Anybody following the news in Buffalo?

[MarkyMannn]

the problem is the county doesn't provide enough services, so people leave.  An influx of new spending progams will attract new residents and businesses.

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There are too many spending programs. At least NOT the kind that will attract new businesses. Yeah, it'll bring in new residents, welfare reciprients who need Medicare. Those services we provide by the bucket

[SDS]

That was sarcasm...right?  I hope...

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absolutely...

 

I always find it convienient when local govts claim they need to raise taxes to make up for budget shortfalls, but when there is a surplus they raise taxes for those needed new programs.

 

Here in Howard County, MD - they justified a 50% local income tax increase because the Feds gave us a tax cut, so we shouldn't really see any difference...

[Hammered a Lot]

Has anybody been following the news in Buffalo the last 2 weeks with the major budget crisis? Hundreds of jobs are being lost, parks are closed (including Chesnut Ridge,) plowing isn't being done in parts. It's gotten very serious.

 

It's about time the taxpayers around here woke up and spoke up. (I have been going to and speaking at town board meetings and have spoke in front of legislature committe meetings since JR high, I even have heard of a former County Executive call me P.I.T.A.. Thank You). The Unions will not give in, The Pols. want their patronage jobs, but the Taxpayer are revolting No new taxes. Get rid of the FAT and WASTE.

I talked with a EC legislator the last home game, yes they park at HAMMER'S LOT,

they were fed up then with the politics/BS of this years budget process. N0 has been their vote.

 

You may ask what this has to do with football. Well, if Ralph (God bless him) passes on, Erie County may not have the money to maintain them. Bass Pro may even be pulling out.

 

There will always be $$$$ for the Bills. Somethings $$$ items are HANDSOFF.

[scribo]

For what its worth, Green Bay, Wisc., is indeed doing well, but I think giving too much credit to some national media blitz is unfair to the city. The education level of its residents is very high -- among the very highest of any U.S. city. Madison, Wisc., is also highly educated. Green Bay also leads the way in quality of life polls in mid-sized U.S. cities. Moreover, its economy is diversified whereas the WNY ecomony has been a big loser because of its dependency on manufacturing, which has obviously declined greatly over the of the past decade, a reversal that seems very slow in ending.

[Gavin in Va Beach]

the problem is the county doesn't provide enough services, so people leave.  An influx of new spending progams will attract new residents and businesses.

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[obie_wan]

There are too many spending programs.  At least NOT the kind that will attract new businesses.  Yeah, it'll bring in new residents, welfare reciprients who need Medicare.  Those services we provide by the bucket

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where do you think all those Democratic voters come from?

[MarkyMannn]

A few other observations come to mind

 

Went to the downtown office of the EC Parks dept. First thing I noticed was how it looked like a private sector office from 25 years ago. It was like being sent back in time. Every desk has stacks of in/out trays, typewriters(!), and paper everywhere. 2 computer terminals in a back corner. Talk about backward

 

Stop EC Sheriffs patrols and their costs. The State Police are obligated to provide coverage, they overlap, and we pay the SP any way.

 

I went to my son's parent/teacher meeting. I had the last appointment of the day. She complains to me that it is 4:10 right now, and she got here at 7:30 Wish I had those hours, and July & August off too

 

WS highway dept starts at 7am. When I'm passing by the local Tim Hortons at 7:30, there must be a half dozen trucks in there. Where's the accountability?

[Zamboni Man]

yeah...it's happening....and there is no light at the end of this tunnel, which is the tough part to accept.

 

Unless...

*

 

 

Unless what? A very large fire?

 

Perhaps a rare Lake Erie tsunami?

[splinter9]

I am graduating college in a year, and most of my freinds from buffalo are graduating this year from RIT, and the only way you could get most of us to come home is for a bills game. Pretty much all of the smart young people are leaving the area which is sad. I think one of the big problems besides the obvious lack of jobs is that the workforce in buffalo is aging. From personal experience as well as freinds experience, as young engineers, as a young person your ideas are often overlooked by the "we have always done it this way approach" that most companies take in buffalo. The company I worked for the average age of the workforce was 46 and all too often I worked with people that were just holding out for retirement. How can companies advance themselves like that? and how could they attract young people to work for them?

[scribo]

Want to know were WNY's money is going?

 

Washington, D.C., just announced a budget surplus of $318 million from last year. The Commonwealth of Virginia took in some $3 BILLION more than expected last year.

 

Sounds great for us down here, right? Before you pack the SUV and pick up a I-95 map, think about what the growth is doing for us. Everyone is leaving WNY and moving to places like northern Virginia. We’re growing too fast down here. Our traffic sucks, there were more than 200 murders in D.C. last year, our schools are gang-ridden and there is no light at the end of our tunnel. The population is expected to keep skyrocketing. There is plenty of money but you can only build schools, roads and train stations so fast. You can only find so many people who want to become policemen. You can only bring so many doctors into the area.

 

On the plus side, it is in the high-60s in D.C. today.

[Alaska Darin]

Want to know were WNY's money is going?

 

Washington, D.C., just announced a budget surplus of $318 million from last year. The Commonwealth of Virginia took in some $3 BILLION more than expected last year.

