So what exactly happened to change this? Joel Giambra's implosion as a respectable leader for one. It's not that surprising; Giambra is an opportunist of the highest order, switching from Democrat to Republican in order to become County Executive. It was a fine line to walk, too fine for someone as arrogant, crooked and shifty as Giambra. Joel cut property taxes, but not spending, trying to force a regressive sales tax increase. He couldn't get Republicans or Democrats in the legislature to vote for it, even with his extortive Red and Green Budget ultimatum. The results have been disastrous. County workers are being laid off and the unions are going bonkers trying to preserve their jobs, ludicrous benefits and all. Basically, people are only paying attention now because the situation has become so dire, like a man who ignores a bug bite on his leg until it has to be amputated.

The unions are rightly pissed at being targeted, because Giambra alone sits on 700 vacant patronage jobs and it certainly makes sense to get rid of those first. That's not how it works around here, though. Even with a heavy spotlight shining directly on him, Joel knows what his real role is. This battle's been brewing for decades as Erie County's public sector jobs have grown steadily while businesses closed, until now government jobs pump more money into the economy than private sector jobs. That's no way to run a government, unless you plan on running that government into the ground. Joel is now a politician without a party, and the odds of him reestablishing an effective coalition in the legislature is zero. He's alienated everyone and, to make matters even worse, Sam Hoyt's begun the process in Albany which will lead to a state mandated control board for the county. Guess Giambra feels pretty stupid for trying to oust him last fall.

Here's where things get interesting: After a well deserved Florida vacation, Giambra is back and acting as conciliatory as is possible for him. He says he takes the blame but hasn't apologized, and everyone knows it's the act of a desperate man. Now he's talking about taking a pay cut (after dismissing the idea a couple of weeks ago as "symbolism") along with a handful of legislators, making us wonder what planet we're on. These people were trying to vote themselves raises less than six months ago, and if the sales tax had passed they probably would have them. They're also echoing taxpayers who've screamed long and hard to quit playing games, come back to reality, and fix this retarded county government. Don't be fooled; the first chance they get taxes and fees will be raised and it'll be back to buggery as usual. All the solutions proposed will surely turn to dung in the hands of the thieves in charge.

Why is it that a good idea benefiting taxpayers and school employees alike gets so much heat? Maybe because the state control board froze all their salaries and seems hell bent on reforming bloated school financing. Citing declining enrollment rates, the control board criticized the Board of Education for not cutting teachers and the fact the district has 93 more teachers on the payroll than are included in the current budget. Now that's creative accounting! Buffalo schools have been circling the drain for a long time; that's the number one reason families move out to the suburbs. Until it's corrected (if that's even possible), this area will continue to decline. Of course, while local government criminals and the Buffalo News are pushing for a merger of city and county governments, no such regionalization of school systems is on the table.