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Thread: In defense of Chris Collins

  1. #1
    Member citymouse's Avatar
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    In defense of Chris Collins

    The guy is an enigma to me.
    I am pleased to see he sees through the politics that are these control boards. His clash yesterday with the Erie County Control Board shows that he gets what most people here fail to understand.
    He is aware that these control boards are political entities who only exist to perpetuate the political appointments of their staff. In Erie County's case it's at least $600,000 a year. He understands that by borrowing money through the control board he will be locked in and paying that staff until the loans are paid off.
    On the other hand if he dosen't borrow through them he pays a little higher interest. The control boards argument is that it will save the county two million over thirty years. If we don't borrow through the control board and it goes soft after four years as Collins intends, we would save $600,000 a year for 25 years. Which comes out to 15 million.
    Makes sense to me.
    And while he sits on the Buffalo Control board he has questioned some of the "cut of your nose to spite your face" decisions they make. As well as questioning their creative book keeping that they use to justify it.
    I think, when he was running for office, he assumed, as most people who don't know how government and patronage works, that these control boards were pure in nature an intent and not just another form of patronage. I am glad it didn't take him long to see it for what it is.
    On the other hand his own appointments are often driven by patronage. His reluctance to allow the small raise of six hundred dollar a year to the rank and file, while at the same time trying to increase the salaries of his patronage appointments shows him to be a typical old fashioned politican.
    He's tough to fit into any mold.
    But I still didn't vote for him, and given the chance wouldn't again.
    "If you want to know what God thinks of money just look at the people he gave it to."

    By the way, what happened to biker? I miss the old coot.

  2. #2
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    Quote Originally Posted by citymouse
    But I still didn't vote for him, and given the chance wouldn't again.

    And that's why YOU are the problem.
    http://www.buffaloreuse.org/~kool aid free zone~

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    Member raoul duke's Avatar
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    Collins is a different duck, it seems. I still wouldn't vote for him, but that doesn't mean I'm completely displeased with his performance, either. The people that argued he was part of the "old school politics" got duped. You don't get to an office of any significant power without owing somebody and, likewise, cannot govern effectively without acknowledging said debt. That's not "Western New York" politics, that's human nature.

    I'm glad he's finally seeing what the control board really is. It's mind-blowing to me that a lot of the same people who argue against the largess of local government cheered on the creation of a completely new, undemocratic and unaccountable level of government. I won't vote for any politician for mayor or county executive unless immediately throwing the control board(s) out on their ass(es) is near the top of their platform.
    One beautiful thing about having a government of the corporations, by the corporations, and for the corporations is that every disaster is measured in terms of economic loss. It's sort of like getting your arm sheared off in a car accident and thinking, "Damn, now it'll take longer to fold the laundry" as blood spurts from your arteries. - The Rude Pundit

  4. #4
    Member citymouse's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by keyboard150
    And that's why YOU are the problem.

    Right. Because I don't support your candidate I am the problem. Maybe you would be more comfortable in Cuba or some other place where that type of democracy is the norm.
    Last time I looked this country allowed you to vote for whom ever you felt was right for the job.
    In my opinion the people that don't vote are the problem.
    "If you want to know what God thinks of money just look at the people he gave it to."

    By the way, what happened to biker? I miss the old coot.

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    Quote Originally Posted by citymouse
    Right. Because I don't support your candidate I am the problem. Maybe you would be more comfortable in Cuba or some other place where that type of democracy is the norm.
    Last time I looked this country allowed you to vote for whom ever you felt was right for the job.
    In my opinion the people that don't vote are the problem.

    Your idea of a good candidate is one that raises taxes to pad the union pocket, thereby forcing business to move out, thereby costing us jobs, thereby costing us citizens, thereby increasing welfare for those that coulndn't leave, and the tax burden on those of us who remain.

    Cuba has good politicians? If anything, your idea of government is more like Cubas. "Lets let the government control everything, and take the power away from the people."

    Your ignorance is laughable. By supporting the union candidate, you're as good as a communist in this day and age. I'm not going to apologize to anyone that is offended by it. I'm a union member, I'm not offended.
    The truth hurts. That's the way it is.

