Bruised shoulder blades and dislocated elbows abounded in Albany over the weekend, as our distinguished representatives in the New York State Legislature pounded themselves on the back for finally meeting the most basic requirement of their jobs.
The best-paid state representatives in the nation heaped praise upon themselves not only for passing a budget by the legally mandated April 1 deadline for the first time since 1985. They also crowed about the immense reforms made to Medicaid, the public health-care program that's helped drive counties statewide to the brink of insolvency.
Too bad they didn't actually do either.
The budget bills passed by the state Assembly and Senate left about $1.7 billion in proposed spending up in the air and, since Gov. George Pataki still has another week to sign or veto the work of the legislature, the budget still isn't really finished. But even getting to this point this soon led state Comptroller Alan Hevesi to proclaim "close enough," ensuring that members of the two houses will get their paychecks on time.
Then there's this business of alleged Medicaid reform.
The budget awaiting Pataki's signature doesn't actually change anything about the system itself, but merely caps how much the cost to counties can grow each year.
Which, to be fair, does beat the unpredictable jumps that counties regularly faced in recent years. The almost-budget does nothing to address the existing expense of the program, though, which forced property- and sales-tax hikes around the state and, along with some of the most misguided political maneuvering in the history of democracy, fueled the ongoing implosion of Erie County government.
Any meaningful changes to Medicaid would have met with fierce opposition from lawmakers representing New York City and, more dangerously, the powerful hospital workers' union. So forget that.
Nor was any attempt made to lighten the financial burden borne by New Yorkers, as the legislature chose instead to impose more than $1 billion in new fees, while relying on passage of a $2.9 billion transportation bond referendum in November.
Reality didn't stop the wave of self-congratulation that swept Albany, though.
"As a member of this house for 11 years, I am more proud than ever," said Assemblywoman Carmen Arroyo, a Democrat from the Bronx.
Arroyo and others in the Assembly and Senate then actually applauded each other managing to sort of get their jobs done on time, as required by the state Constitution, for the first time in two decades.
It's a bit like the entire crew at your local fast-food outlet spontaneously applauding after getting your Triple Mega-Cheeseburger from microwave to counter without it getting dropped in a bucket of old mop water or being spat upon by a disgruntled fry guy. So what if your soda was flat, and the cashier forgot to give you your change?
Or coming home to find the two painters you hired to spruce up your kitchen whooping and high-fiving, even though they'd actually succeeded in turning your dining room neon orange.
But even if our representatives in Albany really accomplished little more than leaving things just about exactly as they were, at least they feel good about themselves.
The same can't be said closer to home.
Fallout from the aforementioned budget disaster in Erie County kept coming last week, with Erie County Comptroller Nancy Naples conceding that she and her husband had been late with their property taxes five times in seven years.
Her story -- it was her husband's fault. Naples' turn playing the blame game recalled the Washington Square Park arrest of singer Billy Idol, when the spiky-haired Brit tried shoving a bag of cocaine into his girlfriend's jacket when the cops closed in.
That bit of chivalry earned Idol the No. 57 slot in "Spin" magazine's "100 Sleaziest Moments in Rock."
There's no such list documenting the countless shameful moments in Erie County's sad saga yet, but Naples' attempt at an explanation as to why the county's fiscal watchdog couldn't keep her own finances in order would certainly earn her a Top-5 finish.
At least she wouldn't be alone. Budget Director Joseph Passafiume and Legislature Chairman George Holt have also admitted to troubles paying taxes on time, and speculation was rampant in political circles last week as to whose shoe will drop next.
Their counterparts in Niagara County should take heed of what's going on to the south. When Erie County Executive Joel Giambra floated the idea of raising the sales tax to 9.25 percent, lawmakers in Lockport kept a close eye on the proceedings while pondering ways to spend the extra revenue.
When the ensuing public eruption decimated Giambra's government and political future, though, the talk died instantly.
With some form of tax increase all but inevitable later this year, and all 19 Niagara County seats up for election in November, it would probably be a good idea for anyone thinking about running to make absolutely certain their personal tax bills are paid.
As anyone who got anywhere near downtown Niagara Falls last week knows, work on the Third Street reconstruction project started last week.
Workers from Mark Cerrone Inc. began the process of narrowing the street, widening sidewalks and replacing a section of downtown charitably described as dark and foreboding with a more pedestrian-friendly streetscape.
Cerrone said he expects the job to take about 90 days, which would mean completion in late June. In the meantime, businesses along Third Street, particularly between Main and Niagara streets, are putting out the word that they're open for the duration.
Over the weekend, traffic was down to one lane in one direction, a pattern that could change periodically as work progresses.
Parking is the biggest problem for businesses along Third Street. On Friday evening, patrons were parking on the closed side of the street while traffic flowed down the opposite lane. That will become impossible once work begins on the closed sections, though.
Four hundred spaces are available in the newly opened lot owned by the city on the site of the demolished parking ramp at Third and Niagara streets, and on-street spots remain available on Second Street, Ferry Avenue and Niagara Street. Business owners are pushing for increased police presence in the area.
There's little doubt the new streetscape will make for an area more welcoming to tourists, casino patrons, regulars and new businesses alike. The challenge for the entrepreneurs already there is making it through the next few months so they'll be around to greet the newcomers.
Niagara Falls High School's claim to having the No. 1 boys basketball team in the country, endorsed on these pages two weeks ago, received a huge helping of credibility last week when two of the six national polls proclaimed the Wolverines the best in the land.
"We read your column on Niagara Falls deserving the No. 1 ranking, and we agree," wrote Jeremy Plowman, basketball editor for prepnation.com, in a note accompanying the Web site's final poll for the 2004-05 season.
"Student Sports" magazine also named the Wolverines as its national champion. Niagara Falls was ranked second or third in polls conducted by four other outlets -- hoopsusa.com, ihigh.com, USA Today and "School Sports" magazine.
Though there wasn't a consensus among the polls, prepnation.com offered no reservations in making Niagara Falls its top pick.
"The Wolverines won Class AA and Federation state titles while compiling 10 wins over state-ranked teams," read the article declaring Niagara Falls No. 1. "Coach Dan Bazzani's team also conquered a City of Palms Classic (Fort Myers, Fla.) field that included 10 nationally or regionally ranked teams from nine different states. Overall, Falls went 5-1 against teams that spent time in the national Top 25. Its only loss was to regionally ranked St. Louis, Vashon in overtime."
Niagara Falls became the first team from the state to top the publication's rankings since Tolentine High in the Bronx in 1987-88, the year LaSalle High won the state public school and Federation titles under Coach Pat Monti. That Tolentine squad was led by Malik Sealy, who went on to star at St. John's and in the National Basketball Association.
| Niagara Falls Reporter | www.niagarafallsreporter.com | April 5 2005 |