Is Paladino biting the hand that feeds him?

[Earth_First]

Paladino is state government’s biggest landlord in Western New York, holding half of the 52 leases the state has taken out on offices in Erie and Niagara counties, a Buffalo News analysis shows. Albany’s rent payments to Paladino this year will total $5.1 million.

His companies will collect another $5 million in rent from the federal and local governments, including his two most lucrative leases that net him $1.7 million for an office that houses some operations of the Erie County Department of Social Services and $1.5 million for FBI offices behind City Hall.

Paladino’s business transactions with government don’t end with leasing office space, a Buffalo News investigation found.

He owns an estimated 20 properties that have received tax breaks — including property and sales taxes — that amounted to at least $12 million since 2003, The News calculated.

Paladino also bought at least two large buildings from the government for next to nothing. A state economic development agency spent about $1 million to buy the former United Office Building in Niagara Falls that it then sold in 2002 to Paladino for $10. Buffalo city officials in 1999 sold him the former L.L. Berger building for $1 and tossed in a parking lot and $385,000 to help repair the building.

Paladino’s extensive dealings with government — coupled with at least $452,000 in political contributions in recent years to scores of politicians — are in sharp contrast to the rhetoric of his campaign for governor, in which he has railed against government spending and portrayed himself as an outsider dedicated to taking on the ruling elite.

http://blogs.alternet.org/speakeasy/2010/09/15/is-carl-paladino-the-tea-baggers-biggest-hypocrite-yet/

on edit: url

[atreides1]

1. Goes to show

His supporters are dumber then a bag of rocks.

[LiberalAndProud]

2. What he says now and what he will do in office won't be the same thing.

It's always the same. RepubliCons talk about reducing government, yet government grows on their watch. They talk about reducing spending and budgets balloon, yet they heap the charge on their unlimited credit card because actually *paying* for their outrageous budgets might cost their closest cronies some hard cash.

This is the same Elephant as ever, adorned in teabags.

[TreasonousBastard]

3. He made the insane promise that he would reduce state spending by...

20% immediately upon assuming office. The only way he could even start to reduce spending would be to reduce the state's rent in his buildings to $1 a year.

Perhaps that's what he has in mind.