Regionalism in Jeopardy

I am for regional government in Buffalo. I am not for a county takeover of all towns, cities and villages. I am for a completely new way of doing business - more along the lines of what Gaughan's proposing. Why? Because the region is in this together, and we can no longer tolerate the pitting of city vs suburb. Giambra, of course, is against any regionalism plan except the one in his head. So, instead of joining with Gaughan, he set up a separate commission that basically called for (surprise) Giambra's county government to take over the city. Masiello said, "no way". So that plan's dead. But I don't think Giambra was really for it at all. His mouth said that he was pro-regionalism, but his actions have shown differently. Forget whether he secretly bought a $500,000 property in Elma using someone else's name, or whether his kids are or are not afraid of Black people; if Giambra was really for regional government, he would have ensured that the one thing the county has taken over from the city - it's park system - was run properly. He failed. Gee. Failed leadership from Joel Giambra. Who'dathunkit? /sarcasm. The Buffalo Common Council sure doesn't like the way the County has basically mismanaged the City parks.

"Common Council members are upset over the way Erie County is managing city parks, and some think Buffalo should withhold payments or even consider taking back the parks system. The complaints have been festering since shortly after the county takeover was approved last summer.

Click the link to read the whole story. It's kind of sad, really. The hope that some had for a change in the way Erie County did its business have been so very sorely disappointed in the last 3-4 months. Instead of reform, Giambra inadvertently sparked a tax revolt. No one said revolution wasn't messy.