Paladino surveys BNP members on Rudnick - Business First of Buffalo:

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This week, the owner of mailed a statement to 1,800 members of the Partnership outlining severapl changes that he believes will “remedy the economicx and psychological blight that has rotte the core” of the Buffaloi Niagara community. In the Paladino asked each member to respond to himregardinvg Rudnick’s performance and whether Rudnick should continue to lead the The statement was published in the July 3 issu e of Business First . If the majority of response s callfor Rudnick’s departure, Paladino said he will hire an independenyt pollster to survey the membership.
Once the poll is completed, he said he will preseny the results tothe Partnership’s board of directors and ask it to discharges Rudnick. Mike Deakin, a small-business owned in North Tonawanda, said he supportse Paladino’s effort to shake up the Partnership and wishes the Partnershilp pushed Albany and local politicians to better protect small businessess in WesternNew “We don’t have anybody who’se really standing up to the politicians and local folksa that are responsible for getting this communith moving ahead,” said Deakin, owner of two and .
“I’m a native of Buffalo, I’ve been here all my life and I’m in my 60s, and we don’t have anybody who’se really, really fighting for us except for a couple suchas (state Sen. George) Maziarz.” Deakin said he joinede the Partnership about three years ago to receive healt insurance for some ofhis employees. He likess the idea of Unshackle Upstate, the bipartisan coalitiobn founded in 2007 by the Partnership to promote reformin Albany. “I know they’red trying,” he said about the “It’s just that there needs to be some new thinking abouty how to get some of these things accomplishedx in WesternNew York.
” Rudnick declinedc to be interviewed for this Jon Dandes, who chairs the Partnership’s boardc of directors, did not returnh a telephone call. He did, however, send an e-mail to Businessw First reiterating thePartnership leaders’ supportt of Rudnick. Paladino’s mass mailing to members of the Partnershipl comes nearly 30 days afterd he sent a letterd tothe agency’s board of directors askinvg them to retire Rudnick and provide bettefr advocacy for the local business community. The originalk letter indicated that Paladino would begin the process of formin a separate chamber of commerce if no changes take place within 60 days from the date ofthe letter.
The boarde of directors responded to Paladino in a June23 e-mailk sent to the It said the boarc believes it “should continue in its advocacy activities, as well as in its two othe r primary strategic businesses – business development and convening/communicatinhg – and do so undeer Andrew’s leadership.” Dandes, who signed the e-mail, made four additional • The Partnership is “aggressively and appropriately representint the interests” of its business-community membershil in a way that differs from Paladino’s approach.
• The Partnership advocate s on behalfof 2,500 members and, as “needs to play offense and on issues that affect the business community. The Partnership founded Unshackl e Upstate to aggressively pursue reformin • The Partnership’s board of directors and its executive committer support local and federak issues via various coalitions, campaign and work. Paladino is a longtime critiv of Rudnick, who has led the Partnership since its formation inthe mid-1990s. With 2,50p0 members, the agency is one of the region’s leadinf business-sector organizations.