Anthony M. Masiello
1994 -Present
HISTORY
Anthony M. Masiello
was born in Buffalo
, New York
in 1947. The oldest of seven children growing up on West Avenue
on the city's West Side, Masiello
had dreams of playing professional basketball. "I spent all
day and night in gyms and on playgrounds throughout the
City of Buffalo
"Sports helps you at an early age to relate to people
from different neighborhoods and different colors and different
walks of life." Basketball scholarships paid his tuition
through Cardinal Dougherty High School and Canisius College
He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Canisius
College
He is in the sports Hall of Fame at Canisius College
, his scoring and rebound totals among the schools all-time
highest.
In 1969 Masiello
was the third-round draft pick of the Indiana Pacers, but was
cut. The following year he tried out for the original Buffalo
Braves basketball squad, but was once again cut.
"That really was the hardest hit I had up until I
was 22 years old. All of a sudden, I had to find a new vehicle
to translate all those energies, all that drive, all that
competitive spirit."
Masiello
taught business at St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute and sold
insurance.
He was always active in the Democratic Party, but
up until this time he had no particular plans for politics.
In 1971 Democratic party
boss Joe Crangle
asked Masiello
to run for North District Councilman against an unbeatable incumbent.
The incumbent dropped out and Masiello
won in a close race against another candidate. He became one
of the city's youngest elected officials ever.
Masiello
went for his physical for the Vietnam
draft, but was declared ineligible because of a childhood injury
that left him legally blind in his left eye.
"When the war started I think I was gung-ho on beating
communism. I bought into that type of hype. But as the war
gradually evolved, I started to learn more about why we
were there, what was happening there.
"I read about the (anti-war)
demonstrations. I saw them basically from a distance,
but I wasn't really the demonstrating type."
Masiello
served on the Common Council
for nine years. During the later years he was Council Member-at-Large,
and in 1974 he became the youngest Majority Leader of the
Council.
He credits former Common Council
President Delmar Mitchell
as a early mentor. He showed him the ropes during his time on
the Council.
His first Senate race was in 1980, and the Democratic
Party did not endorse him.
Masiello
went on to win the primary and subsequently won this special
election. He went on to win the Democratic endorsement for
Senate in 1982, 1984, 1986, and 1988.
As a senator Masiello
served as a "people's senator." Some of the highlights of his
Senate career include keeping Columbus Hospital open; fighting
to save the Connecticut Street Armory and the Richardson
Building at the Buffalo
Psychiatric Center, both Buffalo
landmarks; saving jobs and keeping his hometown of Buffalo
constantly receiving grants and financial aid, to help keep
many local businesses operational.
The largest investment of public money in Western
New York history was $241 million, and Masiello
was instrumental in lobbying Governor Cuomo
's office to secure this funding.
In February, 1989 Masiello
was among nine people vowing for the Democratic nomination for
mayor of Buffalo
Among them was Wilbur Trammell, Mayor Jim Griffin, Arthur
Eve
, William Hoyt, and Masiello
When he made his presentation to the committee, Masiello
said "I'm running no matter what." They said he made an excellent
presentation, but William Hoyt was chosen as the candidate
and Masiello
dropped out of the race.
Masiello
was re-elected to the office of the state Senate in 1990 and
1992.
The candidates for the 1993 Buffalo
mayoral race were lining up in late 1992. Common Council
Majority Leader Eugene M. Fahey and Masiello
both declared candidacies.
On January 2, 1993 Arthur Eve
, another expected candidate, announced he would not run.
Wilbur Trammell and Samuel Herbert also announced they may
enter the race.
On January 14, 1993 the democratic Executive Committee
met to endorse a candidate for mayor of Buffalo
Senator Masiello
and Councilman Eugene Fahey both appeared before the committee,
although it was already known who they would choose. The
Committee voted 41-0 to endorse Masiello
for mayor. Masiello
accepted the endorsement and promised to concentrate on crime,
education, and other issues.
"I run for mayor not to boss, or to be bossed. I
run to lead, to give direction and to stimulate. I want
a place where everybody has a future."
