Over the last six years, the risk of being shot in Buffalo was nearly as high as the risk faced by residents of the Windy City.

In the five years before Chicago's shootings exploded in 2016, Buffalo and Chicago were neck and neck in the number wounded or killed by gunfire per 100,000 residents, according to a Buffalo News analysis.

Buffalo actually had a higher rate of shootings than Chicago twice in the last six years, The News found by examining Buffalo Police and Census data, along with Chicago shooting data published by the Chicago Tribune.

From 2011 through 2015, for every 100,000 residents, 98 people were shot in Chicago and 94 in Buffalo.

In 2016, 161 of every 100,000 residents in Chicago were shot. In Buffalo, 115 people of every 100,000 were shot last year.

Like Chicago, Buffalo also saw a surge in gun violence in 2016. There was an 18 percent increase in the number of people shot last year compared to the prior five-year average.

Buffalo police told New York State that 296 people were wounded or killed by gunfire in 2016. A Buffalo News analysis of Buffalo police crime data had put that number at 288 people: 254 wounded and 34 killed.

A News analysis published last month found 1,286 people were shot in Buffalo from 2011 through last year.

Three-quarters of all shootings in Buffalo over those six years occurred on the city’s East Side, where only a third of the city’s population lives, the News analysis found.

That means that part of the city and the people who live there bear a disproportionate burden of dealing with gun violence.

Many victims of shootings in Buffalo are people engaged in risky behavior, such as buying or selling drugs and gang lifestyles.

But bullets also hit children and other innocent bystanders.

Lexi Behan, 13, while being treated at Women and Children's Hospital in Buffalo for a gunshot wound to the chest. She was struck July 6 while on the porch of her home. (Photo provided by Behan's brother, Gabor Karpati)

Thirteen-year-old Lexi Behan was shot July 6 by a stray bullet while she sat with family members on the porch of her West Side home on Breckenridge Street.

The bullet pierced her chest, went through both lungs, tore a hole in her esophagus and got lodged in her right shoulder.

The teen survived the shooting but was under sedation and in a medically induced coma at Women & Children’s Hospital.

Read more at: The Buffalo News 

What would you do with $11 million?

Most of the people I've talked to agree that we need to hire more police officers to help get a handle on the crime situation in the City of Buffalo.

But with a shrinking revenue base that is a direct result of a continuing decline in the city's population - Nearly 30,000 people have left the city just in the past decade - just where do we look to for funds that will finance an increase in police personnel?  I say we start from within.

The City of Buffalo spent $11.2 million in police overtime in just ONE year.

With that same amount of money, you could hire 150 police personnel at a salary of $74,666, or 200 at a salary of $56,000. 

Now could you imagine what the response time would look like with 200 additional law enforcement officers out on the streets of Buffalo?

In terms of presence, that could literally transform how we interact with our police.  No longer would they be stretched thin. Many could be assigned to walk the beat, while others could help beef up the narcotics or cold case units. 

The City of Buffalo had 62 homicides last year, while the rest of Erie County had 5. What makes this figures even more troubling is that, while the city makes up only about a quarter of the county's population, a staggering 92% of all homicides in Erie County take place in the city. On top of that, just 23 percent of homicides were solved in the city last year.

Clearly, an increase in police presence is long overdue.

My solution:

End the routine use of overtime and reallocate the $11 million currently being used to pay overtime, to hire at least 150 new police officers. Overtime also contributes excessively to legacy and pension costs. This is because police officers’ retirement is based on the average of the highest three years worth of salary. Because of this loophole, some retired police officers make as much as $105,000 per year in taxpayer-funded pension. Therefore, reducing overtime presents an opportunity to trim down pension and legacy costs for city residents.

RELATED: 

Buffalo: The Nation's 4th Most Dangerous City

Analyzing Buffalo's Gun Buyback Program

Does Buffalo's Surveillance System Make Our Streets Safer?

7 Killed In The Past 9 Days

Web Supplements

Buffalo homicides by location, 2011-2015, based on available data. (Precise locations of 20 killings in that time period are not available but will be plotted online as information becomes available.) Homicides in red are unresolved; homicides in blue have been cleared. Map created by Zachary Burns. Via The Public.

Resources

Getting Away With Murders: The Numbers.  A WGRZ-TV and InvestigativePost.org investigation. Published February 5, 2015.

License To Kill. The Public. Published February 11, 2015.

Buffalo Homicide Toll Jumps To 62 In 2014. The Buffalo News. Published January 2, 2015.

• Homicides increased 31% over the previous year.
• Only 14 of the 62 killings have been solved. 
• Over 80% of the victims are African American
• December was the deadliest month with 12 homicides.  The month of April had the least number of killings with 1 homicide.
• Gunfire claimed the lives of 49 people. 
• 13 victims lost their lives to stabbings, blunt-force trauma or strangulation.
• The vast majority of killings, or 40 homicides,  took place during the second half of the year

Despite a declining population, 2014 was one of the bloodiest years in recent memory for the Queen City.  We utilized data provided by the Buffalo Police Department and information gathered by The Buffalo News to compile the following list. 

The City of Buffalo has had the following deaths ruled as homicides.

