In 2007 the Bank of America branch on Main Street, Batavia, was robbed by a man who may have displayed a gun, and today, a federal grand jury indicted a suspect in that case.

Michael C. Makolinski, 30, is facing four federal counts of armed bank robbery, four counts of illegally entering a bank with the intent to commit a larceny while armed and four counts of armed bank larceny.

Each charged carries a penalty of 25 years in prison and a $250,000.

Besides the Nov. 7, 2007 robbery in Batavia, Makolinski is accused of robbing the Fairport Savings Bank, on Hudson Avenue, Irondequoit, on Nov 16, 2007, the First Niagara Bank, on Center Street, Lewiston, on Nov. 27, 2007, and the Evans National Bank, on Delaware Avenue, Buffalo, on Dec. 5, 2007

In each case, Makolinski is accused of brandishing what appeared to appeared to be a firearm.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Maigret, who is handling the case, stated that the Indictment is the result of an extensive investigation conducted by Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and New York State Police Investigators over the last three and a half years. 

The Batavia Police Department assisted in the investigation.

The first formal donation, $1,000 from the Genesee County Bar Association, was made to Genesee Justice today.

Even though the nonprofit corporation for Genesee Justice is not yet approved by the IRS -- it's a lengthy process -- the American Baptist Church, Genesee Region, has agreed to act on behalf of Genesee Justice to accept tax-deductible donations.

Last year, about $100,000 was slashed by the Genesee County Legislature from the Genesee Justice budget. With staff taking cuts in hours and Director Ed Minardo resigning his position, the plan worked out with the legislature and the legal community was for Genesee Justice to become funded in part by new grants and donations.

"Funding is just getting very tough, hence we started this foundation to start looking for alternative means of support for this work," said Jane Schmider, president of the new Genesee Justice Foundation.

When the suggestion was made that the programs of Genesee Justice might be turned over to the Probation Department, judges and attorneys -- both prosecutors and defense -- came out in force to support Genesee Justice.

"It was in November 2010 when our organization passed a resolution overwhelmingly objecting to the merger based on the knowledge of the practitioners," said Bar Association President Durin Rogers. "The donation today continues that support."

Alan Newton, executive minister for the American Baptist Church, Genesee Region, said part of the reason the church board stepped forward to help is because restorative justice and reconciliation are a big part of the regional church's mission.

"Godly justice, respect and reconciliation," Newton said. "Those are common themes through our churches in the Genesee Region."

The Genesee Justice Foundation will need to work quickly to raise sufficient funds to save the pioneering restorative justice program, and Schmider said the board is looking at a variety of ways to raise money, including from big donors and possibly a membership program.

"I have no assurances (for 2012) other than that the plan we came up with last year was temporary," said Tiffany Szymanek, assistant director of Genesee Justice. "We know we have to come up with that money regardless. If some of that does come from the county that would be absolutely beneficial to us, but we still have to be aware that that might not happen."

To donate: Make checks payable to American Baptist Church of the Rochester/Genesee Region, with "Genesee Justice" in the note field. Mail to Genesee Justice, 14 W. Main St., Batavia, NY 14020.

Photo, from left, Jane Schmider, Alan Newton, Durin Rogers and Tiffany Szymanek.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and its national and commu­nity partners will give the public another opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs.

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 30, the DEA and its partners will hold their second National Pre­scription Drug Take-Back Day at sites nationwide. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.

The public can find a nearby collection site by visiting <http://www.dea.gov>, clicking on the “Got Drugs?” icon, and following the links to a database, where they enter their zip code.

Law enforcement agencies interested in operating one or more collection sites on April 30 can register with the DEA by calling the DEA Field Division office in their area.

(To see each division office’s geo­graphic area of responsibility, go to <http://www.dea.gov> and click on the “office lo­cations” link under “About Us” in the menu on the left side of the home page.)

The City of Batavia Democrat Committee is looking for interested candidates to run in the nine city races this year.

All ward city council seats are up for reelection as well as the three legislature seats that represent the city.

All city residents that are interested in submitting their name for endorsement are being asked to please send a letter requesting an interview to:

Patrick D. Burk

City of Batavia

Democratic Committee Chairman

123 N. Spruce St.

Batavia, NY 14020

Please have all requests postmarked by April 30.

Requests can also be made by calling 343-9721.

Here's a news release from the Genesee County Treasurer's Office.