"I pledge to run the Police Department in a professional
manner."
Fahey was angered by the outcome. "I'm not surprised.
We seem to be returning to the days of the å60's and å70's
when one man ran the city of Buffalo
Now we have a lawyer from Hamburg (Vincent J. Sorrentino)
attempting to dictate to the people of Buffalo
who the nominee of the Democratic Party should be."
Fahey and Masiello
held fundraisers early on in order to generate the large sums
of money needed to fight a possible Griffin running.
Masiello
spoke to supporters as they munched on filet mignon sandwiches
and oysters
at an early $500-a-head fundraiser. "The one aspect of this
I dislike the most is raising money, but it's a necessary
evil. But when you're dealing with an incumbent of four
terms, you know he's going to be well financed."
Masiello
took some heat for his high dollar fundraisers. "Rest assured,
my opponents will try and paint me as a candidate of special
interests and that's not the case. I've got tremendously
broad-cased support - from blacks, whites, Hispanics and
union leaders."
Fahey, on the other hand, preferred to work with
$25-a-head fundraisers. "If a candidate caters to the wealthy
and special interests, his administration will show it.
I want to owe the people in the neighborhoods who can't
afford these big fund-raisers."
Buffalo
businessman Hans J. Mobius announced that he would seek the
Conservative Party
nomination if the party did not choose a "true Conservative,'
especially Fahey, who had expressed interest in the nomination.
In the spring of 1993 Richard A. Grimm III announced
his candidacy for mayor. He was the first registered Republican
to run for that office in 16 years.
Masiello
promised to change the way city government worked if elected.
"One thing it will do is bring new and younger people to
help run government. There's a staleness about city government.
This city hasn't moved into a new era. I don't think (the
administration) is aware of the value of new management
techniques and principles and computers. In many ways we're
a Flintstones-era type of government."
On May 4, 1993 Mayor Jimmy Griffin
announced he would not be seeking an unprecedented fifth term
as mayor.
After Griffin announced he would not run, several
other candidates now considered running. Arthur Eve
once again pondered the question, while Wilbur Trammell waited
on his heels. "If Arthur Eve
runs I definitely will not run. If he doesn't, I will have to
look at it very, very carefully." Trammell and Eve, both
black, felt the candidates, all white, were not concentrating
on the real issues at hand, specifically, "crime, housing
, employment, cleanliness, hope and an attitude that better
things are coming," as Trammell put it.
Samuel A. Herbert, announced he would run for mayor
in the spring of 1993. He favored term limitations for the
mayor and Common Council
Masiello
held another fundraiser at the Delaware Park Casino
"For too long we have ignored the significant cultural heritage
of Buffalo
, not just as a quality of life factor in our city, but
as a tourist attraction for the rest of the country as well."
The primary elections were held on September 14,
1993. In no surprise, Masiello
easily defeated Eugene Fahey, with nearly 65% of he vote.
After the primary, both Grimm and Fahey knew chances
of winning were slim. Fahey stayed on the ballot as the
Conservative party candidate, but did not aggressively campaign.
Grimm, although short on money, continued the fight. His
major disadvantage was the lack of registered Republicans
in Buffalo
, as the Democrats outnumber them by 5 to 1.
Fahey still wanted to continue the debates, as did
Grimm. But Masiello
declined any further debates saying there were no new topics
being addressed, and they were constantly debating the same
issues.
LIFE
AS A MAYOR
The mayoral election took place on November 2, 1993.
Masiello
easily won what seemed certain from early on in the campaign,
to become Buffalo
's first new mayor in 16 years. His 36,092 votes was slightly
over 68% of the total vote. Republican Richard A. Grimm
received 9,277 and Conservative candidate Eugene Fahey 7,566.
Both Grimm and Fahey conceded early in the night.
Masiello
delivered his victory speech at Ellicott Square Mall where the
Democratic Party was assembled.
"This election represents a new era of cooperation
and consensus. It's an era when city government does more
than just speak, but a government that listens."
Masiello
also invited his opponents to work with him "to make Buffalo
a better place."
