Just a couple things on the docket for me today, both involving the Niagara County Legislature.
1) A story in the US&J by Mark Scheer explains that Republicans in the legislature feel they have “no choice” but to sue the New York Power Authority over the $544 Million the authority transferred to the state recently.
They held a press conference last night to discuss it, with Clyde Burmaster calling the fund sweep, “more like a broad, daylight robbery.”
Basically, the GOP is saying that since the power authority had so much money left over after paying it’s bills, etc, it must have been overcharging residents for electricity and those residents should get their money back. Now, they’re currently saying that they want the money given in the form of a customer rebate, but I’m betting that at some point, they’ll say it would be put to better use if it went straight to the county.
Ya think?
2) The county allotted $6,000 of casino funds to provide a “free entry” night to the Niagara County Fair.
Of course, one legislator (John Syracuse) had to get in a jab at the state, saying that they don’t know where the money is going to come from next year. The state plans to take the county out of the casino cash equation, which, of course, the county is suing over.