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May 31

2012

The rap (sheet) on the Common Council

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Brian Davis’s plea to federal corruption charges Tuesday comes as no surprise. Neither does the Common Council’s appointment of a bartender to fill Mickey Kearn’s vacant seat. Such is the state of the Common Council. Jimmy Griffin used to call them the “Comical Council” back in the day and yes, they used to bicker a lot. But once upon a time, the Common Council had a core of stellar lawmakers—think Gene Fahey, Jim Pitts, and Dave Rutecki, among others, followed in later years by the likes of Brian Higgins and Kevin Helfer—who attempted to deal with serious issues and function[...]

Posted 13 years ago

May 27

2012

Interview: Brian Higgins

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Investigative Post editor Jim Heaney interviewed Congressman Brian Higgins about a series of issues. Higgins in the interview, which aired on WGRZ’s Daybreak Sunday: Explains his advocacy of developing the Outer Harbor into a park, but in a departure from previous comments, sounds receptive to some commercial development. “There clearly is an opportunity for mixed-use development,” he said. Maintains the construction of a new Peace Bridge plaza will help reduce exhaust that is causing respiratory health problems on the lower West Side and that a scientific study to determine the impacts, if not done already, should be conducted. “There clearly[...]

Posted 13 years ago

May 23

2012

Making the case for more than a park

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The Outer Harbor represents Buffalo’s opportunity to get something big right. And what an opportunity it presents. Lake Erie out front. Downtown out back. Just a few miles from a busy international crossing. Is there another city in the nation that has such a prime piece of undeveloped real estate? There’s a push on to redevelop 120 acres of the Outer Harbor into a park. What’s not to love about a park? Well, in this case, several things, if all that’s developed is a park. Consider: Our winters pretty much assure that a stand-alone waterfront park would go largely unused[...]

Posted 13 years ago

May 20

2012

Interview: Robert Bennett

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Jim Heaney of Investigative Post interviews Robert Bennett, state Regent for Western New York, on a range of education issues. Bennett in the interview: Takes issue with Phil Rumore’s characterization of the dispute between the Buffalo Teachers Federation and the state Department of Education over teacher evaluations. Bennett said the evaluations are mandated by state law and there is no room for negotiation. He also said union concerns about the impact of low-performing students with high absentee rates on teacher evaluations are overblown and that standardized test scores account for only 2 out of 100 points on the evaluations. Contended[...]

Posted 13 years ago

May 17

2012

Smith continues to flout election law

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The New York Board of Elections has slapped a campaign committee controlled by Common Council Majority Leader Demone Smith with another fine for failing to file  financial disclosure reports. The most recent fine of $1,121 is at least the seventh assessed against Smith campaign committees.  The fines total $4,084 and the committees have yet to pay any of them, including one that dates to March 2008. Smith, in an interview Tuesday, said he is working with the Board of Elections in an effort to reduce the fines. “We’re trying to get them lowered,” he said. However, John Conklin, a spokesman[...]

Posted 13 years ago

May 13

2012

Interview: Phil Rumore

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Investigate Post launched an interview program Sunday with WGRZ 2 On Your Side featuring an interview with Phil Rumore, president of the Buffalo Teachers Federation. In the interview, Rumore said reaching an agreement on teacher evaluations will require more than consensus on how to account for student absenteeism. The quality of standardized tests and the English language proficiency of students also need to be considered, Rumore said, as well as how to evaluate teachers on the academic performance of special education students. He disagreed with those who say the school district is failing students. “I don’t think the schools are[...]

Posted 13 years ago

May 11

2012

Investigative Post launching interview segment with WGRZ

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In addition to co-producing investigative stories, Investigative Post and WGRZ 2 On Your Side will broadcast weekly interviews with newsmakers that will air on Daybreak Sunday. Investigative Post Editor Jim Heaney will conduct the interviews. This Sunday he puts questions to Phil Rumore, president of the Buffalo Teachers Federation. Rumore has lead the BTF since 1981. He and the union are currently embroiled in a dispute with state education officials over proposed teacher evaluations. In their interview, Heaney quizzes Rumore about the quarrel over evaluations and a number of other topics, including whether the BTF president intends to seek another[...]

Posted 13 years ago

May 9

2012

Coppola elected Investigative Post board president

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Lee Coppola, whose career has included stints as an investigative reporter, journalism school dean and federal prosecutor, has been elected president of the board of Investigative Post. “Lee has been a practitioner and champion of investigative reporting his entire career. I’m very excited to have someone with his depth and breadth of experience leading our board,” said Jim Heaney, editor and executive director of Investigative Post, a non-profit investigative reporting center focused on issues of concern to Buffalo and Western New York. “Being elected president of the board of directors is an honor I will try to uphold by helping[...]

Posted 13 years ago
Investigative Post