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
There are no words that can describe how great a move this is for this firm. Mr. Garner helped get me my first job while in college. He is smart and a wonderful human being. I am rooting hard for him to do big things in Albany. I owe so much to him for helping get my feet in the door.
Posted by: Tommy | May 23, 2009 at 03:37 PM
I see a seamless world developing between Government at all levels and the lobby/ influence communities. All of Washington is fast becoming a gigantic fluid of influence money and spcecial interests dominating the results.
The famous Public Interest has been so profaned and subverted I notice that even lip service lacking in these times.
I think the separation of America from military obligation and public service as a duty has set the nation on a new course of “Professional Government.” This new entity serves to produce folk like Garner who have no special calling for long term benefits to the people but to serve masters of victory who know how to win elections and develop policy that is successfully implemented, whether for long term good or evil.
I doubt there is a path back to Citizen Government and I fear for the Republic.
Posted by: HapKLein | May 23, 2009 at 08:59 PM
Maurice is part of the decrepit and corrupt cabal of those pretending to be honest Democrats. On the bright side, we are glad to be rid of him, he's in the Albany cesspool now where he belongs.
Posted by: Simple Country Lawyer | May 24, 2009 at 09:36 AM
Government influence is NOT supposed to be BOUGHT or $OLD, for PROFIT! That's NOT democracy. That's called pure big "business", ....favoring only the very highly profitable.
Lobbying is one of "the" major forces, CHOKING OFF any chance whatsoever, of the voice of "the people" to be even considered. Is that not EXACTLY the huge ongoing problem that we are now having in New York State?
NYS government costs of doing business are SEVERELY distorted, FAR ABOVE AVERAGE, thanks to LOBBYISTS!
DESPITE ECONOMY, LOBBYING A GROWTH INDUSTRY IN NY
Special interests spent more than $180 million last year trying to influence New York state government through high-priced lobbyists and contributions to political campaigns.
The $174 million lobbyists spent in New York last year is a $3 million increase from the previous year. That compares to a $20 million jump in lobbyist spending from 2006 to 2007.
"In a region of New York that's in dire economic straights, upstate, it's the one growth industry that the economy can rely on," said Blair Horner, legislative director for the New York Public Interest Research Group. "It has been a remarkable economic success story:
Every year is a new record. Now that clearly underlines that THOSE WHO HAVE MONEY speak in the political marketplace with megaphones, while the REST OF US ARE REDUCED TO WHISPERS."
The Public Integrity Commission assessed fines against nearly 40 lobbyists and clients for violations of lobbying regulations. Each were for $250, except for Crane & Vacco LLC.
LOBBYISTS PAID RECORD $174 MILLION TO INFLUENCE STATE GOVERNMENT
That spending is up $3 million, or 1.7 percent, above 2007 levels, when the previous record was set, according to the state’s annual lobbying report.
Health-related companies and organizations spent $29.9 million on state government lobbyists last year, the most of any sector. Real estate and construction followed with $26.1 million in spending, and then the education sector, with $13.6 million in lobbying expenses.
Posted by: We the peeple | May 24, 2009 at 10:51 AM
I wonder if Mr. Garner will be decorating the bathrooms at this lobbying firm. After all, that's the kind of "hands on" approach we've come to expect from the mayor's associates.
http://eagercolin.wordpress.com/2009/05/24/brian-davis-leonard-stokes-and-the-failure-of-one-sunset/
Posted by: Colin | May 24, 2009 at 02:07 PM
This is great news. I recently read that there is a shortage of lobbyists in Albany.
Posted by: Rufus Merriweather | May 25, 2009 at 10:52 AM
Lobbying and lobbyists are a fact of political life. They are a parasitic life form, which are also a fact of life. Lobbyists cannot produce economic advantages in an acidic soil environment, much less an alkaline one. The money from firms pushing money onto lobbyists are what has to be traced. Those firms are then overcharging their paying customers. Choose wisely which firms and promotions you support. You are paying for it.
Posted by: Hank | May 25, 2009 at 11:56 AM
Did you just hear a thunderclap? Linda Robertson, an ex-Enron Lobbyist and tag-team member of the Larry Summers crew is being appointed to a key post at the Federal Reserve.
