Free Buffalo Office

Our new office will be operational by tomorrow night. 1535 Hertel Ave., near Parkside in Buffalo. We'll try to be open during the opening night of the Italian Festival, etc.

We will be working on nine or ten separate projects and inviting students and citizens in to work on them.

Or pitch us your own idea and if it's consistent with our overall vision, we'll work on it together.

We thought parking might be a problem, but we haven't had trouble getting spots so far. There's two free lots within walking distance and you can park on the side streets for free as well.

Party next week. Details to follow.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
James Ostrowski
Free Buffalo
1535 Hertel Ave.
Buffalo, NY 14216
716-566-7720
716-435-8918 (cell)
jameso@apollo3.com
http://www.freebuffalo.org
http://www.freeny.org




Free Buffalo’s Grand Opening is Thursday

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Will be WNY’s First Independent Think Tank


Buffalo, New York. July 16, 2005. Free Buffalo, the policy and research wing of the Upstate tax revolt, will hold the grand opening of its new office on Thursday, July 21st, from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. A Press Conference will be held at 5:00 p.m.

The office is at 1535 Hertel Ave., corner of Wellington (one block west of Parkside), right in the middle of one of Erie County’s most vibrant neighborhoods. The office will also serve as the corporate headquarters of Free New York, Inc., a state-wide umbrella organization and Free Niagara, its Niagara County chapter.

Jim Ostrowski, founder and President said, “we kept our promises made at the first Free Buffalo meeting on March 8th: to form a non-partisan, non-profit corporation and to open a storefront office “’in one of the neighborhoods.’”

At the press conference, Ostrowski will discuss Free Buffalo’s plans for the future which will include three major studies and several interesting projects for volunteers and student-interns.

Free Buffalo’s credo is:

“Free Buffalo from big government, political machines and special interests—because 45 straight years of economic and cultural decline are enough!”

http://www.tonawanda-news.com/story.asp?id=3149

Free Buffalo finds a home
Stacey Shepard
Saturday, July 23, 2005

Free Buffalo has a home base.

The grassroots organization, credited with leading Erie County’s taxpayer revolt, officially opened the doors to its office on Hertel Avenue in Buffalo on Thursday.

Founded by James Ostrowski, a trial lawyer and author of several books on public policy, Free Buffalo is aimed at improving Erie County’s economy and quality of life by reducing the size of government, making it more accessible to average citizens and less influenced by special interest groups.

“We’re a think tank that represents the interest of average people,” he said, adding that the group is non-partisan but plans to conduct research and put forth proposals on ways to improve government policy.

The office will also serve the group’s sister organization in Niagara County called Free Niagara. The two groups have about 800 members.

The group formed shortly after the Erie County budget crisis began last fall and gained steam in the past few months. A fund-raiser at Buffalo’s Central Terminal in May brought in about $3,500, enough for the organization to hire a lawyer, become incorporated and open an office.

North Tonawanda resident Paulette Peterson, who will serve as the office’s executive director, became involved in Free Buffalo and Free Niagara because she’s fed up with high taxes in the city.

“My biggest pet peeve is the amount of taxes I have to pay and the salaries these public officials make,” Peterson said, referring to a story she saw in the Tonawanda News which listed the salaries of public officials. “I always thought, ‘What can I do, little old me?’ I don’t have a lot of money to donate, but I have my sweat to donate.”



For the complete story, see today's Tonawanda News.
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