LOCKPORT — Ah, to be so in demand and showered with love. It’s springtime in Western New York and people are courting us. We have the power, we have the knowledge, we have everything that will make their life complete. Please, oh please, give me your soul, eh, vote.

You know I’m talking about politics and politicians. There is no more business around here and sports are becoming such big business that they are less and less interesting. Politics is the next big thing — the only thing everyone talks about and everyone thinks is the solution to turning our sad economy around.

Think that’s a crazy notion? Mega-billionaire and Sabres owner Tom Golisano wanted to be a politician and spent hundreds of millions of dollars trying. Mega land developer Carl Paladino wants to be a politician and is willing to spend whatever it takes. Private business and sports just aren’t as lucrative as politics in Western New  York.

So politicians and their huge staff jazz us up this time of year; compliment us on our foresight and tell us that they need people like us involved. Until the day after the election — when they won’t need us. This is our seasonal climate in Western New York. What was once winter, summer, spring and fall, what was once hunting or fishing, has now become election and post-election.

Local politicians come to organizations like the Niagara County Patriots and say, “Hey, I’m one of you; I will help you find the right candidate to support; trust me.”

In Roman times those politicians would have been sewn into a bag with a wild animal and tossed into the river. In the 17th century, those same politicians would have had tar poured over them, then be rolled in chicken feathers, tied to a cart and paraded throughout town by a jeering, angry mob. Sadly, in the 21st century we politely applaud, go home and develop a hatred for some other politician, but not ours. Convinced ours is the one good person trying to help — we know they are because they came to our meeting and said so.

If you want to talk about fixing our state government first talk about fixing our local representation. Don’t look so far down the horizon that you are missing what is right in front of your eyes.

Dale Volker says he’s a fiscal conservative of the highest order. To prove it, he was the champion of restoring the death penalty to New York. As if one has anything to do with the other, but this is how politicians think and speak. State Sen. Volker was also building a $1 million-per-year senate staff expense. What could possibly be the justification for running a Western New York district office that costs $1 million per year? But Volker is revered by most in Western New York. He can’t possibly be the problem.

George Maziarz orchestrated the shutdown of state government one year ago. In order to do it he met with known felons, late at night, in Albany bars, so as not to be recognized. We only know that because he bragged about it to the New York Times. The result of the senate shutdown: staff spending for the state Senate has increased $7 million in one year (a year when a hiring freeze is in place), and Maziarz was the fourth highest benefactor of that increase, according to research done by the Gannett News organization. Maziarz cannot be part of the state budget problem; he tells us so —and he runs unopposed most years.

Antoine Thompson did not show up for work one week and instructed his staff — paid state employees — to not say a word about where he was or what he might be doing. Turns out he was in Jamaica not doing much — if any — state business. We can be so certain of that because he paid for the trip out of campaign funds and not state travel funds. If you’re doing state business, you pay for it with state money, not campaign contributions that come almost exclusively from lobbyists.

We are forgiving and understanding people here in Western New York. Maybe actions like these are what we want. That’s the real question, after all: What do we want? Don’t get distracted by propaganda. Watch what politicians do, not what they say they do, and make up your own mind. But don’t let the magic of the moment distract your attention far down the horizon. Look here at home first, and figure out what it is you really want.