Genesee County Treasurer Scott D. German announced today that sales tax receipts to the county are up for the fourth straight quarter.

"Today's payment was the last to be received for the first quarter of 2011 and we are up 8.19 percent compared to the first quarter of 2010, or $639,588," German said.

For the first quarter, the county received $7.62 million. Of this, the county retains 50 percent, 16 percent goes to the city and 34 percent goes to the towns and villages. For 2011, the county budgeted $12.2 million of its 3 percent share of sales tax. The other 1 percent share is used to pay debt service and capital projects.

"During these very tough economic times, people seem to be spending money, even though, I'm sure some of the increase is due to the higher prices at the fuel pump," German said.

Donnie Hendrickson is indicted on charges of grand larceny, 4th, 23 counts of timber trespass, grand larceny, 3rd, and scheme to defraud, 1st. Hendrickson is accused of cutting and stealing timber from property in Le Roy between Jan. 9 and Feb. 14, 2010 with an estimated value in excess of $1,600. The timber trespass charges each stem from alleged removal of specific trees, including sugar maple, red oak trees and hickory trees. He is also accused of removing trees from property in Stafford, specifically swamp white oak and soft maple trees. He is also accused of cutting and removing timber from a property in Stafford with a value in excess of $18,000. He is also accused of fraudulently trying to acquire the trees.

David Isabell is indicted on charged of two counts of grand larceny, 4th, three counts of grand larceny, 3rd, issuing a bad check, 22 counts of timber trespass, petit larceny, theft of services and scheme to defraud, 1st. Isabell is accused of stealing timber from a property in Le Roy with a value in excess of $1,000. He's also accused of stealing $6,250 from a person in Bergen. He's also accused of stealing timber from a property in Le Roy with a value in excess of $3,000. He's accused of writing a bad check to a person in Le Roy with a value of $5,600. He's a accused of removing timber from a property in Stafford with a value in excess of $450. He's accused of removing timber from a property in Le Roy with a value in excess of $1,000 The alleged timber removed from these properties includes sugar maple, red oak, hickory and swamp white oak. The theft of services charge comes from an allegation that Isabell failed to pay for hotel rooms in Batavia. 

Randall W. McKeown is indicted on a felony charge of DWI, felony driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and aggravated unlicensed operation. McKeown is accused of driving drunk on Nov. 7 while in the Town of Batavia.

Nichole L. Rushing, 24, of 113 Jackson St., Apt. #2, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt, 2nd. Rushing is accused of allowing a person who was barred from being in the presence children into her residence with out prior court approval.

Francisco Martinez Jr., 37, of 113 Jackons St. Apt. #2, Batavia is charged with criminal contempt, 2nd. Martinez reportedly walked to Batavia Police headquarters to report an alleged violation of a family court order of protection involving a female acquaintance. While reporting this incident, Martinez reportedly admitted that he was living at the same address and was violating an order of protection by being there. Martinez was reportedly ordered by city court to stay away from the residence and two young children who reside there.

Lemual Morris Clawson, 28, of Eelpot Road, Naples, is charged with petit larceny. Clawson is accused of stealing video game disks from Kmart.

Last fall, the Batavia Muckdogs had the infield at Dwyer Stadium laser leveled and resodded. The field was finally ready for play today and Notre Dame faced off against Lyndonville.

Press release:

The following is a statement from Fabien Levy, director of communications for Kathy Hochul for Congress:

“Yesterday, Kathy Hochul, candidate for New York’s 26th Congressional District, challenged her opponents – Republican, Jane Corwin, and Tea Party-endorsed candidate, Jack Davis – to tell the voters of the 26th District where they stand on Congressman Paul Ryan’s 2012 budget proposal that would decimate Medicare. After not responding to last week’s challenge on the budget compromise, it is not surprising to see that neither Corwin nor Davis have responded to Kathy’s challenge this week.

“This is the second week in a row that Kathy Hochul has called on her opponents to take a position on an issue currently facing Congress, but both Assembymember Jane Corwin and Jack Davis seem to be hiding out.  Instead of telling voters how they would vote on a budget that will inevitably be presented to the next Representative from the 26th District, Kathy’s opponents are keeping silent on an issue that will affect all Americans.

“The voters deserve to know if Jane Corwin and Jack Davis support ending Medicare as we know it or will they join Kathy Hochul in rejecting any budget proposal that will hold our seniors responsible for burdensome costs.”