    Oh, and yes... you're the problem.
    http://www.buffaloreuse.org/~kool aid free zone~

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    Member cookie's Avatar
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    Mouse, who do you view as patronage and what is your definition of patronage? Mine is not just hiring people you know (how can you trust someone you don't know?) but hiring friends, family or political allies that are not qualified for the position or making up extraneous positions as a "gift".
    I don't agree with all of his appointment/hirings, but I don't really see any that fit that description.
    Just a thought, Erie County isn't all that big and the Republican population is quite a bit smaller and even smaller is the number of strongly qualified people that are interested in taking huge pay cuts to take on (and actually try to eliminate rather than add to) massive problems.

    So, which ones don't you agree with and who would you replace them with?

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    Quote Originally Posted by cookie
    Mouse, who do you view as patronage and what is your definition of patronage? Mine is not just hiring people you know (how can you trust someone you don't know?) but hiring friends, family or political allies that are not qualified for the position or making up extraneous positions as a "gift".
    I don't agree with all of his appointment/hirings, but I don't really see any that fit that description.
    Just a thought, Erie County isn't all that big and the Republican population is quite a bit smaller and even smaller is the number of strongly qualified people that are interested in taking huge pay cuts to take on (and actually try to eliminate rather than add to) massive problems.

    So, which ones don't you agree with and who would you replace them with?

    Good points, Cookie. Collins hasn't taken the patronage hiring in the same direction others have. He's hired people that are qualified for the positions.
    http://www.buffaloreuse.org/~kool aid free zone~

  8. #8
    Member citymouse's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by keyboard150
    Your idea of a good candidate is one that raises taxes to pad the union pocket, thereby forcing business to move out, thereby costing us jobs, thereby costing us citizens, thereby increasing welfare for those that coulndn't leave, and the tax burden on those of us who remain.

    Cuba has good politicians? If anything, your idea of government is more like Cubas. "Lets let the government control everything, and take the power away from the people."

    Your ignorance is laughable. By supporting the union candidate, you're as good as a communist in this day and age. I'm not going to apologize to anyone that is offended by it. I'm a union member, I'm not offended.
    The truth hurts. That's the way it is.

    Oh, and yes... you're the problem.

    You don't know me but assume a lot from on a few remarks I make on an Internet message board. I suppose you read tea leaves as well.
    What ever my ideas are, which ever way I vote is my business.
    Your ignorance would be laughable but your narrow minded, mean spirited, arrogance takes all the humor out of it.
    The only thing you need to apologize for is being yourself, not just to me but to mankind in general.
    "If you want to know what God thinks of money just look at the people he gave it to."

    By the way, what happened to biker? I miss the old coot.

  9. #9
    Member citymouse's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by cookie
    Mouse, who do you view as patronage and what is your definition of patronage? Mine is not just hiring people you know (how can you trust someone you don't know?) but hiring friends, family or political allies that are not qualified for the position or making up extraneous positions as a "gift".
    I don't agree with all of his appointment/hirings, but I don't really see any that fit that description.
    Just a thought, Erie County isn't all that big and the Republican population is quite a bit smaller and even smaller is the number of strongly qualified people that are interested in taking huge pay cuts to take on (and actually try to eliminate rather than add to) massive problems.

    So, which ones don't you agree with and who would you replace them with?
    I will give you a few examples of his politics and his patronage. The first is not his doing but he stood by and said nothing. That was when the wife of one of his biggest political supporters and campaign donors was placed on the Erie County water authority board of directors.
    This board is a patronage haven and needs to be dissolved and the water authority should be run by one director appointed jointly by the county executive and the legislature.
    He second thing was he had two of his campaign supporters appointed by the outgoing administration before he was sworn in. The election was over and these guys needed a paycheck. I got it from a pretty reliable source that Giambra only agreed because a deal was struck that Collins would keep some of Giambra's appointments on.
    His chief of staff and the guy who ran his campaign, Grant Loomis, worked at the law firm of Lustig and Brown. His new county attorney, Cheryl Greene, was tapped from the same firm. She had no experience in municipal law, or in labor law (which would be needed in dealing with county unions). Yet he not only insisted on hiring her, but wanted to increase her salary $30,000.
    Now he wants to point an inexperienced person with no police background to head central police services. In the past they have always used a retired police official. A background in police services was deemed necessary for the nature of the work, and there was a wealth of candidates.
    However the county executive has to sign a pension waiver to allow any of the candidates to be able to take the job should the legislature appoint them. In this case Collins won't sign the waiver because he wants his buddy to have the job.
    And last but not least he held a major fundraiser after his election, but before he took office and made any appointments. Every body who held an appointed county position and wanted to keep it, plus all his supporters who wanted their jobs were there. It was a quite lucrative evening for mister Collins campaign coffers.
    Pure politics.
    "If you want to know what God thinks of money just look at the people he gave it to."

