What can we do to prevent this flagrant waste??

[Michele J]

I hate to sound like a jerk about this but...I have spent the past 5 years volunteering an average of 20 hours a week to fight against several major issues plaquing our city... I cant take on the BMHA...
I dont have the knowledge/background etc.. to do this and quite frankly Im feeling like WHY should I when there are MANY politicians/officials PAID EXTREMELY WELL who are supposed to be looking out for us John & Jane Q Taxpayer!
WHO IS IN CHARGE of making the decision to THROW away 36.5 MILLION DOLLARS to build new housing when there are HUNDREDS OF VACANT UNITS WE are paying to maintain????
Would starting a petition help?

[Incognito]

I don't know what to say. What (who) do you think is the biggest impediment to improvement?

[Michele J]

To tell you the truth I think the poverty pimping officials who do not care that we are a shrinking city as long as funding gets pumped into the city and keeps them working( if thats what you want to call it) It just burns me that we are a city with 14K+ vacant houses.. half filled well maintained projects...no real economic development happening and some idiots will rubber stamp a plan to spend 36.5million to build MORE projects..Where is the logic in this?

[Deerhunter]

knocking down the vacants, then splitting them among the neighboring homeowners. I think your fighting a losing battle. I doubt anyone will jump on board to discourage federal money coming into Bflo, even if it creates more vacant houses.
The PBA was going to protest the hiring of 100 more Cops, reason being, they claim they can't afford to pay at the current staffing level, and refuse to pay us our contracted rate. But how would we look, discouraging the hiring of more Cops ?
Your only option would be to get in the ear of your Councilman and hope for the best. Those grants have been strictly monitored as of late, because of Masiellos diversion of funds in the past. So I wouldn't think money can be diverted as in the past.

[WNYresident]

To tell you the truth I think the poverty pimping officials who do not care that we are a shrinking city as long as funding gets pumped into the city and keeps them working( if thats what you want to call it) It just burns me that we are a city with 14K+ vacant houses.. half filled well maintained projects...no real economic development happening and some idiots will rubber stamp a plan to spend 36.5million to build MORE projects..Where is the logic in this?

It's because a "connected" builder will get to to build those new projects..

[Michele J]

It's because a "connected" builder will get to to build those new projects..

You are 100% correct on that one!
I keep thinking at 180K per 1 bedroom unit is so utterly ridiculous that someone would stand up and say " HEY THIS IS BS" But Im sure too many palms are being greased for anyone who could stop this madness to actually do so.

[WNYresident]

You are 100% correct on that one!
I keep thinking at 180K per 1 bedroom unit is so utterly ridiculous that someone would stand up and say " HEY THIS IS BS" But Im sure too many palms are being greased for anyone who could stop this madness to actually do so.

Who do you think is going to build them when the money comes threw. Does seem like a waste if thier are vacant units.

[Michele J]

Whomever builds them Im sure has made some "contributions"..
The BMHA is much more than I can possibly take on by myself..I wondered if some of us can start a petition and send it off to our "representatives".. I dont know the best way to go about this?

[Timmy]

Whomever builds them Im sure has made some "contributions"..
The BMHA is much more than I can possibly take on by myself..I wondered if some of us can start a petition and send it off to our "representatives".. I dont know the best way to go about this?

I think you might need more than a petition such as a lawyer. A lawsuit against the city for its management of the BMHA and the city for waste and management and fraud....it could be a class action lawsuit in state supreme court on behalf of the taxpayer....if you win then there would be tax rebates and or a privatized management of the BMHA kinda like a non-profit instead of a city agency....and then there can be a change in priorities away from using funds for administration and instead towards rental vouchers and even housing stabiliztion so rather than get demolished maybe a house would get a new roof.

My advice is to ask for donations along with a petition to get a lawyer who is willing to take on the city and the BMHA.

Also the city and BMHA and department of urban renewal have been accused of fraud at the state and federal levels and audited but lets remember that a state or federal auditor might be more easily persuaded by wallpaper and politics than say a state supreme court judge. Your very likely to win on old evidence alone much less demanding a new audit by a private sector auditing firm.

In fact it would have such a high profile appeal locally, statewide and nationally that a smart lawyer would be willing to do it pro-bono on condition of a share of the final settlement.

petitions dont work unless their followed by a lawyer and a protest...the CRTC lobbying for a light rail extension proved that point.

[Michele J]

I dont want to get involved in a lawsuit..I dont have all the hours this would need to get it going.. There has to be people( politicians Im assuming) who are supposed to be watching out for this kind of waste..We need to get on their cases to do something THEY ARE PAID TO DO THIS!

[speaker]

I dont want to get involved in a lawsuit..I dont have all the hours this would need to get it going.. There has to be people( politicians Im assuming) who are supposed to be watching out for this kind of waste..We need to get on their cases to do something THEY ARE PAID TO DO THIS!

No, Michele, the right kind of lawyer is the key. His retainer fee would be in the thousands, and getting the money would be a hassle.

But lawyers love class action suits because they make a lot of money from those. He would do most of the work.

[Michele J]

Who can afford that?
Isnt it a shame that we ( taxpaying citizens) would have to pay to get an attorney to fight against entities whom are paid by our tax dollars to fight them to stop throwing away our money?
Sometimes ignorance really is bliss.. I was alot happier before I knew this info.

[WestCoastPerspective]

I hear that it is FAR from a done deal, particularly because of the debt load currently being carried by the BMHA. My understanding is the BMHA needs to replace the 'lost' units at LBJ because of HUD rules regarding relocation of existing tenants. I don't know all of the intricacies. I have a call into Steve Banko at HUD to do a follow-up on Buffalo Rising on the 'story behind the story.'

[WNYresident]

Fill us in with the details once you learn what they are....

[Timmy]

No, Michele, the right kind of lawyer is the key. His retainer fee would be in the thousands, and getting the money would be a hassle.

But lawyers love class action suits because they make a lot of money from those. He would do most of the work.

but the thing is the right lawyer and/or legal firm knowing the high profile might not ask for money up front....you dont know unless you ask

and the same class action suit could be brought against Buffalo Public school when the arbitrator agrees to their union demands....thats another taxpayer class action lawsuit waiting to happen

as far as legal monies....if your a lawyer or a legal firm....its class action lawsuits that can make a firm...and make an attorney...they can create a national profile

the only thing holding many back from a class action suit is that they have to do it on behalf of someone and no one is stepping up.