In case you missed the reporting, Governor Kathy Hochul and County Executive Mark Poloncarz last week announced their agreement on terms for construction of a new stadium and a new thirty-year lease agreement with the Buffalo Bills. The stadium will cost $1.4 billion and will be located across the street from Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park. This is a story that has been ongoing for more than fifty years. In the late 1960’s the Bills were threatening to move to a different city. War Memorial Stadium in Buffalo was expanded in the 1960s but was very old and inadequate for…
Author: Ken Kruly
Erie County government has been quieter lately. Covid metrics have dropped dramatically. Preventive measures have been relaxed. The state of emergency in the county has ended. Stefan Mychajliw is no longer Comptroller. There is much to be thankful for. The Covid matters and the term in office of Mychajliw are intertwined; the reason is that the former comptroller chose to link the pandemic issues to his job. It was not just that Mychajliw spoke out about the issues, which is his right. It is that his politicking while in office centered not on matters financial so much as matters cultural. …
Ah, for the days gone by when “politics stops at the water’s edge.” Ah, for the days gone by when New York Republicans avoided primaries. Welcome to politics 2022. Here are some facts, observations, and heard-on-the-streets: In a climate where every politician is his or her own distributor of news via the internet it is probably naive to think that it will ever again be possible for American foreign policy to operate under the rule of politics stopping at the water’s edge. For history buff readers, that policy was developed by Republican Senator Arthur Vandenberg in 1948 and helped pave…
With the Democratic Committee Convention over and the Republicans about to run their meeting at the beginning of next week things are getting serious in the race for governor of New York. The 2022 state elections will have a fresh look. Going back to 1978, when Mario Cuomo ran for Lt. Governor, there has been a Cuomo on the statewide ballot for ten of the previous eleven elections. Governor Kathy Hochul will be on the state ballot this year for the third time. It will be the fifth time for Senator Charles Schumer, the fourth time for State Comptroller Tom…
I have long been a political junkie. This means I spend a lot more time paying attention to politics – local, state, and national – than most folks. I write this blog to share information and to offer my comments and opinions on what is happening. Most times the things that are happening are not too dissimilar from the things that have happened before. Every now and then, however, something comes along that is unique; like some towns in Erie County talking about “seceding” from the County. It is hard to find any public subject these days that does not…
The Olympics don’t seem to be attracting much attention, but the process of redrawing legislative districts is. It’s a sporting event for the political crowd, with winners and losers. Redistricting is about numbers. Your start with the federal census, determine how many people live in each block or tract and then start putting those blocks and tracts together until you have a legislative district – federal, state, local – that approximates the average number of residents in the state, county or city divided by the number of legislators that someone back in time decided would be sent to Congress, the…
When reviewing news about things that are important in Western New York our educational systems are right at the top of the list. The largest district, which usually draws the most attention, is the Buffalo Public School System (BPS). With a student population of approximately 30,000 students and an annual budget of nearly one billion dollars, the Buffalo System dwarfs all other Western New York school districts. Given the high poverty rate in Buffalo, the District has many challenges well beyond those of the more financially and socially stable suburban and rural districts. The annual budget of the BPS is…
By virtue of her virtually limitless energy approach to the job, the people of the State of New York are coming to know a great deal about Governor Kathy Hochul. Seemingly nonstop events from Long Island to Niagara Falls; the State of the State message; the presentation of her proposed 2022-2023 state budget; and the release of campaign financial reports have flooded the media with facts and commentary about the governor. There is still a state Democratic Convention and a primary coming up with two challengers in the race, but it is hard to deny that we have a fairly…
Campaign 2022 is underway as political committees file their first financial disclosure reports of the year. The numbers demonstrate, not surprisingly, that those already in a good position financially are getting even stronger. Having a ton of money in a campaign account is good news for a candidate, but money does not necessarily lead to votes. A candidate’s credibility for the office sought, the strength and ability of a committee’s organization and even the general political climate at any given time all have a great deal to do with the potential success of the candidate. Nonetheless low bankrolls stress a…
In Western New York and throughout the state 2021 was a busy and eventful political year. Mayoral elections in New York City and Buffalo; various county races; the resignation of Andrew Cuomo and the ascension of Kathy Hochul as governor made the year one for the record books. The upcoming seven weeks, however, are going to quickly leave 2021 far in the rearview mirror. The June primaries are the main reason for the escalated schedule. Here is a summary of what is coming up: Filing of campaign financial reports. The first major event on the schedule will be the filing of…