You better have your money buried in the back yard, or wherever they can't get at it. No wonder Fed Chief Bernanke was so cranky on Capitol Hill. He's being undermined and to be replaced. By a lobbyist. Politics is not about the voter or the taxpayer. It's about Washington Insiders, which "Mr. Outside" President Obama seems to have become. Must be infectious.
http://caps.fool.com/Blogs/ViewPost.aspx?bpid=207493&t=01007146184382914537
Posted by: Hank | June 05, 2009 at 11:37 PM
David Ignatius stepped out of his area of expertise to praise Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke in today's Sunday Buffalo News. What lesson did he not learn from Bob Woodward's mistaken "Maestro", about past Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan?
He needs to read The Economist's headlined cover, "Three Trillion Dollars later....What have we learnt about how to run the banks?"
Even The Economist is confused about the failed financial system.
Ignatius, The Economist, and Ben Bernanke all fail to look at the sensible alternatives: new standards for currencies, labor, capital.
But that would require them to realize they get a failing grade. The Bond Vigilantes will make them pay attention to the lesson to be learnt.
Posted by: Hank | June 07, 2009 at 04:28 PM
I wrote that "lobbyists are a parasitic life form."
The politics news today echoes The Economist book review (Feb 23, 2008): Hacks at Work. Nick Davies critical "Flat Earth News: An Award-Winning Reporter Exposes Falsehood, Distortion, and Propaganda in the Global media."
Today's news revelation:
From Politics Daily: "Wash Post Needs am Independent Investigation into Pay-for-Play Dinners."
http://www.politicsdaily.com/2009/07/02/washington-posts-internal-response-to-selling-access-story-on-p/
Now Mr. Davies goes to the ehart of the matter about the journalism trade: He argues "it is the discipline of the market that ruins reporting." Especially, his chapters "on media manipulation by politicians and intelligence agencies."
(Robert Gibbs and Helen Thomas....more than smoke in thsi fire). Joseph Pulitzer's conclusion: "a cynical, mercenary, demagogic, corrupt press will produce in tiem a people as base as itself."
Or, a Matt Drudge said, "Screw journalism. The whole thing's a fraud anyway."
Posted by: Hank | July 03, 2009 at 02:37 PM
Some people are just evil, no good, atheist socialist scumbags that smoke pot, drink malt liquor beer on their front porches and collect welfare. They could work but don't. They've never done anything for their country and society, yet they expect free government money and health care, just because they're alive.
So what is Obama's timeline and exit strategy and why hasn't the liberal biased media asked Obama about?
Not a great start for Operation Khanjar or Strike of the sword.
One GI dead and one went AWOL and was captured by the Taliban. They better watch out, the last time it was some US Hajji soldier who faked it and tried to get hostage money.
Obama's mentor Saul Alinsky and his book "Rule for Radicals"
Read "The Forgotton Man" by Amity Shlaes
"Common Sense" by Glenn Beck.
"Catastrophe" by Dick Morris.
They'reeeee greattttttt!
FDR's New Deal was a total failure and unemployment never went below 14%
Great depression unemployment rates under Democrat president FDR.
1933 24.9%
1934 21,7%
1935 20.1%
1936 17%
1937 14.3%
1938 19%
1939 17.2%
1940 14.6%
"Freedom is never more than one generation from extinction" Ronald Reagan.
D-CA Nancy Pelosi quotes that 47 million people uninsured.
This is a liberal lie/distortion.
9.5 million of them are "illegal aliens"
17 million made over $50,000 and could buy their own health insurance
18 million were between the ages of 18-34, were healthy and could work and pay for their health insurance or their work could pay.
The rest were between jobs and got insurnace when re-hired.
In Britain they must see a doctor with 4 hours in an emergency, but the're so backed up in the ER that they have their patients stacked up in ambulances waiting outside the hosiptal.
53% of British people said the eldery should not get free heath care. In other words, they'd rather see them die. Brits must go to Hungry to get their teeth fixed because after filling their quota, the dentists go on vacation. No wonder their teeth are so bad.
On ch. 2 WGRZ they had a story of a premature baby that all of the Candadian hospitals couldn't take, because they were full. They looked all over Canada to no avail. They had to come to Buffalo/United States to get medical care for their newborn baby. The Canadian socialized medicine failed them and could have killed their newborn child. This is what Obama care would be like.
Oregon has socialized state medicine and Barbara Wagner had cancer, but there was a drug to help her. It wasn't provided, because of it's cost, but they could provide her with 'doctor assistance suicide'. A true story of Obama's socialized medicine plan of rationed care and death.
In todays dollars 53 trillion dollars was spent from FDR till today/2009 to provide for the poor and what has it gotten us? People are still poor. People are still lazy and people are still ignorant.
We must STOP Barack Hussein Obama's welfare nanny state in its tracks.
