Feb 26
2016
Jim Heaney, following up on Investigative Post’s report on a lack of diversity in Buffalo’s construction trades, discusses the problem with Susan Arbetter on The Capitol Pressroom. Heaney also discusses the latest developments involving lead poisoning in the city. The interview runs from 36:47 to 48:35.
Feb 25
2016
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[...]
Feb 24
2016
Charlotte Keith of Investigative Post reports on a lack of diversity in the construction trade unions in Buffalo and Western New York. This story broadcast Wednesday on WBFO and is a companion to a story published Tuesday by Investigative Post. Produced by Jeffrey Mayne.
Feb 23
2016
Construction in Buffalo is booming. SolarCity. Children’s Hospital. The University at Buffalo Medical School. Taxpayer-funded projects like these are employing thousands of union construction workers. But the boom has resurrected concerns that the unions have made little progress over the past decade in diversifying their membership. While minorities make up 17 percent of Erie County’s workforce and more than half of the city’s population, they account for only 11 percent of unionized construction workers, according to the most recent figures available. What’s more, there’s been virtually no change in the racial makeup of the building trades over the past[...]
Feb 22
2016
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[...]
Feb 18
2016
Feb 17
2016
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[...]
Feb 16
2016
Improving the quality of local politics and increasing civic engagement were the topics of debate on Feb. 10 as Investigative Post hosted a panel discussion as part of its “At Issue” event series. The panel agreed that Buffalo has abysmal voter engagement, but differed as to who or what is to blame. Voter turnout in last year’s general election was only 26 percent in Erie County. Meanwhile, seven of the nine incumbents on the Common Council and five of 11 members of the county Legislature, ran unopposed last year. Why the apathy? Democratic Party Chairman Jeremy Zellner cited several reasons, including the[...]