The day after the election, mayor-elect Masiello
was attending official events and working on his transition
team. He met Mayor Griffin
at an open house, who congratulated him and offered his assistance
in the transition.
His transition team was headed by attorney Terrance
M. Connors.
He outlined his main area of attention as targeting
the city's $25 million deficit.
"We are going to do things differently in city government.
We have to restructure the way we deliver these services,
and in that restructuring there could be fewer jobs or different
kinds of jobs than exist now.
By January 1, he hoped "to have immediate goals to
make the Police Department more professional, more visible
and effective." He promoted creating urban villages around
centerpieces like the new Crossroads
Arena.
Masiello
's vision of being mayor: "This is an awesome responsibility.
It's a big task. We're inheriting some problems, but they
are not insurmountable.
"I get excited to think about putting Buffalo
on the map and turning around the image of a smokestack, snow
and chicken wing capital of the country to a progressive,
exciting city with vibrant neighborhoods, an exciting waterfront
and a place where people want to live.
"Some people tell me I'm too soft, that I have to
get tougher. I think Tony Masiello
has some strengths and has some weaknesses, but I'm willing
to learn and grow. I learned as an athlete that once the
game starts, you've got to be tough. I will be tough when
I have to be, and I will be gentle where I need to be."
By December, 1993, outgoing Buffalo
mayor, Jim Griffin, had spent all of the mayor's office discretionary
fund, with seven months left in the fiscal year.
"The cupboard is going to be bare not only in personnel
lines in government, but in the mayor's own accounts. While
I'm not happy about it, I'm going to have to live with it,"
Masiello
said.
Masiello
was to begin office with a $79,380 paycheck.
On December 22, 1993 Masiello
announced his candidate for police
commissioner: R. Gil Kerlikowske. Kerlikowske hailed from Fort
Pierce, Florida. He brought with him experience in dealing
with curfew laws, and creation of neighborhood-oriented
police
patrols.
Masiello
was running into possible problems for his inaugural ball, to
be held at the Statler's Golden Ballroom. Local 4 of the
Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees union threatened
to picket the event because non-union employees work there.
A week later an attempt was made to prevent the picket by
offering to hire union waiters, but this would not satisfy
the union.
Mayor-elect Masiello
was sworn in on January 1, 1994. He delivered his Inaugural
Address
before a crowd of about 2,000 people, on the steps in front
of City Hall
It was aired live on WKBW-TV.
"Mayor Griffin
, members of the Common Council
, the wonderful people who voted for me, the great citizens
of Buffalo
that I'm going to represent, my family, my friends, all of you
who have been so instrumental in making this day happen,
thank you so very very much.
"And I want to thank you all for joining us this
morning to share the joy of today and begin the work of
tomorrow. Today is more than a day of triumph; it is a day
of dedication to the simple idea that we are one people
united by common purpose.
"We could not have chosen a more fitting symbol of
that idea than the steps of this majestic building. Stretched
across the entrance are symbolic columns that represent
bundles of reeds bound together with cable wire. The message
of the architect of City Hall
was the same message of the Masiello
campaign -- the strength of Buffalo
lies in our unity, and our danger is rooted in discord. The
better we are able to recognize common goals, the better
able we will be to solve and provide solutions to common
problems. Working together, respecting each other, understanding
our differences, and uniting to bring our hearts and minds
to the work of building a better Buffalo
, that's what last year was all about...that's what today
is all about...and what I promise all of you is that my
administration will continue to be that.
"We are surrounded by symbolism today. The central
figure above us represents the City of Buffalo
, with pen in hand, ready to write the next chapter of our
illustrious history. And having signed the city register
and sworn before God and the good people of Buffalo
to uphold my duties as your mayor, that pen, at this instant,
begins to write.
"And what we write is up to us--
"- to me,
"- it's up to the esteemed members of the Common
Council
, and in large measure,
"- to each of you as concerned citizens of the city
we that we love.
"And while Buffalo
is no stranger to difficult times, the task before us is greater
than we imagine. I say that because our past problems were
rooted in structural problems, while today's problems reflect
a crisis of values in Buffalo
"Teenaged pregnancy is epidemic.
