Stick to the subject please

[granpabob]

every time I start to read the entries on the post I get lost. its odd if the subject is followed longer then three or four posts. I might as well just be at an open chat room. unions libraries womens rights and politics. I have fallen into the trap my self and made comments that did not fit the forum. I was hoping this would be more of a think tank. sure its nice to have sections that are fun everyone needs that but It seems like every pages is turning into barroom ranting and raving. If I have wandered of course let me know .

[Night Owl]

I see your point about some of the members here, but it is kind of hard not to dift away from the heading each time a person posts.

Some times you just have to go with it and allow others to have their opinions too.

[moadib]

Yes, its also hard because Buffalo is a crisis driven city

Buffalo isnt a city that plans and manages its budgets
Buffalo isnt a city that plan and manages its future industries, jobs, etc
Buffalo isnt a city that maintains and revitalizes its neighborhoods

We just always seem to be jumping from one crisis to another:
from city debt
to county debt
to preservation
to tax subsidies for development (Geico, Bass Pro, etc)
to....well the list just goes on and on

There are so many wonderful things in Buffalo but they just get deflected by the crisis of the day. All the good just gets deflected or white-washed behind all the drama.

Even Buffalonians Ive met...it doesnt take long before I talk about Roycroft, Wright, West Side Rowing Club, Bills, Sabres, etc...before someone chimes in and switches the subject to the negative (crisis of the day)

I have my bitch points (everyone on here does) but I have also made some good contributions to improve Buffalo. I guess all Im saying is that until we stop lurching from crisis to crisis...you cant really blame people for venting their frustration, resentment, anger or for having their focus on the current crisis.

BUT I HAVE TO WONDER WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO BUFFALO IF ALL THIS ENERGY WE PUT INTO REACTING TO THE LATEST SCANDAL OR CRISIS WERE PUT INTO COMMUNITY ACTION IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS!

[WestSideJohn]

BUT I HAVE TO WONDER WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO BUFFALO IF ALL THIS ENERGY WE PUT INTO REACTING TO THE LATEST SCANDAL OR CRISIS WERE PUT INTO COMMUNITY ACTION IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS!

Why wonder? Why not just do it? No knight in shining armor is going to ride up on a white horse and save Buffalo. We have to save ourselves. I know plenty of Buffalonians who are working very hard to improve our neighborhoods, to promote home ownership and reduce crime and turn the city around one block at a time. These are just regular people - people exactly like you and me - who looked around and saw things that needed to change, then started making those changes happen.

Sure, it's hard work. But like many things the first step is the hardest part; that first attitude adjustment where you replace the words "someone ought to" with "I am going to."

[Night Owl]

Buffalo isnt a city that plans and manages its budgets

Buffalo actually came out ahead at the end of 2004, Buffalo is doing better than the County is. Maybe it has to do with a control board, maybe it doesn't, but overall the City of Buffalo is doing good.

[jbinbny]

Originally posted by Night Owl
Buffalo isnt a city that plans and manages its budgets

Buffalo actually came out ahead at the end of 2004, Buffalo is doing better than the County is. Maybe it has to do with a control board, maybe it doesn't, but overall the City of Buffalo is doing good.

We are???

Boy, I'd hate to see this city if we were doing poorly!

[Night Owl]

Yes we are. But you wouldn't know it because the County 'crisis' has the spotlight right now and it seems like it is pulling everything down.

[300miles]

Is this thread an example of how we stay on topic??

[biker]

Yes.

It's an example of how the individual topics fluctuate with the flow of the posters' ideas.

[Riven37]

Originally posted by granpabob
every time I start to read the entries on the post I get lost. its odd if the subject is followed longer then three or four posts. I might as well just be at an open chat room. unions libraries womens rights and politics. I have fallen into the trap my self and made comments that did not fit the forum. I was hoping this would be more of a think tank. sure its nice to have sections that are fun everyone needs that but It seems like every pages is turning into barroom ranting and raving. If I have wandered of course let me know .

Some cannot because they have no sence of direction and others are just here for the power over others.

[Night Owl]

It's an example of how the individual topics fluctuate with the flow of the posters' ideas.

That is why my second post was:

you can see my point....

Buffalo isnt a city that plans and manages its budgets

Buffalo actually came out ahead at the end of 2004, Buffalo is doing better than the County is. Maybe it has to do with a control board, maybe it doesn't, but overall the City of Buffalo is doing good.

[stevenco]

Originally posted by granpabob
every time I start to read the entries on the post I get lost. its odd if the subject is followed longer then three or four posts. I might as well just be at an open chat room. unions libraries womens rights and politics. I have fallen into the trap my self and made comments that did not fit the forum. I was hoping this would be more of a think tank. sure its nice to have sections that are fun everyone needs that but It seems like every pages is turning into barroom ranting and raving. If I have wandered of course let me know .

What's that got to do Mongolia?


It's all connected.


If you don't stray off the thread, then it just repeats itself and everyone says the same thing.

[biker]

Nightowl:

I wouldn't say Buffalo is in good shape. I think it's stopped getting worse. Maybe.

I'm a finance guy. I was frankly confused by the articles in The News about how the City finished up 2003 which were published last Fall.

