There will be a fundraiser for the Amherst Town Judge campaign of Barbara Nuchereno on Thurs., May 2, 5:30-7:30pm at the 31 Club; 31 Johnson Park, Buffalo. The donation is $150 per person. Checks can be made out to: Friends of Barbara Nuchereno; 8261 Golden Oak Circle; Williamsville, NY 14221. RSVP to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Some observers are explaining the reason for outgoing Poloncarz Administration Veterans Affairs guru David Benitz's departure has to do with the fact that this former US Army Major could not get used to clearing all of his decisions with members of the County Executive's staff. The result will likely be that former Comptroller David Shenk will get the Vets job, an appropriate development since Shenk left a job he could have held on to for life as Boston Town Clerk at the invitation of the County Executive to run for Comptroller and now finds himself out of a job.

Cheektowaga Dem Chairman Frank Max is reportedly undecided between Bert Dunn and Dick Dobson in the Sheriff's race, though a number of his supporters are backing Dobson. Reportedly, Max gets along well with both.

Getting back to the Comptroller's post, it's interesting but not surprising that there is still no serious Democratic candidate for this position. Part of the problem is that, because of political considerations shared by both parties, the salary for the job has been kept artificially low. In fact, the Deputy Comptroller makes considerably more than the Comptroller. The result: It is very hard to recruit qualified candidates to run for comptroller, especially CPAs who can make a lot more elsewhere.

Next Monday's meeting of the Erie County Democratic Town Chairs at Curly's in Lackawanna is shaping up to be a showdown between the two Dem candidates for Sheriff, Bert Dunn and Dick Dobson. After dinner and preliminaries the pair are going to be asked to sit side by side at about 7:30pm and respond to questions and comments from each other and the town chairs in attendance.

Says Erie County Town Chairs Chairperson Gayle Syposs of the City of Tonawanda: “I'm sick and tired of people making comments or voicing criticisms of the candidates without ever being willing to have the guts to say those things to the candidates face to face. At our meeting, that will change. The candidates will be able to respond directly to things like those accusations on that other web site regarding Bert Dunn and something that is supposed to have happened in Hamburg, which I doubt, and the text message and all the rest and so will Dick Dobson.”

Syposs adds that what she is looking for is not a fight between the two but an honest exchange that will clear the air.

In other news, we agree with Syposs that the things being printed on that other site about Bert Dunn are nonsense. Whether you agree or disagree with all of his views, you have to acknowledge that Dunn is a man of dedication and integrity as is Dick Dobson..

“It's up to you!”....Reportedly, Erie County Democratic Chairman Jeremy Zellner offered this challenge to his Executive Committee, letting them know that the choice of an endorsed Dem candidate for Sheriff is theirs alone. While there may be some grumbling, it looks as though the Committee is ready to go along with choosing Dunn for the endorsement, though the Chairman is clearly giving his people extra time to make their decision.

Concerning that infamous text message, most Committee members seem to be taking the view that there is no Democratic or Republican way of being Sheriff, though with some definite dissenters. Of course, the big question will be: How will Democratic primary voters feel? Even if he doesn't get the party endorsement as it is likely he won't, Dobson is preparing to run a formidable campaign in September.

By the way, supporters of Chairman Zellner are reporting that he was able to raise some good money at his recent Chairman's fundraiser, also at Curly's, and that he has raised over $200,000 since taking on his current post

There will be a fundraiser in support of the campaign of Kara A. Buscaglia for Amherst Town Judge on Tues., April 30, 5:30-7:30pm at La Scala Restaurant; 9210 Transit Rd., East Amherst. The donation levels are: $99 per person; $150 for Bronze Sponsors; $250 for Silver Sponsors; and $500 for Gold Sponsors. Checks can be made payable to: Friends of Kara A. Buscaglia; 157 Royal Parkway West; Williamsville, NY 14221.

