Gang of Three Pushing Dyster To Irrelevance

The announcement by the Niagara Falls City Council's Gang of Three, Bob Anderson, Sam Fruscione and Glenn Choolokian, that they will be allocating $75,000 for a new community policing program is a sure sign that the balance of power at City Hall has shifted away from the mayor's office.  The Gang of Three is moving $50,000 from the contingency fund and taking $25,000 from bed tax money to fund this initiative which is suppose to put more police officers on the street.  This whole thing brings several questions to mind.

First, why didn't this happen during the budget process?  According to the Niagara Gazette, money was placed in the contingency fund to provide additional funding for public safety and particularly the police department.  Don't tell me that the Gang wasn't aware of this program in November.  Second, if the City's financial situation is as bad as Chairman Choolokian says it is, how can you justify taking $50,000 from the contingency fund for a new program when you may need that money to make up for any revenue shortfalls??

Third, how can you use bed tax money for a police program?? I don't buy the interpretation that it can be used because the program will cover the tourist area.  If that is the case, then how do the residents of the City benefit from any of this??  How does this help address the drug and gang activity that exist in the neighborhoods??  The fact is that the justification is B.S. and maybe the State Comptroller's Office needs to get involved as this appears to be a misappropriation of bed tax dollars.

Fourth, since when does the City Council develop and establish programs??  It was my understanding that the Council's main function is to develop a budget and oversee expenditures by the Executive Branch.  It is not their function to develop programs.  That must come from the Mayor and his Administration.  Which leads to my fifth question: Where is Mayor Dyster??

It appears that the Mayor has basically abdicated his authority to the Gang of Three.  The little dictator Choolokian seems to be the person calling the shots on how the City operates.  How does Dyster allow the Gang to establish a program that he did not initiate?  Why isn't he publicly questioning the use of bed tax money for this initiative? And why isn't he asking his new police chief what the hell is going on??  It would appear that the new chief may have cut a deal with the Gang.

Dyster has failed to call the Gang out and take any action.  It is apparent that Choolokian and his Gang have taken over City Hall rendering Dyster totally irrelevant.  It is only mid-February but if things continue the way they are going, residents of the City will begin to wonder who is the Mayor: Dyster or Choolokian.  As it stands now, it looks like the little special crew leader at the Sewage Plant has outsmarted the genius beer maker.