Who says columnists can't say nice things about politicians?
DAN MEYER Political Columnist
Afunny thing happened to me last weekend when I bumped into a faithful reader of this column while strolling up and down Delaware Avenue at the Taste of Buffalo.

As I was scarfing on a vegetarian hot dog from Louie's (I'm telling you, folks, if you didn't tell me it was a veggie dog, I never would have known) and chasing it down with an ice-cold glass of Labatt's, a woman thanked me for "telling it like it is" and also "giving the business to those stuffed shirts."

So after I autographed an 8- by 10-inch glossy photograph of myself and presented it to her and accepted a gracious tip from my number one fan, I figured engaging in a brief conversation was the least I could do before asking her to fill out a nomination form touting my candidacy for a Pulitzer prize.

My first question was a simple one. I asked what she would like me to write about in the future.

Her answer was intriguing.

"Dan, as much as I like to read your column and love when you tear into people like Spitzer, Bruno and Silver, I wouldn't mind seeing something about the good things that some of our elected officials do."

So after we parted ways and I continued my jaunt down Delaware, feasting on chicken wings, roast beef sandwiches, rice balls and a couple of wine slushies, I arrived home and began flipping through my bulging Meyer's Musings file in an effort to find some "positive press" related to our local pols.

Sure enough, there were plenty of news releases and other literature pointing out the good things in which a handful of our elected leaders have had a hand.

Following the advice of one of my biggest fans, here's a brief list of some positive happenings that have occurred in the Empire State, with proper credit being given to the man or woman in power who saw it through:

• Sens. Charles Schumer and Hillary Clinton and Reps. Brian Higgins, Louise Slaughter and Thomas Reynolds recently joined together to push the feds to compensate former Bethlehem Steel workers who were exposed to radiation while working on atomic weapons programs, subsequently getting cancer. The quintet has openly criticized the way the federal government's illness compensation program has been managed.

• Sen. Dale Volker recently unveiled what he calls the "Upstate Now" agenda, a comprehensive job creation and economic growth plan that he hopes will transform and revitalize our upstate economy by creating new jobs. The 10-point plan calls for the investment of nearly $4 billion in economic development initiatives over the next three years, including new tax relief programs.

• Gov. Eliot Spitzer signed legislation just this week that calls for the extension of the Family Health Plus program to provide better access to low-cost health insurance. By keeping private employer dollars in the health-care system as a way to counter escalating costs associated with health insurance, the Family Health Plus program will soon be available to more residents.

• Lt. Gov. David Patterson helped mark the 35th anniversary of Title IX by encouraging Spitzer to sign an executive order that helps ensure the success of Title IX in promoting gender equality in all education programs and at the workplace.

(Daniel Meyer is a columnist for the Weekly Independent Newspapers of Western New York. WIN is a consortium of 19 community-based weekly newspapers in Erie and Niagara counties with a combined paid circulation of 75,000 homes, providing collaborative advertising and editorial support for member publications. For more information on WIN, or to provide feedback on this column, visit our Web site at www.wnynewspapers.com. Comments can also be sent directly to Meyer by sending an e-mail to: meyersmusings@gmail.com. Opinions expressed here are those of the author.)