Do we have a phase II plan? Fight or Fold?

[Night Owl]

I heard something on the news that the sales tax increase may have to be passed in June.

Do we have a phase II plan, to coincide with the first petition on speakupwny.com against the sales tax increase?

Are we ready now to let it (a sales tax increase) slide this time around while there are still no real answers of why the County is so much in debt?

Of the 1500 job/department cuts, employment is slowly beginning to make its way back into the County, does this justify a sales tax increase?

So many people signed the petition which prevented the sales tax increase, are will still going to stand our ground on that... or just let it blow by and pay more in sales tax?

Are we going to fight, or are we going to fold?

[WNYresident]

Even though there are a few which believe the petition had nothing to do with the vote not going through we are getting it ready for round II.

Currently this is the list of emails addresses which receive one email/comment each time the petition is signed online.

Would you guys mind reviewing it and see if there is someone we left out. I can't find Giambras/Patakis email address.

The legislators

'kuwik@erie.gov',
'ErieCoDistrict2@hotmail.com',
'holt@erie.gov',
'ranzenhofer@erie.gov',
'marshall@erie.gov',
'debenedetti@erie.gov',
'smith@erie.gov',
'dusza@erie.gov',
'wroblewski@erie.gov',
'cswanick@erie.gov',
'lynnm@buffnet.net',
'jzchase@erie.gov',
'mccarville13th@erie.gov',
'elise@cusack14.com',
'drbarry15@erie.gov',

The group from Buffalo. Can't have them expecting more of our tax money in the form of sales tax.

'amasiello@city-buffalo.com',
'rl@ch.ci.buffalo.ny.us',
'mcoppola@ch.ci.buffalo.ny.us',
'brdavis@ch.ci.buffalo.ny.us',
'dfranczyk@city-buffalo.com',
'rfontana@ch.ci.buffalo.ny.us',
'athompson@ch.ci.buffalo.ny.us',
'dbonifacio@ch.ci.buffalo.ny.us',
'jgolombek@ch.ci.buffalo.ny.us',
'mmartino@ch.ci.buffalo.ny.us',
'bjgrant@ch.ci.buffalo.ny.us',
'bgray@ch.ci.buffalo.ny.us',
'cfisher@ch.ci.buffalo.ny.us',
'jpitts@ch.ci.buffalo.ny.us',


The group from the state which are supposed to be looknig out for are best interest. I laughed when I said that.

'senstachowski@yahoo.com',
'volker@senate.state.ny.us',
'bbrown@senate.state.ny.us',
'rath@senate.state.ny.us',
'maziarz@senate.state.ny.us',
'delmonf@assembly.state.ny.us',
'schimmr@assembly.state.ny.us',
'cpeoplesoffice@aol.com',
'wirth@assembly.state.ny.us',
'tokaszp@assembly.state.ny.us',
'hoyts@assembly.state.ny.us',
'schroem@assembly.state.ny.us',
'quinnj@assembly.state.ny.us',
'hayesj@assembly.state.ny.us',


Is there anyone else that should know we DO NOT WANT ANY TAX INCREASES OF ANY KIND ?

[biker]

You may want to rethink sending copies of the emails to the City of Buffalo Common Council members.

I tried emailing my Councilman last Winter and all the copies you sent out had totally swamped their email system.

While it certainly showed the amount of people against the sales tax, bringing down the City's email system certainly was an irritant.

Since it appears that there is no chance that there will be any sharing with the City (consider the mathematical, joint probability of both an increase in the sales tax and sharing with the City), we shouldn't just be an irritant.

We shouldn't just convert potential supporters into enemies.

Besides, should it become an issue, couldn't you, on an automated basis, simple forward to the Common Council copies of all the new petitions?

[biker]

Phase II should be what worked so well in Phase I, except improved.

That would mean:
the petitions;
community meetings
radio appearances
candidate forums

Now that we've had a taste of what the fight takes, we can do an even better job.

There will be active campaigns for Legislature seats. A great way to get people focused on the issue.

We shouldn't start up too soon: nothing will be happening in the Legislature until the State audit and the normal audit performed by Deloitte have been completed.

We should also be aware that this will be breaking in late June or early July. Just the time when people start to leave on summer vacations.

Perhaps we should have some outdoor events.

Of course we fight!

[Riven37]

Originally posted by WNYresident
Even though there are a few which believe the petition had nothing to do with the vote not going through we are getting it ready for round II.

Currently this is the list of emails addresses which receive one email/comment each time the petition is signed online.

Would you guys mind reviewing it and see if there is someone we left out. I can't find Giambras/Patakis email address.

