Time to hold our new leaders accountable

At this time, most of the election results are in. With the dust still settling on the 60th District State Senate seat, and debris from election night victory parties being swept up, it is important to remember what was promised to us during the electoral campaigns - lest these pledges be swept aside as well.

CEJ created a Voters Guide for the State Senate races in districts 58, 59, 60, and 61. We asked the candidates questions about accountability, jobs, and economic development. Specifically, three important questions were put to the candidates. Unfortunately, it seems that some candidates were afraid to talk about these issues. Patrick Gallivan (R) 59th and Michael Ranzenhofer (R) 61st did not respond to our multiple requests for comment. Tim Kennedy (D) 58th and all candidates from the 58th did respond, as well as both candidates in the 60th district, where the winner has yet to be determined.

Below are the questions we asked, as well as the pledges made in response to those questions from Tim Kennedy (D) 58th, as well as both Mark Grisanti (R) and Antoine Thompson (D) in the 60th district.

Q: What measures would you support to promote greater public accountability in state government and restore public trust?

Tim Kennedy (D) 58th - "In order to clean up Albany, we will also have to fight for real ethics reform and end pay-to-play politics. We need to stand behind initiatives like a state ethics commission and a comprehensive annual financial disclosure form to shed light on the outside dealings of state legislators."

Mark Grisanti (R) 60th - "Albany needs transparency and politicians needs to be held accountable. Additionally, there should be term limits so we do not have career politicians who become out of touch with there constituents."

Antoine Thompson (D) 60th - "I support public financing of elections in order to provide transparency and accountability in government and would continue to meet with my constituents about their concerns and issues, host town halls in my district and work with my colleagues to put forth meaningful reforms and legislation for the people of NY."

Q: The State’s two main engines of economic development, Industrial Development Agencies and Empire Zones, have come under increasing scrutiny in recent years, with changes to the Empire Zone program now imminent. How should these programs be changed or overhauled to better target the state’s economic development resources?

TK (D) 58th - "We need to target investment in high-wage, high-tech industries in economically distressed areas to create family-sustaining jobs. With that said, as the current chairman of the Economic Development Committee in the Erie County Legislature and a member of the ECIDA, I understand first-hand the need for reform within Industrial Development Agencies. This begins and ends with accountability. We cannot afford to give away millions of dollars without demanding that the companies receiving this money provide measurable results in the form of good-paying jobs. If companies fail to live up to their end of the bargain, there needs to be ramifications. The same goes for the Empire Zone program, which is now being phased out and replaced with the Excelsior Program. In order to ensure that both of these programs are spending taxpayer’s dollars wisely, we need additional accountability."

MG (R) 60th - "The Economic problems that we are experiencing here in the Buffalo/Niagara falls are second to none in the state. With an all time low in the economy, and with an all time high in state spending in Albany, the 60th district seems to have been no less than financially abandoned. With a few changes we can reverse this gross overspending, and bring money back to our area once again. Concentrate more on our local economy and REALLY promote jobs, and less on what seems to be never ending cash flow – downstate."

AT (D) 60th - "I sponsored IDA reform bill in the NYS Senate, which ensures that when tax dollars are spent for the purpose of economic development, good paying, sustainable jobs are created to provide long-lasting economic vitality."

Q: What policies or programs would you propose or support to ensure good jobs for Western New Yorkers?

TK (D) 58th - "Our region desperately needs good-paying jobs. Because of this, I have made job creation the focal point of my campaign. Once elected to the State Senate, I will have a small business specialist working out of my office. This specialist will work directly with business owners to help them cut through the bureaucracy and connect with the resources and tools they need to grow and hire more workers. This individual will help business owners develop strategies for strengthening their businesses. Poverty is a major issue in our region, as is the brain drain – only one in about every four students educated in Western New York stays here. To reverse these trends, we need to help build bridges between higher education and business – turning academic progress into economic progress. We also need to make UB 2020 a reality, while ensuring SUNY education is accessible for all students."

MG (R) 60th - "To ensure and support good jobs for WNY, we need to bring jobs to Buffalo and not down-state. For example UB 2020 would have brought tons of Jobs to Buffalo. Additionally, I propose turning the N.F. airport into a major northeast cargo.shipping hub for distribution of goods and services by air and land has been an issue at the. The Buffalo Niagara International Airport can handle international and domestic air cargo through any of its five cargo airlines, including Airborne Express, United Parcel Service, Menlo Forwarding, FedEx, and Superior Cargo Services. Let’s use that to our advantage."

AT (D) 61st - "I support the living wage and prevailing wage standards and have vocalized my support for these standards be in place for any work in Buffalo, especially when public dollars are used to support the project. I firmly believe that living wages foster self-sufficiency and therefore create sustainable and financially stable communities."