 

Sounds great for us down here, right? Before you pack the SUV and pick up a I-95 map, think about what the growth is doing for us. Everyone is leaving WNY and moving to places like northern Virginia. We’re growing too fast down here. Our traffic sucks, there were more than 200 murders in D.C. last year, our schools are gang-ridden and there is no light at the end of our tunnel. The population is expected to keep skyrocketing. There is plenty of money but you can only build schools, roads and train stations so fast. You can only find so many people who want to become policemen. You can only bring so many doctors into the area.

 

On the plus side, it is in the high-60s in D.C. today.

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Don't worry. It's a cyclical thing. It'll only grow so much before businesses start moving to cheaper locales.

 

Of course, if the fed doesn't start seriously cutting spending it won't happen during your lifetime.

[theesir]

I also live here and agree, blow the whole thing up. If it means every legislature loses reelection then good, maybe things will be fixed. I'm willing to suffer for a year for the sake of a better county in the future.

 

I heard on the radio this morning that in the past 10 years, the number of Private sector jobs have decreased in this area by .4%.... the number of Public sector jobs have INCREASED 18% in the same time.

 

Giambra, who I once thought would turn things around, has proven himself to be like every other one we elect into that position.. A WHORE. What a conincidence that that 20 best qualified people for jobs in this county happen to be his family and friends. :I starred in Brokeback Mountain:

[Just Jack]

Hello? How 'bout you locals gather together and have a little revolution? Put Hammer in charge, he's smart enough to run not one, but two business's. He could run the whole County and City for you. And have Mark VI and Lancaster Steve has his henchman, ummmm, I mean Advisors.

[BillsNYC]

Anbody know about this group?

 

http://www.nmgonline.org/

[MarkyMannn]

I heard on the radio this morning that in the past 10 years, the number of Private sector jobs have decreased in this area by .4%.... the number of Public sector jobs have INCREASED 18% in the same time.

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I agree. While jobs and population are leaving, public sector jobs and their drain on the local economy are growing. The number I heard was county jobs has grown in 10 years from 7,000 to 10,000

 

Does any one know how those 10,000 jobs are broken down? How many at ECMC, Social Services, Parks, Highway, etc.......I just can't see how they can have that many people. That number is amazing

[Hammered a Lot]

Hello? How 'bout you locals gather together and have a little revolution? Put Hammer in charge, he's smart enough to run not one, but two business's. He could run the whole County and City for you. And have Mark VI and Lancaster Steve has his henchman, ummmm, I mean Advisors.

 

For a job, put some large bill in a unmark brown bag with your phone number and what job you want. Go to Hammer's Lot, proceed to the trees, place bag under one of the rock. do not try to contact me...wait for a phone call... remember what goes on under a rock, stays under a rock.

[Alaska Darin]

For a job, put some large bill in a unmark brown bag with your phone number and what job you want.  Go to Hammer's Lot, proceed to the trees, place bag under one of the rock. do not try to contact me...wait for a phone call... remember what goes on under a rock, stays under a rock.

240405[/snapback]

I missed the announcement of your candidacy.

[seq004]

I think some programs needed cutting in the public secter. I don't know if anyone saw it in the Buffalo News but Bass Pro was inked today. I hope a real waterfront development helps Buffalo. I believe it will change a lot. I know how skeptic we have all become and for good reason. Some of the programs getting cut are sad.

[Live&DieBillsFootball]

Well, Giambra unveiled his Green budget with the sales tax increase and his Red scorched earth budget to try to scare the residents into accepting the tax increase by threatening to gut county services. A funny thing happened...the citizens called his bluff. Now the county had to cut $108 million in expenses. Rather than a scorched earth budget, they are going to cut patronage jobs, pork, and trim the cost of government.

 

Will there be problems? Probably, but we will finally get rid of a lot of fat and if need be, taxes can be increased later to add back the services that the citizens want.

 

If the tax increase would have gone in, they would have kept all of the patronage and pork. I'm just glad that enough people had the spine to force the spending cuts.

 

As another poster said, the Bass Pro deal has been signed and is going forward. I actually think that this mess will be good for Erie County in the long run. The population is declining but, the county payroll has continued to increase. It's about time our government starts living within our means, like the rest of us have to.

[stuckincincy]

Well, Giambra unveiled his Green budget with the sales tax increase and his Red scorched earth budget to try to scare the residents into accepting the tax increase by threatening to gut county services.  A funny thing happened...the citizens called his bluff.  Now the county had to cut $108 million in expenses.  Rather than a scorched earth budget, they are going to cut patronage jobs, pork, and trim the cost of government.

 

Will there be problems?  Probably, but we will finally get rid of a lot of fat and if need be, taxes can be increased later to add back the services that the citizens want. 

 

If the tax increase would have gone in, they would have kept all of the patronage and pork.  I'm just glad that enough people had the spine to force the spending cuts.

 

As another poster said, the Bass Pro deal has been signed and is going forward.  I actually think that this mess will be good for Erie County in the long run.  The population is declining but, the county payroll has continued to increase.  It's about time our government starts living within our means, like the rest of us have to.

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Are there any details of the Bass deal? Here in Cincy, the city repeatedly doles out tax rebates, purchases property for incoming firms that promise to hire "X" number of people, toss sweetheart construction bucks to their buddies, only to see them leave town in a few years. Any figures on how much up-front taxpayer $$$ and tax forgiveness the city is going to fork over?