Political cartoonist impresario Gerald Skrlin has with his recent work returned, as it were, to the scene of the crime. It was little more than one year ago when Skrlin shot to fame with a piece of distinctive, albeit rather outrageous for local tastes, cartoon art that was first circulated in city hall by former city councilman Sam Fruscione. That cartoon took a creative roundhouse swing at what has become known as The Niagara Machine…the Dyster administration that runs government and oversees costly projects, huge salaries, pay raises, unending pay stipends, incredible amounts of overtime and friendly contracts…with all of it coming at great cost to the taxpayer. In spite of the state’s documented evidence of mishandled money, a missing million, $63 million in debt, $7.4 million in deficit, a city budget passed when no one was looking, and frozen water lines costing a cool $http://southbuffalonews.com million to repair, none of this bothers the High Five as they ride along on the back of the Niagara Machine. Yes, while residents suffer under the Dyster-Touma threat of yet another property reassessment and higher taxes it doesn’t bother Paul Dyster, Kristen Grandinetti, Andrew Touma, Ezra Scott and Charles Walker in the least. And why should it bother the High Five? It’s not like anything or anyone is going to stop them.
Fritz Menzhausen
