After New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s “All will be told at the right time” statement on Monday, yesterday it was Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz’s turn to say effectively nothing about the two elected officials’ plans for public spending on a Buffalo Bills stadium, now just eight days away from the April 1 budget deadline:
“I like where we are,” Poloncarz said. “I hope very soon we’ll be able to announce that we have a signed deal, and here are the terms.”
Poloncarz didn’t volunteer, and apparently wasn’t asked, whether he likes where he is because he thinks there’s still plenty of time for the state legislature to examine and vote on a Bills stadium subsidy plan (there isn’t!) or he likes where he is because there isn’t enough time for the state legislature to examine and vote on a Bills stadium subsidy plan (bwahahaha, twirls mustache). He did say his “goal” was to get “a fair deal for the people of Erie County,” which also could mean pretty much anything. Did the man say anything about how much money already we’re talking about here? Yes, yes he did:
When asked about the accuracy of a report about $1 billion in public money going toward the stadium deal, Poloncarz responded, “It’s not an accurate number.”
Okay! So we now know the state of New York and Erie County will not be putting up $1 billion toward a new Bills stadium. Could it be $500 million? Sure! $900 million? Absolutely! One billion and one dollars? Why not! I guess it all depends on how you define “inaccurate,” but Poloncarz seems adamant that whatever number they arrive at, once they arrive at a number, which they haven’t yet — “we are not imminent to a deal,” he said, just after saying he hoped to announce a deal “very soon” — it won’t be no $1 billion exactly, that’s for sure!
Over on the Syracuse.com editorial page, meanwhile, the Advance Media NY Editorial Board opines that Hochul needs to “drive a hard bargain” “on behalf of the state’s overburdened taxpayers” by not “giving away the store” but rather keeping subsidies to … some unspoken number. But not more than that number, whatever it is, or else she and state legislators “will have some explaining to do.” So much explaining needed, everywhere, please send explaining, stat!
Also yesterday, state senators Liz Krueger and Michael Gianaris joined a Zoom press conference to call for more transparency in state subsidy deals and a reduction in corporate giveaways that currently cost New York state at least $10 billion a year. One hopes that Krueger and Gianaris, among others, will have some tough questions for the Bills stadium proposal once it’s released — but the way the calendar is ticking down, they’re going to have to ask really fast.