Playing FAIR

Politics, politics everywhere

In two separate posts the WBP has told readers about efforts to get answers from the Brooks Administration in regard to the FAIR plan and the possible ramifications of the pending re-approval of Monroe County’s sales tax rate.

Still no answer from Jowls and the possibility that her administration will have to go with Plan B is becoming very real.  One problem: Minarik, Brooks and their cronies do not have a Plan B.

The MonCo GOP may want to consider one, however, with state legislators returning to Albany for a special session that does not figure to be that productive given the prevalence of political squabbles that could mire the session in gridlock.

The Monroe County Sales Tax rate, scheduled to return to 7% unless renewed before 2008, is the centerpiece of Jowls’ FAIR plan and if that crucial 1% is not renewed it could cost the County more than $100 million.

Ironically it could be the very introduction of the FAIR plan, and the manner in which it was passed, that costs Brooks the critical income she needs.

State GOP members consider the sales tax renewal a foregone conclusion:

“If we do not honor the home-rule message and do not extend the sales tax, it would create a hole of millions of dollars that would be passed onto the property taxpayers,” said state Sen. Joseph Robach, R-Greece, Monroe County.

But State Dems, including MonCo Chariman Joe Morelle who is extremely tight with Assembly Speaker Shelly Silver, suggest that if Brooks expects no retribution for her steel arm style she is sorely mistaken:

Assemblyman Joseph Morelle, D-Irondequoit, Monroe County, said he would vote against it because County Executive Maggie Brooks, a Republican, was proposing a cut in sales tax revenue to suburban school districts.

Morelle, also chairman of the county Democratic committee, said approving the sales tax rate “basically rewards the county for having done this unilateral attack on all the sharing partners.”

If State Dems have a true sense of poetic justice they will strike down the sales tax renewal at the 11th hour with no input from the other side of the aisle.  Oh wait . . . that’s how politics in Albany works anyway.