Comments on: KOLKMEYER RESPONDS TO ARTHUR ACCUSATIONS http://blogs.artvoice.com/avdaily/2008/03/24/kolkmeyer-responds-to-arthur-accusations/ News & Commentary from the Artvoice Editorial staff Mon, 08 Sep 2008 00:57:50 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Jay Burney http://blogs.artvoice.com/avdaily/2008/03/24/kolkmeyer-responds-to-arthur-accusations/#comment-92 Jay Burney Wed, 26 Mar 2008 10:59:50 +0000 http://dev.artvoice.com/blogs/2008/03/24/kolkmeyer-responds-to-arthur-accusations/#comment-92 When the mob says "we want government run like a business" we get, well, government run like a business. Unfortunately, there is not much there, there that provides public benefit. Besides attacks on worker benefits, reductions in valuable services, and concentrations of power, you get this, secrecy. The private sector for the most part wants to conduct its business behind the curtain so that it can spring its "products" on an uninformed and often uninvolved public. Public input is considered "messy" and "inefficient". When you get these wall streeters involved in managing government, the public's interest is sacrificed to private sector influences. George K. Arthur has been around the public's business long enough to know better and he is a real hero for doing what he is doing. Imagine a public official retaining his own lawyer at his own expense to go against this stacked machine! Imagine a public official demanding sunshine and accountability in an important decision making process. Thank you George and I hope that some of our other elected officials, including that guy in the Mayor's office pay public attention to this issue. Buffalo is a better place because of George Arthur. When the mob says “we want government run like a business” we get, well, government run like a business. Unfortunately, there is not much there, there that provides public benefit. Besides attacks on worker benefits, reductions in valuable services, and concentrations of power, you get this, secrecy. The private sector for the most part wants to conduct its business behind the curtain so that it can spring its “products” on an uninformed and often uninvolved public. Public input is considered “messy” and “inefficient”. When you get these wall streeters involved in managing government, the public’s interest is sacrificed to private sector influences.

George K. Arthur has been around the public’s business long enough to know better and he is a real hero for doing what he is doing. Imagine a public official retaining his own lawyer at his own expense to go against this stacked machine! Imagine a public official demanding sunshine and accountability in an important decision making process. Thank you George and I hope that some of our other elected officials, including that guy in the Mayor’s office pay public attention to this issue. Buffalo is a better place because of George Arthur.

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