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Thread: Double Standard

  1. #1
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    Double Standard

    Why is there such a double standard regarding the City and the County control boards ? Bflo's control board was "hard" when it came into existance. The Counties is soft, and seems to want to remain that way, giving County leaders 4 chances to craft a budget on their own. The City was never given any opportunity to do any of this. I wonder if it is because Pataki is Republican, as is Giambra. And he saw it as a way to punish the Democratic City ? I just don't get it.

  2. #2
    Member buffy's Avatar
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    the days of Patacki helping Giambra are over, still, I've wondered the same thing

  3. #3
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    A hard control board for Erie County is in fact fast approaching. In order to balance the budget, without raising taxes/user fees, the legislature knows they need to cut back on borrowing, cut back on capital improvement projects, implement layoffs, freeze wages, cut back on funding to the social service and cultural agencies, just to name a few. It has to be done and they know it, but they don't have the will. The legislature will gain political cover when the control board can implement all these cost saving intitatives. The legislature can then place all the blame on the control board. Therefore, the legislature (Marinelli in particular) will not do anything at this point. Neither will Giambra or Hartman. The control board keeps giving Giambra and the legislature more chances to come up with cost saving initiatives and a budget so that when they do go hard, they can cover themselves by blaming Giambra and the legislature for not doing their jobs.

  4. #4
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    You guy's still haven't caught on. The Buffalo control board, first one in the history of New York State to come in empty handed, was created in the twilight of the Masiello Administration.
    It was an attempt by the Buffalo Niagara Partnership, with Patacki's blessing, to keep control of city goverment out of the hands of Byron Brown and company. As soon as it became apparentt a few years back that brown was going to be your next mayor and the partnership lackey Masiello planned to drop out because he knew he could not win, the control board became a reality.
    One of it's main objectives is to keep control of the cities destiny out of the hands of the people it effects most.
    Suttle Racism is the reason for your double standard.
    "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.

  5. #5
    Member crlachepinochet's Avatar
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    What is an empty-handed control board?
    Remain calm!! But run for your lives if necessary!

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by crlachepinochet
    What is an empty-handed control board?
    One that comes with no funding. No state aid. Buffalo was the first. In other cases tne control board came in with state aid to get the local goverment on it's feet and balance the budget. Then the Cb would approve or veto all future budgeting and spending to create a long term fiscal plan for continued solvency.
    That was not the case, for the first time in NY history.
    "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.

  7. #7
    Member dtwarren's Avatar
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    Another difference between the condition of the City and County that has been stated to warrant the difference in the Control Boards is the City was and still is close to its constitutional taxing limit were the County is not.
    “We in America do not have government by the majority. We have government by the majority who participate.” ― Thomas Jefferson

  8. #8
    Member citymouse's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by dtwarren
    Another difference between the condition of the City and County that has been stated to warrant the difference in the Control Boards is the City was and still is close to its constitutional taxing limit were the County is not.

    Which is exactly why the city needed some emergency funding.
    "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 dtwarren
    Another difference between the condition of the City and County that has been stated to warrant the difference in the Control Boards is the City was and still is close to its constitutional taxing limit were the County is not.
    Again I will give you a little history on the Buffalo control board.
    The gang of Eighteen (As they called themselves) are a group comprised of the self proclaimed leaders of the Buffalo Niagara Business Partnership. Well known in this community as the old boys network that hangs out at places like the Buffalo Club and the Buffalo Country Club.
    They feel it is there exclusive right to control all development in this neck of the woods. They are strongly anti union because they don't want to pay their employees a decent wage or benefits, as that would cut into the bottom line. They also see the comrades in place like Florida, where they spend a good amount of time, making more money then them, which they blamed on the strength of organized labor in these parts.
    The result? They declared war on labor.
    The first thing was to go after the manufacturing unions. They were very succesfull. Next was the trades, Iron workers, laborers, carpenters etc. A good beginning was Project Labor Agrements. They have had moderate success there. But in order to really be successful they have to break the public sector unions that make organized labor so strong.
    They were having orgasams when Pataki was elected. They actually sent some of there own to Albany as private sector delegates to plead with Albany to deny any financial aid to Buffalo to force it into insolvency.
    (The irony of this is one of them was Mark Hamister, who tried to get money from Albany to buy the Saberes with the Partnerships blessing. I guess that kind of hand out is fine).
    Next they got their lackey in city hall, Massiello, to start crying that the financial sky was falling (Buffalo was in tough financial straits, because of a reduction in aid from Pataki to cities. This was caused by two factors, reduced federal aid to NY, and a change in the way monies were distributed by Albany to the municipalities. Nine eleven worsened the situation). The situation was not as drastic as they claimed, however.
    The reason for the control board had another more sinister side as well. It was apparent three years ago that Byron Brown was going to be the next mayor. God forbid a minority take control of city hall, particularly one that had a history of clashing with the control board and their desire to control development in Buffalo to fit their agenda.
    So they convinced the state delegation to go along with Pataki and create a control board. If you talk to the members of the delegation today they will admit (in a round about way) that they were bambozald.
    Then Pataki appointed his millionarie supporters from the partnership. They, in turn, were so grateful they hired his friend and career patronage hack Dorothy Johnson as director at a bigger salary than the mayor and here we are.
    That's it in a nut shell. Masiello is gone and Pataki will be soon. It's up to Byron and Spitzer to bring an end to this insanity and pick up the pieces. We will be in a better place a year from now.
    "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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    Excuse my use of there for their.I sometimes start typing so fast I don't realize It. I also misspell several other words as well. I guess I should proff read a little more often.
    "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
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    We are hearing good things lie ahead