1. Yolanda Singletary, died Jan. 1, Genesee St & Michigan Ave., shot; under investigation

2. Dustin Ortiz, died Jan. 5, Newfield Street, shot; under investigation

3. Damario McCain, died Jan. 27, Reed Street, shot; under investigation
4. Damone Wiggins, died Feb. 2, East Delavan, shot; under investigation
5. *Malik Evans, died Feb. 22, Guilford Street, shot; case cleared
6. Barrie Woods, died Feb. 23, Dewey Avenenue, shot; under investigation
7. Brian Dombek, died Mar. 4, Sirret Street, blunt force trauma, case cleared
8. Jeremy Thompson, Mar 26, Pleasant Place, shot; under investigation
9. Robert C. Bennett, died Mar. 29, C Street, shot; case cleared
10. Antoine Holt, died April 4, Metcalfe & Lyman Street, shot; under investigation
11. Jason Ramirez, died May 2, Schmarbeck Street, shot; under investigation
12. Ameer Al-Shamrmari, died May 5, Amherst St. & Churchills, trangulation; case cleared
13. Joshua Beason, died May 6, Hertel Avenue, shot; under investigation
14. George Waddell, died May 9, Brewster Street, stabbed; case cleared
15. Jacob Noe, died May 14, Lovering Avenue, stabbed; case cleared
16. Arthur Parsons, died May 28, Mohr Avenue, shot; under investigation
17. Deshawn White, died June 6, St.Joseph Street, shot; under investigation
18. Victor Hernandez, June 22, Pershing Avenue, shot; under investigation
19. Benjamin Sweetwine, died June 22, Sumner Place, shot; under investigation
20. Vernon Reeves, died July 5, Concord Street, stabbed; case cleared
21. Ivanilson Mendes, died July 6, Wasmuth Avenue, shot; case cleared
22. James McDaniel, died July 13, Bailey Avenue, blunt force trauma; under investigation
23. Jonathan Smith, died July 13, Arkansas Street, shot; under investigation
24. Shamel Parker, died July 18, Sycamore & Jefferson Ave., shot; under investigation
25. Tyneisha Pettiford, died July 18, Sycamore & Jefferson Ave., shot; under investigation
26. **William Sager Jr., died July 30, Main St. & Winspear Ave., blunt force trauma; case cleared
27. Manuel Mateo; died August 7, Herkimer Street, shot; under investigation
28. Ray Patterson III, died Augus5 12, Roosevelt Street, shot; cleared
29. Ronnie Scott, died August 12, Shirley Avenue, shot; under investigation
30. Dawud Lawson, died August 17, Box Avenue, shot; under investigation
31. Deverin White, died August 23, Doat & May Street, shot; cleared
32. Benjamin Gerald, died August 23, Doat & May Street, shot; case cleared
33. Myron Maclin, died Sept. 4, Main & Allen Street, stabbing; case cleared
34. Kylil Young, died Sept. 9, Koons Avenue, shot; under investigation
35. Gary Hooser, died Sept. 21, Butler Avenue, shot; under investigation
36. David Laguerre, died Sept. 21, Butler Avenue, shot; under investigation
37. Jerald Goldsmith, died Oct. 1, Masten Ave & Edna Place, under investigation
38. Shaquille Huffman, died Oct. 2, Langmeyer Avenue, strangulation; under investigation
39. Paris Lewis, died Oct. 3, Deerfield Avenue, shot; under investigation
40. Kevin Hogue, died Oct. 8, Hertel Avenue, shot; under investigation
41. Shmerea Nailor, died Oct. 9, Ontario St & Riverside Ave., shot; under investigation
42. David Skippper, Jr., died Oct. 14, Erb Street, shot; under investigation
43. Natalie Thompson, died Oct. 21, College Street, shot; cleared
44. John T. Wesley, died Oct. 29, East Ferry St.& Wende, shot; under investigation
45. Rafael Martinez, died Nov. 12, Arnold Street, blunt force trauma; cleared
46. Naim Holt, died Nov. 22, Langfield Avenue, shot; under investigation
47. Dominque Harris, died Nov. 22, Langfield Avenue, shot; under investigation
48. Cesar L. Ramirez-Davila, died Nov 23, Hudson Street, shot; under investigation
49. Gary Patrick Noziere, died Dec. 1, Fay Street. shot; under investigation
50. Yolonzol Green, Jr., died Dec. 6, Burnie Lane, shot; under investigation
51. Terrell Taylor, died Dec. 14, Brinkman Ave.& Rohe St., shot; under investigation
52. Darren Rice, died Dec. 16, Jewitt Avenue, shot; under investigation
53. Tracy Avery, died Dec. 16, Genesee St. & Rogers, shot; under investigation
54. Lewis Browning, died Dec. 17, Titus Avenue, stabbing; under investigation
55. Jamilah Furquan, died Dec. 19, Grant Street, shot; under investigation
56. Willie Barksdale, died Dec. 21, William Street & Spring St.. shot; under investigation
57. Kendra Nicole Hill, died Dec. 22, Manhattan Avenue, shot; under investigation
58. Matthew Tucker, died Dec. 24, Klaus Street, shot; under investigation
59. Denell A. Baker, died Dec. 28, TBA, shot; under investigation

*The incident occurred on July 9th of 2011. Malik Evans passed away on February 22, 2014.

