Billionaire Tom Golisano – who engineered the GOP coup that paralyzed the Senate for a month – says he’d do it again.
“You bet I would,” Golisano told the Daily News.
The upstate billionaire said it was worth it if lawmakers follow through on promises of reform.
“If they put term limits on these committee chairs and we get a real C-SPAN and you get equal distribution of pork barrel, you bet I would,” Golisano said in a telephone interview.
Golisano said he’s not upset with Sen. Pedro Espada Jr.’s decision to betray the GOP-backed coalition and return to the Democratic conference.
“He has never said he is going to be a Republican,” Golisano said. “All he said was he wants these reforms passed and a new … majority leader.”
Golisano, the retired Paychex founder and owner of the Buffalo Sabres, also predicted Espada would flip again if the changes are not enacted.
“If they don’t, I’m going to encourage more action,” Golisano said. “I’ll tell you, I would be very surprised if these things don’t get passed that Pedro won’t come back and say, ‘Hey, we’re putting this thing back into deadlock.'”
Golisano was instrumental in coaxing Espada and Sen. Hiram Monserrate of Queens to side with Republicans in the June 8 coup. He began plotting the move after his April meeting with then-Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith, who spent the entire time fiddling with his BlackBerry.
The coup blew apart Thursday, when Espada returned to the Democratic camp and was named majority leader. Monserrate went back three weeks ago. Golisano, who says he’s moving to Florida because of New York’s high taxes, insisted the coup forced Democrats to accept reforms like a more equal distribution of resources and creation of C-SPAN style network to broadcast Senate proceedings.
In a vague statement, Smith (D-Queens), said Senate leaders agreed on a “framework” for rules reform and hoped to enact them as early as next week.
“The key story here is our Legislature is obviously dysfunctional – has been for many years,” Golisano said. “I think we did a lot to change that.”
Critics scoffed at that.
“He didn’t want to pay his fair share of taxes,” said Kathy Scharff, executive director of the liberal group Citizen Action.
“With the Senate Democrats back in the majority he is going to have a much harder time killing progressive legislation.”
(Source: NY Daily News)
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One Response
Excuse me Mr. Golisano, when will the Republicans finally start campaigning in Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods like Flatbush, Boro Park, and Williamsburg? Not all Jews are registered Democrats!