Photo and article submitted by Charm Robinson:

Jean Ianni, Linda Call and Phyllis Darling, all members of the Stafford Historical Society, gathered at the Stafford Rural Cemetary on Transit Road at 10 am on April 12, 2011 to observe the 150th Anniversary of the start of the Civil War.  The members stood at the Civil War Monument ringing bells for 150 times to represent the number of years.

The monument is known as the Soldier's Monument and was erected in 1868 to honor the soldiers from Stafford.  The monument is inscribed "Erected by the Town of Stafford in 1868, to the memory of the brave soldiers of our country who fell during the Great Rebellion".

Thirty three names are inscribed on the Soldier's Monument.

Shown in Photo: L to R: Jean Ianni, Linda Call, Phyllis Darling

A 16-year-old Batavia High School student is facing seven counts of aggravated harassment for allegedly placing calls to various local women that were either of a sexual nature, or were, in the words of Det. Todd Crossett, "disturbing and alarming."

In all, during the months-long investigation, Crossett said at least 45 women came forward with complaints about unwanted calls from the youth.

The name of the suspect has not been released by police because he's eligible for youthful offender status.

While many of the calls were made to women associated with BHS, Crossett said the alleged victims were spread throughout the community.

"I'm not 100 percent certain why he chose who he chose," Crossett said.

The first complaint came in last July, Crossett said, and at that time, he suggested to the alleged victim that she block her private numbers, but then in the coming months, more and more women came forward, especially as women started talking with each other about getting the calls.

In was in December that Crossett said he decided, "OK, we've got something here," and he started to compile evidence for a criminal case.

The seven charges are related to alleged calls going back to October.

Most of the women chose not to press charged, Crossett said, because they know the boy's family and felt the family could handle the issue.  

However, the seven women who are pressing charges wanted to ensure that an order of protection is put in place, which can only happen if criminal charges are filed.

"Also, the general consensus was that they want him to get help," Crossett said. "That really was the consensus of the women."

The youth was arraigned in Town of Batavia Court and released under the supervision of Genesee Justice.

Press release from Kathy Hochul's campaign:

ERIE COUNTY – Today marks the 15th anniversary of Equal Pay Day, which began in 1996 as a way to illustrate the wage gap between men and women.
 
Once elected, Kathy Hochul, candidate for New York’s 26th Congressional District, promises to always fight for equal pay.

“When I first began my career as the only new female associate at a law firm, I was very much aware of the challenges women face in the workplace,” said Hochul.  “And as the mother of a young woman soon heading out into the workforce, I, like many fathers and mothers, hope their daughters' gender will not deny them equal pay for equal work.”

Kathy Hochul is the only woman in this race who supports equal pay for equal work.  In 2009 and, once again in 2010, Jane Corwin was part of the vast minority of Assemblymembers who voted against equal pay for women in New York State.

“My Republican opponent thinks she, myself, and all other women deserve to take a back seat to men when it comes to salary, I do not,” Hochul added.  “Once in Congress, I will fight to ensure women are paid equal wages for the same work they do as men.”

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, women currently make 80 cents to every dollar men make for the same job. 

More information about Kathy Hochul can be found at www.KathyHochul.com <http://www.kathyhochul.com/> .

Background:
In 2009 and 2010, Corwin voted against a bill that made it a discriminatory practice to compensate employees of different sexes differently for work that is of comparable worth. [A2351, New York State Assembly, 4/29/09 and 4/19/10]

UPDATE: Press release from the Jane Corwin campaign:

WILLIAMSVILLE – Matthew Harakal, Communications Director for Jane Corwin for Congress, made the following statement today regarding Kathy Hochul’s latest press release: 

“It’s not surprising that career politician Kathy Hochul thinks bureaucrats are in a better position than small businesses to decide how much their workers should get paid. Jane Corwin believes that small businesses know best how to run their companies, not government bureaucrats.

“Maybe Kathy Hochul should stick to sending out promotional press releases about our local hockey team because she clearly knows nothing about running a small business or creating jobs.” 

To mark the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War, there was a bell ringing at the Holland Land Office Museum this morning, at precisely 10.

The bell ringers were, from left, Elijah Monroe, Jeff Donahue, Shannon Guiste, Terry Lee and Ann Marie Starowitz.

