You may recall last week’s county leg shenanigans where chairwoman Barbara Miller-Williams forbade a vote from taking place on either the Republican or Democratic amendments to County Executive Chris Collins’ 2011 budget. As you probably already know, that budget slashes funding to all but a small handful of cultural organizations, as well as a tremendous chunk from the independent comptroller’s office – most ominously to his auditors. Funding for the libraries is also at risk.
Miller-Williams claimed last week not to have known that she could submit her own amendments, and promised to do so by Friday. The leg was closed on Friday, so they came yesterday. West Seneca “Democrat” Christina Bove joined Miller-Williams’ proposed amendments, which sources say were crafted with careful and pervasive input from Collins himself. The Republicans on the legislature are expected to back the Miller-Williams/Bove proposal pursuant to the “reform coalition” they formed with the input of Steve Pigeon, Byron Brown, and Chris Collins earlier this year. (The third member of the coalition, Tim Kennedy, is readying himself for his move to Albany). This coalition (language NSFW):
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The Collins/Miller-Williams/Bove amendments will probably pass, there will be epic bickering and maneuvering during tomorrow’s meeting. It restores 3 auditors to the Comptroller’s office, $370k to operation primetime (a reduction of $30k), $1 million to the libraries, and $775k to 29 cultural organizations. The Dem caucus had proposed $1.2 m to 47 organizations.
This afternoon will be just horrible. Have a great day!
The Buffalo Record 
Aw, gee, and to think a Republican would be always and forever against the public interest. I’m only 66, but the only good republican I ever saw was dead. They are, like christians, despicable, hypocritical, lying scum.