"Our schools face a severe crisis in public confidence.
"Children in poverty have reached an all-time high.
"Murder is the third leading cause of death and the
second leading cause of death among young black men.
"And violent crime threatens every fabric of our
society.
"A few moments ago, you heard a young man's poignant
plea to stop the violence so that he can continue his life.
As mayor, I can address the symptoms of the disease of violent
crime. But only we, as a people, can address, the causes
of that disease -- the hopelessness, the bigotry, the lack
of jobs, and low self-esteem -- that lead people to desperate
and despicable acts of violence.
"Make no mistake about it. Nature abhors in a vacuum.
When goodness and grace and virtue are absent from society,
crime, cruelty and callousness will fill that void. As a
government, as a city, and as citizens we can expect to
reap exactly what we sow.
"If we impart a sense of respect and harmony, honesty
and brotherhood and courtesy we can expect to enjoy the
benefit of those virtues returned.
"And that's what my campaign and this high office
is all about -- making us a city again, one people united
for our common good and dedicated to make Buffalo
the best possible place to live, to work and to raise our families.
"For my part, we will recognize the future by recognizing
our past --
"-a past that included quality city workers delivering
quality city services,
"-a past that found the community and its police
officers as willing and confident allies,
"- a past that included safe streets, quality schools
and comfortable neighborhoods.
"But we will continue to look forward to employ modern
technology and equipment and improved morale to create new
efficiencies.
"We will capture the volunteer spirit of Buffalo
by working with our clergy, community-based organizations, our
Y's, and our Boys and our Girls Clubs, all who share our
vision for a better Buffalo
"We will restore the dignity of our teachers by getting
on with the work of reaching consensus on a contract.
"We will stop political in-fighting and usher in
a new era of cooperation with the Buffalo
Common Council
by recognizing the wisdom of disagreeing without being disagreeable.
"We will continue the vital work of rebuilding and
restoring our proud neighborhoods by devising innovative
programs to turn renters into homeowners.
"And we will honor the debt to Buffalo
's future by providing our children with the quality educational
opportunities they deserve.
"We will accomplish our objectives by creating a
climate of cooperation in our great city with a government
that listens as well as speaks ... that heeds as well as
hears ... that gives more than it takes ... and deserves
more than it rules.
"Our job will demand the best from all of us. But
no matter what the cost, it will be worth the sacrifice.
Because it's our city: the future is our city, the future
is our children, Ariel and Matthew and Jason... They, and
you, are worth
it.
"You have given me your trust and your confidence,
and today, before God and the great people of Buffalo
, I promise to spend the next four years making you proud
that you did.
"Thank you so very much for being part of today."
After the address, a reception was held inside City
Hall
for any and all that wished to attend. Masiello
's greeting line contained nearly all 2,000 people who waited
about an hour to greet the city's first new mayor in 16
years. When it was over he said that he was "overwhelmed"
by the turnout. "It's wonderful. I wanted people to come."
Masiello
finally ended up moving his inaugural ball to the Connecticut
Street armory, held on January 22, 1994.
Masiello's 1994 State of the City address was presented
in March 1994.
"Throughout
the long campaign of 1993, I took my case to the people
of Buffalo and asked you to elect me so that we could change
the course of city government and move Buffalo to the threshold
of a new century with hope and optimism.
"Your
overwhelming acceptance of my message of change signaled
to me that the people of Buffalo were tired...tired of the
increasing taxes and diminishing services... tired of the
incessant bickering between the mayor & the Common Council
tired of the fighting between the mayor and Board of Education
... tired of constantly living on the edge of disaster.
"It
signaled to me that we as a people and a city were ready
to roll up our sleeves and work together in harmony to solve
the enormous problems facing Buffalo on the brink of the
21st Century.
"It's
been about three months since I came to City Hall amid all
that the optimism and hope and it's apparent to me that
not everyone got the message about cooperation and consensus.
