Joel Giambra
Encyclopedia
Joel Giambra is the former County Executive
in Erie County, New York
. The county seat is Buffalo, New York
, where Giambra currently resides.
. He later said, "It was an environment where everybody was poor but we didn’t know it."
His mother eventually remarried to Salvatore "Babe" Panaro, and Giambra considers Panaro to be his father. His mother and stepfather had a daughter, Angela. The family were Roman Catholic.
Giambra attended Grover Cleveland High School
and Erie Community College
.
He suffered from throat cancer
but later recovered. His treatment choice caused a political firestorm as he was treated at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
in New York City
instead of the Roswell Park Cancer Institute
in Buffalo
leading to the belief that he was deliberately insulting his constituency by seeking treatment outside Erie County at a time when Roswell Park was a highly rated cancer facility. Supporters claim that he wished to avoid media scrutiny during his treatment and recovery, something he could not do while being treated at Roswell, and that Sloan-Kettering was superior in treating his specific form of cancer.
early in his career. He was a Democrat
who changed his political affiliation to Republican
in 1999 to better position himself to run for County Executive
. He was seen as a future statewide candidate and in 2002 was considered by Governor
George Pataki
as a running mate for lieutenant governor
, before Lt. Gov. Mary Donohue
was nominated for reelection. He won a closer than expected re-election in 2003 against a weak Democratic rival, and his administration
started to experience problems.
Investigations into the mismanagement of a highway
garage and exorbitant prices paid for county office furniture to a Giambra campaign contributor preceded the 2005 budget
problems. Then-New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer
initiated a lawsuit against the furniture company for the overcharges. Some have accused Giambra of providing lucrative jobs to associates. His county staff measured 18, while Monroe County
's executive had only four staffers and then downsized to three. Giambra's boyhood friend Victor Getz was particularly singled out for notice, for his salary as an executive assistant and driver to Giambra. A panel appointed by Giambra found that Giambra's and other county employees' salaries should be raised by 40%.
Giambra lowered or declined to raise county taxes for years for a total of 31% lower taxes, financing his budget partly through the use of surpluses from the previous county administration and monies from the tobacco settlement. The county then had to accept either massive reductions of services or increases in taxation. Giambra said that "an end to county government as we know it" would occur without a sales tax hike, ending county libraries, snowplows and road patrols.
Giambra proposed this "red budget" of $940 million which eliminated services, and after failed negotiations to raise the sales tax
in a "green budget" of $1 billion, a modified plan was adopted which laid off 2,000 county employees and closed many county services, including the Parks Department. In 2005, a Control Board was implemented by the state to monitor county finance
s. This, coupled with an investigation into patronage
positions, led to Giambra's announcement that he would not seek reelection in 2007.
Following the adoption of his red budget, Giambra has seen his popularity drop and this has led to the retirements of several local politicians who are tied to him. In the 2005 election, candidates vied to distance themselves from him. Many county legislators either chose not to run for re-election or were defeated by new candidates, radically changing the political make-up of the legislature.
In April 2006, Giambra said that the "War on Drugs" was being lost and models used successfully in other countries of decriminalizing certain drugs and thus reducing violence associated with the illegal drug trade needed to be examined. The Buffalo News published an Op-Ed
agreeing with Giambra's statements that drug legalization should be studied further.
County executive
A county executive is the head of the executive branch of government in a county. This position is common in the United States.The executive may be an elected or an appointed position...
in Erie County, New York
Erie County, New York
Erie County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 919,040. The county seat is Buffalo. The county's name comes from Lake Erie, which in turn comes from the Erie tribe of American Indians who lived south and east of the lake before 1654.Erie...
. The county seat is Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
, where Giambra currently resides.
Early life
Giambra was born and raised in Buffalo, in 1951(?), to a single mother, Shirley, and also raised by his grandmother. He lived in the Lakeview Housing Project, near the east bank of the Niagara RiverNiagara River
The Niagara River flows north from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. It forms part of the border between the Province of Ontario in Canada and New York State in the United States. There are differing theories as to the origin of the name of the river...
. He later said, "It was an environment where everybody was poor but we didn’t know it."
His mother eventually remarried to Salvatore "Babe" Panaro, and Giambra considers Panaro to be his father. His mother and stepfather had a daughter, Angela. The family were Roman Catholic.
Giambra attended Grover Cleveland High School
Grover Cleveland High School (Buffalo, New York)
Grover Cleveland High School was a high school located in Buffalo, New York, USA. It generally housed 274 students from Grades 9 - 12 and teaches according to the Board of Regents...
and Erie Community College
Erie Community College
Erie Community College is a two-year community college that is part of the 64-campus SUNY system. It is the fourth-largest community college in New York State....
.
Personal life
Giambra married Michelle Lettieri in 1982, and they have four children, Gabriella, Nicholas, Dominic, and Joel.He suffered from throat cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
but later recovered. His treatment choice caused a political firestorm as he was treated at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Memorial Sloan–Kettering Cancer Center is a cancer treatment and research institution founded in 1884 as the New York Cancer Hospital...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
instead of the Roswell Park Cancer Institute
Roswell Park Cancer Institute
The Roswell Park Cancer Institute is a comprehensive cancer research and treatment center located in Buffalo, New York. Founded in 1898 by Dr. Roswell Park, it was the first dedicated medical facility for cancer treatment and research in the United States. The facility is involved in drug...
in Buffalo
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
leading to the belief that he was deliberately insulting his constituency by seeking treatment outside Erie County at a time when Roswell Park was a highly rated cancer facility. Supporters claim that he wished to avoid media scrutiny during his treatment and recovery, something he could not do while being treated at Roswell, and that Sloan-Kettering was superior in treating his specific form of cancer.
