From: "sandra carrubba" 
Subject: Green Party Statement about proposed Consolidation and Control Board
Date: Sunday, June 01, 2003 2:42 PM

FYI. this will be posted on our website within the
week.
For peace, justice, and a better planet,
Sandy 


Green Party of Erie County Statement Regarding
Proposed Consolidation of City-County Government and
the Imposition of a Control Board

	County Executive Giambra obviously views his proposed
merger of city and county government and the
imposition of a control board to monitor City of
Buffalo finances as conjoined twins. The Green Party
of Erie County proposes a real and thorough discussion
of both courses of action.
	County government, a recent creation that
conveniently serves as yet another vehicle for
patronage, both funds and supports sprawl, a major
contributor to the demise of the city. Rather than
supporting the County Executive’s call for the
dissolution of city government, the Green Party of
Erie County sees the need to limit county government
to managerial functions that make rational sense for
strengthening the viability of Western New York. Some
services performed by the city and other local
governments throughout the county are provided on the
county level. This duplication must end, thus ending
the double tax burden.
	Reducing county government and eliminating services
and functions already supplied by other government
levels, will lower taxes. Towns and cities will be
better able to balance their budgets. NYS Comptroller
Hevesi should conduct a full audit of county
government to determine the unnecessary and
financially burdensome duplication of services and
functions.
	We oppose the political consolidation of the City of
Buffalo into the County of Erie. Such a “ solution”
would dilute the ability of voters in Buffalo to have
a say in conditions impacting their daily lives and
make the executive branch less accessible to them.
	The City of Buffalo, home to numerous social service
agencies, government buildings, and places of worship,
should be strengthened, not liquidated. Buffalo should
receive its fair share of county sales tax revenue
comparable with that of cities like Rochester and
Syracuse. Our city’s budget must not be balanced on
the backs of the poor, elderly and disabled. The
burden of sacrifices to be made by city residents must
be shared fairly.

	Current response levels and capabilities for fire,
police, EMS, and HAZMAT must not be worsened.
Conditions in the city’s public schools must not be
allowed to deteriorate further. Buffalo’s public
schools should be guaranteed a significant share of
increased sales tax revenue from Erie County as Monroe
and Onondaga Counties do for Rochester and Syracuse
public schools. 
	Further, the shameful failure of the city to enforce
its own living wage ordinance must be addressed. We
suggest the state set up a $1 million fund to cover 10
years of monitoring and enforcement by a Citizens
Review Board and the City of Buffalo. The ordinance’s
wage requirements must become part of every new
contract between the city and non-exempt private
contractors immediately. 
	If the State of New York establishes a $12 million
fund for the relocation of willing residents of the
contaminated Hickory Woods neighborhood, the residents
can be compensated for their homes at the fair market
price that would have existed if contamination had not
been present. Both city and state governments have to
acknowledge the fraud that occurred by the City of
Buffalo in its willful failure to perform due
diligence in assessing contamination of the site. 
	Regarding the imposition of a control board for the
City of Buffalo, the restructuring process foreseen by
the draft authorizing language for the control board
excludes small businesspeople and patronizingly allows
for a “ suitable” representative of organized labor.
The interests represented at the table must include
every substantial constituency at risk from the likely
financial restructuring, not merely large
corporations, politicos, and their contributors. We
are troubled that the city’s planner has not been
included as a voting member of the control board. An
appointed control board abrogates the fiscal
responsibilities of the elected Common council
members. Therefore, the term of service of the
non-elected control board must be of short duration,
so as not to dilute democracy.