We must Stop Cap and Trade that will cost us high utility bills, move business oveseas and increase the amount of unemployed Americans.
We must STOP 'socializied medicine' so that there will never be rationed care and death.
Posted by: Patriots of America | July 03, 2009 at 11:55 PM
REWARD $800,000.00 CASH
Most recently a State Supreme Court Justice in New York State has been under investigation for wrong doings in Custody Matters.
A Reward of $800,000.00 Cash is offered for information leading to the Arrest, Conviction & De-Benching of Justice John F. O'Donnell of 312 Rivermist Drive or 25 Delaware Ave, Buffalo, NY 14202. Please send your information along with your contact to the following:
All information will be kept confidential to Federal Law Enforcement Agencies.
Agent in Charge
PO Box 2720
Buffalo, NY
14240-2720
Posted by: Agent in Charge | July 04, 2009 at 12:12 PM
Are you afraid to fight against the total destruction of America and its moral value system? Then shame on you! Do you even have any shame left?
North Korea fired of 7 Scud type missiles during the 4th of July. Two American soldiers are dead in Afghanistan yesterday. Obama has American blood on his hands. What will Obama do? Nothing, not a God damn thing. Obama will be sipping tea with Vladimir Putin in Moscow later on this week and Obama will cancel or anti ballistic missile systems in some shady backdoor deal.
2 US troops die in attack on base in Afghanistan
KABUL Taliban militants fired rockets and mortars at a U.S. base in eastern Afghanistan on Saturday, killing two American troops in a fierce battle as thousands of Marines in the south continued with their massive anti-Taliban push. Seven American and two Afghan troops were wounded, a U.S. military spokesman said. So what's Obama's timeline and exit strategy for Afghanistan?
How many more Americans will have do die and be injured? How many more billions of dollars will it cost?
North Korea fires missiles in 4th of July salvo
SEOUL, South Korea North Korea launched seven ballistic missiles Saturday into waters off its east coast in a show of military firepower that defied U.N. resolutions and drew global expressions of condemnation and concern.
The salvo, confirmed by the South Korean government, also appeared to be a slap at the United States and Obama's face as Washington moves to enforce U.N. as well as its own sanctions against the isolated regime for its May 25 nuclear test.
Resolution 1874, which was approved last month and which condemned the North's nuclear test, was the third to be passed by the U.N. Security Council against the country since 2006. All three ban North Korea from launching ballistic missiles. And what did that get us? NOTHING! Obam and te UN will do NOTHING! North Korea still has 2 American hostages and Iran has 9 British hostages.
And what do these lame UN resolutions do? NOTHING, not a God damned thing. Same as Obama.
DID THE LIBERALS ALL CUT AND RUN AWAY? IT'S WHAT THEY DO BEST-SURRENDER WHEN THERE'S A FIGHT.
DO YOU FEEL SAFER WITH OBAMA AS PRESIDENT? I AS HELL SURE DON'T. NORTH KOREA AND IRAN AND B**** SLAPPING OBAMA ALL OVER THE PLACE AND RUSSIA'S PUTIN WiLL MAKE HIM LOOK LIKE THE FOOL HE IS.
Prediction
THERE'S NO DOUBT THAT OBAMA WILL MAKE A SHADY DEAL AND "NOT" BUILD THE ANTI BALLISTIC MISSILE INTERCEPTORS THAT WE NEED TO PROTECT OUR COUNTRY, OUR TROOPS OVERSEAS AND AOUR ALLIES.
Iran will build a nuclear weaon and the price of will will go sky high and destroy our economy. Obama won't even think about drilling for our oil offshore or in ANWR. This is naive and ignorant.
Obama think he can sit down with terrorists leaders and make a deal with these murderes. Is he insane?
China is already using Cuba to suck off our oil 90 miles off the Florida coast.
A nuke or dirty bomb will fall into the hands of a terrorist who will use it to hit Israel and/or the Unites States or our military overseas.
Oneday China will pull their money out of our country and create disaster in our economy. They might even hit us with a cyber computer attack and blind our satellites with a nuclear weapon blast EMP high 100 miles overhead that will cover 1,000 sqaure miles for each weapons used and then attack us.
That's if we even last to 2025. Obama's socialist plans will bankrupt this country long before then. 2019.
Posted by: Tired of Obama | July 04, 2009 at 04:01 PM
Sad, when one person keeps changing their screen name in order to try to trick people into thinking these views are a majority...I guess the elections proved that wrong....