Political career
Giambra was one of the youngest Buffalo Common Council members ever, and also served as Buffalo City ComptrollerComptroller
A comptroller is a management level position responsible for supervising the quality of accounting and financial reporting of an organization.In British government, the Comptroller General or Comptroller and Auditor General is in most countries the external auditor of the budget execution of the...
early in his career. He was a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
who changed his political affiliation to Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
in 1999 to better position himself to run for County Executive
County executive
A county executive is the head of the executive branch of government in a county. This position is common in the United States.The executive may be an elected or an appointed position...
. He was seen as a future statewide candidate and in 2002 was considered by Governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
George Pataki
George Pataki
George Elmer Pataki is an American politician who was the 53rd Governor of New York. A member of the Republican Party, Pataki served three consecutive four-year terms from January 1, 1995 until December 31, 2006.- Early life :...
as a running mate for lieutenant governor
Lieutenant Governor of New York
The Lieutenant Governor of New York is a constitutional office in the executive branch of the government of New York State. It is the second highest ranking official in state government. The lieutenant governor is elected on a ticket with the governor for a four year term...
, before Lt. Gov. Mary Donohue
Mary Donohue
Mary O’Connor Donohue is a Judge of the New York Court of Claims and a former Lieutenant Governor of New York State. She was first elected lieutenant governor in 1998 and reelected 2002 on a ticket with Gov. George Pataki.-Teaching and legal career:...
was nominated for reelection. He won a closer than expected re-election in 2003 against a weak Democratic rival, and his administration
Administration (government)
The term administration, as used in the context of government, differs according to jurisdiction.-United States:In United States usage, the term refers to the executive branch under a specific president , for example: the "Barack Obama administration." It can also mean an executive branch agency...
started to experience problems.
Investigations into the mismanagement of a highway
Highway
A highway is any public road. In American English, the term is common and almost always designates major roads. In British English, the term designates any road open to the public. Any interconnected set of highways can be variously referred to as a "highway system", a "highway network", or a...
garage and exorbitant prices paid for county office furniture to a Giambra campaign contributor preceded the 2005 budget
Budget
A budget is a financial plan and a list of all planned expenses and revenues. It is a plan for saving, borrowing and spending. A budget is an important concept in microeconomics, which uses a budget line to illustrate the trade-offs between two or more goods...
problems. Then-New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer
Eliot Spitzer
Eliot Laurence Spitzer is an American lawyer, former Democratic Party politician, and political commentator. He was the co-host of In the Arena, a talk-show and punditry forum broadcast on CNN until CNN cancelled his show in July of 2011...
initiated a lawsuit against the furniture company for the overcharges. Some have accused Giambra of providing lucrative jobs to associates. His county staff measured 18, while Monroe County
Monroe County, New York
Monroe County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 744,344. It is named after James Monroe, fifth President of the United States of America. Its county seat is the city of Rochester....
's executive had only four staffers and then downsized to three. Giambra's boyhood friend Victor Getz was particularly singled out for notice, for his salary as an executive assistant and driver to Giambra. A panel appointed by Giambra found that Giambra's and other county employees' salaries should be raised by 40%.
Giambra lowered or declined to raise county taxes for years for a total of 31% lower taxes, financing his budget partly through the use of surpluses from the previous county administration and monies from the tobacco settlement. The county then had to accept either massive reductions of services or increases in taxation. Giambra said that "an end to county government as we know it" would occur without a sales tax hike, ending county libraries, snowplows and road patrols.
Giambra proposed this "red budget" of $940 million which eliminated services, and after failed negotiations to raise the sales tax
Sales tax
A sales tax is a tax, usually paid by the consumer at the point of purchase, itemized separately from the base price, for certain goods and services. The tax amount is usually calculated by applying a percentage rate to the taxable price of a sale....
in a "green budget" of $1 billion, a modified plan was adopted which laid off 2,000 county employees and closed many county services, including the Parks Department. In 2005, a Control Board was implemented by the state to monitor county finance
Finance
"Finance" is often defined simply as the management of money or “funds” management Modern finance, however, is a family of business activity that includes the origination, marketing, and management of cash and money surrogates through a variety of capital accounts, instruments, and markets created...
s. This, coupled with an investigation into patronage
Patronage
Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows to another. In the history of art, arts patronage refers to the support that kings or popes have provided to musicians, painters, and sculptors...
positions, led to Giambra's announcement that he would not seek reelection in 2007.
Following the adoption of his red budget, Giambra has seen his popularity drop and this has led to the retirements of several local politicians who are tied to him. In the 2005 election, candidates vied to distance themselves from him. Many county legislators either chose not to run for re-election or were defeated by new candidates, radically changing the political make-up of the legislature.
In April 2006, Giambra said that the "War on Drugs" was being lost and models used successfully in other countries of decriminalizing certain drugs and thus reducing violence associated with the illegal drug trade needed to be examined. The Buffalo News published an Op-Ed
Op-ed
An op-ed, abbreviated from opposite the editorial page , is a newspaper article that expresses the opinions of a named writer who is usually unaffiliated with the newspaper's editorial board...
agreeing with Giambra's statements that drug legalization should be studied further.