"I
have been forthright and truthful about the fiscal crisis
that literally threatens our existence as an independent
city and about the need to fundamentally reform the way
we, as a city, do business if we are to survive.
"I
have documented the case that we must start today to make
the structural changes necessary to put the city back on
sound financial footing.
"And
I have extended the hand of cooperation and spoken the message
of shared sacrifice to the municipal unions representing
city worker's we seek common ground from which to build
a solution to our problems.
"But
the fact I'm here tonight to give you - the people of Buffalo,the
difficult truth about the State of our City's a sad commentary
on the reception my message has received at the hands of
the union leadership.
"It
has been some six weeks since I contacted the unions and
asked them to participate in a collective search for solutions.
As an indication of my willingness to work together, we
ended four long-standing grievances that irritated the relationship
between the city and the PBA.
"In
response, the police union has filed a total of 350 grievances
against the city over the last six weeks. Each of these
grievances will cost approximately $1700 to mediate,half
to be paid by the city, and half by the union but all to
be diverted away from the real fight against the violent
crime that grips our city.
"The
fire union has responded by advising its members to double-dip
on health insurance coverage to drive up the already huge
cost borne by the city for fringe benefits. The white collar
union has refused my request to join us at the table in
the search for mutually agreeable solutions.
"To
date, only the city's blue collar union, to their credit,
has accepted the offer to be a partner in the solution process.
"It
should come as no surprise, then, when I tell you the state
of Buffalo is bad and the immediate future offers little
hope of it getting better should our three union brethren
remain adamant about ignoring the problem.
"We
knew the situation we would inherit from the previous administration
would not be good. The 1993-94 budget was balanced only
through a series of fortunate accidents that no one could
have predicted or forseen. The 1994-95 budget I inherit
will be in deficit to the tune of $31.3 million dollars.
"It
was my intention to close that gap on a three year schedule,combining
structural changes in Buffalo's financial planning with
temporary state aid to help us through the crisis. We had
to scrub that plan when the city's bond rating agency, Standard
& Poor's,announced it was deferring a planned lowering
of Buffalo's bond rating to below investment grade to allow
the new administration a chance to demonstrate some political
courage to provide permanent solutions where only temporary
quick fixes were applied in the past.
"Now,
we have to repair the budget this year if the city is to
avoid receivership.
"To
close the gap this year, I have proposed that we find about
$15 million dollars in savings and economies in the city
budget and ask the state to tie long range fiscal responsibility
to extraordinary aid totaling another $15 million dollars.
"I
sought, and still seek, to accomplish this ambitious plan
without drastic layoffs or severe property tax increases.
"And
let's be perfectly candid about this if Buffalo can't
provide the structural changes the crisis demands,can we
really expect that our state delegation will knock its brains
out trying to secure the state share of the remedy? I don't
think so.
"We
have proposed a workable plan of consolidation of services
in the areas of vehicle
maintenance, purchasing operations, precinct consolidations,
and fire house relocation along with a plan to increase
productivity in the streets department.
"But
I can't do these things alone. We have to work together
at a time when Buffalo is fighting for its very survival.
Without union cooperation to provide health care premium
savings without significant benefit reductions...without
a common understanding and recognition of the dire consequences
that will accrue to Buffalo should we fail ...the options
left available to me are stark.
"And
in the long term, unless we reduce costs significantly through
major restructuring,we will be back at this same point year
after year.
"I
can continue the legacy of the past administration which
raised property taxes 30% in the last two years -or I can
reduce basic city services even further by ordering massive
layoffs.
"Neither
of those options is a viable alternative to the plan I have
taken to the unions -not in a city that ranks 46th of the
nation's largest 50 cities in terms of mean income or in
a city where 75% of our neighborhoods exceed the national
poverty guidelines. But they are the only options I have
left.
"Both
are self-defeating: during the decade of the 80's more than
30,000 people left Buffalo without leaving the area. They
did so to avoid increasing taxes and decreasing services
and yet without mutual cooperation between the city and
its unions, that trend will continue --costing us more jobs,
more residents, and reducing a shrinking tax base even further.
"In
fact, it's a trend that at least one union president likes.
