I waited for Pundit to return from his Thanksgiving Holiday so that he would have the first opportunity to write about the Collins transition team. His response was as unsurprising as mine will undoubtedly be…
We already know of “fresh faces” Dennis Vacco, Nancy Naples, and Mary Lou Rath. Now, we have 31 subcommittees with chairpeople such as: Cusack, Mills, Ranzenhofer, and Rath
But having legislators and rookies head up something that’s supposed to ease the transition to a Collins administration is equal parts stupid and troubling
So, which is it? Are we upset that he is picking “fresh faces” like Vacco and Naples or are we upset that he is picking “rookies”. Seems to me that most Democrats, Pundit included, are looking for an opportunity to slam Collins regardless of what he does.
His choices for his unpaid transition team feature local Republican Party operative and donors, private sector executives, former legislators and elected officials with knowledge of the political landscape, and members of his party who currently serve in the legislature. Why is this so frigging controversial? If Collins came in and selected only private sector executives to head his transition team, we would hear about his disdain for the current people in government. If he chose all party people, we’d hear the opposite.
If Collins is going to be successful, he’ll need the support of his party, the guidance of experienced political hands like Rath and Naples, and the support of his minority in the legislature. Making them all a part of the transition team seems pretty logical to me, especially since the majority of his nearly 40 member transition team are “fresh faces”.
I guess we could wait to see how things work out when Collins gets a chance to lead, or we could just dismiss every move he makes prior to taking office as political and false. Pretty slim margin of error for this guy…
The Buffalo Record 
I’m just happy he has some “little people” on his “team”. I wonder if the county workers will get sweetheart deals in their new contracts like ‘ol Phil Ackerman. He gets almost a million dollars if he lives to 70 … of course when you make over 3 million a year this isn’t really that much … but just for living to 70 – probably one of the easiest millions he’ll make that year. Hmmmm , it’s getting colder ….. time for national fuel to hike their rates !
I’m not going to say squat until April 1st. I don’t care who is on his team. I’m giving him 90 days. I figure by then he will have done something to get roasted or toasted.
It is a shame that Collins isn’t being given much of a chance to even take breaths between all the flak he’s being given. Keane would have suffered the same, if not worse, flogging.
Politics is mean. You have to have a really tough skin.
BBD
Aside from Collins’ close personal and business associates, the rest of his transition team is comprised of folks who were a part of the first Giambra administration. Having cast himself as a non-politician, the same politics that have haunted us for decades are at play again. Saying what Keane would have done is not a defense.
Hey C.R.ibby, some lunatic was (and probably still is) making fake myspace and internet accounts with my initials or references to me and I thought you were a digital representation of that person. I just saw you on here and wanted to aplogize if I lashed out at you. Everyplace I saw “CR” anything I thought it was this person. Who I am genuinely afraid of, whoever it is that has this fascination or hate for me. So, anyway, sorry. And I agree with you.