Chris Collins has consistently stated he is not a politician and that he runs Erie County like a business.

There are two fundamental problems with his statements. First he is, and has been, a politician for over two decades, running and losing for the US Congress in 1998 and continuing to his aborted gubernatorial race in 2008 (remember the lap-sitting issue?).

The other fundamental problem is that Collins does not run Erie County like a business but as a personal fiefdom. He believes that since it is “his” county he can park in handicapped spaces and attempt to relegate our veterans to a secondary role in Memorial Day and Fourth of July parades, all because he believes that he, not the veterans being honored, deserves the spotlighted role of leading the parades.

If he is running the county like a business it is more in the style of Ken Lay, Michael Milken, or John Rigas, using business (county) assets for his personal gain. Hiring out-of-town law firms, who contribute heavily to his campaign, to defend the county against several lawsuits—lawsuits that the county consistently loses, costing considrable taxpayer dollars.

It should also be remembered that he made extremely glowing statements about the county attorney’s abilities while asking the legislature for a 33 percent pay increase for his politically appointed ally in these tight economic times, then choosing to outsource this expensive legal work, at a considerable cost to taxpayers.

The taxpayers cannot afford to continue to allow this wasteful spending to settle personal grudges and reward Collin’s campaign contributers

> Michael Kowal, Tonawanda

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