SD-61: Joe Mesi Will Fight For His Donors Outside The District
by Matt at Oct 11th, 2008
It’s kind of funny how similar Jon Powers and Baby Joe Mesi are. Both have shady dealing with their respective charities. Jon Powers’ failed charity, War Kids Relief, according to disclosure forms, lined his wallet a lot better than it helped Iraqi children, and Joe Mesi’s Organ Donation Foundation similarly was more profitable for his family members than for the cause.
Another trait they share is they both have attracted a lot of political contributions from outside the districts they want (or wanted) to represent. The Buffalo News has a story revealing where Baby Joe’s political donations are coming from.
If all politics is local, Democrat Joe Mesi had some problems during the most recent fundraising period for his State Senate campaign.
Only $350 out of $140,000 he raised during a recent 14-day stretch came from voters or business interests from within the 61st Senate District — a showing his opponent, Republican Michael Ranzenhofer, immediately seized upon Monday.
“It’s kind of astonishing to see such a huge amount of money coming from outside the area,” said Ranzenhofer, an Erie County legislator who is locked in a battle with Mesi, a former boxer, for the seat being vacated by retiring State Sen. Mary Lou Rath, a Williamsville Republican.
Mesi was unavailable for an interview, but a campaign official said that since campaign efforts began earlier this year, Mesi has gotten donations from more than 350 local sources.
Russ Thompson at Albany’s Insanity made the following point:
Well apparently the people in the district don’t support or think Mesi has a chance of winning. If they did he would be pulling in more. What does bother me is the donations from New York City… Our biggest problem IS NY City influence and now we see it in the Mesi campaign? Independent my a$$…
He makes a good point. Russ also says that “Everyone should be worried when down state politicians and interests want to buy off any legislator and especially a candidate.” I agree. How can Baby Joe say he’ll fight for Western New York when they’re not the ones pushing him into the ring.
