GOV. DAVID A. PATTERSON is strongly supporting the towering, cable stayed “signature bridge” designed by Chistian Menn and chosen by a 32-member selection committee two years ago. The PBA recently released a somewhat skewed press release stating that the Feds ruled that bridge was unacceptable because of Fish and Wildlife findings. “Concerned” would have been a better word than “unacceptable.” One of the things the Feds were concerned about was the shoddy study that was done on the impact to birds and fish. The bird issue was looked at for only 8 days, an insufficient length to determine what exactly the migratory patterns were. The Feds said that one cannot simply make predictions on what will happen. The PBA jumped on this as a rejection of the bridge design they’d fought against for years, anyway. The stubby little three arched bridge, the PBA claimed last week was our only alternative. Gov. Paterson, Sen. Schumer, Rep. Higgins, and several others disagree and will meet tomorrow to discuss it, a discussion the Feds are very open to.

It’s Day 4 since I filed a FOIL request for all records related to budget and expenditures for the Mayor’s Impact Team. The request, filed the afternoon before Channel 7 caught team leader Bill Buyers and two of his team members working on Buyers’ property on city time with city equipment, has been acknowledged but not yet fulfilled.

But at yesterday’s Common Council meeting, the City Comptroller’s office announced that it would audit the Mayor’s Impact Team. My favorite part of the Buffalo News report on the audit:

Peter K. Cutler, Mayor Byron W. Brown’s communications chief, said the administration is aware of a controversy when Buyers worked under a previous administration. He said that there were reports that some city workers might have performed personal tasks for Buyers but that there is no documentation that disciplinary action was taken.

“There is nothing in his personnel file . . . about any suspension or termination,” Cutler said.

I love that Cutler never seems to have any clear memory of the Masiello administration. He talks about it like it’s some foreign country he’s not really convinced exists, rather than an administration in which he served.

In response to all this, a defender of Buyers has posted identical comments both here and at BuffaloPundit. So I’ll share the rumor that drove me to ask a week and a half ago if the City Comptroller had ever audited the Mayor’s Impact Team, and subsequently to FOIL for the team’s financial records: I heard that the Mayor’s Impact Team has used public money to purchase goods for private use.

I don’t know if Buyers is a good guy or not, or how much good work he’s done. I know he’s been in government a long time. If he’s cheating the taxpayer, being a good guy is no defense. And if an audit shows that the Mayor’s Impact Team does this sort of thing regularly and suggests that higher-ups in the administration have turned a blind eye to the practice, then those higher-ups have no defense either.

BUFFALO FISCAL STABILITY AUTHORITY (THE CONTROL BOARD) is hosting a Public Forum on Monday, May 5th in the Common Council Chambers, 13th floor, City Hall from 5:30 p.m. – 8 p.m. Speakers will have 5 minutes to submit comments.

AVENUE Q Opens tonight 7 p.m at Shea’s and runs APRIL 29 – MAY 4, 2008. AVENUE Q is the story of Princeton, a bright-eyed college grad who comes to New York City with big dreams and a tiny bank account. He soon discovers that the only neighborhood in his price range is Avenue Q; still, the neighbors seem nice. I saw the show in NYC and it’s great fun. It’s remarkable how quickly the puppets absorb all your attention and the people carrying them simply seem to disappear. It may not be appropriate for young children because AVENUE Q addresses issues like sex, drinking, racism, and surfing the web for porn.

You’ve collected your receipts, you’ve done your math, you’ve run to the mailbox or clicked on the mouse before April 15. Now there’s one burning question in your tight-budgeted mind: When will I get some money back from Uncle Sam?

Our friends at the IRS have come through again with some helpful info…

The Internal Revenue Service has begun to transfer economic stimulus payments to millions of Americans, some of whom will see payments in their bank accounts as early as today.

(more…)

Peter Reese makes an interesting comment on Bruce Fisher’s article about sprawl in this week’s AV:

I actually think the local school districts which come with towns are the biggest part of the problem. They facilitate white flight to these little cocoon communities. If you look at Jefferson County which contains Louisville you will find that the secret behind their regional success is the fact that they always had one county-wide school district. When they got hit with the inevitable segregation lawsuit, there was no Elma, Alden or Orchard Park to flee to. They were stuck with the issues of poverty and racism. Apparently they decided to deal with their problems, rather than running from them.