That "leader" has demanded that I raise taxes
to the max before I lay off any of his members.
"That's
hardly a courageous statement when you consider the president
lives in the suburbs and won't have to pay the tax increase
himself.
"Years
of dire predictions about the state of the city have left
some people in the city skeptical about our real financial
condition. Some of the union leaders and their supporters
on the Common Council don't believe we will be forced to
effect massive layoffs. Others believe we are talking of
such layoffs only as a scare tactic.
"Let
me explain to you, the people of Buffalo, why layoffs will
be inevitable should the unions remain recalcitrant. Eighty
percent of the city's budget is taken up by personal services
personnel and their fringe benefits. Just two unions
police and fire and their fringes make up half of the
entire budget for city services.
"Therefore,
it's impossible to save real money if I do the politically
correct thing and hold police and fire services harmless
from cuts. Let me give you an example. Let's say we all
agree that public safety & schools should not be cut.
"That
means all the pain of a reordered budget must be borne by
all other city departments and services.
"By
eliminating the entire Parks Dept. we will realize a savings
of only 4 million dollars. To reach the 15 million dollars
we have to save this year,we would have to eliminate the
Streets Dept. as well.
"That
would mean no parks maintenance or programming. It would
mean no snow plowing, no garbage pick-up, and no trash collection.
And for all that, we would make up only half of our budget
deficit.
"To
further preserve the sanctity of police and fire services,we
would have to lop off human resources, the law department,
and about half of our public works department. Pretty soon
there would be nothing left for us to protect. And should
that trend continue, I would have no other choice than to
hand the keys to the city to a financial control board which
would make all our fiscal decisions for us; decisions that
won't be kind.
"I
don't want to do that. But with each day that passes without
progress toward a solution, the control board looms larger
and larger on our horizon.
"So
that's what we're faced with in the absence of alternative
solutions: more taxes and fewer services, or a financial
control board that would take away our power to effect our
own destiny.
"There
are more than a few voices...responsible, caring, dedicated
voices...calling for the empowerment of a financial control
board for Buffalo.
"The
thinking that motivates those voices is that only through
the extraordinary powers granted to a control board will
we ever begin to make significant dent in the contractual
armor that shields city unions from accountability and flexibility
in these times of fiscal crisis.
"Let's
make no mistake about it -the contracts negotiated by the
previous administration are killing us.
"In
terms of police and fire, we are still finding new costs
associated with the old contracts. But I'm not talking about
asking police officers & fire lighters work for minimum
wage. I'm not proposing they put bullets in half the chambers
of their guns. All we are asking for is union cooperation
to end some of the blatantly expensive and abusive practices
that have put us in the situation we're in today.
"For
instance, did you know that you have to pay your police
officers extra to get them to show up on time to get their
instructions for the day? You have to pay them incentives
to entice them to put in perfect attendance? You have to
pay retired firefighters the same meal allowance you pay
the men and women working in the firehouse? You get charged
eight hours pay for garbage workers who work half a day?
You've given pay raises to police officers even as their
new contract requires them to work fewer hours? You pay
for medical insurance that covers elective cosmetic surgery?
"And
yet,whenever we talk about saving this city the unions tell
us to come back in 1995 when their contracts expire.
"I'm
here tonight to tell you the city might expire before the
contracts and then what will the unions hold over our heads?
"In
closing, I'd like to share a letter I have received from
a city resident and taxpayer...a business owner who employs
people in a business that also pays city taxes. His name
is Bill Collins and he writes: "Dear Mayor...From what
I can see, the unions are holding Buffalo hostage the tail
is wagging the dog. I hope this administration has the guts
to stand up to these people and do what has to be done to
get this city turned around.
"I
know there are no simple solutions to complex problems but
the time for decisive action is now.
"[Here
comes the self-serving part.]You are doing a terrific job
and I am feeling a sense of optimism about the city that
I haven't felt in a long time. I urge you to push forward
aggressively with reform and if people like the unions don't
like it too bad! You've got the support of the people
who are paying the bills! Good Luck!"
