News across Greater Buffalo
Investigative Post
Published October 01Fun and gamesmanship at Dem re-org meeting
The main event at Saturday’s meeting of the Erie County Democratic Committee was the election of Jeremy Zellner to an eighth term as party chair. Zellner, facing two challengers, won that contest with more than 85 percent of the weighted vote. It took hours to to collect and…
Investigative Post
Published September 30Niagara County dallies as overdose deaths mount
Over three years, Niagara County spent less than half the $8 million it received to battle the ravages of opioid addiction. Those funds, originating from settlements to lawsuits against drug manufacturers, came in two pots — one over which the state exercises oversight, another…
Investigative Post
Published September 28City to pay $4.5 million in police shooting lawsuit
The City of Buffalo is poised to pay $4.5 million to the family of Jose Hernandez-Rossy, who was shot and killed by a Buffalo police officer in 2017. The proposed settlement resolves a federal lawsuit brought by Hernandez-Rossy’s mother, Margarita Rossy, five months after Officer…
Investigative Post
Published September 28What passes for democracy in Buffalo
Unite NY, which advocates for election reforms, has issued a report on voting in Buffalo following the unwillingness of the city’s Charter Revision Commission to put the issue on the ballot for November’s referendum. Among Unite NY’s findings: Nearly two-thirds of general…
Niagara Action
Published September 25The Mike Lee Story: Final Salary of $202,858, Overtime and Side-gig Allegations, Retired with Full Pension and a Town of Niagara Board Seat
The Soft Landing Mike Lee Collected $202,858 in His Final Year, Manufactured Overtime, Ran a Side Business Out of a Police Substation, and Retired With a Full Pension and a Town Board Seat. There Was a Party. They Had Pizza. Editor’s Note: Niagara Action Media holds the full text…
Investigative Post
Published September 23Democratic Party reformer says time’s on his side
On Saturday, when the Erie County Democratic Committee holds its biennial reorganization meeting, most political junkies will focus on Jeremy Zellner’s bid to win an eighth two-year term as party chair. Zellner lost his bid in June’s primary election to retain the state Senate…
Investigative Post
Published September 16Buffalo revokes free street parking for ICE
New signs eliminate a “law enforcement” parking zone on South Elmwood Avenue used by ICE agents. Photo by Geoff Kelly. The City of Buffalo this month quietly took away a subsidy it granted federal immigration officials nearly a decade ago: a dozen free on-street parking spots.…
Niagara Action
Published September 15Hochul Signs Union-backed Law that Attacks Free Speech, Silences Government Watchdogs
Governor Kathy Hochul is once again taking care of the political bosses who fund her campaigns, signing legislation designed to silence government watchdogs and shield powerful public-sector unions from losing members. The controversial measure – signed into law with immediate…
The Wellsville Sun
Published September 14Congressman Langworthy Announces Nearly $13.6 Million in Federal Aviation Grants for NY-23 Airports
Wellsville Municipal Airport to see over $1.6 million dollar in federal funding Federal funding will support critical runway and taxiway improvements in Akron, Elmira, and Wellsville Washington, D.C.—September 14th… Congressman […]
Niagara Action
Published September 12Buffalo Politicians Meddle in Old First Ward as Poloncarz and Ryan Try to Meddle with Native Sovereignty
Local politicians in Erie County seem to have missed the lesson on basic constitutional law and Native American sovereignty. Whenever the Seneca Nation of Indians exercises its federally recognized sovereign right to develop its own land, local elected officials predictably throw…
Niagara Action
Published September 11The Mayor’s Man: How James Perry Became Robert Restaino’s Most Useful Tool in Niagara Falls
There is a particular species of local politician that every Rust Belt city knows by instinct, even if it can’t always name it. He is not the boss. He is not the visionary. He is the mechanism — the man who shows up on time, sits in the right chair, calls the roll, and ensures…
Niagara Action
Published September 10GOOCH GOT SCREWED? Political Connections, Missing Proof of Funds and a $10,000 Niagara Falls Theatre Deal
The Niagara Falls Screw Job How a Buffalo Democratic political network lobbied Niagara Falls City Hall — and what it got in return EDITOR’S NOTE: This is Part Three of Niagara Action’s ongoing investigation into the selection process for the Rapids Theatre at 1711 Main Street,…