Under the leadership of CEO Bobby Newman and Chairman Steve Braver, the Niagara USA Chamber has suffered a staggering loss of membership, served to direct prospective businesses to Erie County rather than Niagara County and become involved in local politics in a most underhanded manner.
So what do Bill Ross and the rest of the geniuses of the county Legislature do? Why, invite the Chamber to pick its own member for the Industrial Development Agency, of course.
Are Newman and Braver qualified to have a say in how millions of dollars in tax money is to be spent here?
We don't think so.
Newman's sole qualification seems to be that his daddy is rich. He doesn't even live in the county.
As for Braver, since being fired as publisher of the Greater Niagara Newspapers awhile back, he has been marginally employed, at best.
Neither man has ever started a business on his own and each has a proven track record of failure here, Braver with GNN and Newman with his sudden departure from his family's business, NOCO Energy. They never created a job, or gambled their own money on a startup venture.
And yet, for some reason, Ross and his colleagues on the Legislature seem to believe Braver, Newman and company can be trusted to make decisions on how your money should be spent.
The real agenda here is to expand the influence of the Buffalo Niagara Partnership, a shadowy group of creepy, rich white guys boasting both Braver and Newman as members, into Niagara County. Taking over the Chamber was the first step, and installing Partnership officer Kevin Schuler on the IDA Board of Directors earlier this year was another. Now, with the ability to pick a second IDA board member, the Erie County interests will be able to funnel even more cash to themselves and their friends.
Don't forget, the Buffalo Niagara Partnership is the same group that led the city of Buffalo into receivership. Their only interest in Niagara County is how much they can milk out of it.
And with weak-kneed politicians like Ross running the show here, they should have a fairly easy time of it.
| Niagara Falls Reporter | www.niagarafallsreporter.com | December 23 2003 |