Category: Local Politics

Tobe to be Deputy County Executive

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County Executive-elect Poloncarz has appointed Richard Tobe to be his Deputy County Executive. Tobe is a lawyer and held the Erie County post of Commissioner of Environment and Planning for a decade, and was Mayor Byron Brown’s Commissioner for Economic Development until 2008.

During the County Executive campaign, Poloncarz said that his deputy would be a “jobs czar”, concentrating on growing the economy and job creation.  From the press release:

Poloncarz stated, “As I have said, my Deputy County Executive’s will focus on job creation and creating a streamlined, sustainable and efficient approach to economic development in Erie County.  This position required an individual that not only had a proven track record of successfully navigating the often turbulent local economic development process but who could also help create a better system for tomorrow. Today, I am proud to announce Richard Tobe will serve in that role.  It is time that Erie County taxpayers see a return on the investment of their tax dollars into economic development initiatives that show results.  Richard’s decades of successful and multi-faceted economic development experience in the public and private sectors make him the perfect choice to lead these efforts.”

Transition Chairman Michael Joseph added, “The County Executive-elect has made an excellent choice in recruiting Rich Tobe to serve the county. Mr. Tobe’s decades of public service in economic development and planning, including a lead role in negotiating complex deals and public infrastructure projects makes him an ideal candidate to serve in the key role as Deputy County Executive.”

Mr. Tobe has more than 30 years of economic development experience in the public and private sectors as well as academia.  During his 12 years serving the Gorski administration as Commissioner of Environment and Planning, Tobe led the County’s successful effort to negotiate a new long-term lease agreement with the Buffalo Bills, and construct the Buffalo Sabres’ arena (now First Niagara Center) in downtown Buffalo, while serving as the point-person with New York State and local municipalities on economic development initiatives.

Since then Tobe has served as an adjunct professor at the University at Buffalo’s Graduate School of Planning and School of Law, Vice President of the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, and Commissioner of the City of Buffalo’s Department of Economic Development, Permit and Inspection Services.

Tobe said, “I am supremely honored to serve County Executive-elect Poloncarz as the Deputy County Executive.  I strongly agree with the County Executive-elect that, for too long, Erie County has been devoid of a cohesive and focused economic development strategy.  I know and love this community and I am confident that by working together with local, state and federal economic development agencies and by leveraging our abundance of resources and strategic location we can realize real, sustainable growth.”

The Hospital Business

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When Chris Collins said that Erie County was out of the hospital business, he was being deceitful – in this year’s case, to the tune of $23.8 million.  That figure would have been $40 million, but for a credit that the hospital is holding to the county’s credit.

It may be a tough nut, and depending on to whom you listen, it may  be fair and lawful. But it’s a huge subsidy that goes disproportionately to assist poor families in a poor county, and the county remains decidedly in the “hospital business” as long as the payouts continue.

Irony

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I was unable to attend the Erie County Legislature’s final session of 2011, which was the last for six lawmakers, including Chairwoman Barbara Miller-Williams.

Miller-Williams led a breakaway faction of three Democratic legislators who aligned themselves with the Republican majority, thus helping Chris Collins move forward with an agenda that was oftentimes at odds with that of Miller-Williams’ constituents.

Chris Smith and I did this video two years ago to explain it all (language NSFW)

The Buffalo News reports this:

“I implore you to please put people before politics,” Miller-Williams told her colleagues as the meeting wrapped up. “It’s always the right thing to do.”

Ironic, seeing as how Ms. Miller-Williams seldom took her own advice on that point. Unless, of course “putting people before politics” has something to do with ensuring political jobs for certain people.

Reacting to Miller-Williams, Joseph N. Welch had this to say:

Lipsey / Paladino Rapprochement?

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Something struck me today regarding Paladino’s newest insult billboard-a-torium. Take a look, if you will, at the last two:

Paladino Billboard the First

Paladino Billboard the Second

And here’s the most recent iteration:

Notice the difference?

Did you also notice Bob McCarthy’s seemingly perfectly normal Sunday opinion piece detailing how Paladino intends to become politically active again?

Several sources tell me that Carl Paladino and Buffalo News publisher Stan Lipsey broke bread recently to bury the hatchet. This explains Lipsey’s absence from the “bucket list” sign, and the friendly tete-a-tete with McCarthy. That is the perfect explanation for the abrupt end to the Paladino-Lipsey feud.

To go from two consecutive “Fuck Stan Lipsey” signs, to a glowing, uncritical profile in The Buffalo News to including “nobody-from-the-Buffalo-News” on his new ‘fuck you’ sign is quite a swing

Might be time to update this to include Carl.

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Carl Haz a Sad

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I aspire to someday find my name on the side of a decrepit, crumbling eyesore and embodiment of a bitter millionaire’s land speculation.

