I Had All I Can Stand

Well kids, the time is upon us. I've had all I can stand, and I can't stand no more.

My latest beef is with, well, the government. I like Obama. I don't love him, I like him. I was a Hillary supporter, couldn't get on Obama in the beginning. Then I warmed up to him and thought, well, can't get any worse now can it. But my beef isn't so much with the Federal government at this time, but with the government of this great state of New York.

Since December, I've been hearing from Governor Paterson how the state is broke. Broke, broke, broke, broke, broke. "NY is so broke it can't even pay attention!" I hear ya man, I hear ya. October 2008 hit and I was like "wait a minute, I'm broke!" OK I'm not really, but since then I have really tightened up on spending. And frankly, I've become a bit overzealous with the coupons. So much so that if Pauline goes out to Wendy's without a coupon from the "Dining Out Buffalo" book, he gets the stink eye when he comes home. But I digress. The state has no money. Alright, here we go - time to tighten the belt. We're all doing it! So the state is going to, also, right? Right???

Enter this week when I learned that Joe Mesi (Baby Joe for all you boxing fans) was being named to head a new senate office in Buffalo. Baby Joe ran for Senate last year, but lost. I had no objections to him running. People were like "why is he qualified, why is he qualified." My retort was "look at the monkeys in office now, is it going to get worse?" To that everyone replied, "well, no." Umm-hmm. Anyway, Mesi has been chosen for this new position. I quote the Buffalo News.

"Mesi has been hired to run the new Senate majority office in Buffalo at $70,000 per year, according to Senate spokesman Austin Shafran. He will head an office that could include as many as 10 staffers working from a yet-to-be-determined location. "

Hmm...making 70 grand a year huh? Well, it's not Hollywood money, but it's good, no? Me thinks. What's that I see, could include as many as 10 staffers? Hmm....10. That seems like a lot. That seems like 10 salaries, plus 10 state retirement pensions, plus 10 sets of healthcare benefits, and I'm betting those workers aren't going to be paying a fortune for it. Perhaps kicking in 20 bucks a week? Oh, and where are they going to sit? Oh, a yet-to-be-determined location? Ohhh. Well lets hope it's in an existing building and that they are going to take the existing office and fire those workers to pay for the new workers and to pay for Mesi to "serve as a liaison for the majority leader with the local community, working with local community groups.” Cause if not, that means rent, plus buying desks, computers, chairs, paper, copy machines, printers, pens, folders and all the countless other shit you need for an office to run.

The 2009-2010 NYS budget includes cuts from healthcare, education, prisons, parks, everything you can think of (except Welfare, that money went up) So here is where my question comes in. We have a senate majority leader with an office in Albany who we can contact by phone or email. If NYS is so "broke," then where the frig is this money coming from for this office? Seriously. SERIOUSLY.

I truly hate complaining to just complain. I like to try and do something to change the situation, to make it better. But what the hell am I supposed to do about this? SERIOUSLY. Who do you even complain to? I read another article about Brian Davis, a Buffalo Common Council member who has been writing bad checks for years, has no license cause the idiot never renewed it, and built a $180,000 house in an Empire Zone and doesn't pay taxes. WTF? WTF????? Shouldn't that shit (tax free housing) be reserved for poor people? Or maybe people who abide the laws and drive WITH their licenses and don't bounce checks all over town? But who do you complain to? The mayor? I'm sure he'll get right on the stick. But owait, he's friends with him, so maybe not.

Who the hell voted these people into office? I'd love to chat with someone who voted for Brian Davis. And I'd love to chat with whoever thought it would be a good idea to appoint a leader for a local senate majority leader in Buffalo. I can bet you dollars to donuts, it wasn't me. Cause when I went into the booth last Fall, I went in like this. If you are in office now, you won't be for long. Maybe I'm the only one who did that, cause we still have to stare at Crystal Peoples and Bill Stachowskis' muggs as they tells us that "I won't give up a portion of my salary, I shouldn't have to" or Antoine Thompson who proposes bills that give country workers more paid time off to spend with their kids. Good in theory pal, but they already get plenty of time, and frankly they have to do what everyone else does - take vacation time! And Crystal Peoples, I should never have brought her up, I might be here all day.

I just don't get it. I don't even know where to go. People like Kavin Gaughan have the right idea, but I think it has to start with these Legislators first. There is NO need to have 200 of them. And all the stipends for the committees they sit on? Hows about that's part of your "job" duties, just like everyone else?

I love living in Buffalo. I do. My family is here and I love calling it my home. But the last month has been rough, and I'm starting to think "OMG do I want to stay?" I can see why people leave. It's just so hard to sit by and watch while this crap goes on. Is it the same everywhere? Do they have stupid, useless titles in Nebraska? Do they cry broke but add more government jobs? Perhaps my friend's idea to annex my house is a good idea. I'm making Allanland. Who's with me?