Archives

Jan 20

2025

Welcome to 1933

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Donald Trump is sworn in as president today. Welcome to 1933. That’s the year Adolf Hitler came to power. I’m not saying Trump will be another Hitler, but there are eerie parallels to their respective routes to power that should not be ignored. Trump’s more contemporary prototype is Hungary’s Viktor Orbán, termed “the ultimate twenty-first-century dictator.”    An op-ed in last week’s New York Times described Orbán’s playbook: In a second term, Mr. Trump’s actions may be even more dangerous because he is now following the playbook created by Viktor Orban, the prime minister of Hungary, who after losing and then[...]

Posted 4 hours ago

Jan 17

2025

Judge tosses lead lawsuit against Bufffalo

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Community groups last February rally in front of City Hall for more funding for lead inspections. Photo by I’Jaz Ja’ciel A judge has dismissed a lawsuit that contended the City of Buffalo is failing to enforce a law that mandates inspection of rental units for the presence of lead paint. Partnership for the Public Good and three other community organizations filed the lawsuit last July against the city and the Department of Permits and Inspections. It claimed a failure to fully implement the rental inspections law contributed to substandard living conditions for city residents and increased risks for lead poisoning[...]

Posted 3 days ago

Jan 16

2025

Scanlon’s police/fire dilemma

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Scanlon as a South District Council member before he became acting mayor in October. Editor’s note: This is the final segment of a three-part series on Acting Mayor Chris Scanlon. Previous stories included a political profile and his approach to dealing with the city’s fiscal problems. Today’s report focuses on on his tight relations with the police and fire departments, whose costs he needs to rein in if the city is to balance its books.  Buffalo’s police and fire departments account for half the city’s workforce and nearly three-quarters of payroll expenses. Reining in their costs — by reducing overtime,[...]

Posted 4 days ago

Jan 15

2025

Buffalo demolishes the ‘House from Hell’

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An excavator sits at the former site of 149 Arkansas St. following its demolition. Photo by I’Jaz Ja’ciel The troubled house at 149 Arkansas St. that plagued an Upper West Side neighborhood for years has finally been torn down. The property, a symbol of failures on the parts of police, city court and government officials, was razed by excavators Tuesday morning, following a demolition order that then Housing Court Judge Patrick Carney issued last August. This was the third demolition order that Carney issued for the vacant house, which has been a nuisance and safety concern to neighbors since November[...]

Posted 5 days ago

Jan 15

2025

Scanlon’s approach to balancing Buffalo’s books

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Acting Mayor Chris Scanlon at a recent rally in front of City Hall. Photo by I’Jaz Ja’ciel Editor’s note: This is the second of three stories on Buffalo’s acting mayor, Chris Scanlon. Today we report on his approach to dealing with the city’s fiscal problems. Monday’s story was a political profile. Wednesday, we report on the dilemma Scanlon faces with the police and fire departments. Nothing looms larger over Acting Mayor Chris Scanlon’s administration than the city’s precarious finances. The current year’s budget is balanced on paper with more than $40 million in one-shot revenues, as well as millions more[...]

Posted 5 days ago

Jan 14

2025

Buffalo Mayor Chris Scanlon: A political profile

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Editor’s note: This is the first of three stories on Buffalo’s acting mayor, Chris Scanlon. Today’s political profile will be followed by a story Wednesday on his intentions dealing with the city’s fiscal woes and a piece Thursday on the dilemma he faces with the police and fire departments. Chris Scanlon’s public service career — from winning the Common Council’s South District seat in 2012 to his ascension to the mayor’s office in October — is a history of political dealmaking. Little wonder. Public service and political dealmaking have been a family specialty for 50 years. Buffalo’s acting mayor is[...]

Posted 6 days ago

Jan 13

2025

NAACP legal arm sues Realtor alleging racial steering

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The NAACP Legal Defense Fund filed a complaint this morning against a Western New York realty company alleging racial discrimination among prospective homebuyers in Buffalo. The complaint accuses Charles Glander, real estate broker and founder of Avant Realty, of violating the Fair Housing Act by “steering” — an illegal practice in real estate that involves directing prospective homebuyers toward or away from certain neighborhoods based on factors like race. “We are very alarmed by that, and we hope that our action — filing this complaint and bringing these allegations to light — will help Black residents of Buffalo access housing[...]

Posted 7 days ago

Jan 13

2025

What is The Buffalo News thinking?

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The vacant Buffalo News building, sold to developer Douglas Jemal. Lee Enterprises bought The Buffalo News nearly five years ago and has vandalized it since. That was never more evident than last week. Let’s start with the extensive use of New York Times obituaries. It’s a pet peeve of mine.  A week ago Sunday, the paper’s local section included no fewer than five such obits, totaling some two pages, almost as much space as as what was devoted to local news in the section.  As is usually the case, the deceased had no connection to Buffalo. In fact, most were[...]

Posted 1 week ago
Investigative Post