I read about Senator Maziarz pushing to dedicate millions of Seneca Niagara Casino dollars to the Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center (NFMMC), a hospital not even in his district! At the same time, Maziarz directed his County Legislature majority caucus to sell Mt. View hospital. These issues may not seem related, but I think they are.
Mt. View had shown a profit which for years were used to balance the budget, instead of investments to modernize Mt. View! Now that coupled with the Governor Pataki State Mandates has put Mt. View in the red. So the Legislature wants to forget how good Mt. View had been and sell it to a company being sued for not paying it’s bills!
Not the same with NFMMC. Even though they have been losing money, their employees are represented by the International SEIU Union which donated $5000 to the George Maziarz campaign last January! The local AFSME and CSEA at Mt. View cannot afford to give that kind of money to the Maziarz political machine!
So Maziarz wants to take Casino dollars from the people of Niagara Falls for NFMMC, and sell Mt. View. Not hard to figure out.
What's the difference if its public or private? Do you work there? Your wife? Your brother?Your sister? I think if it was privately owned it would help Mt View weed out the lazy workers and reward the hard workers. Most people who want the county to flip the bill are workers or a worker's family. Be happy they're trying to sell it and not just closing it.
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"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe."
Albert Einstein
Anonymous
Date:
RE: Senator MAZIARZ support for NFMMC and not Mt. View
When Lockport opens it's own casino, then they can benefit from the rewards. Persoanlly, I would rather see Mt. View in private hands, which means it won't have govt. dollars to fall back on. It'll have to become self-sufficient again.
In the mean time, it sounds like a Niagara Falls hospital is benefitting from a Niagara Falls-based windfall. What's the problem with that? The city was blessed with a profitable venture and the hospital is one of the best places to put some of that money. Better than in the hands of Anello & his criminal gang...
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Never criticize someone until you've walked a mile in their shoes. That way, when you DO criticize them, you are a mile away, and you have their shoes...
If you choose any truth and follow it blindly, it becomes a falsehood, and you, a fanatic.
MC, Well put. People need to stop depending so much on the Gov't. I'm sure they are the same people who think the Gov't needs to stay out of other peoples business in other cases (smoking ban) Most people don't give a crap until it effects them. Be happy you still have a job and they didn't close it.
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"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe."
Albert Einstein
Wait a minute, back up. Maziarz has no authority to direct the county legislature to do anything. If they acted on his order, then this issue just got a lot bigger. Senator George (SG) has a long history of the you scratch my back game. Look at the school funding he got for Newfane. Then he sent mailings to the other towns he represents over stating the funding "HE" got for them. Call you school board members and ask how much SC inflated the numbers in your district to make himself look like the hero. It's a shell game, SC moves and the money moves with him.
As for the casino money, Niagara Falls should benifit from this money. Some sort of sliding scale should be created for the rest of the county. It can't be done on an as needed basis because that would allow those who are connected to get more money. It would be nice to put some of it in the Mount View coffers, but I don't think it will ever happen. Jim S wrote that the unions can not afford to contribute to SG's campaign, how can they not contribute. With SG money talks period!
A dragon lives forever but not so little boys Painted wings and giant rings make way for other toys. One gray night it happened, Jackie Paper came no more And PUFF that mighty dragon, he ceased his fearless roar
Is the Dragon the Mt. View union? Because they are the ones who would budge. They already make more money than any other private workers doing the same work. How much more do they want? The union finally pissed of the cash cow.
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"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe."
Albert Einstein
Anonymous
Date:
RE: Senator MAZIARZ support for NFMMC and not Mt. View
jspeer - I do not work at nor have a relative at Mt. View. The action of the County Legislature to try to sell it is too abrupt, thoughtless and it will cost the taxpayers much more in the end.
First of all, back in the days when Mt. View was profitable, the County Legislature used the revenue to balance the budget (and we got a 0% tax increase). So the County did not invest in new equipment and buildings/grounds to keep Mt. View facility up to date.
Then came the Governor Pataki State mandates on the County for medicare payments (among other things), which cost more to operate Mt. View, and cost the taxpayer more.
Mt. View provides a service to people that most private facilities would not even do because it is so costly.
The only company that bid on Mt. View OWES back payments to a pharmacutical company to the point that THEY ARE SUBJECT TO LEGAL ACTION!!!
In the end, the elderly will not get the service the Mt. View provides, and/or it will end up costing us more as taxpayers when this new private company defaults!!
I doubt Mt. View will close. I just don't see why the people can't goto briody's or the Prespetarian home? Or to nearby Erie county or Monroe Counties and let them flip the bill for our poor elderly. Problem solved. I should run for office.