"I
don't want to be confrontational with the unions and I don't
want to layoff their members. There are a lot of competent,
dedicated workers on the job for you right now. But I'm
faced with an infinite number of problems created by the
city union contracts and I have only a finite number of
solutions available to me.
"So
now you know how I feel and what precious few options I
have available to me.
"You
already know how some union leaders feel. They aren't concerned
about what happens to the city as long as they have their
contracts.
"But
how do you feel? What do you think we should do? Am I going
about this the wrong way?
"Do
you think we can continue with turn-of-the-century approaches
to 21st century problems? Should I raise taxes to the max
and terminate every city service except police and fire
protection? What happens to education? Should I delay or
abandon the notion of community policing? Can we continue
to afford the luxury of being one of the last city's in
America with 15 precinct houses and two officer patrol cars?
"Should
we continue a firehouse system that was built at the turn
of the century even at the expense of uniform response time?
Does your employer pay 100% of your health insurance premium?
"I
need to know and your elected representatives on the Common
Council need to know how you feel about the survival of
our city.
"I
need to know if I have your support. Please, take a minute
and write to me and your council member. Your elected representatives
need to know that if they vote for reform they have your
support.
"If
you are a union member, and we touched a sensitive nerve,
if you are one of the young, ambitious new workers who could
be laid off be laid off as a sacrifice to the status quo
let your union president know you want to negotiate a fair
share of the burden of Buffalo's survival so that you might
be a part of the city's long term renaissance as part of
a team that can still function in the fight for Buffalo's
future.
"Thanks
for listening."
A great blow to the city was made in late December,
1996 when a Court of Appeals ruling reinstated a 35 percent
pay raise for Buffalo public teachers for a four year contract
that was defeated by the School Board in 1990. The total
sum could be near $200 million.
The mayor was set to name a charter revision panel
that same month. "I came into this job with a mandate to
change the way Buffalo does business. I am committed to
fulfilling that mandate, but the role of mayor frequently
becomes crisis management.
"I
intend to tap into the vast and varied intellectual resources
of our city to put Buffalo's best minds to work to help
us chart a course for progress and confidence in the new
century ahead," he stated.
The ironic part of this is that five years earlier,
then State Senator Anthony
Masiello was among those who persuaded voters to
reject proposed revisions made under then-Mayor James Griffin.
The city held a giant birthday party in April 1997
to celebrate the city's 165th birthday. On Saturday,
April 19, 1997 Niagara Square was closed from traffic while
presentations, food, and entertainment attempted to unite
the city. As weather would have it though, it was cold and
a small crowd was on-hand for the event which also included
the presentation by the descendants of Buffalo's first mayor
Ebenezer Johnson.
Tony Masiello appeared to have an easy ride to re-election
in 1997. It appeared the Republicans didn't have a candidate
and no formidable Democratic candidates were coming forward.
That is, until former mayor Jimmy Griffin announced his
bid for election back into the office he held for 16 years.
Masiello decided to seek the Conservative party nomination
in May, 1997. It was the first time in his political career
he had done so. The reason appeared to be the crowded Democratic
primary coming up in September. He had run with the Liberal
party backing throughout his career but was never close
to the Conservatives. His reelection appeared to be uncontested
until the sudden appearance of Jim Griffin.
On Tuesday, June 10, 1997 Masiello received an unprecedented
backing from the Republican and Conservative parties. This
backing would help solidify his position should he be defeated
in the primary by any of the other well-known Democratic
candidates.
Making matters even more interesting, James Pitts
threatened to appear before the Democratic Executive Committee
to demand the party enforce rules calling for forfeiting
the endorsement of any Democrat accepting Republican backing.
But Erie County Democratic Chairman G. Steven Pigeon said
"the rule is obsolete."
In a Buffalo
News poll in mid June, 1997 of 750 registered Democrats,
Masiello was shown to be an easy victor. On the flip side,
48.7% of those polled felt the city wasn't heading in the
right direction, with 41.1% saying it was. Masiello's response
was that the voters "should be concerned. But you're not
going to turn the direction of this overnight. The loss
of confidence did not happened over a couple of years but
over a couple of decades. It will still take eight to 10
years to reverse that trend."
