The intentions started to crystallize and it appeared this action was all about honorable intentions, but alas, the first instinct appears to be the correct one. Golisano only appears to be mouthing government reform and not really serious. In less the seven days since he announced the PAC, the platform and candidate questionnaire that needed to filled he has begun picking favorites without a process taking place.
Sadly, he is making announcements for support before candidates have had a chance to address the issues and fill out the questionnaire and some of the candidates he has announced the PAC's support are people whom he has had discussions with, which is potential trouble for him keeping this legal.
Danger Democrat was right, Golisano is wrong headed.
A comment from DD
Hey! How much do you need? Are those really big players with really huge pockets good for our political system? The DD answer is a resounding, "No." Whether its lefty George Soros, righty Ross Perot or lately the power seeking Tom Golisano the tossing of large campaign contributions as bait is a perversion of the system envisioned by the framers.
This appears to be nothing more than a gimmick.
LATER ADD:
An article written by Jay Gallager can be read here and it ask a very good question:
The question for New York now is, can Golisano's money buy a more democratic and responsive state Legislature?
Also Common Cause which is a citizen's good government, non-partisan lobbying group appears to be opposed to Golisano's gimmick.
Susan Lerner, Executive Director had this to say
“Stretching the system to its limits I don’t think is an effective way to advance reform."
11 comments:
And from the Article:
"The source said Golisano, who wants to back candidates in every region of the state, is leaning towards supporting Sen. Darrel Aubertine (D-Watertown) in his bid for a full term representing the heavily Republican North Country. Aubertine’s February special election upset was considered a blow to Republicans and the party is hoping to win back the seat this year. Golisano will likely try to help keep that from happening."
Correct Wiley,
and did either candidate in the 48th have a chance to fill out the questionnaire or any of candidates mentioned for support even fill one out?
The answer is NO and that my friend makes this whole process a farce! Which diminishes the intentions of the PAC. This demonstrates someone is telling him who to fund.
This is a stunt!
I assume you mean rwiley.
I pointed that part of the article out just in case it may have influenced your comment about Tom.
I agree with you on PACs. I don't like them. They put members, employees and associates in a position of having to buck up in order to kiss butt after the PAC committee or in this case, one man, Tom, has already set the political direction of the organization.
So does Darrel accept the help of a deep-pocketed special interested wingnut like Golisano? Just asking?
Golisano is erratic in his interest in politics....But he is still smart enough to become a billionaire in a state hostile to business.....Whatever his faults...and he has them....this WingNut has street cred by virtue of his success in business...His support of Aubertine will likely have little difference...After all the Barclay lad didn't benefit from his dad's millions.
"smart enough to become a billionaire in a state hostile to business"? um, last time i checked our state happens to be full of incredibly wealthy people....
Re Anon 12:11, MANHATTAN is full of wealthy people. Upstate is hemorrhaging middle-class and working residents searching for opportunity and fed up with high taxes.
anon 12:46, no argument there -- the state's wealth is overwhelmingly concentrated downstate. but what does that have to do with the overall point? if nys is "hostile to business", what difference does that make?
7:03 -- because a lot of the downstate money is "old" money. Think Rockefellers, Pete Grannis, Doris Duke.
Also, Wall Street is like a cash printing machine.
But because a relatively small number of people are fabulously successful, we should ignore the plight of the vast many who are struggling to pay their taxes, put gas ini their cars, heat their homes and feed their families as jobs and opportunity flee for othet parts of the country?
i'm in no way trying to denigrate the economic difficulties that upstate ny faces. my point is just that i think it's inaccurate to claim that the state as a whole is "hostile" to business. like it or not, the nyc ecomony has been quite vibrant -- and that's good for upstaters, since the city pumps more money upstate than it gets back. i think it's wrong to the point of silliness to cite only "old money" and wall street shenanigans as powering the downstate economy -- um, there's a bit more to it than that.
My bet will be Aubertine takes the money and runs.
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