Feb 2
2021
Politicians who keep their campaign cash
Posted 4 years ago
Feb 2
2021
Jan 27
2021
For years, City Hall dallied in the face of a lead poisoning epidemic among children in Buffalo’s poorest neighborhoods. City officials have finally put in place a plan being praised as a “huge step forward.” Most importantly, ordinance updates approved by the Common Council in November give inspectors, for the first time, the right to test the interiors of apartments for lead paint. It also prohibits landlords from renting contaminated units. Another improvement: loan and grant programs are being established to help landlords pay for the cost of remediating contaminated units. Shortcomings remain in the city’s approach, however. Owner-occupied rental[...]
Jan 26
2021
Western New York is home to a number of radical-right organizations that are active on social media. Of late they’ve been posting on the inauguration of Joseph Biden as president. Before that they shared conspiracy theories about the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol — antifa did it! — and to express their support for Donald Trump. An Investigative Post review of the right’s social media activity also found that a wide range of right-wing organizations have started to consolidate and coordinate their activities since the summer under the banner of “FREE New York.” Their causes range from COVID —[...]
Jan 23
2021
As he prepares to seek a fifth term, Mayor Byron Brown’s latest campaign finance report illustrates three things: Brown has never been so financially under-equipped entering a reelection year. His donations the past six months overwhelmingly came from folks who owe him their jobs and firms seeking city contracts and project approvals. The mayor’s campaign continues to violate state law governing how donations from limited liability corporations are disclosed. The mayor’s campaign committee, Brown for Buffalo, recently filed its latest campaign finance disclosure with the state Board of Elections, covering donations and expenses from July 11, 2020, to January 11[...]
Jan 21
2021
Jan 19
2021
Despite a push from Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Erie County is releasing only a quarter of parolees being held in its county jails because of technical violations of their release. The number lags behind the statewide average and other upstate urban counties. While Erie County has released 28 percent of detained parolees, Monroe County, including Rochester, Onondaga County (Syracuse) and Albany County have released about half of theirs. That holds true for neighboring Niagara County, as well. County Parolees jailed Released % released Schenectady 39 23 59 Monroe 137 80 58 Onondaga 62 31 50 Niagara 19 9 47 Albany 53[...]
Jan 17
2021
For the fourth time in 14 months, Niagara County has hired a politically connected Republican who had previously been accused of misconduct. The latest GOP loyalist to be added to the payroll is Robert W. Welch, who resigned last summer as director of constituent relations for Republican state Sen. Rob Ortt after he was accused of using a racial slur during an encounter with a group of teenagers near his home. Welch, a North Tonawanda resident, has been hired as a contract administrator at an annual salary of $62,991. The job has been vacant for three years and was not[...]
Jan 12
2021