Jim Heaney

Jim Heaney is editor and executive director of Investigative Post. He was an investigative reporter with The Buffalo News from 1986 to 2011 and a reporter and editor with The Orlando Sentinel from 1980-86. His coverage over the years has focused on economic development, local and state government, politics, education, housing and transportation, and he was an early practitioner of computer-assisted reporting. Heaney has won more than 20 journalism awards and was a finalist for the 1993 Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting.

Jun 22

2016

More stonewalling, then vote for transparency

Fort Schuyler Management Corp., the state-controlled development agency that is overseeing a number of major state-funded construction projects, including SolarCity, barred reporters from covering its board meeting Tuesday. Jim Heaney of Investigative Post tells Scott Levin about his experiences trying to obtain public records from Fort Schuyler. The nonprofit development corporation subsequently voted to adhere to the state Open Meetings Law and its board chairman suggested it will adhere to the Freedom of Information Laws, as well, although no vote was apparently taken. The New York Committee on Open Government had previously said it was obliged to honor the FOI[...]

Posted 8 years ago

Jun 21

2016

Heaney discusses Cuomo’s flawed approach on ‘Pressroom

Jim Heaney, following up on his reports broadcast June 7 and June 8 on WBFO and a number of other NPR stations across the state, discusses what he considers Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s flawed approach to economic development with Susan Arbetter of The Capitol Pressroom. The interview, broadcast June 15, runs from 13:15 to 22:32.

Posted 8 years ago

Jun 8

2016

Cuomo’s flawed model, Part 2

Jim Heaney, in a second story prepared for WBFO and other upstate NPR stations, details how the model being used to develop major economic development projects upstate thwarts transparency and involves other questionable practices. Part 1 aired Tuesday.

Posted 8 years ago

Jun 7

2016

Cuomo model no game changer

Jim Heaney, in first of two stories broadcast on WBFO and other major NPR stations across upstate, reports that Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s model for revitalizing Buffalo and other major cities has several serious shortcomings. Is his model a game changer? Hardly. Heaney’s second story broadcasts Wednesday.

Posted 8 years ago

Jun 3

2016

Heaney talks about “dishonesty” on ‘Pressroom

In an interview with Susan Arbetter of The Capitol Pressroom, Investigative Post Editor Jim Heaney took on what he termed the “fundamental dishonesty” of politicians who continue to claim the Buffalo area economy is surging. Heaney was responding to a letter to the editor published earlier this week in The New York Times from four prominent public officials who took the newspaper to task for its coverage of the federal investigation into the Buffalo Billion program. Heaney also discussed Charlotte Keith’s recent story about continuing problems at Erie County’s Child Protective Services, Mayor Byron Brown’s pending selection as chairman of the state Democratic[...]

Posted 8 years ago

May 23

2016

Spree magazine honors Investigative Post

Journalists normally cringe at being lauded as activists, but Buffalo Spree magazine has bestowed such an honor on us and we’ll take it. Western New York’s monthly magazine announced its “Best Of” awards last week and Investigative Post was selected “Best Activist Group” in a vote of readers. Here’s what Spree has to say about us: IP is technically a group of journalists, but its topics are carefully chosen, including, most recently, lead poisoning, local water pollution, and toxic landfills. Clearly, the writers for the Post are interested in drawing public attention to issues that could work against the public[...]

Posted 8 years ago

May 20

2016

Heaney talks SolarCity on ‘Pressroom

Investigative Post Editor Jim Heaney and Susan Arbetter of The Capitol Pressroom discuss the latest developments involving the SolarCity project in Buffalo, including a reduction in planned factory jobs from 1,460 to 500. The interview, taped Thursday, runs from 22:30 to 37:19.

Posted 9 years ago

May 16

2016

Lies, spin and SolarCity

SolarCity has some ‘splaining’ to do, to quote Ricky Ricardo. For starters, company executives – and state officials, for that matter – can ‘splain’ why the $750 million solar panel manufacturing plant taxpayers are building for them is going to employ only 500, not the 1,460 originally promised. This scaled-back commitment, reported Friday by Investigative Post and WGRZ, came as news to a lot of people. Mayor Byron Brown told Dave McKinley of WGRZ on Friday that the reduced goal was news to him. Assemblyman Sean Ryan went one better, telling the station’s Michael Wooten that SolarCity officials assured him[...]

Posted 9 years ago