There will be a fundraiser in support of the re-election campaign of Buffalo City Court Judge Kevin Keane on Wed., May 1 from 6-8pm at Cole's Restaurant, 1104 Elmwood. The donation is a very affordable $50 per person. Checks can be made out to: The Committee To Re-Elect Judge Kevin Keane; PO 1087; Buffalo, NY 14220.

Kennedy says International, Online Gaming Sites have been Circumventing the Law for Years. 

With 10 States Already Legalizing or Looking to Legalize  Online-Gaming; Predatory Sites will Have Easier Access to the NYS Market. 

Kennedy: Online Predators are Stacking the Deck and Consumers are Losing. 

BUFFALO, N.Y. — New York State Senator Tim Kennedy (D-Buffalo) says the legalization of online-gaming in states across the country could lead to increased illegal and predatory gambling activity in New York State. Kennedy, who has long been an advocate for addiction treatment, says these sites are especially problematic for those suffering from gambling addiction. New Jersey, Nevada and Delaware’s recent legalization of online gaming is raising red flags for states across the country that want to ensure the industry is regulated to protect consumers. Kennedy is calling on the New York State Gaming Commission to investigate illegal online gambling and to protect New Yorkers from predatory sites.

Take this to the bank: The Erie County Democratic Committee will endorse active Family Court attorney Mary Giallanza Carney and Dept. of Motor Vehicles Administrative Law Judge Paul Crapsi for the Dem nomination for County Family Court this year and successful businessman and Sheriff's Deputy Bert Dunn for their nomination for County Sheriff. Of course, there could still be a spirited primary challenge to Carney and Crapsi from Social Services attorney Joseph Jerzembek and/or Elma attorney Tim Pawarski.

In the case of the Sheriff post Dunn will definitely face a challenge from former Sheriff's Deputy Dick Dobson.

We didn't mean to insult the hard working Democrats of Lancaster by saying Cong. Kathy Hochul “did poorly” in their town last November. We understand that Hochul did carry Lancaster in 2012, though not by much and clearly not by enough since she lost. In fact, Hochul needed to carry a Democratic community like Lancaster in a presidential year by much more in order to beat Republican Cong. Chris Collins.

The problem in our view was that the Hochul campaign, overly influenced as they were by Washington types, did not put adequate resources into local grassroots campaigning. No doubt the Lancaster Dems did everything they could.

Attorney Kara Buscaglia, as expected, has won the Democratic nomination for a seat on the Town of Amherst Court. Her next fundraiser will be on Tuesday, April 30 at La Scala, 9210 Transit Rd. More on this event later.

Finally, in our Worst Persons in the World category, (obviously a bit of exaggeration here) we understand that, even though disgraced former South Carolina Governor Mark Sandford has won the Republican nomination to run in a special election for Congress, the national GOP will not support him financially. They claim they lost his funding somewhere on the Appalachian Trail!

Meanwhile disgraced former Democratic Cong. Anthony Weiner is now running for mayor of the Big Apple, armed with a huge political war chest left over from his previous political career. Not only that, but if he announces by June 10, he will be eligible to receive another $1.3 million in public funding. Just goes to show you what a lot of public exposure can gain for you!

It looks as if Erie County Democratic Chairman Jeremy Zellner has recruited a formidable candidate to run against County Legislator Dr. Kevin Hardwick in former Grand Island Supervisor Peter McMahon.

We have gotten a lot of reaction to our story from yesterday about the declining role of big money and TV in many local elections as opposed to less expensive alternatives such as direct mail to prime voters. A number of readers offered other examples such as the first Poloncarz for County Comptroller election in which the Poloncarz forces waited until the last eight days and then flooded prime voters with mailings, beating the much better known former Comptroller and Supreme Court Justice Bob Whalen.

Then there was the case in which hard working, dedicated NYS Senator Tim Kennedy spent from $450,000 to $600,000, mainly on expensive TV ads in a Dem primary, only to be almost beaten by County Legislature Chairperson Betty Jean Grant who spent $17,000 exclusively on mailings and grassroots campaigning.