Posted by: wil | July 07, 2009 at 02:07 AM
What's the matter liberal? Can't handle the truth. After Obama screws up everything with his socialist policies we'll se who laughs last, you liberal socialist clown.
Posted by: Lead Belly | July 07, 2009 at 06:02 PM
Hey, LB and clones, we already know this is a city of losers by its sports teams. You now head a new group, sore losers. The train left the station last November. We took your lunch.
Posted by: Connie | July 08, 2009 at 10:23 AM
One of Obama's MANY lies was that he wouldn't have lobbyists in his cabinet.
Obama is naive, glib, inexperienced, has Rev. Wright and Saul Alinsky as his mentors and a liberal socialist European way that he thinks can run our country.
Obama is failing and has lied on many campaign issues. Obama will raise our taxes to new high levels.
Obama will kill our economy with Cap and Trade to fix non existant Global warming.
Obama will bankrupt this country will socialized medicine and American will die waiting for doctors appointments and lack of medicine and doctor availability. Rationed health care.
Obama's 787 BILLION dollar stimulus plan has FAILED> Now the liberal Democrats want another one. I didn't get one penny from the last one. Did you?
Obama's coveted 'approval rating' has gone down 'below 50%' in Ohio a much need swing state.
Obama is a great failure like moron Jimmy Carter, our worst president. The tide is turning against Obama and his liberal Congressmen.
White House among targets of sweeping cyber attack
The powerful attack that overwhelmed computers at U.S. and South Korean government agencies for days was even broader than initially realized, also targeting the White House, the Pentagon and the New York Stock Exchange. I told you this would happen. Attack from North Korea and possibly China too. Thanks Obama, I sure feel safe. NOT!
MORE US TAXPAYER MONEY WASTED BY OBAMA
Palau asks for more US aid after Gitmo deal
Palau is asking longtime benefactor the United States for a 35-year extension on direct aid funding - and hinting Washington should say yes because of its offer to take in 13 Guantanamo Bay detainees. Now they want about 200 million dollars from us. Thanks Obama, you moron.
Should have kept these losers at Gitmo or turned them over to China.
Also 79 Yemeni Muslim terrorists Obama is sending back to Yemen, but they want one million dollars for each terrorist. More wasted American taxpayer money Obama doesn't give a damn.
IMPEACH OBAMA NOW! He's a total failure and is destroying our country.
Posted by: Lead Belly | July 08, 2009 at 10:32 PM
Hey liberal socialist Connie, remember 1977 when you did the same thing when Jimmy Carter was president and you liberal socialists owned the Congress? You totally screwed up our entire country and military. Iran made a fool out of Carter and we had hyperinflation and a new misery index. Then out of the ashes came a Phoenix named Ronald Reagan came to save us all.
Posted by: Magilla Gorilla | July 08, 2009 at 10:36 PM
Budget deficit tops $1 trillion for first time
$1,000,000,000,000
Gee, thanks Obama.
WASHINGTON - Nine months into the fiscal year, the federal deficit has topped $1 trillion for the first time ever.
The imbalance is intensifying fears about higher interest rates and inflation, and already pressuring the value of the dollar.
The Treasury Department says the deficit in June totaled $94.3 billion, pushing the total since the budget year started in October to nearly $1.1 trillion.
The deficit has been propelled by the huge sum the government has spent to combat the recession and financial crisis, combined with a sharp decline in tax revenues. Paying for wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is also a major factor.
Then next year another trillion, then the year after another trillion and on and on.....
Obama's socialized medicine will bankrupt this country and people will DIE!
Baby is a good example of current health care
Welcome to the world, Ava Stinson! I’m so glad Women&Children’s Hospital was available for you.
But the front page story about Ava’s early arrival into the world directed my thoughts to the health care debate currently going on in our country. She came to Women&Children’s Hospital because there was no bed designated for her needs available in Ontario.
What if President Obama’s government- sponsored health care program were in effect and it was my child or yours in critical need and no bed for such care was available? Where would he/she be sent? Mexico?
Would death or disability that might be prevented by timely intervention be available, or would there be other options?
We need to think very carefully before approving any government-run health care system. Efficiency and fraud control can reduce costs but the biggest cost reductions will come through “prioritizing.”
In other words, limiting services for unanticipated and expensive emergencies. The government does not have a good track record for running programs that are meant to serve taxpayers, except in the area of collecting the money such programs cost.
Thanks Lora.
Posted by: Yes we can screw you | July 13, 2009 at 02:46 PM