George "I'm not Tom DeLay" Holt in action / inaction

The news coming out of the Erie County Legislature in the last few weeks is surreal. For anyone who has always wanted to visit a banana republic, c'mon down to Erie County. The only things missing are the palm trees. Back on March 4th, the legislature passed a budget package which included a reduction of staffer salaries. As of this day, those reductions have not been enacted. Channel 2 and I want to know why.

Mychajliw: 'How come the Legislature didn't start cutting staff salaries like it was supposed to be on March 4th? Legislator Denise Marshall: We still have not found out that answer. And we believed that was going to happen. Mychajliw: 'So correct me if I'm wrong, but Legislative staffers are still getting paid the same amount of money as they were the beginning of the year, even though on March 4th, there were thousands of dollars in cuts made? Marshall: That is true. That is true.' Since the Legislature did not bring up the furlough proposal for a vote, remaining Legislative staffers earning up to $91,466 a year are still getting paid the same. Mychajliw: 'The March 4th budget is really clear: salaries were supposed to be reduced but they weren't. Whose responsibility is that? Legislator Lynn Marinelli: The staffing falls with the Chair (George Holt).' Mychajliw: 'So, ultimately, wasn't it Chairman George Holt's call to reduce salaries starting on March 4th? Marinelli: Yes. Mychajliw: How come he didn't do it? Marinelli: You'll have to ask George. I'm the Majority Leader, not the Chairman.' We did try talking to Holt, who kept walking by our cameras at the Erie County Legislature. Legislature Chairman George Holt: No comments, sir.

We have a legislature chairman who is late on sales tax payments from his business, who is under investigation by the FBI for the crooked CBC deal, and who funnelled county taxpayer dollars (member money; i.e., pork) to his brother's Texas charity - money which was supposed to go to help Holt's constituency here in Buffalo. George Holt makes Tom DeLay look clean as a whistle.