Outcome Endorsements

New York State Supreme Court Justice: Re-elect Judge Robert Whelan

Judge Whelan is the only Supreme Court Judge that came before the Stonewall Democrats of WNY and asked for it's endorsement. He has proven to be an intelligent jurist and is an independent and incorruptible.

Erie County Executive: Elect Dan Ward

County Executive Giambra has only provided the same old empty political politics and corruption that has caused our regions decline. Erie County needs a new vision and hard work, Ward fills both requirements whereas Giambra has proven to be not up to the job. (see commentary below.)

Candidate Jim Pitts over 20 years in city hall is a big reason why Buffalo has a control board. The time for political silliness is past. Andy San Filippo is municipal finance professional. Buffalo needs San Filippo to work with the control board.(see commentary below.)

Unlike his predecessor this Coppola has worked hard and has provided leadership to downsize the council and reform city hall. Coppola is being challenged by a candidate who is taking her orders from County Executive Joel Giambra. It is hard to imagine why Giambra wants to replace a reformer like Coppola unless he desires to expand his suspect patronage network.

JUST SAY NO

These three men have had their hands in Buffalo’s back pocket for over twenty years. Collectively they have hand a hand in most of what is wrong with city government. They also have some of the least gay friendly elected officials in Western New York.In November all three men are on the ballot, two for city of Buffalo positions, one for re-election for Erie County Executive.

There is no single person or event in Buffalo’s history that is more responsible for the current chaos at City Hall than it’s former mayor Jimmy Griffin. He gave away control of the city’s budget, work rules and ability to manage it’s functions to the city employment unions. The contracts that he gave the unions have created a city government that is run by the city employees and for the benefit of the city employees.

During his tenure in city hall he held the door open as half the city’s private sector fled to the suburbs, never bothering to plug the hole that drained this city of it’s jobs and tax base.

In the primary campaign for South district Councilmember Griffin blamed his opponent for Hickory Woods, a residential development built on toxic waste that was initated by his administration.

Jimmy Griffins homophobia is legendary, he has called us fruits, he has vetoed pro-gay city legislation. He has tried to get gay bars and business’s shut down. It all seems like decades ago but it was not that long ago that this homophobic tyrant was in office.

Jim Pitts, has often seemed like the anti-Griffin. Always taking the counterpoint, always controversial, rarely substantive. If he were a Texan he would be described as all hat no cattle. Pitts likes to make himself seem important and vital but the truth is after over 25 years of being on the taxpayers payroll he has nothing to show for it but a lot of temper tantrums and unpaid legal bills.

Pitts has been Council President and Ellicott District Councilmember before that. In spite of his reputation as the “anti-Griffin” Pitts usually help the unions in their raid on the city’s budget and is responsible for chasing out of town many business people who do not wish to put up with his nonsense. Pitts has made homophobic comments from his Council President chair in the Council chamber. He forced the city to renege on a contract to provide cable access channel services because the not for profit group involved was managed by women who were lesbians.

Pitts run for City Comptroller is dangerous. The city is under the control of an state imposed fiscal board. A qualified knowledgeable Comptroller is vital to making this city work. Pitts has shown that he only has a talent for destructing and dividing the city.

Erie County Executive Joel Giambra did not disappoint this writer. Four years ago we warned of the fact that he would fire gay and lesbian people, return the county to the fiscal bankruptcy of the Rutkowski administration. Even I did not imagine the magnitude of Giambra’s ability to mismanage government or that he would bloat county government up by adding over 500 patronage jobs, many filled with his friends and family.

Some of those friends are now being investigated by a grand jury based on accusations that they used a county highway department as their own personal construction company.

County spending has exploded during the last four years. Giambra has already blown through the surplus that he inherited and now is down to the last of the millions of tobacco settlement money. How soon till the control board be imposed on Erie County?

Giambra campaigned four years ago on the theme that he would keep our jobs and our family member here in Erie County.

Four years later 7,000 of those people and jobs have left. Any and all economic development in Erie County during these last four years has come from the previous county administration or from other levels of government.

After the election we found out that Giambra is greatly influenced by his born again Christian wife. That would not be an issue if it were not for the fact that Giambra has acknowledged that his wife has a great deal of influence with him in moral and spiritual matters. The radical born again Christian movement has made the persecution of gay and lesbian people it’s main focus.

Shortly after assuming office Giambra either fired or demoted many openly gay county employees. It this case the political party affiliation did not matter as both gay Democrats and Republicans were left jobless.

On election night in 1981, re-elected Mayor Jimmy Griffin told the Buffalo Courier Express that the newly elected Niagara District Councilman Joel Giambra reminded Griffin of a himself when he first won elective office. Those words ring prophetic today. . —- Tim Moran
Posted Monday, September 8, 2003;