**William Sager Jr. suffered injuries on May 11th, 2014. He passed away on July 30th, 2014.

NOTE: 3 deaths are not reflected on this list. We will update the list as soon as we gather the necessary details. 

RELATED: 

Buffalo: The Nation's 4th Most Dangerous City

Analyzing Buffalo's Gun Buyback Program

Does Buffalo's Surveillance System Make Our Streets Safer?

UPDATE: Only three days after the publication of this post, a 24-year old resident of Buffalo was killed on Christmas Eve. This brings the total number of homicides for 2014 to 58, and 8 killed within 11 consecutive days.    

* UPDATE #2: Yet another homicide was reported Sunday, Dec. 28. Total number of homicides for the year now stands at 59.

• 7 killed in the past 9 days from separate incidents
• All but one of the victims killed under the age of 25
• Total homicides for the year stands at 57 — 10 more than in the previous year

Over the past 9 days 7 people have been killed in the City of Buffalo.  WKBW has published a summary describing the wave of violence that has reigned over the Queen City recently:

The wave of violence began Friday, December 12. An 18-year-old girl was hit by gunfire on the 100 block of Riverside Avenue. She treated and released from the hospital.

The following morning at 9 a.m., 24-year-old Terrell Taylor was shotat Brinkman Avenue and Rohe Street. He later died at ECMC.

Then December 16, there were two deadly shootings and a third reported shooting with no victim. The first shooting that Tuesday occurred around 8:30 p.m. on the 200 block of Jewett Avenueand 20-year-old Darren Rice was found dead at the scene.

There was a shooting reported around 11 p.m. on Locust Street,though there was no victim in that case and police could not confirm a shooting took place.

A third shooting happened just after midnight on Genesee Street between Floss Street and Sprenger Avenue. Tracy Avery, 19, was shot and possibly hit by a vehicle and later died at ECMC.

Last Friday, 16-year-old Jamilah Furguan was killed and 20-year-old Antonio Tucker suffered critical injuries in a double shooting on the 500 block of Grant Street.

Early Sunday morning, 44-year-old Willie Barksdale was shot at William and Spring Street. He later died at ECMC.

That afternoon a 15-year-old boy was shot on the 200 block of Jewett Avenue. He is recovering from his injuries at the hospital.

Finally, early Monday morning, a 23-year-old woman was killed and a 26-year-old man was injured in a shooting on the first block of Manhattan Avenue. The man was treated and released from ECMC.

Below are the names, dates, locations and method of the 57 homicides that have taken place in 2014. 

1. Yolanda Singletary |  1-1-14 | Genesee St & Michigan Ave | shot
2. Dustin Ortiz | 1-5-14 | Newfield Street | shot
3. Damario McCain | 1-27-14 | Reed Street | shot
4. Damone Wiggins | 2-21-14 | East Delavan | shot
5. *Malik Evans | 2-22-14 | Guilford Street | shot
6. Barrie Woods | 2-23-14 | Dewey Avenenue | shot
7. Brian Dombek | 3-4-14 | Sirret Street | blunt force trauma
8. Jeremy Thompson | 3-26-14 | Pleasant Place | shot
9. Robert C. Bennett | 3-29-14 | C Street | shot
10. Antoine Holt | 4-18-14 | Metcalfe & Lyman Street | shot
11. Jason Ramirez | 5-2-14 | Schmarbeck Street | shot
12. Ameer Al-Shamrmari | 5-3-14 | Amherst St. & Churchill | strangulation
13. Joshua Beason | 5-6-14 | Hertel Avenue | shot
14. George Waddell | 5-9-14 | Brewster Street | stabbed
15. Jacob Noe | 5-14-14 | Lovering Avenue | stabbed
16. Arthur Parsons | 5-28-14 | Mohr Avenue | shot
17. Deshawn White | 6-20-14 | St.Joseph Street | shot
18. Victor Hernandez | 6-22-14 | Pershing Avenue | shot
19. Benjamin Sweetwine | 6-22-14 | Sumner Place | shot
20. Vernon Reeves | 7-5-14 | Concord Street | stabbed
21. Ivanilson Mendes | 7-6-14 | Wasmuth Avenue | shot
22. James McDaniel | 7-13-14 | Bailey Avenue | blunt force trauma
23. Jonathan Smith | 7-13-14 |Arkansas Street | shot
24. Shamel Parker | 7-18-14 | Sycamore & Jefferson Ave. | shot
25. Tyneisha Pettiford7-18-14Sycamore & Jefferson Ave. | shot
26. **William Sager Jr. | 7-30-14 | Main St. & Winspear Ave. | blunt force trauma
27. Manuel Mate | o8-7-14 | Herkimer Street | shot
28. Ray Patterson III | 8-12-14 | Roosevelt Street | shot
29. Ronnie Scott | 8-12-14 | Shirley Avenue | shot
30. Dawud Lawson | 8-17-14 | Box Avenue | shot
31. Deverin White | 8-23-14 | Doat & May Street | shot
32. Benjamin Gerald | 8-23-14 | Doat & May Street | shot
33. Myron Maclin | 9-4-14 | Main & Allen Street | stabbing
34. Kylil Young | 9-9-14 Koons Avenue | shot
35. Gary Hooser | 9-21-14 | Butler Avenue | shot
36. David Laguerre | 9-21-14 | Butler Avenue | shot
37. Jerald Goldsmith | 10-1-14 | Masten Ave & Edna Place | under investigation
38. Shaquille Huffman | 10-2-14 | Langmeyer Avenue | strangulation
39. Paris Lewis | 10-3-14 | Deerfield Avenue | shot
40. Kevin Hogue | 10-8-14 | Hertel Avenue | shot
41. Shmerea Nailor | 10-9-14 | Ontario St & Riverside Ave. | shot
42. David Skippper, Jr. | 10-14-14 | Erb Street | shot
43. Natalie Thompson | 10-21-14 | College Street | shot
44. John T. Wesley | 10-29-14 | East Ferry St.& Wende | shot
45. Rafael Martinez | 11-12-14 | Arnold Street | blunt force trauma
46. Naim Holt | 11-22-14 | Langfield Avenue | shot
47. Dominque Harris | 11-22-14 | Langfield Avenue | shot
48. Cesar L. Ramirez-Davila | 11-23-14 | Hudson Street | shot
49. Gary Patrick Noziere | 12-1-14 | Fay Street | shot
50. Yolonzol Green, Jr. | 12-6-14 | Burnie Lane | shot
51. Terrell Taylor | 12-14-14 | Brinkman Ave.& Rohe St. | shot
52. Darren Rice | 12-16-14 | Jewitt Avenue | shot
53. Tracy Avery | 12-16-14 | Genesee St. & Rogers | shot
54. Lewis Browning | 12-17-14 | Titus Avenue | stabbing
55. Jamilah Furquan | 12-19-14 | Grant Street | shot
56. Willie Barksdale | 12-21-14 | William Street & Spring St. | shot
57. [Name Unreleased] | 12-22-14 | Manhattan Avenue | shot
58. Matthew Tucker | 12-24-14 | Klaus St. | shot
59. [Name Unreleased] | 12-28-14 | Peach St. | shot

