Full EDGE Video

[tanouryjr]

I will never try to edit 45 minutes of video again. I managed to get it down to about 25 minutes but had to cut it up into 3 parts due to YouTube's 10 minute max. The player above should play all three straight through.

If not, just go to my front page at www.larrytanoury.com

[tanouryjr]

Maybe this will work...

[tanouryjr]

PART 2

[tanouryjr]

PART 3

[Ralph]

I love it!

You can spend all of our money you want.........

..........just don't ask why, where or what for.


Only in New York!!!!!!!!!!!

[tanouryjr]

Jul 20, 2008 15:27:34 GMT -5 Ralph said:

I love it!

You can spend all of our money you want.........

..........just don't ask why, where or what for.


Only in New York!!!!!!!!!!!

;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

You're right, Ralph. How dare I ask some questions about where your money is going! I guess I missed the memo stating that I was supposed to sit there and rubber stamp everything like our last legislator did for 18 years.

[dgriffin]

So, Larry, did you get a copy of the EDGE audit that Dimeo says has been filed with the county? And what was in it? I.e., how much detail?

[tanouryjr]

Dave, I have yet to receive a single document that I have requested from EDGE. I requested a list of who sits on their Loans Committee...Nothing. I requested a detailed list of what loans have been given out and what their current status is...Nothing. I have never received an Audit, but I do have a copy of one from a couple years ago that was nothing more than garbage. It was clearly pointed out that the firm was hired by EDGE only to make sure they were "techiquely" following correct procedures. What I would like is for the State Comptroller to do a FULL audit of the agency.

Again though, if everything is so perfect there; why are they so opposed to such an innocent law mandating written financial reports? Sure, they do have briefings with the Board, but I've gone to them and they are nothing more than Dimeo giving a pretty powerpoint presentation telling us how great they are. It's on their turf and they only have to tell us what they want us to hear. That's not true accountability, to me.

[strikeslip]

Aside from EDGE's lack of performance, its mode of financing is questionable. The county gives it about a half million a year but I understand that their budget is about $2 million. My understanding is that the balance comes from "donations" by many of our local businesses -- I have a problem with our economic development agency being dependent upon local businesses. My thought is that whoever is "donating" must expect something in return. . . Is EDGE subject to FOIL or are they hiding behind a 501C3 corporation? Larry, Maybe you have more information on this.

[dgriffin]

Jul 20, 2008 20:46:08 GMT -5 strikeslip said:

Aside from EDGE's lack of performance, its mode of financing is questionable. The county gives it about a half million a year but I understand that their budget is about $2 million. My understanding is that the balance comes from "donations" by many of our local businesses -- I have a problem with our economic development agency being dependent upon local businesses. My thought is that whoever is "donating" must expect something in return. . . Is EDGE subject to FOIL or are they hiding behind a 501C3 corporation? Larry, Maybe you have more information on this.

Yes, I noticed that in the video and wondered about who would donate a total of one and half million dollars each year without an expectation of reward.

Regarding FOIL, Larry should contact Robert Freeman, executive director of the Department of State's Committee on Open Government.

Committee on Open Government
NYS Department of State
One Commerce Plaza
99 Washington Ave
Albany, NY 12231
or call [phone]
Fax [phone]
web page:
www.dos.state.ny.us/coog/Right_to_know.html

I'm told Mr. Freeman is quite available and a nice guy. Worth the call. He's the guy you see quoted every time a newspaper wants some information that a school district or government agency is unwilling to give up.

[Ralph]

This is nothing but pure bullshit Larry. The HOC is small potatoes compared to EDGE, and apparently they are much better at it to get away with it for so long.

If they are a 501c3 then they need to have a budget for each project, each employee......and remember that anyone over $49.999 a year must have a PUBLIC file of the organizations 990 available.

I do find it interesting that you have documents from the State which list one of the companies as an LLC, but yet Steve insists it is a NFP.
Sorry......but that is just not possible,

If he is listed as CEO of one and Ex. Director of another, both basically operating from the same desk, then it is a direct conflict of interest.

Big corporations can bury "themselves within themselves", but EDGE isn't that big to pull it off.
Besides, even ENRON couldn't pull it off in the end.

The whole thing smacks of possibilities. Especially considering Steve is about the same age or so as I am, and in 1963 I was lucky I knew how to write my own name.....................so, what was EDGE back then? And why has it lasted this long with no press and no mission.........other than to sit in the background doing what?

Curiouser and curiouser.....LOL!

[Swimmy]

Les Porter seemed really bent out of shape. "Steve has a lot of people he has to answer to . . ." . So what is wrong with making him answer to the people he is supposed to be helping, the county residents?

Mr. Tanoury,

Thank you very much for doing the right thing. As I have stated before, I wish I lived in your district so that I could vote for your re-election (assuming you are running for re-election). Please keep up the good work. It is really appreciated!

Edit:
I also want to add a comment about your colleagues who ridicule you for directly interacting with your constituents. Ignore those cowards! I may be a baby by comparison to many of the other members on this forum and many of the government officials tasked with running the area governments, but I'm not ignorant.

I have seen -- first hand -- how government officials try to scam the public and grow irate when the public wants answers. You however, are the only government official brave enough to expose yourself to the public's wrath. You are willing to explain why you vote the way you do. I respect you for being open about what you do. I wish the other government officials recognized their true roles: public servants to THE PEOPLE. Maybe these officials recognized it when they first took office, but over their many years in public office they have lost sight of their roles. I agree that there should be term limits. Michigan has them and I think it can work.

The rest of the legislators don't want to do that because they would have to face some tough questions. For example, if EDGE has to answer to all these other people, why is everyone so opposed to having EDGE answer to a few more.

