Mar 20
2014
Buffalo is teeming with visiting basketball fans who are being encouraged to hit the town. Chippewa Street is the entertainment strip closest to the NCAA tournament action, but the city has yet to empty the trash cans, much less clean up the trash, vomit and broken glass from last weekend’s St. Patrick’s Day ‘festivities.’
Feb 27
2014
Our partners at WGRZ have broken a number of stories recently about Buffalo’s misuse of block grant funds and the failure of federal regulators to hold city officials accountable. The latest story by Jeff Preval includes an interview with Investigative Post Editor Jim Heaney, who has covered the issue for more than 15 years.
Jan 20
2014
Investigative Post editor tells Eileen Buckley on Press Pass that government at all levels – local, state and federal – is becoming increasingly hostile to the public’s right to know. Heaney cites numerous examples of officials refusing interview requests and delaying the release of public records.
Nov 11
2013
It’s not too early to talk about a post-Brown Buffalo, given speculation that Gov. Cuomo may be looking for a new running mate next year. Investigative Post Editor Jim Heaney discusses the possibilities with Eileen Buckley on “Press Pass,” along with what he said is the “very poor quality” of elected officials across the region.
Sep 29
2013
Four years ago, Mickey Kearns lost the Democratic primary for mayor in a landslide. He garnered 14,866 votes. Earlier this month, Byron Brown won the Democratic primary for mayor in a landslide. He received 14,433 votes. In other words, more people voted for Kearns four years ago than for Brown this year. That’s what happens when four out of five voters stay at home on primary day. This year’s turnout was a paltry 20 percent, well below any other mayoral primary in recent history, where up to 60 percent of registered Democrats cast ballots. Much has been made of the[...]
Aug 29
2013
Jim Heaney examined the words and numbers expressed by Byron Brown, Bernie Tolbert and Sergio Rodriguez regarding the local economy during Wednesday’s mayoral debate. The bottom line: Tolbert and Rodriguez were generally accurate, while Brown made several claims that were unsubstantiated.
Jul 24
2013
City Hall’s belated effort to collect $22 million in unpaid Housing Court fines is coming up empty. A dry run by a collections agency hired by the city earlier this year that sought about $430,000 from deadbeat court defendants yielded only $59 in fine payments, according to City Comptroller Mark Schroeder. That experience prompted city officials to scale back their expectations of what was collectable from the $22 million in unpaid fines that have accumulated since Mayor Byron Brown took office in 2006. Rather than $1 million, Schroeder said administration officials believe only $40,000 to $80,000 is collectable. “In terms[...]
Jul 17
2013
It’s been a foregone conclusion that Mayor Byron Brown would continue to raise oodles of money in pursuit of a third term as mayor. The question has been whether his challengers would be able to raise enough money to mount a serious challenge. Brown’s two challengers – Bernie Tolbert, a Democrat, and Sergio Rodriguez, a Republican – filed their first campaign finance disclosure reports this week, and they provided insight into their viability as candidates. The numbers show Tolbert is well on his way to reaching his goal of raising up to $350,000 before the Sept. 10 Democratic primary. His[...]