We’re so wrapped up in Sabres fever that we took our eye off the children in the legislature…
You might remember my posts about Erie County Legislator Tim Kennedy’s proposed legislation that would restrict competition in county construction contracts. Well, I thought it was dead in the water after Legislator Cindy Locklear lead the charge to kill it.
Evidently, Tim “Union Tool” Kennedy slipped it through the five hole of the public conciousness and passed it with some minor tweaks.
The law, which has been working its way through Erie County Hall for the past few months, has been praised by union leaders but criticized by many private sector groups and key elected officials including Erie County Executive Joel Giambra. The law only impacts projects valued at $250,000 or greater and only those where at least of a portion of the funding comes from county coffers and/or is for the county’s use. Private sector projects are not bound by the law.
The intent of the law is to restrict bidding to favored (i.e. politically connected and unionized) construction companies. This restricts fair market competition and drives up the cost in county government.
“I can’t see why anyone would be against this law because it helps women, minorities and the youth of our region,” said Legislator Tim Kennedy, D-South Buffalo.
No Tim, it helps unionized companies win contracts that they would not ordinarily win due to their inability to be the lowest bidder. This legislation neither ensures quality work nor lowers the cost of capital projects.
Clarence Republican Legislator Michael Ranzenhofer, said, “We will no longer be awarding bids to the lowest contractor,” he said. “This law restricts competition and it doesn’t give anyone a fair shake.”
Amen.
The bill now goes to the County Executive for a certain veto and will return to the legislature floor for an override vote this summer. The following eleven legislators voted in favor of the law and should be contacted by concerned citizens who wish to see Giambra’s veto sustained.
Tim Kennedy, Lynn Marinelli, Maria Whyte, Dan Kozub, Butchie Holt, Tom Loughran, Tom Mazur, Michelle Ianello, Barry Weinstein, Robert Reynolds, and Demone Smith.
The most likely of the above group to join Cindy Locklear, Mike Ranzenhofer, John Mills, and Kathy Konst in voting down this absurd piece of legislation are Barry Weinstein and Michelle Ianello, since they typically vote with the common sense block. Let’s put some pressure on them to make it happen.
3 Comments
Locklear is the mold of what the rest of the legislature should be…
She isn’t about “da Party”…she is about common sense…
She needs more pub…
And if this passes, what will become of the “giant inflatable rat” industry?
Can’t someone think of the little guy?
Thank you for bringing this to everyone’s attention. It is sad that our legislators are so predictable, biased toward unions and devious in their methods. I will be off now to write to my “representatives” (I use that phrase loosely).
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[...] You think this might have something to do with Locklear’s virulent opposition to the Apprenticeship Law which essentially eliminates competition in public construction [...]