Politics Now

Mayor ducks questions on Albany coup

   Mayor Byron W. Brown has some extremely close associations with people involved in the potential Republican takeover of the State Senate.

   First, Brown was a Democratic member of the upper house in Albany before he was elected mayor in 2005.

   Second, coup instigator B. Thomas Golisano -- owner of the Buffalo Sabres -- is a Brown supporter. He told The Buffalo News in an interview earlier this year that he planned to stay close to the mayor during this election year.  He did not say exactly what being close meant, but there is no question the billionaire founder of Paychex Inc. has shown a willingness to spend money in elections. His Responsible New York committee, for example, spent more than $4 million on the Democratic Senate candidates with whom he has now parted company.

   And third, Golisano lieutenant G. Steven Pigeon has rekindled close ties with the mayor that were severed for a time as Brown prepared his run for City Hall in 2004. Pigeon also had a key role in last year's primary challenge by Brown ally Barbra A. Kavanaugh to Assemblyman Sam Hoyt. Golisano financed the Kavanaugh effort.

   But on Wednesday, Brown said through spokesman Peter K. Cutler that he would have no comment on the events in Albany. He would not answer questions about whether he would maintain ties with Pigeon and Golisano, who were the main forces in leading the charge against Brown's old Democratic allies.

   Do you view those as legitimate questions for the mayor of Buffalo as events continue to unfold in Albany?

-- Robert J. McCarthy

Garner joins Albany lobbying firm

   Maurice L. Garner, one of Buffalo's best known political operatives and a close associate of Mayor Byron W. Brown, has joined Bolton-St. Johns Inc., one of Albany's top lobbying firms.

   Bolton-St. John's spokesman Edward Draves said Friday that Garner will assist the firm with existing clients and new business development.

   "We want to expand our reach out to Western New York, where we think a lot of things will be happening," Draves said. "And people in Western New York don't realize what a statewide player Maurice is."

   Garner, 50, is a longtime confidante of the mayor and a co-founder of the Grassroots political club on Buffalo's East Side. His last government position was as Buffalo's deputy comptroller, and he has since opened his own consulting firm.

   Now he joins an Albany company with vast experience in government relations and consulting, and the firm's officials expect he will play a major role, Draves said.

  -- Robert J. McCarthy

Lee cuts new path by working with Democrats

 WASHINGTON — It wasn't often that you saw Bill Paxon or Tom Reynolds standing next to a Democratic congressman at a press conference — but their successor has done just that twice in the last two months.

   In other words, Rep. Chris Lee, the Clarence businessman turned Republican congressman, isn't exactly following the footsteps of his predecessors.

   Instead, he's forging his own path, teaming with Democratic Reps. Brian Higgins and Louise Slaughter on local initiatives and bucking the GOP on its budget plans and an important children's health care bill.

   It's hardly what we could have expected from a congressman who succeeds three consecutive right-wing superstars (including the late Jack Kemp, who tended to have better relations with his Democratic colleagues than Paxon or Reynolds).

   But then again, it was sort of hard to know what to expect from Lee, given that he had never before held public office.

   Now, though, it is becoming clear that Lee is his own man — which, of course, doesn't sit well with everybody. Some Republicans deride him as the country-club sort who's too quick to compromise and too reluctant to follow the party line.

   So, what do you think? How is Lee doing after four months in office?

   — Jerry Zremski

Sheriff's salary makes the job a tough sell

      Erie County Democrats are searching for a candidate for sheriff this year, and by all accounts, it's a tough sell.

   That's because the $79,000 salary for the post has not been raised in 20 years, and by law, cannot be raised in a year when taxes are hiked. And in 2009, county taxes increased.

   For most people, a $79,000 salary looks like a pretty good deal. But many senior police officers make that or more with overtime, and are not very excited about assuming the headaches of running a major sheriff's office for that kind of money.

   As a result, many potential candidates for sheriff cannot afford to consider the race, and most applicants are those who are in a position to retire. Then they can collect a pension on top of the sheriff salary.

   "The major problem is what it pays," Erie County Conservative Chairman Ralph C. Lorigo said. "By law, you can't get a raise in any year that taxes go up."

   Do you think that after 20 years, it's time for the salary for such a major position to be upgraded? 

   Do you believe the low salary in relation to other posts (the undersheriff makes $105,000 per year) discourages qualified candidates?

   Or do you think it's fine just the way it is? 

   -- Robert J. McCarthy

Fundraisers galore

   'Tis the season for fundraising.

   The festivities get under way when Senate Minority Leader Dean Skelos of Rockville Center makes the local rounds tonight. Following an airport press conference, Skelos will make the required appearance before the Conservative Party's annual bash at Lucarelli's Banquet Center in Lackawanna. He then heads to Amherst for the party's big spring dinner, which also ranks as a major attraction on the statewide political tour.

    The Conservatives' "Spring Get-Together" usually serves as a real indicator about who's in and who's out, who's hot and who's not in the upcoming political season. With designating petitions set to hit the streets in about a month, political observers expect the Conservative gathering to provide a decent hint about who will be serious about running this year.

   On the Democratic side, Assemblyman Sam Hoyt hosts a major luncheon event on Friday at E.B. Green's Steakhouse at the Hyatt Regency Buffalo for Attorney General Andrew Cuomo. The affair cements a long and close political relationship between Hoyt and the attorney general, whom many predict could emerge as the Democratic candidate for governor next year should incumbent David A. Paterson's numbers continue to fall.

-- Robert J. McCarthy 

Golisano-Hoyt 2010: The rematch

   One of the wonders of Erie County politics is that it knows no season and has no boundaries.

