A story in the Buffalo News cited by Peter Panepeto in his OutsideErie blog this morning highlights a problem with autonomous boards and authorities, which operate outside the oversight and controls of the elected officials. The authorities and boards use taxpayer funding, which directly impacts the pocketbooks of all taxpaying citizens. Why are not all all public funds used by these boards subject to the approval of our elected officials, at the very least, or voted on in a referendum, which ideally would give we-who-pay a say in how our tax money is diverted to pet projects by non-elected board members.

In my opinion, I would like to see evidence of how much good the authorities have brought to Erie in financial terms. The EMTA runs empty busses most of the time, free shuttles on State Street at the same times, also empty. WHY? Could it be that the schedules and routes are incompatable with the needs of the potential riders? The Airport Authority seems to just thumb their collective noses at any attempt by city or county to oversee the usage of public funds. The Port Authority has snapped up all available waterfront property and regularly tries to deny access to the public, while allowing reserved parking on Dobbin’s Landing for the crews and passengers of the Princess, and permits overly tall structures to be built which virtually eliminate any public viewing of the Bay. Isn’t that why the Intermodal Center had to be redesigned with one less story? I guess that doesn’t count.

Was it our GEID board who gave all that money and tax immunity to Herb the Juice Guy? How many taxpayer dollars went down the drain on that one? And let’s not forget the tire plant. Does anyone actually believe that the citizens of Erie will actually benefit in any way from a Class 5 Pollution Plant with only 60 employees?

It’s time to take back our rights, People!!! Let’s find a way to make elected officials entirely responsible for the spending of taxpayer funds, not some appointed authority member whose names we don’t even know.