Originally posted by: alwayswatching "Maziarz has no authority to direct the county legislature to do anything. If they acted on his order, then this issue just got a lot bigger. Senator George (SG) has a long history of the you scratch my back game. I agree whole heartedly, but it's in the politicians' nature to be deceptive and spin the truth. One might as well expect fish to play piano.
As for the casino money, Niagara Falls should benifit from this money. Some sort of sliding scale should be created for the rest of the county. It can't be done on an as needed basis because that would allow those who are connected to get more money. The 'City' of Niagara Falls is hemmoraging as we speak. Casino money is the tourniquet. As nice as it would be to share, I think it all ought to stay there, where it's needed. Otherwise, the other townships would all be entitled to a piece, then the county, then all the other counties, where would it stop? Losing Niagara Falls would be a terrible blow to Niagara County. It's our only real tourist attraction, and a major one at that. We should be building it up. Just my 2 cents...
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Never criticize someone until you've walked a mile in their shoes. That way, when you DO criticize them, you are a mile away, and you have their shoes...
If you choose any truth and follow it blindly, it becomes a falsehood, and you, a fanatic.
quote: Originally posted by: Dovey " His head was bent in sarrow,green scales fell like rain,Puff no longer went to play along cherry lane.......................hummm kinda fitting"
Without his life-long friend, PUFF could not be brave, So PUFF that mighty dragon sadly slipped into his cave........ditto
Mindcrime - Maziarz put up people to challenge Democrat incumbents and had his own PAC committees put up the big $$$ to get them elected. That is why there is a majority caucus in the legislature that caters to Maziarz' wants. He owns them, and is dictating what they should bring up, and how they should vote.
The Maziarz majority caucus that want to sell Mt. View are blind to what service MT. View actually offers. They are ignorant of the fact that the type of care that Mt. View provides to the many who do not have the financial backing cannot be duplicated anywhere else. In the end, it will cost the taxpayer more to care for these people if we sell Mt. View, than if the County keeps it and attempts to rectify their past ignorance to the situation.
It is scary when you look at the one company that wants to buy Mt. View. They are being sued by a pharmacutical company that they owe $$$ to!!! If the County does sell Mt. View, they may end up taking it over again sometime in the future, and the people who use this service will suffer dearly in the process.
As far as where the casino money should go, there is a contract between NYS and the City of Niagara Falls. That does not include the hospital, or Niagara County. If some of the casino dollars were to go to the Hospital, or Niagara County, that part should come out of the NYS casino revenue, and NOT the revenue to be dedicated to the people of Niagara Falls.
Maziarz did the same thing with passing the smoking ban. Back then, he got a financial contribution fron the NYS Restaurant Association PAC, which is a group of chain (francise) restaurants that want to put the small time local mom and pop resaturants, bars, and donut shops out of business.
Why do we pay attention to the new media focusing on Tom DeLay and the payoffs he receives for the things he does in the House of Representatives when we have State Senator George Maziarz??
Once you read between the lines that our esteemed Senator Maziarz says, you will find that what seems to be his good intentions is only lip service, and you will find the real reason he caters to certain groups by liiking at the contributions to his political campaign.
If you want to find out why Maziarz says what he says, just follow the money$$$$
SEIU gave him $5000, and the local AFSME & CSEA can't match that, so sell Mt. View instead of upgrading/improving it, and give Casino money away to NFMMC with no required obligation they need to improve their operation!!
MAZIARZ did this same thing before! HE VOTED FOR THE SMOKING BAN that devastated the small bars, restaurants and donut shops BECAUSE THE NYS RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION PAC GAVE HIM $$$$!!! THIS NYS RESTAURANT ASSOCATION PAC REPRESENTS THE CHAIN RESTAURANTS THAT WANT TO PUT THE SMALL ESTABLISHMENT OWNERS OUT OF BUSINESS!!! (apparently the small business owners don't pay enough to the George Maziarz campaign fund).
What about Harris Beach giving $5000 to George Maziarz?? Now they are attorneys for the NYS Power Authority.
A few years ago there was a story in the Albany Times Union about Key Bank financing a trip to the Super Bowl for NYS Senators on the Senate Finance Committee. GEORGE MAZIARZ was one of those Senators that took a PRIVATE JET and got tickets for the SUPER BOWL.
Again, we should ask ourselves, WHY DO WE TALK ABOUT THE JUNKETS (trips) and contributions that Tom Delay (US CONGRESS) took WHEN WE HAVE GEORGE MAZIARZ WHO DOES THE SAME THING????? AND HE REPRESENTS US!!!