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.

Jul 17

2013

Brown challenger off to decent fundraising start

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[...]

Posted 12 years ago

Jul 16

2013

Money behind the Buffalo mayoral candidates

Mayoral hopefuls Bernie Tolbert and Sergio Rodriguez filed their first campaign finance disclosure reports this week. They show Tolbert, while outgunned by incumbent Byron Brown 6 to 1, nevertheless has more money to campaign on than the mayor’s opponent spent four years ago. Rodriguez, however, has struggled to raise money.

Posted 12 years ago

Jul 16

2013

Fate of coal-fired plant in Dunkirk

Dan Telvock of Investigative Post reports for WGRZ on a public meeting in Fredonia in which local residents and environmentalists squared off over whether power plant should be shuttered or converted to facility fueled by natural gas.

Posted 12 years ago

Jun 26

2013

Cuomo’s failed huffing and puffing on Peace Bridge

First Gov. Andrew Cuomo huffed. In October, he had his emissaries tell the Public Bridge Authority he wanted it to turn over control – along with $95 million – to New York State to redevelop the U.S. side of the bridge plaza. When that didn’t work, he puffed. The governor in April had a member of his senior staff write a caustic letter to a senior Canadian transport official accusing Canadian members of the bridge authority of “foot dragging” and a “lack of cooperation” and demanding the removal of general manager Ron Rienas who, you guessed it, is a Canadian.[...]

Posted 12 years ago

Jun 25

2013

Heaney on Billion To Buffalo

Investigative Post agrees with Howard Zemsky that it’s going to take time to revitalize the region’s economy. But he finds claims made by Mayor Byron Brown to be “curious” and not supported by the facts.

Posted 12 years ago

Jun 24

2013

Heaney talks Peace Bridge on WBFO

Investigative Post Editor Jim Heaney discusses the ongoing political drama regarding the Peace Bridge on “Press Pass.”

Posted 12 years ago

Jun 14

2013

Peace Bridge bill may be DOA

I suspect a number of newspaper readers and television viewers surmise that the Peace Bridge Authority is about to go bye-bye as a result of Wednesday’s approval by the state Legislature of a bill that would dissolve the authority that operates the Peace Bridge next year unless its governing board acts in accordance with state wishes. That would be a false assumption, and the story I did Thursday evening on WGRZ was my attempt to set the record straight. I want to expand on that story here. The bridge authority has a legal opinion from Phillips Lytle, Buffalo’s biggest law[...]

Posted 12 years ago

Jun 14

2013

Sizing up impact of Peace Bridge bill

Jim Heaney fields questions from Athan Kompos of WGRZ about about the bill passed earlier this week by the state Legislature that purportedly lays the legal groundwork for a dissolution of the Peace Bridge Authority. Heaney cautioned that passage of the bill doesn’t necessarily mean the authority will disband.

Posted 12 years ago