The death of a 6-year-old boy from Le Roy over the weekend remains a mystery, according to Chief Deputy Jerome Brewster.

There's no reason to believe the boy was harmed in any way, Brewster said.  

Minutes before he was found unconscious and not breathing, his father had promised to take him down the road to see some horses and had told the boy to wait inside while he finished a chore.

An ambulance was dispatched to the father's house in the area of Route 33 and Old State Road at about 7:30 p.m., Friday. The boy was transported to UMMC while CPR was performed and Mercy Flight was dispatched, stopping along the way to pick up an emergency pediatric team at Women's and Children's Hospital in Buffalo.

An initial autopsy by the Monroe County Medical Examiner found no obvious cause of death, no signs of trauma, no broken bones, no bruises.

"None of the medical personnel suspected anything, and they're trained to spot even the slightest sign of child abuse," Brewster said. "If anyone along the line had seen anything, they would have called us right away"

The Sheriff's Office wasn't notified until after the boy's death at Women's and Children's Hospital at 11:30 a.m., Saturday.

The boy, Casey A. Timothy, is the son of Charlene Maciag Timothy and Kelly E. Timothy.

Brewster said the case reminds him of the death of another 6-year-old boy from Le Roy two years ago. In that case, Brewster said, the medical examiner eventually determined that the boy died of a rare brain condition that is genetic. In that case, too, the boy was outside playing and fine and found a short time later unconscious and not breathing.

Additional tests by the medical examiner's office will take at least two weeks.

There was some swelling to the boy's brain, Brewster said, but it was in no way consistent with shaken baby syndrome. 

(Initial Report)

There are a number of questions I have for the candidates in the NY-26 special election race, and I'm sure you do as well. Rather than sit back and wait for position statements, I thought I would just start asking questions.

I plan to ask about a question per week until election day.

Today's topic: Foreign policy, particularly as it relates to the use of the U.S. military abroad. Each of the candidates were given four days to formulate a reply. 

Below is the question (which was a bit longer than I imagine most will be). Because of the length, and the length of answers, the question and answers appear after the jump.

The answers are presented in the order received, Ian Murphy, Kathy Hochul and Jane Corwin. We got no response from the Jack Davis campaign.

The question:

What is your position on our current military operations?

On Afghanistan: Do you think this is a winnable war? How long should the U.S. stay in Afghanistan? What is our ongoing obligation to the people of Afghanistan?

On Iraq: Did you support the invasion of Iraq? Do you support continued presence of U.S. troops in Iraq? What would be your plan for disengaging the U.S. military from Iraq, if at all?

On Libya: What was Obama’s Constitutional/legal authority for engaging in military action in Libya? What should the U.S. policy be toward supporting the rebels in Libya? Should we send troops, advisors or arms to the rebels?

If you are fortunate enough to become a representative, what would your policy be on future U.S. military appropriations? – increase, decrease, keep the same … 

Ian Murphy's answer:

What is your position on our current military operations?

All of them? It's getting hard to keep track.

Some military operations are good, like aiding in Japanese tsunami relief, but most strike me as the counterproductive actions of a waning empire, which is ruled by a corrupt and wealthy elite (see the wars in Iraq & Afghanistan, and the drone strikes in Pakistan,Yemen and Somalia).

Our current, aggressive military operations are guided by shortsighted greed. We've known since Eisenhower's “Military Industrial Complex” final address that war would be foisted upon the American people—under various and questionable pretexts—just so the business of war would boom. And it has.

A conservative estimate by former Chief Economist of the World Bank Joseph Stiglitz pegs the total costs of Iraq and Afghanistan at $3 trillion. This is $3 trillion in debt our children will have to repay. This is $3 trillion spent destabilizing the world, making us less safe, and further perpetuating the war economy.

Again and again, we've been rooked into conflict after conflict. Our kids are conned into killing and dying for oil profit, for jet engine profit, for base construction profit, for the profit Halliburton makes selling cases of Coke to the Pentagon for $45 a pop, etc.

So my position on our current military operations is that most of them are a mechanism by which war profiteers rob the American people blind.

On Afghanistan: Do you think this is a winnable war? How long should the U.S. stay in Afghanistan? What is our ongoing obligation to the people of Afghanistan?

In a conventional military sense, it is not winnable. Battling insurgents in the mountains of Afghanistan has been a costly and pointless undertaking, historically. Every day we're there, we breed more enemies. And the more enemies we have, the longer we stay.