*The incident occurred on July 9th of 2011. Malik Evans passed away on February 22, 2014.

**William Sager Jr. suffered injuries on May 11th, 2014. He passed away on July 30th, 2014.

RELATED: 

Buffalo: The Nation's 4th Most Dangerous City

Analyzing Buffalo's Gun Buyback Program

Does Buffalo's Surveillance System Make Our Streets Safer?

YouTubers Jason Holler & Joseph DeBenedictis uploaded a stunning 16-second time-lapse visual that shows the divide created by today's lake-effect snow storm - which dumped as much as 6 feet of snow in some areas. 

The video paints a tale of two cities. To the South of the city, cars are left stranded on the road as a state of emergency is in full effect.  To the North, residents are seeing as little as 1-2 inches of snow. 

UPDATE: Here's another time-lapse video with the view from atop the Guaranty Building in downtown Buffalo:

A time-lapse view of Lake Erie during the lake-effect snow storm of November 18, 2014.

Related photos:

According to the National Association of Realtors' Top 10 Fall Markets for Millennial Home Buyers the Buffalo-Niagara region is one of the top real estate market for young home buyers - second only to Akron, Ohio. 

Millennials are referred to those born during the 1980's and 1990's, which means that for those in their 20's and 30's Buffalo is an ideal place to buy a home.  

National publications have been heaping praise on Buffalo's quality of life as of late.  Recently, Buffalo was recognized as the nation's 6th best city for quality of life.  Bloomberg also recognized the Queen City as the least riskiest real estate market in the past 35 years.  On top of that Buffalo was also recognized as the most affordable city in the nation by Forbes magazine. 

Citing the importance of young home buyers, Realtor.com notes that "Millennials are a critical component of the first-time home buyer market segment, and getting this segment functioning again is an absolute necessity for bringing the housing ecosystem back to full health. Decreased first-time home buyer sales have lessened the demand for new construction, and limited housing's contribution to overall economic growth – perpetuating a cycle of limited job and income growth."

A Canadian airline is moving some of its flights to Buffalo in a move to reduce the costs.

The Toronto Star newspaper reported that Canadian company Sunwing Airlines will begin to offer diret flights out of Buffalo Niagara International Airport and leave for Cancun, Mexico and Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. 

The main reason for the move is a recent hike in aviation fuel taxes recently passed by the province of Ontario.  As a result of the hike, the Ontario government expects to increase revenue generated from aviation fuel taxes from $65 million to $130 million.  

The airline, however, feels that it cannot absorb the increase while remaining competitive.  This new reality prompted the move to Buffalo.  

Just how significant will the savings be for passengers? The Toronto Star did the legwork for us:

A check of vacation websites found a round-trip Sunwing trip from Buffalo to Cancun, departing Jan. 31 and returning Feb. 7, advertised at $419 (U.S.) plus $118 (U.S.) in taxes and fees, for a total of $537 (U.S.).

A similar Sunwing trip, but from Toronto to Cancun, departing and returning on the same days, has a base fare of $445 plus $392 in taxes and fees for a total of $837.

On a trip during March Break, a Sunwing flight to Punta Cana, departing from Buffalo on March 14, returning a week later, is listed at $629 (U.S.) plus $147 (U.S.) in taxes and fees, for a total of $776 (U.S.)

A similar flight, departing on the same days, but from Toronto, is listed at $1,105 plus $425 in taxes, fees and charge, for a total of $1,530.

