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
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
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
'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
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
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.