   So it makes all kinds of sense that Assemblyman Sam Hoyt, D-Buffalo, is already raising funds for 2010. And it also figures that he went all the way to Manhattan to stage his latest fund raiser.

   Indeed, Hoyt reports his campaign took in about $30,000 at a breakfast event held earlier this week. It featured a guest appearance by Sen. Chuck Schumer, while Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney and former state Comptroller Ned Regan dropped by too.

   Hoyt finds himself in an "all fund raising, all the time" mode after he was targeted last year by billionaire Tom Golisano and his Responsible New York political committee. The Buffalo Sabres owner spent about $500,000 in an unsuccessful attempt to knock him out of the Assembly.

   Now Hoyt is already blaming Golisano and "disgraced former party boss Steve Pigeon" in a letter he recently sent to supporters. He said Golisano has already funded a mailing criticizing recent votes, and he expects more of the same.

   "It would appear that next year's campaign has already begun," Hoyt said in the letter. "As a result, I am gearing up for what no doubt will be another expensive and nasty campaign."

   Let the games begin.

   -- Robert J. McCarthy

Do as we say, not as we do

The State Senate has ordered a freeze on hiring and salary increases ... except for a few people it wants to hire.  Democrats are going forward with the new majority office it plans to open in Buffalo.

However, the office is expected to be staffed with six new employees, rather than the 10 originally mentioned.

Former heavyweight boxer Joe Mesi, unsuccessful in his try at elected office, already has been hired (at $70,000 a year) as regional director of the new office. Some people just can't lose.

Others, like New York taxpayers, sometimes feel they just can't win.

Let the 2010 games begin

   Anybody who doesn't think the 2010 statewide elections are not under way was not making the rounds around Buffalo on Saturday.
   Not only did Sen. Kirsten E. Gillibrand make the traditional visit required of all politicians to the Broadway Market, she was joined by Rep. Steve Israel of Long Island, a member of the powerful Appropriations Committee and a potential primary opponent to Gillibrand next year.
   And to top it all off, former Rep. Rick Lazio of Long Island was also in town, speaking to top Republican leaders from around the area as he explores a potential run for governor in 2010.
   There was nothing definite in the actions of any of the visiting politicians on Saturday. None were very anxious to talk about politics. In fact, it just was not a topic of discussion for anyone at this early juncture.
   But they were here, and at least in semi-political mode. Gillibrand met with the Democratic chairmen of the eight Western New York counties and benefited from a $1,000-per-person fundraiser in the Saturn Club organized by Assemblywoman Crystal D. Peoples, D-Buffalo.
   Israel, meanwhile, had lunch on Friday with Erie County Democratic Chairman Leonard R. Lenihan.
   And Lazio was busy at the Leonard Post in Cheektowaga rekindling long relationships with upstate Republicans.
   It all points to the political fact that while the 2009 campaign has not even begun, preparations for any statewide effort in 2010 have to start now. A campaign across New York is expected to cost tens of millions of dollars, and most observers expect the field to have some clarity by this fall.
   The pols themselves may not be ready to declare the campaign under way yet, but just about all political observers say the starting gun sounded long ago.
   As far as 2010 is concerned, let the games begin.

-- Robert J. McCarthy

Golisano back on the political trail

   Tom Golisano's Responsible New York is back in action.

   The political committee run by the billionaire owner of the Buffalo Sabres has mailed thousands of fliers to the Assembly constituents of Sam Hoyt of Buffalo, Francine DelMonte of Lewiston and Susan John of suburban Rochester assailing recent votes enabling the "sweep" of $500 million in New York Power Authority funds to balance the state budget.

    Steve Pigeon, the former Erie County Democratic chairman, who is Golisano's political point man, said the committee has spent about $50,000 on the mailings -- and there's more money where that came from.

   "Tom indicated when he was in Albany that we will be a year-round organization, and this is just a piece of that," he said. "He is outraged at what is happening in NYPA."

   The budget sweep created a major controversy last week when The Buffalo News reported that the authority was planning upstate rate hikes after the funds were directed to the general budget. The authority has since backed away from the idea.

 Pigeon said Golisano resurrected his political operation to call attention to the move among all voters of the three Assembly districts -- not just Democrats. All three targets of the mailings are Democrats.

   The Buffalo News placed a call to DelMonte seeking her reaction, but she was reported on the floor of the Assembly voting on budget bills and unavailable to comment.

   Golisano spent more than $4 million of hs own money in last year's legislative elections, mostly on behalf of Senate Democrats.

   -- Robert J. McCarthy

A good night for Collins

   County Executive Chris Collins hosted a few hundred of his closest friends Friday night at the Adam's Mark Hotel, and raked in about $300,000 in campaign funds too.

   The Republican held a major fundraiser that by all measures ranked as a success.

   It all means things are going well politically for the rookie politician. Knowledgeable sources say his poll numbers are strong, while the County Legislature's are not (but then again, what legislative body posts high poll numbers?).

    Collins was elected in 2007 backed by a slogan that asked voters to "elect a chief executive, not a chief politician." But since then he's freely acknowledged that just as he mastered all the skills that made him a successful businessman, he's attempting to master the skills to make him a successful politician. Politics, he acknowledges, is part of the game.

    The county executive faces many new challenges. It's difficult to run a major, urban government when times are good, let alone during the worst economic conditions in 75 years. And he continues to battle with a control board that oversees all county finances.

   But the fact that poll numbers look good and campaign funds are flowing in shows Chris Collins occupies a fairly decent spot for a new pol still early in his sophomore year in office.

   What's your opinion of the county executive's performance?

   -- Robert J. McCarthy