Forum on Charter--Feb. 15th

[Jim Ostrowski]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
James Ostrowski
435-8918
jameso@apollo3.com
http://www.freebuffalo.org
http://www.freeny.org


Free Buffalo Will Present a Forum on
Reorganizing County Government

Buffalo, New York. January 27, 2006. Free Buffalo will present a forum on various proposals to change the form of Erie County Government. The event will be held on Wednesday, February 15, 2006, at 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. at the Hearthstone Manor, 333 Dick Road (near Walden Ave.), Cheektowaga.

Canisius College Political Science Professor Kevin R. Hardwick, PhD, will moderate the panel which also includes:

• Certified public administrator and former city manager Leonard Matarese, who will present the case for a council-manager form of government;
• Alan Bedenko, attorney and “Buffalo Pundit” blogger, who will argue in favor of eliminating county government and moving its functions to other levels of government;
• Gregory Olma, former county legislator, who will discuss the history of Erie County government and defend the present “strong executive” form; and
• James Ostrowski, policy analyst and President of Free Buffalo, will discuss the pros and cons of the prior Board of Supervisors system.

The event is free and open to the public. All political parties and candidates are welcome to attend. Light refreshments will be served.

In March, Free Buffalo will issue recommendations for changes to the Erie County Charter which will be forwarded to the Erie County Charter Revision Commission.

Free Buffalo is the Erie County chapter of Free New York, Inc., a non-profit, non-partisan New York State public policy research corporation. It has offices at 1535 Hertel Ave., Buffalo, New York, 14216.

[moonshine]

Hey Chris In Parkside,

Here's an excellent chance for you to kill two birds with one stone. The wny real estate investors club meeting will be held the same time and place as the free buffalo forum, Feb 15th, 7pm, Dick's Hearthstone Manner.

Make sure you bring cash because the bar at the Hearthstone doesn't accept credit cards

[tronix75]

Originally posted by moonshine
Hey Chris In Parkside,

Here's an excellent chance for you to kill two birds with one stone. The wny real estate investors club meeting will be held the same time and place as the free buffalo forum, Feb 15th, 7pm, Dick's Hearthstone Manner.

Make sure you bring cash because the bar at the Hearthstone doesn't accept credit cards

Ya, Moonshine & I might forget to bring our wallets. We may need somebody to buy a few rounds.

[concernedwnyer]

Originally posted by moonshine
Hey Chris In Parkside,

Here's an excellent chance for you to kill two birds with one stone. The wny real estate investors club meeting will be held the same time and place as the free buffalo forum, Feb 15th, 7pm, Dick's Hearthstone Manner.

Make sure you bring cash because the bar at the Hearthstone doesn't accept credit cards

Actually it is a differnet room within the Hearthstone Manor. Jim O.'s event is in the King Room.

[Chris in Parkside]

I was planning to attend Jim's event, now, I'll also slip next door and talk real estate.

[Jim Ostrowski]

Free Buffalo's forum on county government reform is tonight at the Hearthstone Manor at 7pm, 333 Dick Rd., Depew.

The event is free and light refreshments will be served.

Should be a good discussion featuring Kevin Hardwick and Buffalo Pundit (Alan Bedenko).

[Ragin]

Chris in Parkside .. it was nice to meet you this evening.

[steven]

Originally posted by Chris in Parkside
I was planning to attend Jim's event, now, I'll also slip next door and talk real estate.

They switched the real estate thing to tonight because of conflicting events. If anyone goes, could you drop me a line and tell me if it was worth it?

[moonshine]

Yeah, I just found out. Unfortunately I came down with some sort of cold/flu this morning and won't be attending (probably a result of sitting too close to Al D. last night )

[Ragin]

I wonder if those real estate fellas are as noisy as those construction workers were last night?

[Jim Ostrowski]

The forum was a great event, well-attended by knowledgeable people. Each panelist presented their positions well and there was in fact much agreement among the panel. Kevin Hardwick, who knew the panelists well, ably served as moderator and added his own incisive commentary where it was appropriate. The program went a half hour overtime, yet not a single person left.

Thanks to all who attended, volunteered or spoke. And thanks to Speakupwny.com for sponsoring the event and to wnymedia.net for covering the event and posting its video online.

Let me flesh out the proposal I raised at the forum which is at least intriguing.

Start with the old board of supervisors concept, which is admittedly untenable. With some modifications, it might just fly again today though.

Keep the town and small city mayors as supervisors. Instead of electing 27 new city supervisors--which harks back to a time when the city had more people than the burbs--simply have the Buffalo councilmen fill those positions. That gives you a 36-member board to run the county. Add in the "Iraci plan"--a professional manager appointed by the board and you have a plausible, greatly streamlined form of government.

Each member's vote would be weighted according to the population of the jurisdiction they represent. This has proven workable in other counties and may actually reduce logrolling and such.

There’s also a Jeffersonian element as the smaller units actual control the larger government unit: the county.

Here’s the beauty of it: with one pull of the lever on Election Day, you eliminate the County Executive and the County Legislature for good.

[buffy]

ONe problem, the legislature has to approve the measure b4 it goes on the ballot...do you really think the legislature is going to approve getting rid of itself?

[WNYresident]

Originally posted by buffy
ONe problem, the legislature has to approve the measure b4 it goes on the ballot...do you really think the legislature is going to approve getting rid of itself?

IT would be the honorable thing to do. They don't have the balls to stand up to Joel and put him in his rightful place. The unemployment line.

[Jim Ostrowski]

"do you really think the legislature is going to approve getting rid of itself?"

No, but we can eliminate them in Nov. 07.

[biker]

Originally posted by Jim Ostrowski
The program went a half hour overtime, yet not a single person left.

I guess I must have been doing my Claude Rains act again.