But some kind of victory is possible. An Afghanistan lifted out of abject poverty, which breeds religious tyranny, incubates terrorism and fosters rampant misogyny, would be a resounding victory. However, the road to that victory leads our troops back home.

Our obligation to the people of Afghanistan is the same obligation we have to our own people—to maintain a policy of diplomatic pressure, passive exertion of cultural influence, and wise economic support—in conjunction with the international community—to ensure a prosperous and less dangerous Afghanistan.

I should note that maintaining reliable intelligence efforts in the area is smart policy while we work toward the above.

On Iraq: Did you support the invasion of Iraq? Do you support continued presence of U.S. troops in Iraq?  What would be your plan for disengaging the U.S. military from Iraq, if at all?

No. No. Trucks, airplanes & ships.

On Libya: What was Obama’s Constitutional/legal authority for engaging in military action in Libya? What should the U.S. policy be toward supporting the rebels in Libya? Should we send troops, advisors or arms to the rebels?

Well, the Constitution states that declaring war is the responsibility of Congress alone. But there's also the Constitution's Supremacy Clause, which gives high authority to treaties, so it could be argued that the prevention of genocide in Benghazi falls under our obligations to NATO. However, our international obligations should not usurp the power allotted to Congress in the Constitution—and make no mistake, the actions in Libya are the actions of war.

We should support the rebels with “Support the Rebels” bumper stickers. However, if that ridiculous suggestion is not adequate and our allies are determined to fund a revolution against Qaddafi, we should fulfill our obligations—or reevaluate them. But all efforts should be extremely limited in scope and duration.

Frankly, readers of The Batavian, I'm quite torn on Libya. We're engaged in far too many military operations as it is. On the other hand, if our quick action truly prevented the slaughter of tens of thousands in Benghazi, that seems morally righteous to me. That said, we can't always act as the world's police force.

Well, we've already sent the CIA, funds and weapons. Should we have? No, we should not take the lead on this thing. We should also be very wary of mission creep. We've seen the justification for the Iraq War change from one lie to another. As George Bush put it: “Fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again."

Our military can be a force for good. I'm hesitantly OK with using our military power to save lives. The hesitance comes from our inability to predict the resulting obligations and commitments of an action.

More fundamentally, our actions in Libya highlight our hypocrisy. We actively support brutal regimes in Saudi Arabia & Yemen. The people in the Middle East and Africa see this and question our motives in Libya. A more prudent strategy would be to encourage democracy, civil liberties, and economic freedom in troubled regions of the world with a preemptive, non-violent approach.

Our interventionist policies have included CIA training of Osama bin Laden, arming Saddam Hussein and, as recently as 2009, sending U.S. Senators to discuss selling Qaddafi military hardware. It's time we used our heads and stopped fighting monsters of our own creation.
 
If you are fortunate enough to become a representative, what would your policy be on future U.S. military appropriations? – increase, decrease, keep the same … 

Drastically decrease. We spend double what the next top ten nations spend combined on defense, and that money should go toward rebuilding America.

George Washington warned against funding and deploying standing armies around the world. He realized a long time ago that the business of military empire is a) very expensive and b) largely counterproductive. We have a war economy and ethos. It's unsustainable. Just as it was in Rome. An empire is like a balloon. If it gets too big, it will pop.

The more we spend on maintaining our empire, the less we have to invest in our own country—on our own people, our bridges roads and schools. War creates great suffering at home and abroad, for the profit of the very few. We need to reevaluate our priorities, and decide on a smarter, more ethical and democratic future.

Kathy Hochul's answer:

Q: On Afghanistan: Do you think this is a winnable war? How long should the U.S. stay in Afghanistan? What is our ongoing obligation to the people of Afghanistan.

A: After nearly one decade at war, it is time for the U.S. to draw up a clear exit plan.  While we cannot simply disregard all the work that has been done over the last 10 years, the financial costs of our mission in Afghanistan has been far too high – costing the United States nearly $350 billion. We must begin the transfer of full operational control to the people of Afghanistan.

Q: On Iraq: Did you support the invasion of Iraq? Do you support continued presence of U.S. troops in Iraq?  What would be your plan for disengaging the U.S. military from Iraq, if at all?

