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.

May 2

2016

Cuomo’s M.O. enables corruption

One Albany insider told The Buffalo News over the weekend that “everyone is literally flabbergasted” at the turn of events in the federal probe of what can safely be termed the “embattled” Buffalo Billion program. I suppose the spectacle of Cuomo insiders turning on each other as the governor scrambles into damage control mode is a bit jarring. But no one who has been paying attention to Cuomo’s governing style in general, and his administration’s management of the Buffalo Billion program in particular, should be the least bit surprised. In short, the Cuomo crowd is obsessed with secrecy and operates[...]

Posted 8 years ago

May 2

2016

Heaney talks Billion probe on WBFO

Jim Heaney of Investigative Post discusses the latest developments in the federal probe into the Buffalo Billion program with Jay Moran of WBFO. Heaney said the expanding investigation is unlikely to derail construction of the SolarCity plant or any other projects. He also said the allegations of misconduct are not surprising, given what he said is the Cuomo administration’s culture of secrecy and ethos that “the rules don’t apply to us.”

Posted 8 years ago

Apr 29

2016

Buffalo Billion probe targets Cuomo insiders

U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara’s investigation into the Buffalo Billion, triggered by Investigative Post’s relentless reporting, appears to have targeted members of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s inner-circle. The feds issued subpoenas to the governor’s office Friday, and, in turn, the Cuomo administration announced its own investigation and issued a press release that appeared to throw one or more close associates under the bus. Folks, this could get real ugly real quick. Those under scrutiny include Joseph Percoco, a top Cuomo aid and political enforcer who recently left the administration; longtime associate and lobbyist Todd Howe; and Alain Kaloyeros, the so-called nanotech guru who the[...]

Posted 8 years ago

Apr 7

2016

Heaney talks Trump, Paladino on ‘Pressoom

Jim Heaney discusses Donald Trump; his Mini-Me supporter Carl Paladino; the race to succeed state Sen. Marc Panepinto; and Mayor Byron Brown’s inexplicable stances on lead poisoning and workforce diversity with Susan Arbetter of The Capitol Pressroom. The interview, taped and broadcast Thursday, runs from 22:01 to 36:27.

Posted 8 years ago

Mar 14

2016

Buffalo: Real State of the City

Buffalo is doing better, but is it doing as well as the politicians and much of the local press would have us believe? The answer, in a word, is “no.” That was the bottom line to my address Feb. 24 at the Burchfield Penney Art Center. Progress has been overstated. There’s a lot of racial inequality. We’re a high-crime city where few criminals get caught. And Buffalo is a ward of the state. Charlotte Keith and I dug deep into the data to provide a factual, statistical framework on which I based my conclusions. Here they are, in a nutshell:[...]

Posted 8 years ago

Mar 13

2016

Outrages: A start in dealing with lead

Steve Brown and I discuss the first bit of movement to address Buffalo’s lead problem on this week’s video edition of Outrages & Insights. I said that Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz is showing some leadership in making his proposal to hire more inspectors and lower the threshold that riggers medical intervention in children who test positive for lead in their blood. But I also note that Poloncarz’s proposal is only a start and that the problem demands a much greater commitment of resources beyond just the county. Where is City Hall in all this? So far, nowhere to be[...]

Posted 8 years ago

Mar 10

2016

Heaney discusses Buffalo ills on ‘Pressroom

Investigative Post Editor Jim Heaney, revisiting his “Real State of the City” presentation made last month, tells Susan Arbetter of The Capitol Pressroom that Buffalo continues to experience its share of problems. He noted that Buffalo has become a financial ward of the state and that income inequality between whites and people of color is especially pronounced in the region. Heaney’s portion of the interview runs from 22:13 to 36:45.

Posted 8 years ago

Mar 9

2016

Poloncarz leads on lead while Brown dithers

There’s been chatter about the need for someone to step up and champion the cause of reducing lead hazards in the city. I wouldn’t say Erie County Mark Poloncarz seized the leadership mantle Wednesday, but he became the first local official to advance a meaningful proposal for addressing the issue. So, considering the political landscape, he has become a giant among midgets. Poloncarz announced an initiative that has several important components: The county Health Department would hire six additional inspectors to complement the 12½ already on staff to conduct housing inspections for lead and other health violations. A nurse and[...]

Posted 8 years ago

Jim Heaney

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