I couldn't tell whether the City: a)took in more than it spent in 2003; or b)started 2003 with a positive fund balance; or 3) ended 2003 with a positive fund balance.

I also wondered why the City needed to do $10 million in borrowings if it was in such good shape (BTW-The Control Board was POd at the City about this. The City last Spring said it needed the dough to tear down empty houses. By year end, the City hadn't torn down any houses and the dough was just sitting in the bank. Collusion between the City and the unions to make sure there's money in the bank in case a settlement goes through? Just axin.[/B] .

Not picking on you. But since you brought it up again, I thought it best to temper the "good" shape the City is in.

"Good" only in relation to the basket case county.

[Night Owl]

Do you personally dislike me or do you think it is fun to come at me all of the time?

Gawd.

[Night Owl]

Hey biker!

BUFFALO FISCAL STABILITY AUTHORITY
Market Arcade Building, 617 Main Street, Suite 400
Buffalo, New York 14203
(716) 853-0907 / (716) 853-9052 (fax)

Contact: Nancy E. Brock
For Immediate Release
716-842-5373

Control Board Marks First Year With Millions of Dollars Saved

Charts Challenges for Coming Year

BUFFALO, N.Y., Wednesday, October 13, 2004 – With many challenges still ahead, there has been significant progress in the first year of the Buffalo Fiscal Stability Authority (BFSA)’s oversight of the City of Buffalo’s financial crisis, according to a control board report issued today.

In releasing the report, BFSA Chairman Thomas E. Baker and Executive Director Dorothy A. Johnson provided a review of the accomplishments to date and a look at the challenges of the year ahead.

“Under BFSA’s guidance, the City has adopted a strategy to achieve long-term fiscal stability. The strategy is built on multi-year financial planning, strict fiscal discipline, stringent monitoring and reporting mechanisms, and implementing actions that produce recurring savings,” continued Mr. Baker. “This lays the groundwork for a strong fiscal foundation in the future.”

“ While structural fiscal reform does not have the compelling or news making qualities of some of the issues and challenges of the past year, it is essential to lifting the City out of its financial crisis long term,” said Mr. Baker.

Authority Cites Achievements

In the authority’s critical inaugural year of operation, landmark actions taken by the authority, the City and its covered organizations include:

• Initiated a four-year financial planning framework and improved monitoring and oversight mechanisms to proactively address budget gaps and help avoid future fiscal crises;

• Reached agreement with City bargaining units representing approximately 2,000 employees to utilize a single health insurance carrier, saving $6 million while preserving employee benefits;

• Began efforts to right-size the workforce, including the reduction of over 900 positions in the City and its covered organizations and saving $3 million in the City alone;

Control Board Marks First Year 2-2-2

• Imposed a hiring freeze on the City to address a widening first-year budget gap;

• Instituted a wage freeze to offset growing pension and benefit costs, saving more than $6 million in 2004-05 in order to balance the financial plan while minimizing layoffs and preserving essential services;

• Established a City-County Working Group to facilitate dialogue on cost-saving collaborations, resulting in a consolidation of the City’s Parks Department with Erie County, generating more than $3 million in recurring savings.

• Earned an improved outlook on City debt from one of the major rating agencies;

• Developed the authority’s financing framework and successfully launched a debt issuance program on behalf of the City, allowing Buffalo to close budget gaps without more draconian cuts; refinance outstanding debt at more advantageous rates; and address short-term cash flow needs while saving $800,000 over last year’s cash flow borrowing.

Ms. Johnson explained, “A year ago, we hit the ground running when New York State declared Buffalo’s fiscal crisis a matter of overwhelming State concern, and created the BFSA.

“Since then, in conjunction with BFSA, the city has developed financial plans that close budget gaps through actions that produce recurring savings, and instituted procedures to ensure the city effectively monitors its budgetary performance during the fiscal year,” Ms. Johnson continued.

“The BFSA also established financing mechanisms to help the City close its budget gaps while working toward long-term budgetary balance. These are important steps for which the City should be commended.”

The Outlook for the Year Ahead

Looking ahead, Mr. Baker warned that significant issues must be tackled to keep the city’s financial stabilization plan moving forward. The City and its covered organizations still face significant budget gaps in the coming years, and the financial plan to address those gaps contains some speculative assumptions.

He called on New York State to address several provisions of state law that “significantly weaken the City of Buffalo’s ability to effectively control costs. The state-mandated Taylor Law, Triborough Amendment and Wicks Law impede long-term structural balance in the City,” he said.

Control Board Marks First Year 3-3-3

Among other challenges that must be addressed are:

• Resolution of pending labor contracts

• Open labor contracts;

• Rapidly increasing health expenditures without employee cost sharing;

• Obsolete and wasteful labor contract provisions;

• Precariously low fund balances;

• Ineffective management controls throughout the system;

and
• Fire Department restructuring.

“Much work remains, not the least of which are growing budget gaps facing the City and School District,” Mr. Baker concluded. “ Major opportunities to address those gaps by making personnel
benefits more affordable exist in pending labor contracts over the coming year. More generous ‘rainy day’ fund balances must be established to cushion the City and School District against
unexpected budget

http://www.bfsa.state.ny.us/press/year2004/20041013.pdf