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.
Dec 4
2015
Susan Arbetter of Capitol Pressroom interviewed Jim Heaney on Thursday about the recent deal in which New York State agreed to increase its already generous subsidy package to Alcoa’s plant in Massena. The interview runs from 22:03 to 36:58.
Dec 2
2015
Avery Schneider of our partners at WBFO reports on Investigative Post’s panel discussion Tuesday that posed the question: “Is Buffalo really getting its mojo back?” Panelists included Henry L. Taylor of the University at Buffalo, developer Rocco Termini and Buffalo Rising Editorial Director Newell Nussbaumer. The panelists agreed that Buffalo has recovered to a degree, but that much work remains, especially on the city’s East Side.
Nov 30
2015
There’s a problem with the pipeline that is feeding workers to the SolarCity project at Riverbend, Jim Heaney told Steve Brown on Sunday’s installment of Outrages & Insights. Heaney, referring to a story last week reported by Charlotte Keith, noted that African Americans accounted for only 5.7 percent of the construction workers employed at the SolarCity site during the quarter that ended in September. That contrasts with a city population that is 38 percent black. The project is nevertheless meeting its goal of employing a workforce that is at least 15 percent minority.
Nov 25
2015
Not to rain on the parade, but despite talk from politicians about Buffalo’s resurgence, job growth in Erie and Niagara counties continues to lag behind the nation and state. Sounds like this might make for a good discussion.
Nov 22
2015
Jim Heaney and Steve Brown discuss the hot topic of the week, refugees, in the wake of the Paris terror attacks in the latest installment of Outrages & Insights. Heaney told Brown that Erie County accepts more refugees than any county in the state, more than 1,400 last year. Surprisingly, relatively few settle in New York City, despite its historic role as an entry point for immigrants. Heaney explained that, despite rhetoric to the contrary, refugees undergo more vigorous screening than others coming to America, a process that typically takes up to two years. Heaney also discussed the local refugee[...]
Nov 20
2015
Susan Arbetter of Capitol Pressroom interviewed Investigative Post Editor Jim Heaney on Thursday regarding refugees in light of the Paris terror attacks. Heaney told Arbetter that Erie County accepted more than 1,400 refugees last year, more than any county in the state and about one-third of the statewide total. Interestingly enough, relatively few refugees settle in New York City. The interview, which can be found at this link, runs from 13:00 to 22:17.
Nov 9
2015
Investigative Post Editor Jim Heaney told Steve Brown that Kriner Cash made a favorable first impression during their interview last week. “He’s no-nonsense, he’s knowledgeable, he’s taking on the job with a sense of urgency and I think he made it very clear that he’s here to get a job done and he’s not going to put up with a lot of guff,” Heaney told Brown on Sunday’s installment of Outrages & Insights. Brown asked Heaney if Cash can succeed. It depends, Heaney said, on whether recent changes made in state education law are interpreted to grant the superintendent the[...]
Nov 1
2015
Dino Fudoli contends the federal and state government effectively seized 12 acres he owns off Transit Road by declaring it wetlands in 2009. Not that he’s gone to court to press his case. Rather, he’s simply stopped paying his property taxes. For the second time. His delinquency was the topic of my coverage three years ago, and again last week, as I reported the Lancaster town supervisor owes nearly $19,000 on two properties he owns in Cheektowaga. Whether Fudoli pays a price politically will be determined Tuesday, when he stands for re-election. Steve Brown and I discuss Fudoli’s transgressions on[...]