Golisano expands reform effort to national politics, contributes $1 million to Obama campaign
Iraq, deficit, energy are top priorities
DENVER — Buffalo Sabres owner B. Thomas Golisano, fresh from launching a controversial initiative to reform New York government, is going national.
Golisano, the billionaire founder of Paychex, has announced a similar federal effort that he said will support issues and candidates he believes are critical to the nation’s future.
To him, that means ending the war in Iraq, wiping out an increasing federal deficit and setting the country on a course toward energy independence.
And while he won’t yet say how much or exactly how he’s going to do it — he pledged $5 million for the state effort — he acknowledges he has the bank account to gain some attention.
“So far, I’ve met some very key people in Congress,” he said, “and [Wednesday] we’re meeting with the economic advisory group for Barack [Obama]. They are obviously interested in my input, and I’m happy for that.
“To me, this is issue-oriented, and I’m going to look for candidates who fall along the lines of thinking that I think are appropriate.”
Golisano, a registered Republican who has bankrolled his three runs for governor of New York on the Independence Party line, bought his access here with a $1 million contribution to Obama’s presidential campaign.
Besides gaining access to top party leaders, the contribution gave Golisano and other $1 million contributors a personal skybox at Invesco Field at Mile High for Obama’s acceptance speech Thursday night.
Coinciding with his Responsible New York campaign, Golisano said, he has secured the name Responsible America as an independent effort that one of his advisers, former Erie County Democratic Chairman
G. Steven Pigeon, said can spend unlimited amounts of money as long as it does not coordinate its activities with any candidate or campaign.
That same restriction holds for New York candidates, but already the opponents of two Golisanobacked candidates have complained that Pigeon and other Golisano aides appear to have violated those restrictions. Pigeon called the charges “outrageous.”
Erie County Democratic Chairman Leonard R. Lenihan is among the harshest critics of Golisano’s newest effort. Lenihan, also in Denver, noted that Golisano is a registered Republican who is already trying to divide the local party by supporting Pigeon’s candidates.
“What is happening locally can happen nationally, too,” Lenihan said. “It is not inclusive; it is all about themselves.
Pigeon said Golisano has appointments in Denver with major Democratic figures such as former President Bill Clinton (to whose box Golisano was invited for the convention’s Tuesday session when Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton was the main speaker), Govs. Edward G. Rendell of Pennsylvania and Jon S. Corzine of New Jersey, Sen. Charles E. Schumer of New York, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada.
Golisano said that part of his new effort is to visit the convention and begin talking with Democratic leaders, although he emphasized that his effort will also back Republicans.
Schumer said he and Golisano had a “nice talk” Tuesday, indicating that Golisano’s proposal is “needed and a great idea.”
“He came here not just to have a good time, but to be helpful and to do some things around the country and not just New York,” Schumer said, adding that the committee he directs to elect more Democratic senators would welcome the assistance as long as it is not coordinated in any way.
Schumer said he also expected Golisano to meet with Reid.
Pigeon said Golisano’s sky-box would host a number of local dignitaries, including Buffalo Mayor Byron W. Brown, Deputy Mayor Steven M. Casey and state political figures.
Critics say Golisano’s Responsible New York initiative is essentially a blank check to promote many of Pigeon’s interests.
They point to Responsible New York’s early involvement in the Democratic primary campaign against Assemblyman Sam Hoyt and the fact that Golisano has spoken approvingly of Kathy Konst and Joe Mesi, local candidates for the State Senate.
“It’s an attempt to chip away at the Democratic structure,” Lenihan said of Golisano’s efforts. “We work within the Democratic structure.”
Golisano says he wants to funnel his resources to candidates who will work to end New York’s high rate of taxation and now to national candidates who reflect his same concern about Iraq, the deficit and dependence on foreign oil.
“So we’re looking for people who see it and will fight the system,” he said, “or at least argue it so we can get something changed.”
Golisano said the problems stemming from the Iraq War are at the “top of the list” of his concerns, calling the whole affair “shameful.”
“I don’t see, at least with this administration, a way out of this thing,” he said. “Anything that I can promote to get that thing resolved is very, very important.”
Golisano said he is also concerned about the federal deficits that have occurred in 20 of the last 28 years. “I think this country is paying a very serious price for it because of the high interest costs and the lack of investment capital,” he said.
In addition, Golisano believes that the latest spike in gasoline prices has crippled not only consumers, but small business. A longtime proponent of wind energy, Golisano said six communities with which he is involved in attempting to secure wind turbines are unable to obtain them because Congress has not passed production tax credits.
“We’re sitting here waiting to buy turbines with a two-year waiting list,” he said. “Did you ever try to spend $100 million and wait two years?”
Golisano said he registered as a Republican before the 2006 election because he was seriously contemplating challenging Democrat Eliot L. Spitzer for governor. But he emphasized that he is approaching both his state and national ventures on a nonpartisan basis, with Pigeon noting that Responsible New York endorsements for the State Senate are so far evenly split between Republicans and Democrats.
“Everybody thought this was a Democratic deal,” Golisano said, “and it’s not.”