A: I did not support the invasion of Iraq.  Last year, I supported the end of combat operations in the nation and I currently support the plan to end all military operations by the end of 2011. 

Q: On Libya: What was Obama’s Constitutional/legal authority for engaging in military action in Libya? What should the U.S. policy be toward supporting the rebels in Libya? Should we send troops, advisors or arms to the rebels?

A: The situation in Libya poses a grave threat to human life.  I stated early on that Moammar Ghadafi should be removed from power, but not by U.S. military force.  We cannot afford to lead another war, which is why I supported the transfer of operational control to NATO and believe that we must continue to develop a plan that works as part of a much larger coalition. 

Q: If you are fortunate enough to become a representative, what would your policy be on future U.S. military appropriations? – increase, decrease, keep the same …

A: We must continue to protect the United States against all threats against us.  While I do support cuts to unnecessary programs like the new F-35 fighter jet engine under Pentagon recommendations, we must provide the military with the resources necessary to protect the American people.

Jane Corwin's answer:

What is your position on our current military operations?

As the daughter of a former Air Force Reservist, I have a deep respect and appreciation for all our men and women in uniform, and if honored to be WNY’s next representative in Congress would do everything I can to support those who proudly serve our nation. I recently attended a deployment ceremony for about 70 troops in Amherst and it was one of the most humbling experiences I’ve ever been a part of. I would take my responsibility as a federal official very seriously and would vote to bring our troops home as soon as the generals on the ground say it is possible.

On Afghanistan: Do you think this is a winnable war? How long should the U.S. stay in Afghanistan? What is our ongoing obligation to the people of Afghanistan?

Yes, it is a winnable war. We need to listen to our generals on the ground to determine when our mission is complete and we have secured freedom and liberty for the Afghan people and ensured that Afghanistan will not return to a safe haven for terrorists.

On Iraq: Did you support the invasion of Iraq? Do you support continued presence of U.S. troops in Iraq?  What would be your plan for disengaging the U.S. military from Iraq, if at all?

I did support the decision to invade Iraq. Our men and women serving overseas deserve our support and the resources they need to be safe and successfully do their job. As with Afghanistan, I believe that we must listen to our generals on the ground as to when our servicemembers can come home.

On Libya: What was Obama’s Constitutional/legal authority for engaging in military action in Libya? What should the U.S. policy be toward supporting the rebels in Libya? Should we send troops, advisors or arms to the rebels?

I was deeply disappointed that the president did not consult with Congress before issuing orders for military action against Libya. The president needed to define the purpose of our mission beforehand and the threat posed to our national security. There were no public hearings or discussions and thus taxpayers and servicemembers – not to mention many Members of Congress – did not know what the president’s objective was until military action had already been taken. Now we are deeply involved in another conflict overseas and there is not an end in sight. The president and his Administration must clearly outline what their plan is for sending more troops, arming the rebels (or anyone else), etc. If Congress was consulted before military action was taken, we would not be in the situation we are now.

If you are fortunate enough to become a representative, what would your policy be on future U.S. military appropriations? – increase, decrease, keep the same …

We need to find efficiencies and savings wherever we can to address the long term spending pressures our nation faces.  However, the fundamental priority of any government is to protect its citizens and I will fight to make sure our military remains the best-trained, and best-equipped in the world.

UPDATE Wednesday, 9:34 a.m.: Adding response from Jack Davis:

What is your position on our current military operations?

On Afghanistan: Do you think this is a winnable war? How long should the U.S. stay in Afghanistan? What is our ongoing obligation to the people of Afghanistan?

As a former Marine and officer in the U.S. Coast Guard, I say it is time to find a way out of Afghanistan. Our soldiers and Marines are being killed and maimed in an endless conflict.

On Iraq: Did you support the invasion of Iraq? Do you support continued presence of U.S. troops in Iraq?  What would be your plan for disengaging the U.S. military from Iraq, if at all?

The invasion of Iraq was based on false premises and I did not support it at the time. It is time to bring our troops home.

On Libya: What was Obama’s Constitutional/legal authority for engaging in military action in Libya? What should the U.S. policy be toward supporting the rebels in Libya? Should we send troops, advisors or arms to the rebels.

The Constitution is clear: Congress has the power to declare war, not the president.   By dropping bombs on Libya, President Obama has declared war.  We should not be expending our airmen’s blood or our treasure in Libya without Congressional approval.