    By the way, what happened to biker? I miss the old coot.

  10. #10
    Member citymouse's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by keyboard150
    Good points, Cookie. Collins hasn't taken the patronage hiring in the same direction others have. He's hired people that are qualified for the positions.
    He is no different. My remarks above just brush on it. In his hirings he has been very political.
    "If you want to know what God thinks of money just look at the people he gave it to."

    By the way, what happened to biker? I miss the old coot.

  11. #11
    Member run4it's Avatar
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    I still find unending amusement in that Key rails against the Big Bad Unions whilst all the while being a union member himself.
    But your being a dick
    ~Wnyresident

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    Quote Originally Posted by run4it
    I still find unending amusement in that Key rails against the Big Bad Unions whilst all the while being a union member himself.
    I believe in what's right. There's only one power that I answer to, and it isn't a union.
    http://www.buffaloreuse.org/~kool aid free zone~

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    Quote Originally Posted by citymouse
    You don't know me but assume a lot from on a few remarks I make on an Internet message board. I suppose you read tea leaves as well.
    What ever my ideas are, which ever way I vote is my business.
    Your ignorance would be laughable but your narrow minded, mean spirited, arrogance takes all the humor out of it.
    The only thing you need to apologize for is being yourself, not just to me but to mankind in general.

    The funny thing is, every single comment I made is supported in your posts.

    You really have no argument against what I said. If you care to change your comments, I'll change my mind, otherwise, it will continue to be obvious that you care about no one but yourself, your paycheck, and screwing over all the people that pay taxes----to pay you.

    Lame.

    As a public employee you should be down on your knees thanking the tax payers for supporting you. Or in the very least not screwing them over every time you open your mouth.
    http://www.buffaloreuse.org/~kool aid free zone~

  14. #14
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    I don't think mouse is very different than most when it comes to thinking about themselves first and others after. It's human nature and pretty common.

    As for Ms. Greene, you are correct that she has no municipal background (that I know of), but I believe you are incorrect about labor law. Plus the fact that hiring her as a favor to Loomis is really ludicrous. She was making over $200,000 + bennies and probably profit sharing of some kind. I fail to see the patronage angle in this one.

    Regarding police services, "A background in police services was deemed necessary for the nature of the work" Who deemed it necessary? The police union? The legislators that were heavily backed by police and other unions? There is much more to that job than knowing how to dispatch calls. That's what the people that do the work and the supervisors need to know. Would it be helpful to have someone from police services head it? MAYBE. Depends on if they also have vast knowledge of IT services, budgetary experience, leadership and management experience,etc.

    The other stuff has been debated to death. Just because it looks political doesn't make it so. We'll never agree on that one, but we each are allowed our opinions on it.

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    Quote Originally Posted by cookie
    I don't think mouse is very different than most when it comes to thinking about themselves first and others after. It's human nature and pretty common.

    As for Ms. Greene, you are correct that she has no municipal background (that I know of), but I believe you are incorrect about labor law. Plus the fact that hiring her as a favor to Loomis is really ludicrous. She was making over $200,000 + bennies and probably profit sharing of some kind. I fail to see the patronage angle in this one.

    Regarding police services, "A background in police services was deemed necessary for the nature of the work" Who deemed it necessary? The police union? The legislators that were heavily backed by police and other unions? There is much more to that job than knowing how to dispatch calls. That's what the people that do the work and the supervisors need to know. Would it be helpful to have someone from police services head it? MAYBE. Depends on if they also have vast knowledge of IT services, budgetary experience, leadership and management experience,etc.

    The other stuff has been debated to death. Just because it looks political doesn't make it so. We'll never agree on that one, but we each are allowed our opinions on it.

    Cookie, the people that love the status quo, like City Mouse, will hate Collins no matter what we say, because, he has benefited from the status quo.

    Unfortunately, those days are coming to an end. As a union member, I already accepted that when I started my job.
    Those of you who haven't accepted it yet, I'd suggest doing it. The free hand outs and generous contracts are over.

    Long live Chris Collins.

    lol.
    http://www.buffaloreuse.org/~kool aid free zone~

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