Looks like Canada's loss is Buffalo's gain. 

Buffalo is at the top of the list of "12 Cities Where You Can Live Affordably in a Walkable Neighborhood", according to Walk Score, an organization that focuses on promoting walkable neighborhoods. 

Buffalo bested cities such as Sacramento, Chicago and Baltimore to earn the top spot on the list. 

To determine which cities would rank on its list, Walk Score looked at Cost of Living Index, average rents and "Walk Score" data for every major city in the country.

Ranking it at number 1, here's what Walk Score had to say about the Queen City:

Despite, the long, cold winters,  this once-great industrial hub in western New York is home to a vibrant community of young professionals and students in walkable areas like Bryant and Front Park. Located where the Niagara River flows out of Lake Erie, Buffalo boasts great nightlife, an emerging dining scene, and neighborhoods with a strong sense of community.

RELATED:

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Buffalo Is Nation's 6th Best City For Quality Of Life, #1 In The Northeast

Lost amidst the excitement regarding today's announcement that SolarCity - a green energy solar panel manufacturer - is bringing 3,000 jobs to Western New York, is concern about the project's price tag to taxpayers.  

New York State is financing the solar panel manufacturing facility, which will be located at the Riverbend site in South Buffalo, to the tune of $750 million.  Presumably, this "investment" will attract 3,000 jobs to the region.  

Assuming that this public-private partnership is indeed successful, New York State is forking over $250,000 per job for the privilege of manufacturing solar panels. That's more per job than the annual salary of the Buffalo Public Schools superintendent, who makes $217,500.

That's a staggering sum on a per-jobs basis and brings to question the wisdom of this deal. 

When you consider that the median income in Buffalo is $30,052, the deal seems even more astonishing.  At that rate, you could give away the median income of $30,052 to nearly 25,000 Buffalo residents and stimulate the local economy in unprecedented ways.

Even at $225 million - the original amount New York State previously announced it would invest in the solar panel facility in exchange for 1,100 jobs - the deal was deemed a "shakedown" by the Investigative Post's Jim Heaney. He writes:

The $225 million deal on the table in Buffalo is “generous, there’s no doubt about it,” LeRoy said. “I would urge the state to be cautious as to what else it does.”

Musk has the governor right where he wants him, however.

As he has done with all of the Buffalo Billion projects, Cuomo has raised expectations with his chest beating over SolarCity’s purchase of Silevo. The announced projects do have the potential to generate investment and employment in the long run, but thus far they have in fact produced only a handful of jobs, nearly three years after the governor announced his Buffalo Billion initiative.

Cuomo faces re-election in November, and while Republican Rob Astorino doesn’t pose much of a threat, the governor clearly wants to have a deal with SolarCity to tout. More precisely, he doesn’t want to have to explain his failure to deliver.

So overpay he might.

Here's some perspective on what $750 million could pay for:

• Give every man, woman and child in the City of Buffalo a check for nearly $3,000. 
• Pay the salary of the Buffalo Public Schools superintendent for the next 3,448 years.
• Nearly pay for the entire general fund budget in the Buffalo Public Schools system.

It seems to me that $750 million in exchange for 3,000 jobs is a rather steep price to pay. 

Hopefully, this partnership will bring us the desired outcome. 

Whether this deal will turn into another Solyndra fiasco, or not, remains to be seen. 

UPDATE: The Investigative Post has published a new piece with their take on the SolarCity deal.  Excerpt:

My first blush impressions of the SolarCity deal announced Tuesday by Gov. Andrew Cuomo:
It’s a rich package. The state is committing $750 million – $350 million to build a manufacturing plant and $400 million in potentially forgivable loans to equip it – in exchange for creating 3,000 jobs, half of which would be employed by SolarCity, the other at firms in their supply chain. That works out to $250,000 to $500,000 per job, depending on how you do the math...

So, is the SolarCity deal a good one or not?

Well, there’s no denying it’s generous – quite generous. It’s not as outrageous as the deal Tesla Motors recently wrangled out of Nevada and it could have been had Cuomo agreed to grant SolarCity status as a Start-Up New York project. But still, we’re talking three-quarters-of a billion dollars and $250,000 a job. That’s big money, nearly triple the $225 million the state originally committed to at Riverbend.

Cuomo and his team did a poor job of explaining the details Tuesday. For example, there was a brief mention of the $400 million loan. Only when pressed, not once, but twice, did they acknowledge that SolarCity won’t have to repay the loan if they meet performance benchmarks. So it’s really a grant if SolarCity doesn’t mess up. I could cite other examples, but you get the picture.

What rankles me is all the hype, all the back slapping that made Tuesday’s event seem more like a campaign rally than anything else. Look, adding 3,000 jobs is a good thing. But it’s not a game changer, and Cuomo didn’t so much attract SolarCity to Buffalo as he did raid the public treasury to make them an offer they couldn’t refuse.

The thing is, you can throw that kind of money around once, maybe twice, but Cuomo’s approach is not financially sustainable. The governor said  Tuesday he wants to take the Buffalo model and replicate it in other upstate cities, but it begs the question: How could he hope to pay for it?

Source: Investigative Post

Buffalo has faced its fair share of challenges, so it's always welcome when the city is recognized in a positive light by a national publication.

