Categories for Featured

Jan 18

2017

Cuomo’s clean water proposal lacks details

Published by

Update 11:14 a.m Jan. 18.: The governor did release some – not all – details Tuesday night about his proposal to spend $2 billion statewide on water quality and clean drinking water projects. First, the money is spread out over five years. So, that’s $400 million a year for five years. What remains unclear is how the money will be distributed. There are numerous programs this money could go to and the governor was short on those details Tuesday night. According to his capital plan, “The Executive Budget includes $2 billion to finance water quality capital projects to ensure continued access[...]

Posted 7 years ago

Jan 10

2017

Toxic landfill with Love Canal legacy not secured

Published by

Town of Wheatfield officials – encouraged by a lack of urgency among state regulators – have failed to honor their pledge made almost 11 months ago to fence off a toxic landfill deemed a threat to public health. As a result, nearby residents continue to use the 20-acre landfill to fish, hunt, walk their pets and ride all-terrain vehicles that dig into the contaminated soils. Nothing warns them of any danger other than a small “No Trespassing” sign at the base of the landfill’s gravel service road off Nash Road. Investigative Post reported in February that Wheatfield officials and the[...]

Posted 7 years ago

Jan 9

2017

Heaney weighs in on Buffalo Billion II

Published by

WGRZ News Anchor Maryalice Demler interviewed Editor Jim Heaney hours after Gov. Andrew Cuomo unveiled a broad outline of a $500 million extension of his Buffalo Billion program. You can catch Heaney’s comments in the video below or in the slightly revised text that follows. Heaney also provided analysis to WBFO. What do you find striking in the governor’s proposal? It’s very short on spending details. There’s no talk of reforms to avoid the corruption we’ve seen so far in the programs. But more than that, a lot of the spending has little or nothing to do with economic development. I[...]

Posted 7 years ago

Jan 1

2017

Lead poisoning probe tops reader poll

Published by

Dan Telvock’s reporting on Buffalo’s slipshod methods for testing drinking water for lead was voted by readers as Investigative Post’s top story of 2016. Looking for lead (in all the wrong places) edged out an investigation by Charlotte Keith into the awarding of a Buffalo Billion contract whose dynamics that bore a striking resemblance to the SolarCity factory deal that resulted in the filing of federal corruption charges. Between them, the two stories garnered 60 percent of the votes cast by readers. The best of the rest, according to voters, was Daniela Porat’s story about the inadequate training of Buffalo police[...]

Posted 7 years ago

Dec 29

2016

Paladino’s despicable, but protected speech

Published by

I’ll be among the first to tell you how loathsome Carl Paladino is. In fact, I have been among the first. When I reported for The Buffalo News I wrote stories that revealed Paladino for what he is: A self-described outsider who contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to politicians over the years, including those in a position to reward him with tax breaks and government contracts. A critic of government spending who has gotten rich off being one of the government’s biggest landlords in Western New York. A so-called champion of minority children who has steadfastly opposed African Americans[...]

Posted 7 years ago

Dec 24

2016

Carl Paladino should be shunned

Published by

There’s been the racist, pornographic emails – women having sex with barnyard animals, anyone? The threat to take out newspaper columnist Fred Dicker. The mocking of African American colleagues on the School Board and, most recently, “damn Asian” students. So when I say Carl Paladino has reached a new low, you know I’m talking low. Really low. Even the Trump transition team took exception, calling the remarks “absolutely reprehensible.” Paladino, in his latest cry for attention, responded to an Artvoice survey about his hopes and desires, said he wanted President Barack Obama to die of mad cow disease and for First[...]

Posted 7 years ago

Dec 19

2016

Double your donation to Investigative Post

Published by

The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation is matching donations of up to $1,000 made to Investigative Post through Jan. 19. Investigative Post is one of 57 nonprofit news organizations the Knight Foundation has selected to provide matching funds. “The desire for quality journalism and in-depth reporting is clear, as more and more people turn to nonprofit outlets for information they can trust,” said Jennifer Preston, Knight Foundation vice president for journalism. “With this effort, we are hoping to drive awareness and expand the donor base for nonprofit news organizations, big and small, that are producing journalism in the[...]

Posted 7 years ago

Dec 14

2016

Investigative Post’s top stories of 2016

Published by

It’s time to take stock of our reporting for 2016 – and it’s been quite a year for Investigative Post. Our reporting over the past two years involving the Buffalo Billion program triggered an investigation by U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara that resulted in the indictment this fall of nine state officials and business executives, including nanotech guru Alain Kaloyeros and Louis Ciminelli, one of Buffalo’s most successful business owners and political powers. Other work has had impact as well, most notably reporting by Dan Telvock on the city’s lead poisoning crisis. After a lot of hemming and hawing, city and[...]

Posted 7 years ago
Investigative Post

Get our newsletters delivered to your inbox * indicates required

Newsletters *