    there is talk of a 100 million dollar operating surplus. Spitzers election win is evident. We are hearing the CB's powers are going to be curtailed. I am all for that as they are kicking me hard. I still think the CB can do some good , as far as watching the Politicians and the way they hand out jobs. But they should have to honor contracts. I believe they set a horrible precedent in that action. Just for life in general. A contract is a contract, be it verbal, handshake or in writing. That is how I live and would want my children live. It is the right thing to do.
    They hate us till they need us.

  12. #12
    Member ForestBird's Avatar
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    I think that if you consider the number of taxpayers in Buffalo, and their average tax bill, you'll realize that a $100million surplus is absolutely impossible. Buffalo is so heavily dependent on State and Federal aid that it would collapse without it.

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    DT Warren, as usual, is the quiet voice of truth and reason.

    Erie County has a soft CB because it has/had a dysfunctional elected government, but untapped financial resources.

    Buffalo had a dysfunctional elected government and was (and is) tapped out financially.

    Citymouse and PBAguy, by contrast, have spent way too much time at the union hookah.

    In addition to Citymouse's usual dark rants about big business dark dealing in Buffalo, he offers this:
    They declared war on labor.
    The first thing was to go after the manufacturing unions. They were very succesfull. Next was the trades, Iron workers, laborers, carpenters etc. A good beginning was Project Labor Agrements. They have had moderate success there. But in order to really be successful they have to break the public sector unions that make organized labor so strong.
    So these Buffalo Club Boys have engineered the world-wide decline in unions. Not world trade and not a realization that high school graduates are not worth $50k jobs.

    Then there's PBAguy. He really spent too long at the hookah:
    there is talk of a 100 million dollar operating surplus
    Only in the smoky union halls.
    Truth springs from argument among friends.

  14. #14
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    MBA Mouse also gave us the benefit of his astute financial analysis:

    Next they got their lackey in city hall, Massiello, to start crying that the financial sky was falling (Buffalo was in tough financial straits, because of a reduction in aid from Pataki to cities. This was caused by two factors, reduced federal aid to NY, and a change in the way monies were distributed by Albany to the municipalities. Nine eleven worsened the situation). The situation was not as drastic as they claimed, however.
    You got this logic? Buffalo is not broke. It was brought down by nasty NYS reducing its State aid to the City.

    News flash to Mouse: if you need state aid, you're not healthy in the first place.

    Maybe Spitzer will wave his wand and disband the CB.

    If he does that--and nothing else---the City will immediately run out of money. It pays operating expenses by borrowing through the CB. A week after the disbanding of the CB, MBA Mouse will be without a paycheck.

    The union scheme is for the State to increase aid. But, like any nagging, noisy charity case, the City and its unions might be told, "STFU and be grateful for what you've already got."

    Even by Eliot.
    Truth springs from argument among friends.

  15. #15
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    What City doens't get state aid ?

    Are there any that don't get state aid kicked back to them ?

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