FreeBuffalo Update

The revolt against big government in America has started in Buffalo, New York, traditionally one of big government's strongest outposts along with New York City. Why Buffalo? Because it has probably the biggest and most oppressive government of any locale in the country except for New York City. New York City, as the capital of the planet, can absorb lots of shocks that a smaller town like Buffalo cannot.

Buffalo, NY (PRWEB) October 8, 2005

As a special thank you for contributors, we have planned a very special event you won't want to miss.

Because our adversaries have pronounced us dead so many times, we want to return the favor. Therefore, on the evening of Saturday, November 5th, at a special venue, we will hold "An Irish Wake for the Buffalo Political Machine." There will be special prizes, special guests, special music, great food and of course, special beverages.

You won't want to miss it!

Our opponents like to say-about every five minutes-that the tax revolt is dead. Pessimism is contagious and even some of our own people start to believe this kind of nonsense.

Let me review with you where the tax revolt stands; what it has accomplished and what the future holds.

For 45 years, Greater Buffalo declined in population, jobs and businesses, due to a rapacious political machine that ran the show for the benefit of itself and its special interest allies. No organized opposition to this corrupt machine arose until December of 2004 when the tax revolt spontaneously broke out. It was soon spearheaded by Speakupwny.com, Primary Challenge and Free Buffalo.

The tax revolt was and is real. Free Buffalo roused 280 citizens out of bed on a cold March Saturday morning on eight days notice with no money spent to advertise the meeting. We have 800 people on our database. Those figures are real. Primary Challenge has similar stories of well-attended meetings and active members.

Working together, we defeated a $120 million sales tax increase. Though a ¼ point increase was later adopted, we still saved the average household in Erie County $236!

I estimate that only about 1,000 people have donated funds to Free Buffalo or Primary Challenge. All in all, a great bargain for hundreds of thousands of Erie County taxpayers!

Next, we forced or encouraged numerous public officials to retire early: seven county legislators, Mayor Anthony Masiello, Comptroller Nancy Naples, and Sheriff Gallivan. Joel Giambra announced he too would not run again.

Even after the most vulnerable legislators bowed out of the race, Primary Challenge was able to win nominations for two talented newcomers, one in each party: Jim Liegl and Cynthia Locklear.

One of Free Buffalo's explicit goals is to change the political mindset in Erie County. Mission partially accomplished. The Buffalo Niagara Partnership, a conservative business organization normally reluctant to rock the boat, has issued a call for drastic reductions in County government. The Buffalo News is slowly moving in the right direction. Even machine politicians are changing their approaches and rhetoric, if not their actions just yet.

Free Buffalo has accomplished much of what it set out to do. In March, we announced that we wanted to start a people's think tank, a professionally-staffed brick and mortar operation that would churn out policy studies and proposals to make government smaller and more responsive. In just four months, we opened up an office on Hertel Ave, right in the middle of the Buffalo Metropolitan area with Lockport closer than East Aurora.

We have already issued four News Alerts on important issues and one major policy report. We will release two more this month alone. We will soon release our proposal to balance the county budget and cut taxes!

We will also shortly publish our survey of legislative candidates and our profile of Mayoral candidates Brown and Helfer, once again providing the public with information they can get from no other source.

Free Buffalo has been mentioned in the Buffalo News 25 times this year and several times on the front page.

We will have a winter fundraiser to tide us over until the big day-June 3rd-the Second Annual Taste of Freedom.

Last year, operating with just 40 days notice, with little staff, no money for advertising, no office, bad weather and a Memorial Day holiday schedule, we had a very successful Taste of Freedom.

Capacity for the Nov.5 event is limited so act fast.

For more info write to Free New York, 1535 Hertel Ave., Buffalo, NY 14216.

716-566-7720

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