Niagara Reporter-
NYS Attorney General declines to investigate Niagara Falls State Park bidding scandal
“Corruption is a serious crime. We will always enforce one set of rules for everyone — even if they walk the halls of political power.” So stated New York State Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman in an Aug. 10 post on his Facebook page. Yes, believe it or not, Mr. Schneiderman, the top law enforcement officer of the state, maintains a Facebook page. He updates it practically every day. He also finds the time to Tweet on a regular basis. AG Schneiderman got back to us in response to an open letter we printed in the Niagara Falls Reporter asking
Niagara Falls’ Successful Title Defense: FBI again ranks city as Most Dangerous in New York State
For the second year in a row, the city of Niagara Falls has topped the list as the most violent city in New York State, according to the 2016 report “Crime in the United States,” released this week by the FBI. There were a total of 565 violent crimes reported for Niagara Falls for all of 2016. Based on a population of 48,675, that means that if you are a resident of the city of Niagara Falls, there was more than one chance in 100 that you were robbed, raped, murdered or assaulted last year. It also imparted to the
Niagara Falls water bills deemed Cruel, Unusual Punishment
Council Candidate Pascoal proposes solutions to vexing problem According to the recently published Niagara Falls Water Board’s Annual Drinking Water Quality Report, “The total water produced in 2015 was over 7.7 billion gallons… The annual amount of water delivered to customers was about 2.5 billion gallons. This leaves about 5.2 billion gallons unaccounted for.” You’d think that with this kind of obscene wastage – for every three gallons of processed water, more than two go unaccounted for – lost mostly through underground leaks, the Water Board would refrain from or at the very least be somewhat red-faced about sticking it
Niagara Falls Primary Election may be Harbinger of Change, Tongue-Tied Councilman Touma baffles TV audience
Change is in the air, and last week’s primary election provided evidence of it. In a stunning turn of events, a complete political outsider, Bill Kennedy, came in a solid second in the Democratic race for three open seats on City Council, a mere 28 votes behind frontrunner Andrew Tuoma. Trailing the two by a wide margin, incumbent Kristen Grandinetti squeaked past strong challenges by two other newcomers, Lakea Perry and Amber Hill-Donhauser, placing a relatively distant third behind Mr. Touma and Mr. Kennedy. The three will face Republicans Sam Archie, Robert Pascoal and Chris Voccio in November’s general election.
Not a Single Project Submission for Greenway this Funding Cycle
For the first time in the ten year history of the Niagara River Greenway, not a single proposal was submitted for review this bimonthly project period. The September 19 meeting was strictly a formality, with no presentations taking place. Funded through the 2007 relicensing agreement with the New York Power Authority for the Niagara Power Project, the mission of the Niagara River Greenway, as presented on the home page of its website, is “To continue and advance the state’s commitment to the preservtion, enhancement and development of the world-renowned scenic, natural, historic, cultural and recreational resources of the Niagara River
Mayor Dyster, Council Majority to Approve Raises for City Workers next week Despite Bad Audit, Credit Downgrade, Vanishing Casino Funds
The city of Niagara Falls is living on borrowed time, financially speaking. The unrestricted fund balance (aka reserve fund) is projected to sink to zero by the end of this year, and according to a draft audit released in August by State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli’s office and first made public two weeks ago on the Niagara Falls Reporter website, the city of Niagara Falls “will nearly deplete the remaining casino revenue by the end of the 2018 fiscal year.” In response to this worrisome news, Standard and Poor’s last month dropped the city’s credit rating to BBB+, just three ticks
Bringing the City to the Country: The Problem is Density with Bri Estates
Opposition to a proposed new housing development in the Town of Niagara is gaining momentum, as more information becomes available to residents of the Colonial Drive and Miller Road neighborhoods which will adjoin the subdivision, should it be built. The local office of Yonkers, NY-based Double C Realty Inc. has been navigating the labyrinth of local and state zoning regulations for several months, as well as seeking approvals from regulatory agencies such as the Army Corps of Engineers and the state DEC, towards commencing construction of the 119 unit “Bri Estates” subdivision on an empty lot in the town. Actually,
Mayor Dyster, do-nothing Council to thank for City of Niagara Falls’ Looming Fiscal Nightmare
It hit us right between the eyes the instant we pulled it up on the computer. The as yet-unreleased New York State Comptroller’s draft audit, or “Report of Examination – City of Niagara Falls Financial Condition” for the period from January, 2015 to late June of this year, admonishes at the bottom of each and every page, in bold capital letters: “*DRAFT – NOT INTENDED FOR EXTERNAL DISTRIBUTION*” “CONTAINS NON-FINAL, INTRA- AND/OR INTER-AGENCY MATERIALS THAT MAY BE EXEMPT FROM DISCLOSURE UNDER THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION LAW.” Despite this stern warning, Buffalo’s WGRZ-TV broke the story last week that the city
Did Mayor Dyster’s “Friends and Family” policy cause Sewage Spill?
When Paul Dyster ran for the office of mayor of the city of Niagara Falls back in 2007, he promised an end to the traditional “friends and family” approach to running government. Over the succeeding years of his tenure at City Hall, however, it’s become clear that the campaign rhetoric that emanated from the man with two college degrees in political science, and the reality that ensued, are two entirely different things. Indeed, Mayor Dyster has elevated political cronyism to new heights. For example, consider his appointments to the Niagara Falls Water Board, which is currently under intense scrutiny from
Unemployment, Crime, Poverty, Taxes, Potholes, Credit Downgrades afflict City of Niagara Falls
Despite 160 Tourists for each and every Resident Unemployment is a hardship, so much so that it comprises half of something called the Misery Index, a widely cited economic indicator (the other half is inflation). Unemployment is connected with all kinds of community, family and individual dysfunction. It leads to increased alcohol consumption and drug abuse, spousal arguments, domestic violence and other health and legal problems. Unemployment is linked to depression, anxiety disorders, increased stress-related symptoms such as fatigue or headaches and prevalence of medical illnesses in general, as well as higher rates of crime and lower rates of volunteerism
Niagara Falls Unemployment Rate highest in New York State
State’s monopoly on Park, failed Economic Development policies to blame By James Hufnagel The city of Niagara Falls suffers from some of the highest rates of taxation and poverty (nearly double the rate of childhood poverty), and from the highest rates of per capita violent and property crime of any city in the entire state. Now we’re adding another grim statistic to that list. Despite the endlessly-repeated factoid that eight million tourists visit here every year, Niagara Falls has a chronically high rate of unemployment. Not just high, but the highest rate of unemployment of any city in the state.
Having Tried to bring Frackwater here, Gov. Cuomo now ‘Up in Arms’ over Sewage Spill
By James Hufnagel Governor Andrew Cuomo, by loudly and publicly demanding that the July 29 discharge of black, smelly wastewater into the area surrounding the Maid of the Mist dock be promptly and thoroughly investigated by his State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), is engaging in a blatant 180-degree flip-flop deserving of a collective smirk and eye-roll from all who care about our local natural and tourism resources. That’s because, just a few years ago, Gov. Cuomo was the driving force behind a stealth effort by state agencies and the Niagara Falls Water Board to import millions of gallons of