Buffalo Rising Online

yeah, i just noticed that there should have been 3 posts on this article - and now theres only yours. Interresting..... I guess the truth is out there.

I'll wait until tomorrow's interview with Peter Savage to make a judgement, but David Rivera didn't help his case much with his vague answers. Let us hope Mr. Savage can provide us with some detail and potential solutions to our concerns on the West Side, as opposed to simply pointing out the obvious with no plan to correct as Mr. Rivera did.

Danny, I share your concern about Rivera's vague generalities, as he lives on one of the most devastated blocks on the WS.

The current primary battles for the Democratic Councilman line in Niagara District gives an important opportunity to review dramatically failed housing policy on the West Side.

Peter Savage has been very active in WS housing issues, first as aide to Councilman Bonifacio, then as City Attorney in Housing Court. More recently he has been board president of WSNHS, which has long been a dramatically ineffective, but politically powerful, WS entity.

David Rivera, a cop, in contrast lives at #362 on the devastated 350 block of 14th street, where his house is the best looking on the street while being surrounded by blight, abandonment & flipping. Houses on both sides of him have been foreclosed, one bought by WS investor Rose Yager (#360, 12/06, $6K), the other flipped to a "foreign investor" by notorious Hamburg flipper Adam White (#364, $9.6K from HUD, 6/06, flipped 9/06, $25K).

And opposite Rivera, 377 14th has been repeatedly flipped among "foreign investors". After suffering a suspicious fire it has just been again flipped to a brand new entity in Bflo, Gerber Funds LLC, for $12.5K on 7/12/07. The multiple dwelling had been flipped by Thomas Brown merely three months earlier (4/10/07) for $10K to new-in-Bflo "Solimar LLC" . Brown had paid Marshall Reed (British investor) $40.1K in 6/05 (Reed paid $13750, 5/13/04), as Reed just lost nearby 393 14th (paid $16.5K, 9/9/04) at the 2006 tax auction, purchased for $3K by new-in-Bflo Brooklyn investor Jennifer Vallone.

Across from Rivera, a WSNHS client paid $76K in 10/01 for rehabbed 2 family #385, now assessed at $39K. It has an ugly vacant lot on one side & a city-owned abandoned house awaiting demolition on the other side. It is unlikely that #385 would sell for $39K, risking foreclosure or bankruptcy if the WSNHS client needed to sell.

Rivera's block is a sad laboratory of housing failure. What does Rivera propose?

There needs to be public debate about urgent need of housing policy reform on the WS from HUD & City Hall on down to WSNHS.

Ideally WSNHS should lead & sponsor such a debate, but they are too compromised to have the credibility, needing massive reform themselves.

Perhaps PUSH, as new-kid-in-town, could sponsor a housing policy debate?

So far, Rivera has "struck out".

Dick Kern

I agree that David's answers weren't great, he needs to work on it. But I'm definitely interested in him because as Kernwatch pointed out, this man lives in the thick of it. He also sees the worst of it at work as a cop. I'm curious to see what Savage has to say but I'm also not gonna make up my mind quite yet. Plus, Savage hasn't convinced me that he'll be anything else besides a lapdog for the Mayor.

Three words describe Mr. Rivera's interview "Vague, Vague, Vague". He is terrific about pointing out what is wrong with the Niagara District but as everyone else has pointed out, he has no answers.

It is also shameful as a Buffalo police officer who lives in the West Side, he would allow the house flipping going on all around him without standing up and getting the attention of the city officials. Ironically it was one of his biggest supporters, Sam Hoyt, who sponsored the anti-flipping task force and legislation, would allow his candidate to turn his back to this wrongful action of absentee landlords who just want to make the almighty dollar on the backs of long time neighbors.

The credentials of the candidates speak for themselves. David Rivera is a 20 year veteran of the Buffalo Police Dept. who lives on the West Side and has no concrete answers - Next

Peter Savage III- Asst. Corporation Counsel to the Common Council, Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals. Long time West Side resident and past legislative aid to Niagara District Councilman Nick Bonifacio. Mr. Savage has worked in city hall for many years. He knows how to get things done effectively and efficiently. He cares deeply for this district and understands the different types and levels of problems the Niagara district faces.

It does not take a rocket scientist to figure this one out!!!!!!!! I have not seen anyone work as hard to win people's confidence and want the job more than Mr. Savage. He is the most qualified and deserves our support and vote.

Peter Savage III is the absolute best person for the Niagara District Councilman.

"Toad" is pretty clearly some sort of operative for Savage. Or maybe his mom.

Byron Brown is trying to stack the city council so that he can run the city without interference. Savage is a pawn in that effort.

Colin's comments of today are inaccurate and unethical to call Peter Savage a pawn of Mayor Brown's administration. Yes, Peter Savage serves Mayor Brown's administration via his duties as Asst. Corporation Council but to call him a pawn of city hall in immoral and in just bad taste. Peter Savage is doing his job well and if you asked anyone in the Common Council, Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals what Peter's character is made up of, you would change your tone and owe Mr. Savage an apology.

Look at the credentials, listen to the interviews and take 5 minutes from watching reality TV to meet Peter Savage face to face. Listen to his ideas and see his energy. Then make your decision based on the facts vs. just using skuttlebutt, innuendo and rumors to make Peter Savage look bad.

I am in no way related to Peter Savage but I would be proud to have a brother that represented himself, the district and the City of Buffalo in the manner he does.

Peter Savage believes and insists in a "Positive Campaign" and will not allow anyone to resort to negative campaign tactics as have been played on him.

In closing Colin, it is Mayor Byron Brown or Mayor Brown not Byron Brown. He deserves and has earned at least that level of respect. No I am not a relative of Mayor Brown nor work for city hall either, I am just someone who has taken the time to get the facts.

How does Mr. Rivera living on "the worst block on the West Side"; a notion I would emphatically argue against, make him a more effective representative? Nobody doubts that he has seen some things as a cop and can identify many of the problems that we west siders face, but can he solve them? Does he have plan? I haven't heard him provide any insight into any problem.

Some times people forget that council members are LAW MAKERS, wouldn't us Niagara District residents be lucky to have an attorney as our representative? As a member of the Corporation Counsel, Savage has already drafted measures to address many of the problems we experience. As a councilmember he will be in an even better position to address our problems.

I have met Peter multiple times and know him to be a down to earth "neighborhood guy" who is committed to the West Side community.

After listening to both interviews it is quite obvious Peter Savage is the choice for Niagara District Concilmember. I'm sure Mr. Rivera is a decent cop, and he loves his neighborhood, but I'm not really sure how that qualifies him to be a concilman. He did not have answers to many of the questions. His continued responses of, "I don't know... I'm not sure... I read somewhere... I think it might be..." are extremely concerning. At this point in time you need to know these answers. You have to have a plan formulated.

Contrastly Peter Savage has ideas, answers, and plans. Being an attorney and having worked in City government for many years are definite positives. The claims that Peter could be a "lapdog" are unfounded and ludicrous. Think about it rationally. A person with Mr. Savage's credentials could easily be making $75,000 yearly as a private attorney in a big law firm. Why in the world would he want to make 2/3 of that salary to be a yes man? What benefit would Peter receive to not think independently? It doesn't make any sense. "Yes" men are people that need the job they are given because they are not qualified to achieve higher goals on their own. In this case it is obviously not true. Mr. Savage wants to win this election because knows he will help the Niagara District. Peter you have my vote and I know you will do a great job.

Mr. Rivera, you definitely have a love for your community. Keep up the good work on the Police force and leave the legislation, planning, etc to Mr. Savage.

Apology accepted. GO BILLS!