Forbes has ranked the top cities where individuals could make their mark.  Of the 19 places the magazine identified as an "opportunity city", Buffalo came in at #5.  

To determine which cities would make their list, the magazine considered a city's' median home sales, unemployment rate and population growth - especially among those between the ages of 25-39 years old.  Only cities with a population of at least 150,000 residents were considered.

Here's what the magazine has to say about the Queen City:

The former industrial hub saw its population plummet with the decline of transportation, steel manufacturing, and grain milling, but is working hard to bring new companies to the area. Local efforts include 43North, a business plan competition with a $1 million prize, and Start-Up NY, an effort to get companies to move or expand into space at the State University of New York at Buffalo by offering businesses no personal or business taxes for owners and employees for ten years. Also, the city's Dollar Home program offers $1 homes to buyers who will restore and live in the home for at least three years.

City of Buffalo Profile

Population: 258,959
Median home sales price (Q1 2014): $65,000
Unemployment: 8.2%
Unemployment change July 2013-June 2014: -21.20%
Population growth 2008-2012: -1.5%
Pop. Age 25-39 (2012): 21.3%
Change in Pop. 25-39, 2010-2012: 4.70%
Violent crime (annual, per 100,000 people): 1,288.7
FORBES' Business and Careers Rank: 58

RELATED:

Buffalo Is Nation's 6th Best City For Quality Of Life, #1 In The Northeast

Buffalo: The Least Riskiest Real Estate Market In The Past 35 Years

Earlier today The White House announced President Obama's pick of former Google Executive Megan Smith as the nation's new Chief of Technology Officer.

In a statement the President said: "Megan has spent her career leading talented teams and taking cutting-edge technology and innovation initiatives from concept to design to deployment. I am confident that in her new role as America's Chief Technology Officer, she will put her long record of leadership and exceptional skills to work on behalf of the American people. I am grateful for her commitment to serve, and I look forward to working with her and with our new Deputy U.S. CTO, Alexander Macgillivray, in the weeks and months ahead."

Smith is a Buffalo native and graduate of City Honors. 

According to Smith's Wikipedia entry:

A native of Buffalo, New York, Smith graduated from City Honors School in 1982. She went on to receive her SB in 1986 and an SM in 1988, both in Mechanical Engineering from MIT, and completed her Master's thesis work at the MIT Media Lab. She was a member of the MIT student team that designed, built and raced a solar car 2000 miles across the Australian outback in the first cross-continental solar car race.

With any luck, Smith's new-found fame will help boost Buffalo's tech credentials and growing startup scene - which include the likes of 43North, which organizes a $5 million worldwide startup competition here in the Queen City, co-working space digBuffalo and technology incubator Z80 Labs.

The way I see it, our city has been taking way too many punches for way too long.

We know we get snow. We get a ton of snow.

But we sure as hell don't have wild fires. Or hurricanes. 

We've been around.  We have the kind of history you can feel. A thousand places that you're not going to find in cities like Charlotte, or Vegas. 

You know what? Buffalo is real.

It's got character. There are villages. There are towns. There are neighborhoods. Try finding that in Phoenix. 

We have tradition.

We have icons and legends. We crave football. And bleed hockey. 

Sure, we've never won a championship. But instead of tearing us apart, it brings us closer together. 

We're not South Beach. We're not even Myrtle Beach. But don't try to tell me you can't find a good party around here. 

In Buffalo, we drink together. We laugh together. We cry together. 

Our families are from here. It's where we grew up. It's where if you screw up, you'd hurt your whole family. 

And our whole city feels like a family. 

That's Buffalo. That's the real Buffalo. 

So the next time someone asks, don't tell them where you're from. Tell them where you live:  

I live in Buffalo!

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RELATED: The Best Video About Buffalo

If you've ever discussed Buffalo with out-of-towners, chances are the topic of snow or whether you dip your wings in blue cheese or ranch dressing inevitably comes up. But just how do you get them to see past the blizzard of '77 or the Anchor Bar?

Easy. Just share this video with them: Buffalo: This Place Matters

A few years ago the Buffalo Niagara Convention & Visitors Bureau commissioned a promotional video that turned out to be the best video about Buffalo I have ever seen. 

Over the years the video has garnered over a quarter-million views - 281,636 to be exact - on YouTube, a smash-hit by regional standards considering the population of the City of Buffalo is around 260,000.

With Buffalo experiencing a revival of sorts, along with a renewed sense of optimism, perhaps now is a good time to revisit this breathtaking production featuring the majestic beauty that is the Queen City. 

"Buffalo is steeped in a series of historical narratives. From the Iroquois Nation to the terminus of the Erie Canal and the westward expansion that emanated from there...".  So begins the opening statement.  From there, a bevy of local notables take viewers aboard an exploration of the city's architectural gems, neighborhoods, natural beauty and historical significance that are unique to Buffalo. 

If you have time to watch, another impressive video produced by the same company that made Buffalo: This Place Matters is embedded below. 

The story of Buffalo, New York's world class urban design and how today's generation is rediscovering and restoring 'America's Best Designed City.'

You already know that Buffalo has the least riskiest real estate market in the past 35 years - if not, you can learn more about it here.  And you may have heard that Buffalo is the most affordable city in the nation. Well now you can add another to the city's "best of" column.

