Categories for DailyPost

Nov 9

2022

Buffalo’s eviction numbers are thru the roof

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Buffalo landlords are acting to evict tenants in greater numbers than any portion of the state aside from Brooklyn, according to data from the New York State Unified Court System. Judges have issued more than 3,700 eviction warrants this year in Erie County, primarily in Buffalo. That’s not just more than other upstate cities such as Rochester and Syracuse, but more than New York City’s other boroughs, including Manhattan, Queens and the Bronx, all of which have much larger populations. More than 1,000 involved tenants living in just two Zip Codes, 14215 and 14211, which comprise much of the Masten[...]

Posted 2 years ago

Nov 9

2022

There was no “red wave”

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Last month, Assemblyman Pat Burke thought his reelection campaign was in trouble.  The campaign’s polling showed his Republican opponent, Sandy Magnano of West Seneca, running surprisingly strong for a first-time candidate who embraced extreme right-wing positions, ranging from 2020 election denial to Q Anon-style conspiracy theories.  A tracking poll showed fewer than 50 percent of those who responded were committed to voting for Burke, following a barrage of negative campaign ads paid for, in large part, by the state Republican party. The GOP targeted Burke — a left-leaning Democrat originally from South Buffalo, now an Orchard Park resident — as[...]

Posted 2 years ago

Nov 3

2022

Blame the cops and DA, not bail reform

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The murder of Keaira Bennefield has become a rallying cry for opponents of bail reform.  Had her husband, Adam Bennefield, not been released after being charged with misdemeanor assault, she’d still be alive, they assert. But a half-dozen attorneys told Investigative Post the fault lies not with bail reform but Cheektowaga police and Erie County District Attorney John Flynn. Police and prosecutors could have charged Adam Bennefield with more serious crimes that would have made him bail eligible, befitting the assault on his wife a week before authorities say he shot her to death.  According to Judith Olin, director of[...]

Posted 2 years ago

Nov 1

2022

Activists seek renter protections

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Responding to a spike in rents, Buffalo housing activists Tuesday called on City Hall to take steps to provide more affordable housing and protect tenants from bad landlords. Citing a 16 percent increase in rents since 2020, housing advocates and tenants hand-delivered documents to Common Council members asking for action on four fronts: Limiting evictions for just cause, such as nonpayment of rent or lease violations.  Requiring landlords to make repairs in a timely fashion. Mandating targeted rent controls to ensure a supply of affordable rental housing.  Establishing a $1 million revolving loan program to help low-income renters and homeowners.[...]

Posted 2 years ago

Oct 31

2022

Monday Morning Read

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ProPublica produced two stories on the former OxyChem plant in Niagara Falls that exposed workers and residents to asbestos – with dire health consequences. Our partners at WGRZ interviewed one of the ProPublica reporters who produced the stories. Hang onto your wallets, Sabres fans, the Pegulas have retained the sports consulting firm owned by Jerry Jones of the Dallas Cowboys and the SteinbreNners/New York Yankees to advise the team. For right now, it only involves advertising on jerseys, but you know it won’t stop there. The Cowboys and Yankees aren’t any good at winning championships anymore, but they have mastered the art of jacking up prices for fans.[...]

Posted 2 years ago

Oct 25

2022

City holding millions in other people’s money

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The City of Buffalo took in $4.3 million from its annual auction of tax-delinquent properties in 2019, the year the Brown administration changed how it handles the money those foreclosure sales generate. Out of that $4.3 million, the city paid itself $700,000 to account for the back taxes and fees that led the properties to the auction block.  That left $3.6 million is surplus, much of which rightfully belongs to the individuals who lost their properties to foreclosure. For them, the money represents their remaining equity after all their creditors — the city, the banks, the utility companies — are[...]

Posted 2 years ago

Oct 24

2022

Investigative Post is hiring a fundraiser

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Investigative Post, Buffalo’s nonprofit investigative reporting center, is seeking a Director of Development. We’re in a growth mode and intend to aggressively increase our revenue. Responsibilities include prospecting, soliciting and stewarding major donors, including foundations, corporations and individuals, and growing our membership base of smaller donors. Must be adept at working with data and marketing strategies that include direct mail, social media and digital advertising. Event planning and management is a plus. Our CRM is Little Green Light. Minimum qualifications include five years of fundraising or comparable revenue-generation experience and proven success in goal achievement; strong communication, planning and organizational[...]

Posted 2 years ago

Oct 24

2022

Monday Morning Read

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WeeklyPost recaps Investigative Post’s reporting of the previous week, along with recommended reading of other news accounts. It’s free and delivered Sunday mornings to subscribers via email. Subscribe here. Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz is throwing oodles of money at the Erie County Sheriff’s Department to hire a slew of new employees. Let’s hope John Garcia does a better job screening job candidates than Tim Howard did, as evidenced by this fine reporting job by Charlie Specht. Long story short, Howard hired a bad apple from the Buffalo police force, who later underscored his unfitness for the job by confronting[...]

Posted 2 years ago
Investigative Post