The legislators

'kuwik@erie.gov',
'ErieCoDistrict2@hotmail.com',
'holt@erie.gov',
'ranzenhofer@erie.gov',
'marshall@erie.gov',
'debenedetti@erie.gov',
'smith@erie.gov',
'dusza@erie.gov',
'wroblewski@erie.gov',
'cswanick@erie.gov',
'lynnm@buffnet.net',
'jzchase@erie.gov',
'mccarville13th@erie.gov',
'elise@cusack14.com',
'drbarry15@erie.gov',

The group from Buffalo. Can't have them expecting more of our tax money in the form of sales tax.

'amasiello@city-buffalo.com',
'rl@ch.ci.buffalo.ny.us',
'mcoppola@ch.ci.buffalo.ny.us',
'brdavis@ch.ci.buffalo.ny.us',
'dfranczyk@city-buffalo.com',
'rfontana@ch.ci.buffalo.ny.us',
'athompson@ch.ci.buffalo.ny.us',
'dbonifacio@ch.ci.buffalo.ny.us',
'jgolombek@ch.ci.buffalo.ny.us',
'mmartino@ch.ci.buffalo.ny.us',
'bjgrant@ch.ci.buffalo.ny.us',
'bgray@ch.ci.buffalo.ny.us',
'cfisher@ch.ci.buffalo.ny.us',
'jpitts@ch.ci.buffalo.ny.us',


The group from the state which are supposed to be looknig out for are best interest. I laughed when I said that.

'senstachowski@yahoo.com',
'volker@senate.state.ny.us',
'bbrown@senate.state.ny.us',
'rath@senate.state.ny.us',
'maziarz@senate.state.ny.us',
'delmonf@assembly.state.ny.us',
'schimmr@assembly.state.ny.us',
'cpeoplesoffice@aol.com',
'wirth@assembly.state.ny.us',
'tokaszp@assembly.state.ny.us',
'hoyts@assembly.state.ny.us',
'schroem@assembly.state.ny.us',
'quinnj@assembly.state.ny.us',
'hayesj@assembly.state.ny.us',


Is there anyone else that should know we DO NOT WANT ANY TAX INCREASES OF ANY KIND ?

Not this time, its over the sales tax will be passed this time in June why, because King Jole has made it come out this way where there is no other coruse but to passe the sales tax in June...sorry....political power wins again over us all.

[biker]

You can roll over and go back to sleep now, Riven

[WNYresident]

Originally posted by biker
You may want to rethink sending copies of the emails to the City of Buffalo Common Council members.

I tried emailing my Councilman last Winter and all the copies you sent out had totally swamped their email system.

While it certainly showed the amount of people against the sales tax, bringing down the City's email system certainly was an irritant.

Since it appears that there is no chance that there will be any sharing with the City (consider the mathematical, joint probability of both an increase in the sales tax and sharing with the City), we shouldn't just be an irritant.

We shouldn't just convert potential supporters into enemies.

Besides, should it become an issue, couldn't you, on an automated basis, simple forward to the Common Council copies of all the new petitions?

Yes we can save the petitions that are signed and send then at a later date to the Buffalo Council people. At the time when the first petition was started they were talking about sharing the sales tax increase.

I would of been suprized if the email swamped thier email system. I made the subject easily filterable so they could drop the emails into a seperate folder as they came in. Didn't need it interfering with thier work if thats what they call what they do

It's funny that you say "irritant". Haven't our local politicans been a "irritant" for the last 25 years?

[Night Owl]

Biker, WNYresident and anyone else, I am totally in on this.

PHASE II - "we're not going to take it anymore!"

The weather is getting nicer out, and people seem to more active when it's not 3 degrees below zero.

It's okay letting the Council members know too. We have to get the message even louder across the State as well.

[biker]

At least 25.

But let's focus our efforts and selectively piss off those that need it most.

I'm disappointed that the parks are opened. I think we could have done some neat protest events from them.

But what the hell. If you're $113 million in the hole, what's another million?

Maybe we should take the Holt approach: just don't pay it.

[Night Owl]

you are right about waiting for the audit, if the sales tax is going to increase I am going to want to know the damage first.

Oh, who's going to follow the legislature meetings to make sure they don't try and slip this one by us?

[biker]

Following the meetings is too late.

We need to know what the agenda is for the upcoming meeting so we can act.

Does anyone know how to get the agenda? I think the last item for a Thursday meeting has to be "clocked" in by Tuesday 5:00 PM.

Who's gonna be our Paul Revere calling us to arms!!!!!!

WNY Resident can alert the rest of us via his most excellent email lists.

Maybe NIghtowl can come up with the lightning plan of action each time a sales tax increase is contemplated.

I volunteer as chief bomb-thrower (a la Mr. Newt)

[steven]

Email is nice however, I suggest a fax campaign as a much more effective method

[WNYresident]

Originally posted by steven
Email is nice however, I suggest a fax campaign as a much more effective method

I was thinking about that. We could set it up where each petition generates a fax but then I thought of the cost of paper/ink if they have older faxes. Remember we pay for those suppilies.