Interview: Brian Higgins

• Share on
• 
• 
• 
• 

Investigative Post editor Jim Heaney interviewed Congressman Brian Higgins about a series of issues.

Higgins in the interview, which aired on WGRZ’s Daybreak Sunday:

• Explains his advocacy of developing the Outer Harbor into a park, but in a departure from previous comments, sounds receptive to some commercial development.

“There clearly is an opportunity for mixed-use development,” he said.

• Maintains the construction of a new Peace Bridge plaza will help reduce exhaust that is causing respiratory health problems on the lower West Side and that a scientific study to determine the impacts, if not done already, should be conducted.

“There clearly should be a study to confirm that the air quality would improve,” he said. “I’m told there were study documents in the plan that exists, but if they’re not in there, if they’re not clear, perhaps they should be made more clear.”

• Gives local leadership a “solid B minus,” an improvement from “C” five years ago.

• Predicts the upcoming elections this fall, including the one for president, will be decided on events that have yet to occur.

• Discusses the war in Afghanistan, hyper-partisanship in Congressional and his proposed $1.25 trillion plan to rebuild America’s infrastructure.

The video above runs about 4:30 minutes and focuses on the waterfront and Higgins’ take on leadership in the community. The complete interview runs about 17 minutes and can be viewed in two segments below.

Last week’s interview featured Regent Robert Bennett.

Erie County District Attorney Frank A Sedita III is scheduled to be next week’s interview.