When the Paladinists aren’t recommending burning periodicals with which they disagree, their leader is busy sending out this sort of thing.

Also, this:

Without directly addressing the little put-upon millionaire’s temper tantrum (if the piece was so off the mark, why mention it, Carl?) wouldn’t it be great if a group of, say, #OccupyBuffalo protesters took a bunch of Artvoices every week and hawked them outside the perimeter of the Ellicott Square Building?

The Caputo Arrest: Curious

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On March 12, 2011, the Buffalo News reported on two seemingly unrelated matters:

1. Investigative reporter Jim Heaney wrote that former campaign workers and contractors retained by the Paladino for the People gubernatorial campaign were accusing Mr. Paladino for non-payment; and

2. T.J. Pignataro and Bob McCarthy wrote that former Paladino campaign manager Michael Caputo and his father had been arrested and charged by Orchard Park police on March 1st with various and sundry disorderly conduct-type offenses.

I’m not one for grand conspiracies, but could the two be related?

Heaney claimed in this online chat that he first learned of the non-payment issue via online chat that took place on March 6th.  But the bad blood between Caputo and Paladino can be traced back at least to February 2011, when Caputo publicly endorsed Governor Cuomo’s budget plan, calling it, “conservative, responsible and absolutely necessary“, and asked tea party members throughout the state to join him.

In response to that, the New York State tea party movement was thrust into more turmoil than usual, with accusations and counter-accusations over whether they should back Cuomo or not. The kicker, however, was this email that Carl Paladino sent out to some of his trusted associates on February 6, 2011. I’ve cut out the irrelevant portions, but check out the highlighted bit:

From: “Carl Paladino”

Date: Sun, 6 Feb 2011 20:53:54

Subject: Re: Caputo’s reach and breach

Well this is a second attempt to write you.  I’m terrible on the computer and accidentally erased the first 3 hour version of this? Everyone please be assured that Caputo does not work or speak for me. He is in the wind and probably on Cuomo’s payroll.  The last conversation I had with him the week before Oneonta I told him that Cuomo’s budget was unacceptable and at best a very small step in the right direction.  He went on to interpret that as an ok to tell the group that I supported Cuomo and to issue a letter and oped which are totally unacceptable to me.

The result was a week of rhetoric wHich I believe was healthy for all.  It coalesced the group and pointed out the need for a strong organizer/coordinator who commands the respect of all, is resourceful, determined, loyal and smart which defines all of you but I also think when you think about it the one name that sticks for the great majority is Sheryl, and don’t you dare spell her name wrong.  Remember that in every group there are extremes and that is good as long as the center is strong and well planted.  Some will push the envelope. Others want to be hanging off the end of the merry-go-round where everything is a blur and the wind blows in your face.  Still others are content in the middle where they can see everything clearly.  It takes a little of each to have a winning team.

Forget about Caputo.  He can’t hurt anyone.  He’s off on a trip to his home planet thinking that he can revise history.  At the NYC press debriefing event he was the only person to dump on me.  Not even the Cuomo people said anything. He said I liked the sound of a turd in the punchbowl never acknowledging that he was solely responsible for the Hassidic/homosexual tragedy in NYC.  He’s a political junkie/whore with no values, for sale to anyone.  The authorities are aware of his misuse of the lists assembled on my nickel and what goes around will come around.

Seems like “what goes around” came around on March 1st, just three weeks later.

It’s also worth noting that Paladino has interests in Orchard Park, namely Skibbereen Farms, the website for which indicates that it’s owned by “The 1147 Group, Inc., owned by Chrissie Hannon, Paladino’s niece. His wife and daughter are the property managers there.  It’s the largest horse farm of its kind in Orchard Park, with about 50 horses. It’s not like he has no pull in that particular one of the Southtowns, where Caputo lives.

It certainly seems like a retaliatory set-up, but no one’s talking. For his part, when asked whether he thinks Paladino might be behind this, the usually loquacious Caputo gave me a very uncharacteristic, “no comment”.  Yet one thing’s for sure – Caputo was tailed for some time before being pulled over, and he and his father were arrested on charges dubious enough that an Aurora town justice dismissed each one.

Caputo Dismissal

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The question now becomes – why did Orchard Park bring out the big guns over what should have been a routine traffic stop?

Grisanti vs…. Panepinto?

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Marc Panepinto

I’m hearing that Hoytian local attorney Marc Panepinto is seriously considering challenging Republican State Senator Mark Grisanti for SD-60. Grisanti is a former Democrat who defected to the Republican Party and won a very hard-fought election against current Realtor Antoine Thompson.

Although Grisanti endeared himself to Democrats in his district in the wake of his vote on same sex marriage earlier this year, it is an overwhelmingly Democratic district, and unknown what the electorate’s overall thoughts are concerning the Senator’s other policy positions and actions.

No word yet on whether Thompson might want a rematch, as well.

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