Local Lawmakers Take Pledge of Good Government
Eric Ortner
North Buffalo Rocket / West Side TimesFebruary 2000: Good government! What was once a high ideal has now become a pledge. The 21st Century Club sent a letter and pledge to more than two hundred Western New York officials that have recently been elected or reelected. It was of course anticipated that they would do the right thing and sign it. The pledge states:
As an elected official at the dawn of the 21st Century, I am committed to excellence in government, and appreciate the opportunity given to me by the voters on November 2, 1999.
As a reflection of this commitment, I pledge to promote and advance the role of emerging leaders in mapping the future of our community, to celebrate diversity, and to apply expertise to the goal of enhancing the future of Buffalo and all of Western New York.
In order to restore confidence in our civic and governmental process, therefore, I also pledge to make appointments and hire my staff based first and foremost on the qualifications of the individual - above political loyalty, family ties, and the need to repay political favors.
As a 21st Century Leader, I pledge to work hand-in-hand with the community to improve the quality of life for all of its residents.
A public signing took place at the Brownstone Bistro on January 27. Several public officials were on hand at the official ceremony. A few fresh faces were present such as Dominic Bonifacio, Niagara District Councilmember; Joel Richard Fontana, Lovejoy Council Member; and Barbara Miller-Williams, Ellicott Council Member. This is significant because they have only been in office for one month. It should be interesting to see which ones are able to keep their pledge.
A few previously tested faces made the pledge as well. Sam Hoyt from the State Assembly, Byron Brown, Masten Council Member and Al Coppola were also at the reception.
Councilmember Coppola jokingly commented that he needed to make an exception to the pledge. His mother can come work for him anytime that she wants.
There were several other local officials who signed the pledge, but were not at the official ceremony. Among them were Judith Fisher, Al DeBenedetti, Lynn Marinelli, and Charley Fisher.The 21st Century Club’s pledge is by no means a legally binding agreement. That of course occurred when the officials took their oaths of office. However, the Leadership 2000 Good Government Pledge should not be taken lightly. In a city where the brain drain, political favoritism and racial division have been major problems in the past, the thought of hiring people for their qualifications and leadership skills is paramount.
“The 21st Century Club is going to keep an eye out in the good government genre. And if they are doing something wrong we are going to investigate and talk to those who signed onto this pledge. If we find that they have acted inappropriately, we will call them on it and hope that they do the right thing for their constituency. That would be the hardest thing, and we will look to our friends in the media to shed light on the situation so that people are informed,” explained Denise Herkey, the 21st Century Club's media contact.
It is great that the 21st Century Club has taken the initiative to create a good government pledge. What is sort of pathetic though, is that of the more than 200 letters sent out, only seventeen of the officials actually signed it. What does that say about Western New York’s elected officials?