What are the chances that we will have a single Erie County school district in the next 100 years?

Is that possible? Is it a good idea?

Delaware District Councilmember Mike LoCurto, South District Councilmember Mickey Kearns, and Lovejoy District Councilmember Rich Fontana have filed a resolution asking City Comptroller Andy SanFilippo to audit the Mayor’s Impact Team.

Last Monday I spoke with Tony Farina in the Comptroller’s office, who told me that he knew of no past audit of the Mayor’s Impact Team, and added that none was likely to be done without an external request.

Here’s that external request:

RESOLUTION

BY: MR. LoCURTO
COSPONSORS: MR. FONTANA, MR. KEARNS

RE: Requesting an Audit of Mayor’s Impact Team

WHEREAS: three city workers with the Mayor’s Impact Team were recently suspended without pay pending an investigation for allegedly performing landscaping work during regular working hours Friday at the private property of one of the individuals; and

WHEREAS: these actions represent the misuse of City workers and City vehicles; and

WHEREAS: unfortunately, this is not the first time misuse of City vehicles by the Mayor’s Impact Team has been documented; and

WHEREAS: because of the involvement of many different departments, allocations to the Mayor’s Impact Team are not itemized in the City’s Annual Budget; and

WHEREAS: the actions of a select few should not damage the reputation and work ethic of the Mayor’s Impact Team and the good that it has been able to accomplish; and

WHEREAS: the misuse of taxpayer money breeds mistrust of and cynicism in government.

NOW, THEREFOR BE IT RESOLVED THAT:

The Common Council requests that the City Comptroller performs an immediate audit of the Mayor’s Impact Team’s operations and financial expenditures including equipment and cell phone use; and that given the gravity of the allegations, that this report be returned to this honorable body as soon as possible.

AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT:

This matter be referred to the appropriate committee of the Common Council for further consideration.

___________________ ___________________ _____________________
Michael J. LoCurto Michael P. Kearns Richard A. Fontana

DANIEL J. HIGGINS, father of congressman Brian Higgins passed away Sunday in Harris Hill Long Term Care Facility, Clarence, after a long illness. He was 77. The Buffalo News quoted Rep. Brian Higgins saying that his father, a former Buffalo South District Common Council member, was his mentor and “a consummate gentleman who led by the eloquence of example. He was just a wonderful father, a wonderful husband and a wonderful example for our family and the entire community,”

BRIAN HIGGINS was also in news asking that federal officials reconsider their axing of the cable stay bridge designed by Christian Menn. Higgins, who initially positioned himself as let’s-just-move-on, now believes the Menn design has been too hastily abandoned.

CITY HONORS PRINCIPAL William Kresse, who recently penned a document critical of unethical interference at his school, and was recently under attack by high-ranking Buffalo Public School officials he named, received a show of support from his teaching staff. The Buffalo News reported today that City Honors teachers released a lengthy statement of support for Kresse. “As teachers at City Honors School, we feel a response in support of our principal, Dr. William Kresse, is necessary,” the teachers said.

THREE TEENS CHARGED IN HAZING INCIDENT. Three varsity and junior varsity baseball players from Wilson High were arrested and charged for a hazing incident that took place on a bus two weeks ago. The teens, all over 16, are charged with aggravated sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child. That sounds disturbing. There were multiple victims, all younger than 16. The team is suspended indefinitely.

BUFFALO BILLS DRAFT SELECTIONS – DAY 2
3RD (72) – Chris Ellis / DE / Virginia Tech
4TH (114) – Reggie Corner / CB / Akron
4TH (132) – Derek Fine / TE / Kansas
5TH (147) – Alvin Bowen / LB / Iowa State
6TH (179) – Xavier Omon / RB / N.W. Missouri State
7TH (219) – Demetrius Bell / OT / Northwestern State
7TH (224) – Steve Johnson / WR / Kentucky
7TH (251) – Kenard Cox / CB / Pittsburgh

DENNIS DONOHUE JURY should be in place today. So far 11 of the 12 jurors have now been selected in the Donohue trial. Donohue is charged in the 1993 strangulation of Joan Giambra. He is also the suspect/former boyfriend of Lynn Dejac, who was recently freed for the murder of her own daughter. Several alternate jurors must also be selected. Opening statements should begin tomorrow morning.

