Another Republican hypocrite. How surprising.
Independent Source Notes Ranzenhofer’s Hypocrisy
November 3, 2008Uh Oh: Ranzenhofer Filing Shows Illegal Donation
November 3, 2008I have to say I’m as puzzled by this as anyone: Ranzenhofer is a clueless guy, but surely his campaign knows that the individual filing limit is $9,500? Maybe I give Mike too much credit. This is the same guy that managed to bankrupt Erie County.
Ambulance Chasing Ranzenhofer Drives Up Costs For The Rest of Us
November 1, 2008Four years ago Mike Ranzenhofer’s own Republican party pushed a measure through the House to put an end to loopholes that allow ambulance chasers like Mike Ranzenhofer to abuse the system for their gain and our loss:
Frivolous lawsuits bankrupt individuals, ruin reputations, drive up insurance premiums, increase health care costs and put a drag on the economy,” said Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, sponsor of the bill.
Just yesterday US Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez noted:
The costs of frivolous lawsuits get passed to consumers, and added financial burdens are the last thing this economy needs.
Let’s see, what frivolous lawsuits has Mike Ranzenhofer settled lately?
In a premises liability case against Flying J Travel Plaza in Pembroke, New York, a 50-year-old North Carolina truck driver won $199,139.67 from the truck stop. As she was walking toward the truck stop restaurant, the sidewalk was blocked by a snow bank, forcing her to proceed along an icy and snow covered foot path, which lead her to an icy grate where she fell and fractured her knee. Her award was reduced by 40 percent after the court balanced the relative culpability of the parties (April, 2005)…
A 52-year-old school administrator was awarded $200,000 against State Farm Insurance Company by a three-member arbitration panel for serious leg and elbow injuries he sustained. He was crossing Oak Street in Buffalo, as a pedestrian, when he was struck by a car driven by an 80-year-old Depew man. After the split panel (2 to 1) awarded $200,000, they found the school administrator 80 percent responsible for the accident, which reduced the award to $40,000 (May, 2005)…
One Beacon Insurance Company was ordered to pay $25,500 to a 56-year-old Amherst woman for neck and back injuries she sustained in a two-car collision on Main Street in Williamsville…
A 29-year-old Genesee County nursery school teacher received $25,000 from State Farm Insurance Company for a knee injury she sustained in a two-car accident (April, 2005)…
A 66-year-old Cheektowaga man received $18,000 from Nationwide Insurance Company for a rib injury that he sustained in a two-car accident in Canada (April, 2005)…
A 48-year-old factory worker received $29,500 from New York Central Mutual Insurance Company for knee injuries she sustained in a two-car accident on High Street in Buffalo, New York. The settlement was reached during jury selection in Supreme Court (June, 2005)…
A 32-year-old Genesee County factory worker accepted $50,000 from Allstate Insurance Company for back injuries he sustained in a two-car accident when the other driver turned in front of him.
Mike Ranzenhofer: what minor knee injury takes $25,000 in compensation? Why are you wasting the Supreme Court’s time with your frivolous personal injury lawsuits?
Big Tobacco and Booze Lobbies High on New York Republicans
October 31, 2008Big Tobacco and Big Booze think Republicans are good for business, even if that business means knowingly addicting their innocent customers to deadly cancer causing drugs and enticing vulnerable young people to drink with products that look and taste like soda.
US Smokeless Tobacco and Constellation Brands, promoters of such wonderful products as Skoal chewing tobacco and sweet and sugary “malternatives” aimed at underage drinkers, are throwing tens of thousands of dollars into Senate Republican coffers.
Ranzenhofer Takes Downstate Money and now He’s Stealing Their Ideas Too!
October 31, 2008I found this blog entry on The Batavian pretty telling
Recently I had the chance to read one of Mike Ranzenhofer’s flyers. I found it to have blatant lies, misrepresentation and propaganda. The Ranzenhofer Plan , states property tax relief- NOW!
* Double the STAR exemption, providing relief now.
* Cap school property taxes to limit future increases.
* Cut state mandates that cause operating cost of local governments and school districts to soar.
IT’S VERY DISAPPOINTED TO SEE THAT MR. RANZENHOFER HASN’T A PLAN OF HIS OWN AND HAS NOT PROVEN LEADERSHIP BUT HAS TAKEN THE PLAN FROM THE NEW YORK STATE SENATE.