According to a study by Nerdwallet - also featured on the Huffington Post - Buffalo ranks as the nation's 6th best city for quality of life.

In fact, Buffalo was the only Northeastern city to rank in the top 10 by the study. 

The study notes Buffalo's low cost of living and a diverse number of industries -  such as health care, finance and education - as a few of the reasons why the Queen City earned high marks: 

People working in Buffalo spend less than 36 hours a week at the office, much lower than most other cities in the country. About 21.9% of their paychecks go to rent every year, which is a relatively low figure that signifies a lower cost of living than in many other large cities. The top industries in the region are finance, technology, health care and education, while the largest university, University at Buffalo, part of the State University of New York system, is renowned for its research programs.

Though it was not used as a factor in the study's methodology, Buffalo also ranks as having one of the smoothest rush-hour commutes in the nation by Forbes magazine.

While we're at it, Buffalo's Elmwood Village is also ranked as one of the 10 best neighborhoods in the nation by the American Planning Association. 

Methodology

The overall score for each city was calculated from the following measures:

1. Mean weekly hours worked from the 2012 U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey.
2. Mean travel time to work from the 2012 U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey.
3. Median annual rent as percentage of median income from the 2012 U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey.
4. Percentage of population with health insurance coverage from the 2012 U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey.
5. Percentage of people with income below the poverty level from the 2012 U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey.
6. Unemployment rate of the metropolitan area from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

All six variables were weighted equally. The study analyzed the 100 largest U.S. cities.

Interactive Chart

The recent decision by the NYS Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) to grant Hispanics United of Buffalo (HUB) a conditional license to distribute methadone has raised more questions than answers.  

Considering the controversy surrounding HUB's seemingly deliberate deception of the community regarding its decision to convert the facility into a methadone clinic, any sensible person may wonder why OASAS proceeded to grant HUB its Operating Certificate. What's even more perplexing is that OASAS cites the "more than 60 community meetings" HUB purportedly held as a cause for granting the Operating Certificate, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. 

Further, a number of elected officials, including the entire body of the Buffalo Common Council, as well as the Erie County Department of Health, have expressed their opposition to the methadone clinic's opening at this particular location.

How did HUB manage to outmaneuver a number of powerful elected officials and overwhelming community opposition? 

Follow The Money

A sign affixed near the entrance of  HUB's Virginia Street location announces that Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds are being used to make "public facilities improvements" at the site. Prominently displayed across the center of the sign: "Hon. Byron W. Brown - Mayor".  Throughout this fiasco, several sources familiar with the matter have alleged that $137,000 in CDBG funds were used to convert HUB into a methadone clinic.  This new sign only lends further credence to their allegation.

If true, how exactly did HUB get a hold of such an exorbitant amount of federal funds to outfit its facility to the tune of $137,000, despite other community agencies having their CDBG funds cut at a rate of 8% annually? Well, it just so happens that David Rodriguez, who was appointed by the mayor as General Counsel for the Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority, is also the new president of HUB and presided over the implementation of the methadone clinic.  What's fascinating about these funds being granted is that there were presumably no assurances that HUB would receive approval to operate as a methadone clinic.  Yet, the city rolled the dice and took the gamble anyway.  

Considering that HUB is the recipient of $137,000 in CDBG funds controlled by the city, does Mr. David Rodriguez' dual role as General Counsel for BMHA and HUB's board president present a conflict of interest? The answer to that question may shed some light to how the approval process was handled. 

What are the facts?*

• Fact: The Erie County Legislature and Buffalo Common Council have resolutions which state this clinic should not be located here.
• Fact: Erie County Mental Health Commissioner withdrew his support of his clinic, calling the location "wholly unsuitable."
• Fact: Take home doses of methadone (which will be distributed by HUB) can be sold and/or used to get high. They have high resale value and can be unsafe, leading to overdose if combined with other drugs.
• Fact: HUB and their parent companies have routinely failed to notify or educate the community about their plans
• Fact: According to the Federal Guidelines for Opioid treatment, community outreach, input and stigma reduction is “a necessary operational element”, and the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration's approved Opioid Treatment Program accrediting organizations REQUIRE that “Medication-assisted treatment for opioid addiction providers demonstrate effective community relations and stigma-reduction efforts.”  HUB/Promesa claims they have done extensive community outreach, including holding 60 community meetings, but community members were not informed of these meetings.
• Fact: The clinic application was filed by a Bronx-based agency and the state approval was issued to a Bronx-based agency. A Bronx-based agency will administer the clinic and be responsible for the clinic. HUB, the local agency, is merely a landlord collecting rent from a tenant. Because PROMESA in the Bronx is designated by the State as the agency of record, HUB legally cannot do anything to operate the clinic or make any decisions regarding the operation.

*Facts compiled by the VETTE Block Club.

Supplements 

• Download: OASAS Operating Certificate and Letter (PDF)
• Blog: Methadone Clinics: Why Location Matters
• Blog: Securing Community Buy-In Is A Must For Any Entity 

Earlier today Artvoice published a cover story on what a Buffalo Bills footbal stadium would look like if it was located in downtown Buffalo.  To bring their vision to life, Artvoice enlisted the services of University at Buffalo School of Architecture and Urban Design professor Brad Wales. The result was the stunning image above.

