According to the latest reports filed with the New York State Board of Elections, Erie County Democratic Chairman Jeremy "Wonder Boy" Zellner has run the Party broke. The January 15, 2014, filing indicates the Erie County Democratic Committee has a closing balance of minus $12,549.38. This is rather amazing in view of Wonder Boy's claims that he has raised $700K and had more than 200 attendees at his December Christmas party.
According to recent conversations with state Board of Elections personnel, it's also impossible. These periodic financial reports of income received and expenditures made cannot logically have negative balances. The reports are on a cash (not accrual) basis, and a negative balance would therefore indicate the expenditure of money which does not exist. Think about your bank account. It really cannot go negative. If it does, your checks bounce. It is likely that this discrepancy is due to a computational error or a failure to report financial data properly.
In any event, being twelve grand plus in the hole is no way for Wonder Boy to greet the new year, jobless and winless during 2013. In the immortal words of Dean Wormer, " Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, son..." This is fueling speculation that Zellner will be given a job in the City of Tonawanda where his mentor, Gayle Syposs, has just elected a mayor. Pity the poor fools of a city of barely 15,000 people who will have to carry the massive dead weight of Wonder Boy's political failures.
So what's to be done? Before we start blaming the Pigeons and the naysayers and the malcontents and the Fifth Columnists and the saboteurs within the party, maybe it's time for the people who put Wonder Boy in power to step to plate and take responsibility for their self created fiasco. Where are the Poloncarz', Lenihans, Wartlings, Wards (Dennis and Michele, not Dan), Connollys, Schads and Kogans? Isn't it time for those who have benefited the most to dig deep to keep the Zellner Titanic afloat? An analysis of the big hitter contributors in the last reporting period is instructive. The ECDC reported raising $27,884.99, but more than half ($15,100) came from eleven people who coughed up $500 or more:
MICHELE IANNELLO-WARD and DENNIS WARD $3,600
Friends of WYNNIE FISHER $3,000
JOHN P FEROLETO $2,000
ROBERT M. GRABER $2,000
Friends of MIKE LOCURTO $1,000
Friends of JOEL GIAMBRA $1,000
RAMONA D. POPOWICH $500
BRYAN SMITH $500
JOHN J. DELMONTE $500
ROBERT LANNON $500
JOHN B. LICATA $500 $15,100 (54%)
MIKE AMODEO $250
MARGARET OLSZEWSKI SZCZUR $250
FRANCIS WARTHLING $250
R PAC OF NY STATE $250
EC DEMOCRATIC TOWN CHAIRMAN'S ASSOCIATION $250
Friends of MIKE QUINN $250
PHILLIPS LYTLE LLP $250
Friends of TERRY MCCRACKEN $250
Friends of THOMAS P. AMODEO $250
HIGGINS FOR CONGRESS $250
MICHAEL L. MCCABE $200
BETTY JEAN J. GRANT $200 $18,0000 (65%)
Notice the big dip from Joel Giambra? Furthermore, twenty three entities provided almost two-thirds of the total. Review of this list reveals a domination by candidates and other favor seekers. This doesn't look like a grass roots community effort. Seems like 2014 is going to be a fun year.
According to recent conversations with state Board of Elections personnel, it's also impossible. These periodic financial reports of income received and expenditures made cannot logically have negative balances. The reports are on a cash (not accrual) basis, and a negative balance would therefore indicate the expenditure of money which does not exist. Think about your bank account. It really cannot go negative. If it does, your checks bounce. It is likely that this discrepancy is due to a computational error or a failure to report financial data properly.
In any event, being twelve grand plus in the hole is no way for Wonder Boy to greet the new year, jobless and winless during 2013. In the immortal words of Dean Wormer, " Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, son..." This is fueling speculation that Zellner will be given a job in the City of Tonawanda where his mentor, Gayle Syposs, has just elected a mayor. Pity the poor fools of a city of barely 15,000 people who will have to carry the massive dead weight of Wonder Boy's political failures.
So what's to be done? Before we start blaming the Pigeons and the naysayers and the malcontents and the Fifth Columnists and the saboteurs within the party, maybe it's time for the people who put Wonder Boy in power to step to plate and take responsibility for their self created fiasco. Where are the Poloncarz', Lenihans, Wartlings, Wards (Dennis and Michele, not Dan), Connollys, Schads and Kogans? Isn't it time for those who have benefited the most to dig deep to keep the Zellner Titanic afloat? An analysis of the big hitter contributors in the last reporting period is instructive. The ECDC reported raising $27,884.99, but more than half ($15,100) came from eleven people who coughed up $500 or more:
MICHELE IANNELLO-WARD and DENNIS WARD $3,600
Friends of WYNNIE FISHER $3,000
JOHN P FEROLETO $2,000
ROBERT M. GRABER $2,000
Friends of MIKE LOCURTO $1,000
Friends of JOEL GIAMBRA $1,000
RAMONA D. POPOWICH $500
BRYAN SMITH $500
JOHN J. DELMONTE $500
ROBERT LANNON $500
JOHN B. LICATA $500 $15,100 (54%)
MIKE AMODEO $250
MARGARET OLSZEWSKI SZCZUR $250
FRANCIS WARTHLING $250
R PAC OF NY STATE $250
EC DEMOCRATIC TOWN CHAIRMAN'S ASSOCIATION $250
Friends of MIKE QUINN $250
PHILLIPS LYTLE LLP $250
Friends of TERRY MCCRACKEN $250
Friends of THOMAS P. AMODEO $250
HIGGINS FOR CONGRESS $250
MICHAEL L. MCCABE $200
BETTY JEAN J. GRANT $200 $18,0000 (65%)
Notice the big dip from Joel Giambra? Furthermore, twenty three entities provided almost two-thirds of the total. Review of this list reveals a domination by candidates and other favor seekers. This doesn't look like a grass roots community effort. Seems like 2014 is going to be a fun year.
