Are we business friendly?

Bob Confer · Member

Are we business friendly?

Jim Hufnagel · Senior Member

I'm also glad that Scott made business friendly a topic for his show. This is a very important issue that has "fallen by the wayside" in the local media and it's about time someone drew attention to it.

It seems to me the biggest problem we have around here is that business and government are actually too much in collusion. There is clearly a revolving door here in Western New York whereas political leaders subsidize business, business leaders are appointed to important government positions and lucrative contracts are steered their way. This has been particularly blatant and prevalent during the Pataki administration.

Having said that, we need to keep in mind how important business regulation can be. Brownfields and toxic sites dot this area and workers and their families still die of cancer because of insufficient government regulation. NAFTA has unleashed environmental and work place horrors in the third world because safeguards were not written into the treaty. It would be instructive for Mr. Confer to elaborate as to exactly why his company was not allowed to expand locally. To rail against New York State without more specificity seems to me, not something we can work with.

Date: Tue Aug 23 10:21 PM, 2005

Perhaps you could enlighten us as to what your sentence means.

"To rail against New York State without more specificity seems to me, not something we can work with."

"WE can work with"? Say wha?????

Scott Leffler · Guru

Jim Hufnagel wrote:

It would be instructive for Mr. Confer to elaborate as to exactly why his company was not allowed to expand locally.

Here's a link to a letter Bob Wrote to the Tonawanda News about just that topic. Found on Bob's website. Sometimes government is TOO buddy buddy with business. And sometimes it's detrimental to business. I believe both are for the same reason. Greed and money.

Date: Wed Aug 24 6:13 AM, 2005

Good topic Scott.

I could not comment when you were discussing it on your radio show, so I just wanted to say here that I believe that even though government tries to be business friendly, in so doing they are favoring one business over another.

One good example is the IDA. Some businesses get tax breaks, yet others who compete with them do not.

The NYS government forms organizations to promote business and give certain businesses tax breaks, yet at the same time writes laws that amount to State mandates that puts more of a tax burden on the local property taxes for all others.

Figure that one out

Jim Sacco

Scott Leffler · Guru

Jim,

And I'll bet that if one digs hard enough, they'd find that those getting tax breaks contribute to the right campaigns ... and those that get overburdened don't contribute ... or don't give enough.

Date: Wed Aug 24 7:03 AM, 2005

In answer to the basic question--HELL NO!

Scott writes: And I'll bet that if one digs hard enough, they'd find that those getting tax breaks contribute to the right campaigns ...

Don't dig too hard or deep!

Many moons ago, a local business person (who's now worth more than $100 million), said privately to me that contributions were made to both sides. All the time. Can you say "Curry favor?"

A little more would go to who was thought to be the eventual political winner, but both Niagara County Republican and Democrats took this person's money. Funny thing was, when this was stated a long time ago, the money was coming from contracts only worth a few thousand to the business. It's simple to see that the strategy paid off. Paid very well, as a matter of fact.

"Money makes money and flies make flies." That was another saying of this business owner, as was; "People go where people are," "People are like insects, they're attracted to bright light," ("Pass me the sunscreen for my head...")

You might also want to look into downtown Niagara Falls hotel tax breaks, the revolving loan cycles, unpaid or delinquent taxes and in "leiu-of" promises broken (see job numbers, etc.)

Jim Hufnagel · Senior Member

Scott Leffler wrote:

Jim Hufnagel wrote:
It would be instructive for Mr. Confer to elaborate as to exactly why his company was not allowed to expand locally.

Here's a link to a letter Bob Wrote to the Tonawanda News about just that topic. Found on Bob's website. Sometimes government is TOO buddy buddy with business. And sometimes it's detrimental to business. I believe both are for the same reason. Greed and money.

I read Mr. Confer's letter at this link. I think he makes a good case. However, I found the thinly veiled threat of relocation offensive. If his company is prospering here and he is so very happy here and his employees are also so very happy, why is it necessary to imply greener pastures elsewhere, except to exact tax breaks and other concessions from already burdened municipalities?