THE DOWNTOWN BUS TERMINAL is going to get a $19 million overhaul, according to NFTA officials. Apparently there have been two or three other plans to rehab the old terminal, but because there was always a question of whether the terminal would remain there those plans were shelved. Former Erie County Executive Joel Giambra wanted the terminal gone so he could expand Erie Community College’s city campus. Giambra’s pan failed to gain traction. For years, assemblyman Sam Hoyt had floated the idea of an inter-modal transportation site at the old Aud or somewhere downtown, that too failed to get any traction. NFTA head Lawrence Meckler told the Buffalo News, “Now we know we’re going to be here for the foreseeable future, and we can to take steps to make this a great building, an asset to downtown.”

This is the quickest response to a FOIL request Artvoice has ever received from the City of Buffalo. Less than two business days after I requested by email that the city give me all records related to the budget and expenditures of the Mayor’s Impact Team since January 1, 2006, Assistant Corporation Counsel Cavette Chambers has acknowledged receipt of my request:

Mr. Kelly:

Pursuant to Public Officers Law section 89(3), this correspondence will serve as an acknowledgment of your Freedom of Information Law request.

Please be advised that your request has been forwarded to the department of Administration and Finance, Public Works Parks & Streets, and the director of the Quality of Life Programs for a response. Each respective department will conduct a diligent search of its records to determine whether it is in possession of the requested records. Wherein sufficient time is needed to locate, compile, and review the requested records, please allow ten (10) business days from the date of this correspondence for a determination regarding your request.

Should you have any questions regarding the status of your request, you may contact the following individuals:
Donna Estrich with the Dept of Administration and Finance, Charles Masi with the Department of Public Works Parks & Streets, and/or Thomas Smith with Quality of Life Programs.

Sincerely,

Cavette A. Chambers
Assistant Corporation Counsel
City of Buffalo Department of Law
65 Niagara Square
1113 City Hall
Buffalo, New York 14202
Office: 716.851.4316
Fax: 716.851.4105
Email: cchambers@city-buffalo.com

So the wheels are turning, and the city now has to determine whether such records exist (which, if they don’t, would be a inexcusable), and, assuming they do, to compile them and send them to me (which, if that isn’t half an hour’s work, suggests some pretty poor bookkeeping methods).

The day after I FOILed these documents, of course, Bill Buyers, the head of the Mayor’s Impact Team was caught by TV crews with two city laborers working on his own house on city time. Mayor Byron Brown suspended Buyers for 15 days without pay and removed him as the team’s supervisor, and suspended his subordinates for five days without pay…and now people are beginning to roll out their Bill Buyers stories: that he’s the guy who got Anthony Capozzi arrested for a rape and murder that he didn’t commit but for which he served 22 years in jail; that Buyers last got in trouble when neighbors complained he dragged his dog on a leash hanging out his truck window; that he foots the bill for big breakfasts for 200 people once a month at the VFW post on Amherst Street; that he is protected by strong political ties.

Plus there’s the rumor that led me to file my FOIL in the first place, before Buyers got busted using the Mayor’s Impact Team to spring-clean his own front yard. More on that soon, I hope.

THE NEW YORK TIMES front page travel section this Sunday has a fascinating article titled “No Shoes, No Shirt, No Worries.” Apparently nudist vacations are on the rise, with hotels, resorts and cruise ships ow offering “high-end options” for vacationers who want to be free not just from their jobs, but their shoes, socks, pants, skirts, blouses and cufflinks, too (you can leave your hat on).

THE POLICE will be at HSBC Arena this Saturday, May 3. If their show is as good as the one in Toronto a few months back then it’s worth seeing. While they were always a bit intense and cerebral, never the brand of primitive rock and roll fun, like say, the Ramones, you can’t beat the Police songs, the musicianship and the still phenomenal voice of sting. Info Line: 716-855-4444 or Tickets.com 888-223-6000