Guest Viewpoint: Remembering "The Boss"
by Jim Thomas, Bijoy Datta, Tina Ruocco, Emmanuel Priest and Amanda Holzer, who served as spokespersons and in many other roles for Senator Tom Libous from 1989 through 2015.

(from today's Press & Sun-Bulletin)

On behalf of the many former staffers of Sen. Tom Libous, we all share in the deep sadness of his passing, and offer our thoughts and prayers to his loving family.

“The Boss,” as we affectionately called him, leaves behind a lion’s legacy from his work over the past 30 years. He was the guy who got things done.

He was also a mentor, a teacher, a father figure and a disciplinarian to those of us who had the privilege of helping to implement his vision as members of his staff. To be sure, it was a tough gig working for him. He had the highest of standards, and even when you met or exceeded expectations, you might’ve gotten a quick pat on the back — and then the bar inevitably moved even higher. After all, there was more work to be done for the district.

From humble beginnings as the grandson of Lebanese immigrants, Senator Libous learned this work ethic sweeping the floor of his father’s corner grocery store on Chenango Street in Binghamton. That drive never left him.

The Boss was a tenacious and powerful voice for the Southern Tier. His passion for his constituents, his ability to put together deals, and his vision for the future helped our community weather the storms of economic change as he planted seeds for the next generation.

Some of the toughest times for our community followed the terrible floods of 2006 and 2011. Both times, he was there front and center, doing everything he could to help those in need. There was plenty of coverage of the nearly $1 million in local grants he gave to volunteer fire departments, or the buyout grants he helped to secure, or the other state help he fought to deliver.

But what most people didn’t see was him riding along with a Red Cross truck through Conklin, Kirkwood, Owego and Bainbridge handing out food, water and cleaning supplies — or him telling staff members and even a few members of the media to “put down the camera and help hand out this stuff!”

His foresight led New York state to partner with Binghamton University to urbanize its footprint in downtown Binghamton. In just 10 short years since the BU Downtown Center’s completion, downtown’s landscape has.... (click here to continue reading)