The Primary was held on ????. In the Democratic contest
Masiello was an easy victor garnering 17,345 votes to James
Pitts' 12,655 and James Griffin's 10,649. On the Conservative
ticket Masiello did not fare as well, losing to Sharon Caetano
196 to 117.
Mayor
Masiello's second election for mayor was held on Tuesday,
November 4, 1997. He was rode to an easy victory over his
three challengers. With 59.10% of the vote. Even if his
two major opponents combined their total, Masiello still
would have won by 20% of the vote.
Comeback king Jimmy Griffin made a valiant attempt
at re-entering the mayor's office after one term out. Unfortunately,
only the South District voted seriously for him, easily
defeating all the other candidate's. Griffin's total was
23.15%. Common Council president James Pitts was less successful
running in third place on the Liberal ticket with only 15.99%
of the vote. Rounding out the pack was Conservative candidate
Sharon Caetano with a mere 1.76% of the vote.
On
January 1, 1998 Tony Masiello was inaugurated for his second
term. During his inaugural address to about 400 people at
City Hall he announced a top-to-bottom review of city government
by the formation of a Charter Review Commission. The commission
would review all aspects of city government.
Beginning
Tony Masiello's second term as Buffalo mayor he decided
to make some changes to his inner circle. Positions mentioned
include streets commissioner, police, and community development.
In addition, he was looking at the possibility of finding
jobs for two former Common Council members.
In addition, with residency becoming a hot issue,
the residency of City Treasurer Marilyn Smith had been in
question, but Masiello was standing by her.
Police Commissioner R. Gil Kerlikowske was looking
for a new job in Washington, with Deputy Commissioner Rocco
Dina as a potential successor.
Masiello decided to spend more time boosting Buffalo
to prospective developers and government leaders. "I spent
the first four years learning city governmentòhow we operate
here, and putting in new people to head the city's departments.
Now I want to do more to promote BuffaloòBuffalo needs and
deserves a higher profile regionally and nationally."
Masiello made an interesting decision that was announced
on September 16, 1998. He endorsed New York Republican Governor
George Pataki for reelection, the day after the primary.
Obviously this was in response to the Republican nod masiello
received in 1997.
Speaker
of the Assembly Sheldon Silver said "It is clear that the
decision Tony Masiello made today is a very, very bad mistake."
In addition, Arthur O. Eve, a longtime ally of Masiello's
made an even stronger statement: "It's obvious he's
not planning to run for reelection"
Masiello
insisted the decision was the best for the city. "The
fact of the matter is, I had to put the city and its future
ahead of any political persuasion," he said. "When
you abandon the party label, obviously you rattle the cages
of a lot of people. But on the merits, he deserves it,"
Masiello said of Pataki.
How
this will affect Tony Masiello's political career in a Democratic
city probably won't be known until the 2001 election season.
The
Mayor made headlines on January 10, 1999 when a newspaper
story proclaimed he wanted more power in the Buffalo School
System. His plans included seeking to appoint Board of Education
members and the power to reject labor contracts.
In
addition he wanted parents to have the option of which school
their children attended.
"The
pace of school reform has to be quickened yesterday," he
said.
Part
of the problem was an incompetent Board of Education that
for several years in a row allowed valuable state and federal
grant money to slip through their hands as deadlines for
the applications passed. This in a district with a $450
million budget, fleeing population and apparently no control.
For
him to gain any additional power, the State Legislature
must approve it. Masiello began working with the mayors
of Rochester, Syracuse and Albany who also were seeking
additional power in their school systems. One major obstacle
was the power labor unions had in Albany, the state capital.
PERSONAL
LIFE
Anthony Masiello
was married once in 1969 and has a daughter, Kimberly. He married
again in 1989 to Kathleen McCue. They have one child, Ariel
Lynn, and lived at 825 Richmond Avenue. They currently live
in North Buffalo.
Masiello
has an honorary
Doctor of Humane Letters from Medaille College.
