Our senators do downstate's bidding

Here's how clueless Bill Stachowski and Antoine Thomspon are: The Democratic leadership trotted them out in Albany Thursday to plead for passage of an extension of the Power For Jobs program.

Trouble is, the program does Western New York little good. In fact, it's one of the ways the profits from  the Niagara Power Project are used to benefit downstate business interests.

Here's what I reported on the program in 2007 in my Power Failure investigation of the New York Power Authority:

The program was started in 1997 and was supposed to end in 2000, but lawmakers continue to extend it. In the process, they have required the authority to reimburse the state for an increasing share of lost tax revenue, now 100 percent. The program involved 599 companies as of a year ago, including 89 from Erie and Niagara counties, whose allocation of discounted power accounted to 12 percent of the statewide total.

Power For Jobs is now slated to end this June, but the authority as it now stands remains on the hook for another contribution of $175 million.

While Niagara power isn't the sole source of funding for the voluntary contributions, the Power Authority acknowledges the plant's profits do go a long way.

In other words, profits from our plant are being used to subsidize the operations of downstate businesses.

Rep. Brian Higgins is negotiating with the New York Power Authority to secure a portion of the Niagara Power Project's profits to benefit Western New York. The expiration of the Power For Jobs program would free up money towards that end. But we've got Thompson and Stachowski doing the bidding of downstate interests instead.

They're team players, all right. Just not our team.

 

Comments

[John Trimore]

These guys just don't care. They totally lie to WNY and cater to Lobbyist. They deny starting the Joe Mesi Patronage Club and we end up paying for it.

They have to be replaced..

[john]

Is this suppose to be news????? The world knows that the rest of New York State outside of Albany and New York City does not exist! ALL of the "Court Jesters" also known as the country's MOST DYSFUNCTIONAL state legislature are totally consumed at the moment holding the "NEW YORK STATE CIRCUS" (Cirque du Albany). Don't expect anything more!!!!!

[pgr88]

How about secession for Upstate? Create a special district for NY and its burroughs (like DC) and a new State for Upstate. Unfortunately, Upstate and NY City are growing farther apart, not closer - in economics, culture, politics. Upstate is more like a colony.

[Reality Check]

pgr88, it won't happen. The NY State Assembly would never approve it, which according to the U.S. Constitution it would have to.

Why would downstate Assembly members accept any expense costs for the breakup and also accept some risk that the newly formed state might ever elect Republicans to the U.S. Senate? The Democrat Party at all levels would strongly oppose a split.

[K9]

Great idea - we can call it the Welfare State since it will never be able to pay its own bills

[Barton Keyes]

The rule in Albany is "pay to play". If up-staters what a share of the political power in Albany they need to serve the political interests that control each of the two legislative bodies. And that power is concentrated in the leaders of each chamber. And those leaders invariably come from downstate. The current system inf fact resembles the later stages of feudalism where the lesser nobility (up-state) had to pay homage to the ever more powerful kings (the three men in a room).
That is the political reality. Mere members who do not recognize that reality are relegated to political oblivion. The money they get from the leadership is equal to pocket change, the bills they sponsor die early deaths, the influence they exert is chump change.
Until power in each chamber is dispersed to legislative committee leaders and the power of each chamber's leader is restricted there will be no share of real power for upstate politicians.

[JohnWesleyHarding]

Funny how Mr Heaney has nothing to say about Sen Maziarz' support for Power for Jobs all the years he and his corrupt cronies were in charge.

No word on Maziarz, Volker, Ranzenhofer et al voting to extend PFJ in their mock session last week.

No word on Maziarz packing NYPA with cronies like Malcolm Needler, high holy hack from Niagara County Legislature now pulling 70 grand a year from NYPA after buying Maziarz's house in a sweetheart deal.

No, only criticize the Democrats in the Senate. I guess that's what Heaney has to do if he wants to keep his job at layoff-prone Buff News.

Oh, and as for Brian "Mullet" Higgins' bill?

Is that bill #43 about power profits/loose juice/econ development or bill #579?

These bills are boob bait for the boobs who clamor for upstate secession while dreaming Niagara County will become the Kuwait of North America.

The bills go nowhere and grab headlines from writers like Heaney who think they know better than everyone else.

According to Heaney, Niagara Falls Medical Center should be denied discount electricity while we wait for Higgins bill #2,364 to make it out of committee in Washington.

Brilliant.

Next time you want to slam Stachowski and Thompson per orders from your editor and paymaster you ought to throw in Maziarz for good measure so it won't be so nakedly obvious you're shilling for the publisher's ideological soulmates in the GOP (Grand Old Perverts).

[JohnWesleyHarding]

to John Trimore-

Point of fact:

The Joe Mesi Patronage Club was founded by long-time Mesi pal Steve Pigeon who, along with Republican George Maziarz, plotted the coup AGAINST the Democrats.

[Jim Heaney, Outrages & Insights author]

Dear JohnWesleyHarding - I took Maziarz to task several weeks ago regarding his unfounded claims about Google and NYPA power. In fact, Dittoheads complain complain that I'm not nice to the GOP. But I guess you're too busy venting to actually read. What's your real name again? Oh, I forgot, your type don't like putting your name to your words. I understand. I'd be embarrassed, too.

[Huh?]

Those complaints must be from country club bluebloods and their supporters. Most true Dittoheads would have very little good to say about spendaholic NYS Republicans such as Maziarz. Be as mean as you want about the current philosophy of the NYS GOP (which usually differs very little from the NYS Democrat Party).

[Sue Schulz]

To: JohnWesleyHarding

Can't you read.. This is not about parties.. Apparently you must be part of the Gang..

This is about what is right for WNY..

ALL of them are useless.. Thompson, Stachowski, and Mariarz.

We have too many do nothings and too many that have been there too long stealing from the people.

I want you to all resign..

[Dave]

NO INCUMBENTS!!!! Lets pretend we are in grade school (like the Senate) and have a do over. It can ONLY be better...

[Stu41]

To quote Clarence Darrow, he sums up my opinion on William Stachowksi: "Though I never once killed anyone, I have read some obituaries with great pleasure".