Last night, I attended an open forum hosted by the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation and held at WNED studios.  The title of the forum was "Buffalo Outer Harbor Open House: Presentation of Alternative Concepts", and about 200 or so people attended the presentation.    

Many interesting designs were presented to members of the audience and each attendee was then asked to fill out a scorecard which they could use to rank their favorite concept design, based on what Buffalo's waterfront should look like in the future.  Presumably, the most popular design would be adopted by the ECHDC and used as a blueprint for future waterfront development. 

During the presentation representatives of the ECHDC presented several findings based on feedback they received from previous open forums. Among these findings, it was revealed that the majority of participants did not want a downtown stadium.  

With that being said, ECHDC representatives declared that they have have no desire to pursue the integration of a downtown stadium within any of the concept designs going forward - though they did leave some wiggle room pending the findings of  another study currently being conducted by the State of New York.  Until then, the message was clear: a downtown stadium was out of the question, case closed. 

In a very timely fashion - only a day after the ECHDC announced where it stood on the issue - Artvoice published an interesting article emphasizing the positive attributes of a downtown stadium. Here's the story.  It seems many of us have a different take on where the Bills should play. 

In your opinion, should the Buffalo Bills relocate downtown?  Take the Poll:

Click here if poll does not display above: "Should The Buffalo Bills Relocate Downtown?"

Many believe that Buffalo's Broadway-Fillmore neighborhood's best days are yet to come.

The Broadway-Fillmore neighborhood is home to the Dyngus Day Parade, The Broadway Market and some of Buffalo's oldest churches, as well as treasured architectural landmarks like the Central Terminal.

The historic district is also Western New York's largest neighborhood. In fact, a 1940's Readers Digest feature named Buffalo's Broadway-Fillmore intersection the busiest in the entire State of New York - New York City's Time Square was the busiest intersection at that time. 

But times have changed.  According to the latest U.S. Census figures, Buffalo's population stands at about 259,000 residents - less than half of the 580,000 it had during the 1950's. 

However, not all hope is lost.  Sections of the Queen City are experiencing a renaissance, as hundreds of millions of dollars are being poured into downtown and the waterfront.  

As the Queen City looks toward a more vibrant future, many individuals, groups and organizations are hard at work fighting to make the Broadway-Fillmore district Buffalo's comeback neighborhood.

Will Historic Polonia play a key role in the emerging story of the city's revival? I think so. Far from the hustle and bustle it experienced during the 1940's-1950's, the Broadway-Fillmore neighborhood is positioning itself as the one to watch.  Signs of life can be seen in and around where the second-busiest intersection in New York State once stood. 

Now, thanks to WKBW-TV, you can watch a video giving us a brief history, and what lies ahead, for the historic Broadway-Fillmore district.

• For a detailed overview of the Broadway-Fillmore district, check out this narrative compiled by the Buffalo Architecture and History website. 
• Maps of the Broadway-Fillmore Neighborhood
• Stay current and involved with Buffalo-Fillmore Alive - The online voice of East Buffalo's Historic Polonia. 
• Concept proposal by Chris Jacobs.

Looks can be deceiving. Despite all of the waterfront development going on downtown, there are a growing number of Buffalonians who are not thinking about the next Canalside concert. Their conversations don’t include the towering cranes visible on Buffalo’s skyline.  Instead of enjoying Food Truck Tuesday, they are standing in line at the soup kitchen.

According to the latest U.S. Census figures, only three other cities in America are poorer than the Queen City: Detroit, Cleveland and Rochester.

The latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau also reveals that over 58,000 families live in Buffalo. Of those, more than 15,000 are living in poverty – that means 1 out of 4 families in Buffalo live in poverty. 

In a segment titled "A look inside the 4th poorest U.S. city" WIVB shares a perspective that puts a face to those among us living in poverty.

In the video, we are introduced to Michael Morlock, a Buffalo resident and nursing school graduate, who is struggling to make ends meet and has found himself getting in line at soup kitchens and picking through canned items at local food panties.

As we revel in the excitement of a city currently amidst a "renaissance",  let's not forget that a large segment of the population is feverishly awaiting for a good neighbor to lend a helping hand. 

Related: Buffalo: The Nation's 4th Most Dangerous City

Social Media Commentary

Initial reaction to this story on social medial sites.

During a conversation with Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe, the Jimmy Kimmel Live! host proclaimed: “If the Bills go to Toronto, we’re going to war with Canada”.

Are you listening, Bon Jovi?

You have probably seen their trucks and vans delivering imported produce to restaurants all across Western New York.  And chances are that you've also driven by Guercio's Old World Market on Grant St. 

Since 1961, Guercio's has been the local purveyor of some of the freshest produce and fruits, as well as imported oils and deli meats to Buffalo's Italian community.  

Throughout the years, Guercio's has somehow managed to fend off large competitors such as Wal-Mart by providing personal and quality services to its clients.  In the process of reinventing itself, the iconic fixture in Buffalo's West Side has done what few local business are able to do in the hyper-competitive food and groceries business: grow. 

Now, thanks to WKBW-TV, you can watch a video giving us a brief history of the historic Guercio's with the man himself. 

Next time you pack your picnic basket, remember to stop by Guercio's & Sons!