New York Governor Cuomo And Other Politicians And Officials Should Not Attend Buffalo Bills Playoff Game
No Politician Needs To Attend Buffalo Bills Playoff Game
They Are Not Essential
Governor Cuomo Should Remain In Albany
Leave “I Love NY Hospitality Center” Empty
Stadium Lease Has 29 Articles; Luxury Box Is Article 2
WNY Does Not Need A Vanity Moment
There is no demonstrable need for The Honorable Andrew Cuomo, the 56th Governor of the State of New York, along with his entourage (family, friends, staff, security detail) and other elected and appointed New York State and Erie County politicians and officials and Members of the United States Congress (House of Representatives and Senate) to attend the Saturday, 9 January 2021, Wild Card playoff at 1:05 pm between the Buffalo Bills and Indianapolis Colts in Bills Stadium located in Orchard Park, New York.
Politicians should not frolic at an opportunity unavailable to those whom they represent. It’s callous. They should embrace what they should do rather than what they want to do.
At a football game, neither Governor Cuomo, nor any elected official at the local, state, or federal level is “essential.” Not one. Healthcare personnel- they need to attend to monitor the event and then share recommendations with the politicians. Anything a politician needs to see, they can view on television from the comfort (and safety) of their home.
There are increasing issues with the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. All politicians and officials should remain in Albany or Washington DC and do their jobs.
The pandemic has penalized residents of the United States, New York State, and Erie County. This is not a moment for politicians to reward themselves.
Why should they stay away?
Participation would be irresponsible from a heath perspective and due to the economic impact of the nearing eleven-month pandemic from which New York State is hemorrhaging revenue. Granted, when the 2020/2021 budget of the Empire State was and will continue to be short tens of billions of dollars, tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars evaporating during a one-day event may seem insignificant.
It is not. Precisely because the amount may seem insignificant is the reason it should be significant. During these days, how many independently-owned small businesses in Western New York could use tens of thousands of dollars in assistance from the State of New York? Tragically, too many.
According to the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), essential workers are those who conduct a range of operations and services that are typically essential to continue critical infrastructure operations.
Governor Cuomo and other politicians may be deemed essential while awork in their offices or performing official duties. Attending a football game amid a pandemic is not an essential function. No perversion of the definition of essential makes it so.
Governor Cuomo (and other politicians) waving to ticketholders, visiting with members of the Buffalo Bills, networking (hobnobbing) with team owners Mr. and Mrs. Terry Pegula, donning team apparel (likely bestowed upon him- maybe with his name embroidered on the front- politicians salivate for that) at an event he determined who could and who could not attend will not lead to sustained applause. Contempt, yes.
Today, entering the second year of a pandemic, why should anyone have to point out to a politician that gorging in publicity while constituents are suffering is wrong? This should not be challenging to comprehend- just like wearing a mask, as Governor Cuomo reminds us all every day.
What the optics become is seeking to create a platform for Governor Cuomo and other politicians to take credit for permitting 6,725 individuals to attend an outdoor event with a normal capacity of 71,870. He should neither need nor expect a public honorarium for doing what his US$225,000.00 annual compensation requires- in this instance, showing responsibility.
What is the message?
Politicians, again for the umpteenth time can when most everyone else- their constituents, those who pay their salaries, remain unable to enjoy an event- at a venue they paid to construct and continue to pay to maintain and will soon be asked to pay more.
Those 50,000+ who have season tickets and were unable to make use of them in 2020 and in 2021 must watch the contest at home rather than enjoying the chill wrapped in their Bills Mafia attire.
Governor Cuomo will use an aircraft owned by New York State with a two-to-three-person crew employed by New York State. He may bring along staff, family, and friends. He will travel with two or three officers of the New York State Police Protective Services Unit. Upon arrival to Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BNIA) there will be additional officers from the New York State Police Protective Services Unit, two large SUVs, and escorts by the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, and police departments from Cheektowaga and Orchard Park. More expenditures. Increased opportunities for personnel to become infected with COVID-19 or to spread it to others.
And, if there are additional politicians attending the football game, that means multiply the number of personnel required- and multiply the potential of additional cases of COVID-19. Does the term “super-spreader” come to mind? It should.
NOTE: Reading this, Governor Cuomo’s staff may hastily arrange for a wealthy supporter to provide an aircraft. Naturally, that does not negate the overall issue- he does not need to attend the football game; and there remain considerable expenses in conjunction with his visit.
The next deflective mechanism for politicians will be to access campaign funds to make payment for the ticket (US$65.00 to US$300.00) and for the US$63.00 COVID-19 test to be administered by New Jersey-based Bioreference Laboratories and for the US$11.00 parking fee (regardless of whether the ticketholder has a vehicle). Campaign contributions are supposed to be for an individual to use to seek office- not as a personal slush fund. If there is money remaining from a campaign, return it on a pro rata basis to contributors.
