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 14

2013

Peace Bridge bill may be DOA

I suspect a number of newspaper readers and television viewers surmise that the Peace Bridge Authority is about to go bye-bye as a result of Wednesday’s approval by the state Legislature of a bill that would dissolve the authority that operates the Peace Bridge next year unless its governing board acts in accordance with state wishes. That would be a false assumption, and the story I did Thursday evening on WGRZ was my attempt to set the record straight. I want to expand on that story here. The bridge authority has a legal opinion from Phillips Lytle, Buffalo’s biggest law[...]

Posted 12 years ago

Jun 14

2013

Sizing up impact of Peace Bridge bill

Jim Heaney fields questions from Athan Kompos of WGRZ about about the bill passed earlier this week by the state Legislature that purportedly lays the legal groundwork for a dissolution of the Peace Bridge Authority. Heaney cautioned that passage of the bill doesn’t necessarily mean the authority will disband.

Posted 12 years ago

Jun 13

2013

Fact checking Cuomo on the Peace Bridge

Raw interview footage of Jim Heaney answering questions from WGRZ’s Michael Wooten and Jeff Preval about latest developments involving the Peace Bridge.

Posted 12 years ago

Jun 13

2013

Bernie Tolbert has raised more than $100,000

Jim Heaney interviewed Democratic mayoral candidate Bernie Tolbert on Tuesday. In this clip, Tolbert tells Heaney how much he intends to raise over the course of the campaign and how fundraising has gone so far. Interview highlights will air Saturday morning on WGRZ’s Daybreak. The complete interview and a transcript will post to this site later Saturday.

Posted 12 years ago

Jun 10

2013

Words of a whistleblower

Edward Snowden, who revealed the existence of the National Security Agency’s data-collecting programs, explains his motives and concerns in an interview with the Guardian.

Posted 12 years ago

Jun 7

2013

More Cuomo-orchestrated noise on Peace Bridge

Looking at the video of Thursday’s press conference, I couldn’t help but notice the make up of the self-proclaimed Western New York Leaders For Peace Bridge Progress. White, male and wealthy. A cross-section of the community, they are not. But they do reflect the political donor class, particularly Democratic friendly contributors. A check of state Board of Elections records show almost everyone in the 22 person group is a frequent contributor to political campaigns, collectively giving hundreds of thousands of dollars over the past decade. Nine have contributed $52,750 to Cuomo’s campaign, either directly or through their companies or spouses. The group includes several notable developers who,[...]

Posted 12 years ago

May 28

2013

Numbers, history belie Cuomo’s Peace Bridge claims

Gov. Andrew Cuomo and his minions are insisting long and loud that Canadian members of the authority that manages the Peace Bridge have shortchanged efforts to improve the American side of the bridge. But an analysis by Investigative Post found that nearly half of the $192.5 million spent or committed by the authority’s governing board since 1992 has been earmarked for work on the American side. What’s more, more funding has been committed to improve the plaza in Buffalo than in Fort Erie since the 9/11 terrorist attacks when projects on the books are factored in. Investigative Post also found[...]

Posted 12 years ago

May 16

2013

Housing authority’s no-bid PR contract

More than $90,000 later, the Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority decides to put its public relations work out to bid. Which raises the question: “Does the authority require such high-priced help?” Jim Heaney discusses with WGRZ’s Scott Levin.

Posted 12 years ago