Finally, there is the Cong. Kathy Hochul campaign of 2012 which spent untold hundreds of thousands on TV ads instigated by Washington consultants...but did poorly in towns she should have won such as her hometown of Hamburg and Lancaster due to a lack of grassroots campaigning, going down to a possibly needless defeat as a result. 

Supporters of the Erie County Sheriff candidacy of Sheriff's Deputy and successful businessman Bert Dunn point to the fact that it was Dunn who was chosen to take charge of the scene for the Sheriff's Dept. at the time of the Flight 3407 crash in Clarence in Feb. of 2009...In the wake of the Cheektowaga Democrats' Spring Brunch on Saturday, we understand that some Democrats who are supporters of County Democratic Chairman Jeremy Zellner say they were treated just fine at the event.

For example, Legislature Chairperson Betty Jean Grant spoke up at that day's County Dem Exec Committee meeting, saying she was treated just fine there. Attorney Marc Panepinto, made reference to the crowd of over 600 who attended the Brunch, declaring that, “the only problem Cheektowaga Chairman Max has is he needs a bigger hall”

While acknowledging that Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown is the odds on favorite to win re-election, some sources are pointing out that the Mayor's huge war chest of over $1.3 million may not be as big as asset in a Sept. Democratic primary as some might think.

“Big money for TV ads isn't as important in a race like this one because the vast majority of the people who will see such ads aren't going to vote in a Brown vs. Bernie Tolbert primary,” one points out. “The fact is that only about 30,000 voters could decide this race. So what you need is not hundreds of thousands for TV ads but a relatively small amount of money for mailings to prime Democratic voters.”

“That's the reason why Tolbert's strategy of waiting to raise money until late might not be so foolish after all,“ adds another. “Look at the Mike Amodeo vs. Chuck Swanick primary race last year. Swanick started out 32 points ahead, but Amodeo beat him with targeted mailings to true blue Democrats. In a primary race in which not many are going to vote, such mailings can be very powerful and they aren't that expensive.”

Some say the race could be transformed once Tolbert announces if a third candidate gets into the race as a result. However, based on what potential candidates are saying right now, this doesn't seem likely.

The entire WNY political community is united in sending its prayers and condolences to the family of Erie County Sheriff Tim Howard who lost his mother over the weekend.

We understand that when County Democratic Chairman Jeremy Zellner arrived at the annual Progressive Democrats of Cheektowaga Brunch under Chairman Frank Max on Saturday, he was asked to leave after being allowed to make a single social round through the event. The organizers have told NewWNYPolitics that this was done not as a way of expressing personal disrespect or animosity toward Chairman Zellner but for legal reasons.

They point out that there is litigation pending between Max and Zellner and that, under these circumstances, it is not advisable for the two sides to engage in social exchanges during such a time. Once again the organizers say they did not express any disrespect toward Chairman Zellner nor did he aim any disrespectful comments toward them.

Chairman Zellner got better news when he returned to County Democratic headquarters where interviews were being conducted by the Erie County Democratic Executive Committee for Family Court and Sheriff candidates. Reportedly, most, though possibly not all, of the Executive Committee accepted Sheriff contender Bert Dunn's explanation for that recent, controversial text message he sent to a voter, with the lion's share of them intending to vote to give him the Democratic endorsement.

Of course, the campaign of former Sheriff's Deputy Dick Dobson is still planning a vigorous primary challenge even if Dunn gets the Committee endorsement.

Congratulations to highly respected attorney and Amherst Town Board Member Barbara Nuchereno who won the Republican endorsement for the post of Amherst Town Judge last week. This endorsement sets up a showdown between Nuchereno and Democrat Kara Buscaglia.

Finally, our prayers go out to the victims of today's Boston Marathon bombing and their families. While we have faith that our country's national security team can stop most terrorist attacks on our country, there is never any guarantee that they can thwart all of them.