Joe Mesi wipes the sweat from his brow as he stands under glaring white lights. All eyes are on him. The undefeated boxer has faced some hard-hitting competition in his life, but today’s match is especially critical to the future of his career. He looks over at his opponent who appears calm and collected, seemingly unaffected by the pressure that this event ensues.
It’s going to be one hell of a debate.
Mesi, born and raised in Tonawanda, was once considered the “third professional sports franchise from Buffalo, NY,” until one fateful deck to the head in Las Vegas caused subdural hematoma — a collection of blood on top of the brain. This signaled the end of his career in boxing and the start of something new, politics.
Mike Ranzenhofer, Mesi’s Republican opponent, is a “longtime Amherst resident” and partner for the law firm Friedman & Ranzenhofer P.C. He prides himself on being active in the community and bases his platform on political experience, specifically 20 years as Legislator of the Fourth District of Erie County.
Mesi and Ranzenhofer are battling it out over the 61st Senate District, which includes Tonawanda, Clarence, and Amherst. This particular race is crucial, as Democrats hope to win two seats needed to gain Senate majority, the first time Democrats would have control in over 40 years. Republican Senator Mary Lou Rath is retiring, and before the primaries, the Senate majority leader Joseph L. Bruno commented in The New York Times, “That’s a Republican seat, we’ll be O.K. We have a depth of people behind her.” Mesi changed all that.
Both Mesi and Ranzenhofer cite job loss and a stifling local economy as reasons for running for the state Senate seat. Mesi said his family felt the effects of this firsthand earlier this year. “I was out of town when I learned that my brother lost his job at American Axle, a local division of General Motors. We’re losing enough jobs and too many people are leaving the area. I think I can provide some assistance in helping to bring jobs back, while lowering property taxes and helping the health care concerns that people have locally,” said Mesi.
Ranzenhofer, however, noticed the fiscal problems on a larger scale.
“When my wife and I came here, the economic environment was better and jobs were more plentiful. One of the things I see going door-to-door is that while it used to be every fifth or tenth house knew someone who had moved elsewhere, now almost every house has a member of the family who has moved out of the area,” said Ranzenhofer.
Ranzenhofer plans to set about facilitating job creation through efficient state spending and investing in innovative programs. “You have to stabilize the fiscal situation that’s going on in Albany,” Ranzenhofer said. “You also have to bring capital investment, which is very important, in order to bring jobs to the area, whether they’re in construction, high tech, science, or medical research.”
Mesi has a five point plan stressing similar points. In reference to the excessive spending that Mesi can cut from Albany to spur business investment, he states, “We need to cut with a scalpel and not a sledgehammer.” He then adds, “I will protect jobs and create jobs, and I will make sure to keep that promise.”
Another issue that is at the forefront of both campaigns is taxes. Both candidates promise tax relief to the middle class, but Mesi and Ranzenhofer differ in how they wish to achieve such relief.
Ranzenhofer has a two point plan to put a “cap” on property tax and lower income taxes. He argues that of the 50 states, New York has the second highest taxes, and that as a result, jobs have stopped moving overseas, but started moving to other states.
“One of the things I propose is I want to cap the property tax. I proposed a cap which is linked to rise in inflation,” Ranzenhofer said. “The second thing I proposed, which is being proposed at the federal level and happened this year through Senator Chuck Schumer, is some sort of cut in the middle class tax rate. My proposal is ten percent for any person earning under $200,000 a year.”
“I can provide relief making the proper cuts in our budget, with proper cuts in budget, a circuit breaker will provide the working class and the average New Yorker 700 dollars in a rebate check; that’s relief. The state Assembly passed it, now it’s time to bring a bill to the Senate that will provide a rebate check.” Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver defines “circuit breaker” measures as “those who face the greatest challenges of rising property taxes — including working families and seniors living on fixed incomes receive an immediate tax reduction.”
Perhaps it was only inevitable that controversy arise. Joe Mesi states that, “Over 400 contributions come right from my district,” and has previously stated at UB, “I can look a person in the face and say, ‘Thank you, but I’m still going to do what’s best for the campaign.’” Ranzenhofer begs to differ.
In an October 20 edition of The Buffalo News, Ranzenhofer accused Mesi of accepting illegal campaign contributions from Buffalo Sabres owner Thomas Golisano via the Responsible New York Committee and its administrator G. Steven Pigeon. Ranzenhofer states, “If you look at the whole Pigeon thing, that particular organization is outside the law. They don’t have to report, there’s no transparency. They’re not bound by the amounts that are given. It creates a situation where one person can have control by buying an election, and people are upset about that.
While Ranzenhofer boasts legislative experience, Mesi is relying on educational achievements coupled with a true “fighter” attitude learned from boxing to become the Democratic state Senator. “Look at my work ethic. I’m not the best boxer in the world, not even close, but I never lost. Out of 36 fights, there are 15 that I should have lost, but I worked very, very hard.”
November 4 will show whether he can make that 37 victories of his career.
