Legislator Greene
The events of September 11th, 2001, changed our country in significant ways. It was the first time since Pearl Harbor that we experienced an attack that took so many innocent lives. This country was never more united than it was on September 12th, 2001, along with the days and weeks that followed. I hope as a nation we can remember that there is still more that unites us than divides us, and we are better off when we stand unified against evil forces hoping to disrupt our way of life. We continue to remember those that died, not only on September 11th, but the rescuers who went to New York to help with recovery efforts, only to later experience significant health issues as a result.
The Department of Homeland Security’s job fair presented a great opportunity for people, not only from Western New York, but from all over the country, to come here and meet with recruiters. The decision by the County Executive to cancel this event at the last minute was completely irresponsible. It is not his decision to make. The fact that the head of Visit Buffalo Niagara also agreed with this cancellation is incomprehensible when your job is to bring people here and show them all this region has to offer. Companies in charge of setting up the displays in the Convention Center also lost out. Significant time and money were spent on those employees. Will Mark Poloncarz make sure they are reimbursed for their efforts? Their stated concern was that there would be large protests, yet there were not. While I am glad the Buffalo Coast Guard station stepped up to host this event, and many attendees left with job offers on the spot, it should not have come down to this. We are a border community that is home to about nine thousand federal workers. The career opportunities came from many different divisions within the DHS. It did not all within his purview to unilaterally cancel the job fair.
We are back in session and within the next few weeks will begin reviewing the proposed 2027 Erie County budget. Mark Poloncarz has been in office since 2012. The budget has ballooned on his watch, and that is concerning. We are not a region that is growing in population. He needs to present a plan that is respectful to the taxpayers he serves.
My colleague, Legislator Jeanne Vinal has put forth a plan for an Erie County planning board. Unfortunately, that board would lack proper representation from the suburban and rural communities. We should not be allowing city-based representatives to make decisions on what kind of development should be happening in places like Clarence, Newstead, Akron, or Amherst. It should be up to the local elected officials to determine, with public input, what is best for them.
I hope you all had a nice summer and the first days back at school went smoothly. If you have a county related issue, contact my office at (7160 858-8676 or by email at Christopher.Greene@erie.gov You can also follow me on Facebook at Legislator Chris Greene. Thank you for the opportunity to serve you.
