MOULE: What's Golisano's game?

By Jeremy Moule on August 5, 2008

Wondering what billionaire Tom Golisano's up to with his Responsible New York fund? Apparently, whatever he wants.

The Buffalo News today has a story detailing Golisano's push for a Buffalo suburb to reduce the size of its governing board. Golisano and his sidekick, former Erie County Democratic Party head Steve Pigeon, plan to leverage the fund to get the board down from five members to three.

The story doesn't explain how, exactly, that will work. The fund could bankroll some sort of advertising campaign or provide backing for the petition drive that's under way. He also plans to create another political fund, People for a Responsible New York, which the News says will be all about reducing the size of government.

If this is the road he's going down, makes you wonder what he's got in mind for Monroe County. Putting aside the Senate campaigns he'll supposedly back - he hasn't yet said, but Democrats Rick Dollinger and David Nachbar are odds-on favorites - will he try to shake up some of our towns and villages, or maybe the city? Democrats in the County Legislature wanted to shrink that body, could Golisano bring that proposal back to life?

One thing to keep in mind with the West Seneca deal, though, is that Pigeon is tied to West Seneca - he's a former Erie County legislator from the town.

Golisano's turning into something of a wild card this election year. While he'll likely aggravate politicians and the Republican and Democratic establishments, his antics will be fun to watch.