If you are fortunate enough to become a representative, what would your policy be on future U.S. military appropriations?

We need to end our foreign entanglements and bring our troops home from around the world.  We are spending billions to station troops in places that haven’t seen hostilities in over 60 years.  We no longer fear Soviet tanks rolling through the Fulda Gap, but we still have troops stationed in Germany to stop them. We can no longer afford to foot the bill as the policeman of the world when Washington is planning to cut health care for our seniors and Americans’ needs are ignored.

Early evening yesterday, the light was wonderful, the clouds fabulous and I had to go to a meeting at GCEDC. I would rather, honestly, preferred to have headed out into the county and hunted for pictures. On the other hand, I've always loved the view heading into the parking lot of the Upstate MedTech Center, especially with the gnarled old trees along the driveway. As I pulled in, I couldn't resist -- I stopped and snapped a few pictures to see what I could capture.

Amid all of the controversy surrounding the Genesee County Economic Development Center three months ago, Senior VP of Operation Mark Masse suggested an informational meeting where everything about how the GCEDC works and what it is working on could be explained to the public.

He booked a room that could seat 150 people and was worried it might not be enough space.

On Monday night GCEDC hosted its first public information meeting in a conference room at the Upstate MedTech Center.  

Twelve people showed up.  

None of the attendees were people who have publicly criticized GCEDC. No one asked pointed questions or raised any substantial concerns about how GCEDC operates.

Masse made a straightforward presentation about why GCEDC exists, what it is up against in New York, how tax abatements work and what projects are in the pipeline.

GCEDC exists because other jurisdictions are also competing for business development, and the competition isn't necessarily in states that have an image problem.

"Companies think New York is closed for business," said Masse. "When they think of New York, they think of taxes, regulations and unions."

The challenge for GCEDC is to break through that image and present Genesee County and Western New York's benefits, which includes median home prices of $85,000, about two million qualified workers, major universities nearby such as RIT, U of R and UB and attractive lifestyle amenities.

While GCEDC doesn't always win the location competition, once the case is made, the decision by the company to take a pass, if it does, usually comes down to factors out of GCEDC's control, Masse said, such as the business climate changing for the business (and expansion being put on hold) or change in leadership in the relocation team that changes the company's agenda.

Masse said part of his presentation was also designed to address the myth that GCEDC is giving away taxpayer money to companies. In truth, the tax breaks companies get is on taxes that would never be paid if the company didn't expand or relocate, Masse said.

In the example Masse gave, if a company does locate to a facility in Genesee County, local tax revenue actually increases at the same time the company saves a substantial amount of money.

The example: Acme Corp. will build a $15.5 million facility with a promise to create 50 new jobs in the first two years. It will purchase 10 acres of land and build a 30,000 square-foot factory. 

GCEDC will likely offer a sales tax exemption on manufacturing materials for construction of the factory, a mortgage tax exemption and a PILOT (Payment in Lieu of Taxes) contract over the first 10 years of the increased assessment on the property.

The PILOT only covers the value of increased assessment. Property taxes remain the same on the original assessment (also, any fire district taxes cannot be abated, even on the increased assessment). 

So, if the new assessed value is $3.5 million, the company would still pay the $6,130 in taxes on the original assessed value, but in the first two years, pay no taxes on the increase in assessed value. 

In the third and fourth year, the company pays 20 percent of the new taxes, or $21,826 in each of the years.  

The amount of taxes graduates from there every two years.

By the 10th and final year of the PILOT, the company is paying 80 percent of the increased assessment, or $87,304.

If the company had been paying full assessed value each of those 10 years, it would have been paying $109,130 in taxes annually.

Over the course of the 10 years, at full value, it would have paid $1,091,300 in property taxes. Under the PILOT, the property taxes paid over 10 years are $436,520 on the increased assessed value, while paying $61,300 on the original value.

If the company hadn't built the project, the property would have generated only $61,300 in taxes instead of more than $500,000 in taxes.

At the same time, the company has saved more than $500,000 in taxes over the full assessed value rate.

Masse also shared GCEDC's financial results from 2010 (previously reported here).

He then explained the purpose and progress of each of GCEDC's major projects, which are Gateway I, Gateway II, Apple Tree Acres, Buffalo East Tech Park, WNY STAMP, Genesee Valley Agri-Business Park, Upstate MedTech Park and Oatka Hills I and II.