…
ALL OF THIS MAY BE SEEN ON http://www.senate.state.ny.us
SHAME ON YOU MR. RANZENHOFER, I WILL CAST A VOTE FOR JOE MESI BECAUSE OF THIS
SINCERELY Rose Mary Christian
Not only is Ranzenhofer taking all of downstate’s money now he’s stealing their ideas. What a joke this guy is.
Who is Manhattenite Andrew M. Saul and Why Does He Love Ranzenhofer?
October 31, 2008Multi millionaire Andrew M. Saul is:
(a) businessman from Katonah, New York who serves as the Chairman of the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board (FRTIB) and Vice Chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) in New York City, United States. Saul has been a General Partner in the investment firm Saul Partners, L.P., since 1986.
He’s also a big fan of Mike Ranzenhofer:
At this point Mike should just rename his campaign “New York City Fat Cats for SD 61″.
Scary Story: Ranzenhofer Bought and Paid for by NYC Developers
October 31, 2008On Halloween it’s fitting that Mike Ranzenhofer and his downstate backers are running scared. With the heavy hitters in town for his opponent the past week all Ranzenhofer can do is continue to spend downstate money in an attempt to make up ground as Tuesday looms. Luckily Mike’s developer friends in New York City are as scared as he is and continue to throw money at him for political favors down the road.
NYC realty firm “University Management” of the Bronx pushed another $4000 into Ranzenhofer’s pocket yesterday:
I think it’s time for Mike Ranzenhofer to come clean about his real agenda for Western New York and Albany.
NYC Fat Cat Developer Money Continues To Roll in For Ranzenhofer
October 30, 2008Not too many people in SD61 care about the agendas of NYC developers. Count hypocrite Mike Ranzenhofer as one of the few.
Just another 12,000 reasons not to vote for Mike Ranzenhofer.
Buffalo News Opinion Paper Confuses Opinion With News
October 28, 2008
Local fact checking blog “What In the Sam Hoyt” had a great piece up last week on the absurdity of the Buffalo News’ Opinion’s scare piece that asserted Western New York would be left to shrivel up and die should the Democrats take the Senate.
Forgot the absurdity that the party dedicted to humble middle and working class folks would somehow forget the largely middle and working class folks here in Western New York.
Just ask yourself: how well have we been doing with the Republicans in power all these years? The fact of the matter is that that the Republicans in Albany have been the party of Wall Street special interests for DECADES! During that time we’ve seen Wall Street private equity firms ship jobs and capitol oversees as they seek to maximize profits for their fat cat investors. We’ve seen these same firms be given break after break on their corporate taxes and labor laws as hard working folks upstate see their manufacturing jobs shipped overseas where workers don’t have to be paid a living wage.
Ranzenhofer and his Republican cronies are wondering why their “democrats want to redistribute the wealth” line isn’t getting them any traction. Here’s a hint guys: it’s because THEY NEED A FAIRER SHAKE! These aren’t bums sitting on their thumbs all day looking for a handout. These are blue collar Americans that get up every damn day and go to work for 8 or 10 or 12 hours so they can pay to put food on the dinner table and a roof over their families’ heads.
Now they are working harder and instead of getting rewarded with a tax cut or GOD FORBID QUALITY SCHOOLS OR HEALTHCARE they are seeing their healthcare worsen and their schools get worse as their property taxes go up because corporations aren’t paying their fair share.
I got a message for you Republicans: WE ARE SICK OF IT! That’s why we can’t stand Ranzenhofer, that’s why we can’t stand it when his cronies say that Democrats are the party of NYC.
NO! Republicans are hypocrites and we aren’t going to let them get away with it anymore.
New York City Developers Heart Mike Ranzenhofer
October 26, 2008Developers in NYC know that if Republicans lose power their gravy train in Albany will go out the window too. For decades Republicans have taken money from developers and then thanked them by loosening laws to protect tenants and giving developers tax breaks, sweetheart land deals, and other favors.
Glenwood Management, which has given Ranzenhofer over $19,000, was featured in a NYT’s article from last year as one of the main development companies involved in lobbying efforts to keep a loophole open that effectively lets them donate as much as they want to political interests.
It’s ironic that Mike Ranzenhofer and his cronies try to paint Mesi as a tool of downstate interests when in fact Ranzenhofer and his Republican buddies have been used as a pawn for downstate developers for decades.
