Categories for Featured

Mar 14

2016

Buffalo: Real State of the City

Published by

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

Published by

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

State behind curve on lead poisoning

Published by

New York State is failing to keep up with at least two federal initiatives aimed at combating lead poisoning in children, a particular problem in Buffalo. The state has failed to adopt federal standards that would improve lead abatement practices, resulting in a near absence of enforcement actions to discourage shoddy workmanship. New York officials have also failed to adopt a more stringent federal standard for what constitutes a concerning level of lead in blood tests that would trigger medical intervention. While New York as a whole lags in dealing with its lead problem, the effort in Buffalo is especially[...]

Posted 8 years ago

Mar 9

2016

Poloncarz leads on lead while Brown dithers

Published by

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

Mar 9

2016

Urban League still complaining about audit

Published by

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 8 years ago

Mar 9

2016

US Labor Secretary: inclusive growth matters

Published by

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 8 years ago

Feb 29

2016

State money for lead won’t go far

Published by

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 8 years ago

Feb 28

2016

Outrages: Lack of diversity in the trades

Published by

Charlotte Keith reported last week about the lack of diversity in local trade unions. Minorities account for 17 percent of the workforce in Erie County, but only 11 percent of membership of 18 building trade unions. What’s more, that number has barely budged over the past decade, despite a pledge by the unions to dramatically diversify their membership. A fair amount of the blame falls to the unions, but there’s plenty of blame to go around. Unions and community groups that recruit and train minority job candidates generally don’t get along. They accuse each other of a lack of communication.[...]

Posted 8 years ago
Investigative Post

Get our newsletters delivered to your inbox * indicates required

Newsletters *