lowest water, lowest sewar, lowest power and a vibrant economy....I would risk it and privatize it. However privatizing the Niagara Power Authority now wouldnt help us...it would just be the last nail in our coffin.
THE REAL DOWN AND DIRTY BATTLE MUST BE TO USE ALL OF OUR RESOURCES TO INCREASE OUR LOCAL SHARE OF LOW COST POWER AS WELL AS INCREASED LOCAL COMPENSATION FOR IT!
What? We who pay some of the highest electricity rates in the nation while we're the closest to one of the largest supplies-we should have our rates lowered? Preposterous!
What kind of logic is that? It is like a person with a broken kneecap saying, "I'm lucky, the loan shark could have killed me!"Originally Posted by PBAguy
Realistically, he got nothing for us but 50 more years of high electric rates. That more than offsets any economic benefit he "gained".
The path is clear
Though no eyes can see
The course laid down long before.
And so with gods and men
The sheep remain inside their pen,
Though many times they've seen the way to leave.
Wait...so Higgins who touted this whole deal as the greatest thing since sliced bread because he was able to secure a few crumbs for his pet projects, is now railing against the same people that he got the money from?
Why didn't he just tell us from the get go what the majority of people already knew--this deal was crap?
so Higgins CAN'T walk on water?
Cuz if you read the Buffalo News, You'd think he was Jesus H Christ himself, returning with extremely hiked up pants and ready to fight on Judgement Day against the Power Authority and the Skyway.
We are being screwed on one of our local resources. All electricity should be cheaper if you are closer to the source.
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What about our water rates?
They have cheaper water in Arizona than we do here don't they? We're a bunch of pathetic chumps.
The same problem, water is controlled by another Public Authority, the Erie County Water Authority. All authorities in NYS should be abolished.
The path is clear
Though no eyes can see
The course laid down long before.
And so with gods and men
The sheep remain inside their pen,
Though many times they've seen the way to leave.
Wow, again Timmy with decent points. Must be NYPA isn't run by the *you-know-who*...
Anyhow, see these
http://forums.speakupwny.com/showpos...9&postcount=12
http://forums.speakupwny.com/showpos...9&postcount=13
Regards
If the Niagara Power Project were privatized, it could be charged lease payments for the land, sales taxes and property taxes. That alone would be a tremendous benefit to this area. It isn't all about just our electric rates, that is only one part of the big picture. Privatizing would put an end to the hidden slush fund now enjoyed by the State of New York.
The path is clear
Though no eyes can see
The course laid down long before.
And so with gods and men
The sheep remain inside their pen,
Though many times they've seen the way to leave.
Check your tax law, those are depreciable items and deductible items (odd that you'd be arguing for taxes though). Natural gas supply is private, why do we pay such high natural natural gas prices?
http://www.eia.doe.gov/oil_gas/natur.../gasprices.htm
Regards.
I'm not really arguing for taxes, just for fitting the Power Plant into the present market economy so that the best possible economic impact is realized for our region.
The path is clear
Though no eyes can see
The course laid down long before.
And so with gods and men
The sheep remain inside their pen,
Though many times they've seen the way to leave.
DelawareDistrict your privatization would basically force WNYrs and WNY employers receiving low cost power to competitively bid for power with not just downstate (NYC and Albany) but CT and NJ and Philly too!
Your rigid ideology fails to address how to compensate for all the local employers closing their business as they are forced to pay downstate rates for electricity!
Your rigid ideology fails to address how a privatized company has any responsibility to provide low cost power to our region if its power is sold on the free market and competitively bid!
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