The Buffalo Billion fraud and bribery scheme: corruption and pay-to-play, a symbol of everything they're doing

Category: Editorials Editorials
Published: 26 September 2016 26 September 2016

Commentary by Marita Noon

When New York's Democrat Governor Andrew Cuomo gushed over SolarCity's new solar panel factory in Buffalo, New York, the audience, likely, didn't grasp the recently-revealed meaning of his words: GǣIt is such a metaphor'a symbol of everything we're doing.Gǥ

The 1.2 million square foot building, being built by the state of New York on the site of a former steel plant, is looking more and more like another political promise of help for one of the poorest cities in the state that ends up enriching cronies without ever achieving any potential for the people.

Yes, it is a symbol of everything they're doing.

Previously, during her first senatorial bid, Hillary Clinton also promised jobs to the economically depressed region of the state of New York'200,000 to be exact. Citing a report from the Washington Post, CBSNews states: GǣJobs data show that job growth stagnated in Upstate New York during her eight years in office, the report said, and manufacturing jobs dropped by nearly a quarter.Gǥ The Post's extensive story reveals that jobs never materialized'despite Gǣinitial glowing headlines.Gǥ It claims: GǣClinton's self-styled role as economic promoterGǥ actually Gǣinvolved loyal campaign contributors who also supported the Clinton Foundation.Gǥ Through federal grants and legislation, she helped steer money to programs, companies, and initiatives that benefitted the donors but failed to reverse the economic decline of the region.

Now, new corruption charges reveal the same pay-to-play model linked to Cuomo's upstate GǣBuffalo BillionGǥ economic revitalization plan'and the promised jobs, also, look they will never materialize.

Back on January 5, 2012, Cuomo announced a $1 billion five-year economic development pledge for Buffalo. It was to be the governor's banner economic initiative with the SolarCity factory as the cornerstone and a pledge of 1,460 direct factory jobs. Other companies, including IBM and a Japanese clean-energy company were also lined up.

With the state-of-the-art solar panel factory ready for equipment to be installed, the wisdom of the entire program is being scrutinized'and is coming up short.

First, on September 22, two of Cuomo's closest aides'along with several others'were charged in corruption and fraud cases involving state contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Addressing the press at his Manhattan office, U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara asserted: Gǣthat G

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