Oct 1
2015
Susan Arbetter of Capitol Pressroom interviews Investigative Post Editor Jim Heaney about a lack of minority hiring at SolarCity construction site. Heaney was also interviewed Thursday by Brian Lehrer of WNYC, the NPR outlet for New York City, on Buffalo Billion matters.
Oct 1
2015
Charlotte Keith discusses how she reported her story on the lack of minority hiring at the SolarCity construction project in South Buffalo. Part of the challenge in reporting the story, she told Editor Jim Heaney, was the refusal of state officials to answer questions or provide public records in a timely fashion.
Sep 30
2015
Buffalo’s African-American community is starving for jobs, while the ongoing construction of the SolarCity plant in South Buffalo is employing hundreds upon hundreds of construction workers. Yet state officials agreed to cut the project’s diversity hiring goal – included on state contracts to ensure minorities get a fair share of work – from 25 to 15 percent. [continuing-coverage]That’s lower than on other high-profile publicly funded projects, such as the Buffalo schools reconstruction program and the University at Buffalo Medical School. It’s also significantly lower than the 25 percent minority workforce goal that was stipulated in the sales agreement that transferred[...]
Sep 28
2015
In July, Cheektowaga officials submitted to state regulators their $50 million workplan to address sewer overflows, which continue to pollute the Scajaquada Creek. More than two months later, the Department of Environmental Conservation still hasn’t responded to the town. This is déjà vu for Cheektowaga officials, who had their original plan rejected by the DEC in 2010. Time stood still for four years while the DEC failed to force the issue, until we reported on the deadlock in July 2014. On Monday, Senator Tim Kennedy joined town officials Monday to urge the DEC to expedite the review so that the[...]
Sep 28
2015
Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper and the Niagara River Land Trust are taking on a risky project. The $850,000 plan announced Monday is to demolish a decrepit former car repair shop on a brownfield to construct a half-acre public park with a paddle boat launch for one of the state’s most polluted creeks, the Scajaquada. On one hand, the project at 1660 Niagara Street in Black Rock could accelerate more investment into the badly polluted creek. On the other hand, without more cleanup, the project will leave exposed one of the creek’s most polluted sections, that even during the press event reeked[...]
Sep 21
2015
U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara took on the role of investigating the Buffalo Billion after none of the watchdogs in state government would. I did a story last December that detailed the questionable circumstances surrounding the awarding of development contracts to LPCiminelli and McGuire Development and the lack of transparency involving the Buffalo Billion program. I made inquiries in January with the offices of both Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli to ask if either of them intended to follow up. I found no takers. Bharara’s office, meanwhile, took note and began issuing subpoenas over the summer, as detailed Friday[...]
Sep 20
2015
Jim Heaney of Investigative Post, whose reporting foreshadowed the ongoing federal probe of developer contracts awarded under the Buffalo Billion program, took to the airwaves over the weekend of offer his take on U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara’s investigation. Heaney told Maryalice Demler of WGRZ Friday evening that the probe will almost certainly focus on Alain Kaloyeros, the Albany nanotech guru who is quarterbacking the Buffalo Billion program. Sunday, in an interview with Dave Debo of WBEN News Radio, 930 AM, Heaney covered a range of related issues, including the investigation, the state’s pay to play culture and the significance of[...]
Sep 20
2015
U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara’s investigation into contracts awarded under the Buffalo Billion program can’t help but scrutinize the actions of Alain Kaloyeros, who is quarterbacking the program, Jim Heaney has told Maryalice Demler of WGRZ. Heaney also said the investigation has statewide implications because Kaloyeros has emerged as Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s point man on major economic development projects in Rochester and Utica. Heaney said Kaloyeros has operated in a non-transparent manner in Albany for years, exported that approach to Buffalo and will likely do likewise elsewhere upstate unless challenged.