I found it interesting that the board tried twice to cut short your ability to question. I am shocked that the rest of the legislators were not curious to learn the answers to your questions. I agree with you that the issues you tried to raise in that committee meeting were very germane to the issue at hand. The committee chairman just did not want you to have those answers. Why? Well that is a question the coward will never answer because he hides behind his "authority" as a committee chairman.

I do not see you as an opponent of economic development, rather a proponent of it. You recognize that too much government stifles economic growth because the businesses will not continually support putting ever-increasing shares of their profits into the government's pockets. Hence why we are in a dire economic situation. You recognize that the government should review its investments. If they don't yield the promised return, then the government should cut its loses. I wish the rest of the legislators would open their eyes and realize THEY are the ones who are out of line for not doing the same as you.

[Clipper]

I agree with you swimmy. Larry has been upfront and public since before his campaign even began. The great thing about Larry's politics, is that whether you agree with him or not, you always know not only WHAT his stand is on any given issue, you also know WHY he takes that stand.

I don't agree with EVERYTHING Larry does, but I have the utmost respect for his courage to stand up publicly and to stand unwavering before the legislature and the media, without flip flopping or bowing to pressure.

When all is said and done, Larry will be remembered as the legislator that stood up for his people, and would not be intimidated by the old guard. Whether he goes home after one term or ten, he will go home with a clear conscience and with the knowledge that he did his best for his constituents and for Oneida County as a whole.

I can guarantee that Larry Jr's only agenda is to insure that his district receives the respect, consideration, and equal recognition in the chambers. He only wants to be the voice of a people in a district long neglected.

When Larry ran for the position, I became a staunch supporter beyond my normal involvement in local politics. His agenda, and his dedication, along with his personality, and his vitality, hooked me in, and made me his proudest fan, speaking in support of him from afar. I actually stayed up on election night, specifically to see the results come up on the net, and celebrating his victory from Tennessee.

I am proud to be his supporter and his friend, and I am glad he has chosen OUR forum to bring his thoughts to the public eye.

Whether there is corruption in play or not, the legislature and EDGE should be open and honest. Financial reporting is a right of the taxpayers who want to know where their money is going. If there is nothing shady happening, bring the books out and show me that all is above board.

You know, even if Larry is wrong on some of his suspicions, he is doing what I would want him to do, in making the people involved answer to the people who pay their salaries.

If I were in charge of EDGE, and there was NOTHING shady going on, I would be in the media the very next day, with ALL the financials available for public scrutiny. There is something wrong with the picture, when nobody wants to publicize the reports. Legislators backing EDGE and defending its lack of financial reporting, also draw my suspicion.

I am not one to promote undue paranoia, but public figures that insist on keeping figures from the public, have either a motive of less than honest nature, or are simply puppets of the patrons that serve THEM, and not US.

Keep up the great work Larry. Whether ALL of your inquiries turn out to be justified, or not, I am sure that SOME information will come to light, that would have been hidden in the dark without your investigation and exposure. You are a brave young man, a breath of political fresh air, and whether proven right or wrong, you serve the interest of your constituents to the best of your ability.

I don't know about anyone else on this forum, but your train of thought is on the same track as my own. Open the doors and let the daylight in. Open the windows and let some fresh air into the chambers. Very little should be behind closed doors in a public government body. Least of all, issues that involve public moneys.

Sincerely, your "Larry Jr fan club president, Bristol Tn Chapter" haha.

[tanouryjr]

Thank you all sooo much for the kind words and encouragement. Strike, they are a 501C3 and I will get with Ralph on what can be done there. I have a few other plans in the works as well.

Clipper and Ralph, you both have been there with me for the whole ride, and you have no idea how much I appreciate it. As corny as it may sound, every time I wonder if the fighting is worth it, I think of the people like you guys that backed me from day one. As you both know, I had no institutional support and ran a grassroots campaign. So when I act on legislation, I don't owe anyone but the people that hired me to the job. When/if I go for re-election, I have to answer to the people and I truly mean it when I say I will do whatever it takes to make sure the people that hired me have adequate representation.

[Ralph]

You know you will have my support Larry.

Just for the record, everyone needs to keep in mind that EDGE is not a "public" entity or NFP.
They are a PRIVATE organization, not a County, State or Federal sponsored or funded entity or NFP.
Essential what the legislation does every year is to contract with them to help us in the economic development sector.

If in the private world of business a "contractor" showed such poor performance, you can bet your ass that their contract would not be renewed the next year.

So why does the County settle for less??

The community-at-large needs to be made aware of this "food chain". Most of the folks out there believe EDGE is actually part of the County government itself

Any NFP that is existing on grants or subsidies, donations, etc. usually has to have an "action plan" of some sort, listing goals and objectives, outcomes to their strategies, and the ways they will implement programs or strategies to achieve those particular outcomes.

With any organization, funding is based on performance.....poor performance = funding reductions........or none at all.

There will always be "perks" associated with any venture such as that EDGE is embarking on. But there are also Federal guidelines that NFP's must follow in those respects as well. This may be a "scab" that can be picked at to see if it will bleed a little.

Perks cost money, sometimes a LOT of money. Membership to such organizations as the Rotary, Yahnundasis, etc go a long way to attracting clients and impressing possible developers........they also cost a few bucks as well, and carry benefits to whoever gets them wayyyyy beyond the day-to-day duties their job entails.

If EDGE is a true NFP, then they have a board of directors and if they are using or administering public funds for public projects, etc....then they may fall somewhere into the open meetings law.....maybe.

But in any even, they must have a board of directors, with meetings and minutes of those meetings......and those must be made available to the public if you ask to see them.

Keep poking in the dark...............eventually you will poke someone in the eye and they will cry "uncle".

Larry, we need to talk again sometime.
Till then....keep up the good work!