The 122-page 2013 lease between Erie County and Buffalo Bills contained a provision for a twelve-seat (sixteen-ticket) luxury “I Love NY Hospitality Center” to be used by public officials to promote New York State and the Buffalo-Niagara Region.
For perspective and demonstrating the focus by politicians to what would be a benefit to them, “I Love NY Hospitality Center” is mentioned twenty-one (21) times in the 2013 lease.
The 2013 lease has twenty-nine (29) articles. Article 1 includes three sections. Article 2 contains 5 sections. The “I Love NY Hospitality Center” is the second section in Article 2- and Article 3 includes three sections about rent. There are Exhibits in the 2013 lease focusing upon the “I Love NY Hospitality Center.” Those negotiating the 2013 lease were more focused upon what politicians would receive to benefit themselves than what the taxpayers of Erie County would receive from the Buffalo Bills.
Expect to see officials from (particularly those located in Western New York) the operationally-opaque New York City-based Empire State Development Corporation enjoying the hospitality of New York State taxpayers. Although sixteen tickets are a provision of the 2013 lease, they are not free tickets- they are courtesy of New York State taxpayers. The Cuomo Administration has never been robustly transparent as to who has enjoyed the luxury box.
From the 2013 lease: “1.2.74 I ♥ New York Hospitality Center: That portion of the Stadium, as depicted and more particularly described on Exhibit B attached hereto, which shall be used by the State exclusively during the Term, and in accordance with Section 2.2(b), herein, for the purposes of (i) encouraging and fostering economic development, tourism and public awareness for the City of Buffalo, Erie County, and the State of New York, and (ii) other charitable or public functions, as may be determined by the State in its sole discretion. The food and beverage costs attributable to the State’s use of the I ♥ New York Hospitality Center shall be borne by the State or one of its affiliate entities and shall be provided by the Bills’ food and beverage concessionaires at non–discriminatory rates. For Games and Bills’ Events, the Bills shall provide sixteen (16) tickets to the State (the “Tickets”) at no cost to the State, so as to permit unfettered access to the Center for the purpose of viewing such Games and/or Bills’ Events. Tickets will be provided the State in accordance with this Section 2.1 in any instance in which a Game or Bills’ Event requires a Ticket so as to access the Stadium and thus the Center. The Tickets are valid only for admission to the Center to view the Games and not for admission to any other Luxury Suite, seating area, or other area of the Stadium restricted to the public. All holders of the Tickets are subject to its terms and
conditions printed on such Tickets. 2.2 The Bills shall provide one (1) parking pass for every four (4) Tickets, at no cost to the State, which shall provide the holder of the same free access to Parking Lots on the day of the Game or Bills’ Event for which the Tickets were provided.”
Under no rationale does Governor Cuomo and other politicians use of this taxpayer funded perk at an event were attendance is limited for the entire stadium to approximately 9.3% of capacity fulfill the contractual mandate to promote New York State and the Buffalo-Niagara Region. Their attendance only serves their self-promotion.
The arithmetic is also telling: With six-foot social distancing required, how many guests can be accommodated in a twelve-seat luxury box? And, who pays for the catering for these VIPS- Very Important Public Servants? Taxpayers.
The experts
What do those whom Governor Cuomo has pleaded with residents of New York State to listen to in terms of behavior and what do they recommend? Five of six are physicians.
· Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) at the Bethesda, Maryland-based National Institutes of Health (NIH), advises all citizens to avoid unnecessary travel.
· Dr. Robert Redfield, Director of the Atlanta, Georgia-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises all citizens to avoid unnecessary travel.
· Admiral Brett Giroir M.D., Assistant Secretary for Health at the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) advises all citizens to avoid unnecessary travel.
· Dr. Stephen Hahn, Commissioner of the Silver Spring, Maryland-based United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advises all citizens to avoid unnecessary travel.
· The Honorable Alex Azar, United States Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) advises all citizens to avoid unnecessary travel.
· Dr. Howard Zucker, New York State Commissioner of Health, advises all citizens to avoid unnecessary travel.
Consider
If Governor Cuomo wants to lend his majesty to the Buffalo Bills as the team seeks a berth in Super Bowl LV on 7 February 2021 in Tampa, Florida, then remain this weekend at the 19-room Governor’s Mansion in Albany, New York, responsibly socially-distancing from guests, wearing a Buffalo Bills jersey and Bills Mafia cap, enjoying chicken wings and beef on weck, and share what later may seem like far too many images on Facebook and Twitter for all to see.
Give a day-off to the pilots, mansion staff, and some of the New York State Police Protective Services Unit personnel. They may not be Buffalo Bills fans, but for one day they might pretend… and be thankful to be with their families. Governor, do your part… and ask other politicians to follow your lead.
Governor, that would be leadership.