Categories for News

Apr 11

2016

Urban League sues over critical audit

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The Buffalo Urban League, disgruntled after a critical audit by the Erie County Comptroller, is pressing ahead with legal action against the county. The agency filed an Article 78 petition Friday in State Supreme Court. A court date is set for May 10. Urban League President Brenda McDuffie said the comptroller’s report was “filled with factual and procedural errors” and that had harmed the agency’s reputation. The Urban League is not seeking monetary damages but wants the report to be withdrawn. Erie County Comptroller Stefan Mychajliw said he stands by the work of his auditors. He said the Urban League was wasting money on legal[...]

Posted 9 years ago

Mar 9

2016

Urban League still complaining about audit

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The   The Buffalo Urban League, recently the subject of a critical report from the Erie County Comptroller, is threatening legal action unless the report and negative public statements are withdrawn, Channel 2’s Dave McKinley reports. The story includes comments from Charlotte Keith of Investigative Post. The audit confirmed previous reporting by Investigative Post that found the Urban League submitted falsified bills, failed to properly train employees or secure confidential records, and retaliated against whistleblowers. Sources have told Investigative Post that the audit findings are being reviewed by Acting Erie County District Attorney Michael Flaherty to determine if there are possible[...]

Posted 9 years ago

Mar 9

2016

US Labor Secretary: inclusive growth matters

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U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez, a Buffalo native, received a standing ovation in his hometown Tuesday as he spoke about the importance of workforce development at Bennett High School. Perez stressed the importance of hiring local residents for taxpayer-funded construction projects. “We can make sure that the residents of Buffalo and Erie County participate in our prosperity. Inclusive growth is what we’re all about,” he said. Perez’s visit comes amid growing concern that communities of color aren’t being included in the opportunities created by the city’s construction boom. The local construction trades, whose members staff many major public works projects, have made[...]

Posted 9 years ago

Feb 29

2016

State money for lead won’t go far

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State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced over the weekend that his office is “investing” $346,825 in the Buffalo Green and Healthy Homes Initiative. This is the attorney general’s first financial commitment earmarked for lead programs in Buffalo since the initiative launched in 2009. About 40 low-income, owner-occupied homes will benefit from the attorney general’s funding. That’s in addition to the 882 homes already made lead-safe since the program’s inception. While those numbers represent a degree of progress, consider there are 85,000 housing units in Buffalo at risk for lead hazards. In other words, about 1 percent of the homes were[...]

Posted 9 years ago

Feb 25

2016

Schumer: State needs stricter lead standards

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Sen. Chuck Schumer has told Investigative Post that the state should bring its standards for lead poisoning in line with stricter federal thresholds, which would almost certainly show the problem is worse than currently reported. Schumer’s comments add to the growing call for action in Buffalo, where elevated lead levels have been a problem for years because of the presence of lead paint in its old housing stock. Four years ago, the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention lowered the threshold that requires medical care for children testing positive for lead in their blood from 10 to 5 micrograms per deciliter of[...]

Posted 9 years ago

Feb 22

2016

Action to fence off toxic Wheatfield landfill

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A state senator lashed out Monday at the Department of Environmental Conservation for its failure to protect residents living by a landfill in Wheatfield that was recently declared a Superfund site. In responding to a Feb. 10 story by Investigative Post, Sen. Robert Ortt questioned how the state DEC could insist for 25 years that the landfill off Nash Road did not pose a significant risk to unsuspecting adults and children who have been using the property for recreation. The senator said it made little sense when the DEC in December 2015 reversed itself by declaring the landfill a Superfund site, even[...]

Posted 9 years ago

Feb 17

2016

Cuomo: State can help on lead problem

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While noting the problem of lead poisoning is primarily a local responsibility, Gov. Andrew Cuomo told Investigative Post on Wednesday that the state is prepared to act “right away” to help deal with the problem. “Well, if there are children who are in homes with lead paint and the lead is friable or lead is peeling, then that should be remediated, and if it’s not being enforced by the local government then the state should, and if you tell me where they are we will have the state on it right away,” Cuomo said during a visit to Buffalo. The[...]

Posted 9 years ago

Feb 10

2016

Another Mayday! for SolarCity

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I wrote a post back in October about SolarCity’s mounting losses and falling stock price that carried the headline “SolarCity: Mayday! Mayday!” My post was prompted by a record loss in the third quarter that sent the company’s stock price down to $38 a share. SolarCity yesterday reported another huge loss for the fourth quarter that resulted in a year-end loss totaling $710 million. As in almost three-quarters of a billion dollars. The stock market responded by dumping SolarCity shares, dropping the price to $26.35 at the close of trading Tuesday. Things went from bad to worse overnight Tuesday and[...]

Posted 9 years ago
Investigative Post