| One of the things I have heard for a long time about Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown is that he uses City Hall employees as staff for his campaign and political purposes.
Today, James Heaney of The Buffalo News exposed this questionable tactic as e-mails surfaced from a City Hall official asking employees to volunteer eight hours of their time at a Brown for Mayor campaign office.
And on his blog, Heaney includes the actual e-mail which led to his piece.
Here's the e-mail:
Subject: Volunteer opportunities to Re-elect Mayor Byron W. Brown
Community Services Team:
I sent an email regarding volunteer opportunities to assist in the re-election of Mayor Byron W. Brown on Monday and this is a follow-up with updated information.
This week, your help is needed at the campaign headquarters from 5:00 pm - 9:00 pm. Wednesday-Friday.
Again, select either Saturday or Sunday for a 4 hour block to volunteer your time.
Please make sure you sign in and that you work until 9:00 pm during the week and minimally 4 hours on the weekend. Your services are needed minimally 8 hours per week.
"Campaign hours on the weekend (Saturday and Sunday) are from 10:00 am - 9 pm.
Next week, Tuesday, June 9th, everyone is expected to be at the Headquarters after work ; a 4:00 pm, 4:30 pm or 5 pm until 9 pm. This is a busy day as it is the first official day for petitions. There is a lot of work to be done and your help is needed.
From that point on, Community Services team will be at Headquarters on Tuesday until 9:00 pm where you will receive your assignment. If you are unable to volunteer on that Tuesday or a weekend, please notify myself and Dana Bobinchek at the email above and accommodations will be made for you to make up the time during the week.
Due to the importance and volume of activity, it is important that that we all contribute to the re-election of Mayor Byron W. Brown. Also, recruit friends and family to assist.
Please respond that you have received this e-mail. Let me know the days and times you will work this week. If I don't hear from you by Wednesday, I will contact you.
Thanks. Tanya
Keep in mind a few things: This e-mail was sent to city employees. This wasn't sent to just any average citizen that would be interesting in aiding Brown's re-election campaign. This was sent directly to employees of Tanya Perrin-Johnson's department, the Department of Community Services, asking them to "volunteer" their time.
But if you read the e-mail, as Heaney pointed out, it doesn't sound much like a volunteer opportunity as the subject of the e-mail would make you think. The text of the e-mail makes it sound like something where, if you don't show, you will be contacted. In other words, either help out or get a talking to.
Mickey Kearns, a Buffalo Common Councilmember and a Democratic challenger to Brown for Mayor, has questioned in the past the tactics employed by Brown and the use of City Hall employees as campaign staffers. With the Buffalo News article today, Kearns came out strongly against Brown's use of City Hall employees for campaign purposes.
Speaking at a noontime press conference on the steps of City Hall Kearns, the South District Council member said Buffalo News revelations of internal e-mails requiring service at Brown's campaign headquarters indicate that civil servants are being "bullied and muscled" to work on his behalf.
He promised that if he wins the September Democratic primary and November general election, he will ban any similar activity. And he labeled "coercive" the story's revelations that Human Resources Commissioner Tanya Perrin-Johnson e-mailed city employees to outline her expectations they will volunteer a minimum of eight hours per week.
"Employees should not be compelled by any city commissioner or department head to work on the mayor's campaign period," he said. "Employees should only be expected to do their jobs."
In his first real criticism of Brown in his so far quiet campaign, Kearns said the mayor has presided over "one of the most corrupt" administrations in recent memory.
If this practice isn't illegal already, it should be. Using taxpayer-funded employees for political purposes is not a practice that should be condoned or taken lightly. It is an abuse of power and abuse of taxpayer money. It is one thing for city employees to volunteer on their own. It is another for them to be pressured into it (whether that was the intent or not, it sure sounds like it in the e-mail) and told that they are expected to meet certain minimums for their time. That isn't why these employees took the job. They took it to make a living, not to be campaign staff for the mayor. |
