South Buffalo Blogger

In light of Governor Paterson’s State budget and the slashes he’s recommending within, Assemblyman Mark J. F. Schroeder was interviewed by channel 2 news yesterday of proposed cuts. Schroeder, a proponent of education, said he’d now support cuts to education.

Assemblyman Mark Shroeder, also a democrat, said he would be willing to consider any and all cuts except those impacting senior citizens, veterans or the disabled.

The South Buffalo Education Center, sponsored by the Assemblyman, offers GED & adult computer training classes for area residents, will this valuable asset become victim among supporting these new budget cuts? Could South Buffalo cope with another loss to Seneca Street or the loss of young adults seeking a highschool diploma?

If not, what may come to Southside Elementary, Buffalo’s largest school, or South Park High? How are children to learn if funding is continually taken away?

Just last year, Schroeder’s desire to fund education therein his Assembly district seemed as “top priority”

Progress was made in adult education, but Schroeder says more help is needed

New York State Assemblyman Mark Schroeder said that this year’s state budget will be remembered for its commitment to improving education across the state, including his district.

“This year’s budget has the largest investment in education in the history of New York State,” said Schroeder. “All four of the districts that I represent – Buffalo, West Seneca, Lackawanna, and Orchard Park – received substantial increases in aid compared to last year.”

So one like myself can only begin to wonder why the re-elected Assemblyman would flip-flop on education especially since Schroeder’s Assembly webpage says this:

…. he started the South Buffalo Education Center, which offers free GED and computer classes. More than 200 students have earned their G.E.D and countless more have completed the computer training since the school first opened its doors in 2002. As an assemblyman, Schroeder has advocated that more resources and attention be devoted to adult education across the state.

How easy is it to carry a double-edge sword? Supporting education or supporting unfunding education, the sword cuts both ways and this is not going to be good for South Buffalo.

As Election Day appoaches we, the people of South Buffalo have to ask ourselves if we really want another two years of the same rhetoric, the same broken promises. Do we really want more of our city neighborhoods to be neglected? Would we remain satisfied watching the suburban territories earn added attention while seeing our own communities crumble?

Tomorrow is the day when voters head out to their polling place and pick the names of those we’d like to represent us. This year we have a choice: more of the same speech-making pledges that go unresolved or a chance at something new?

If for what the past four years have shown us, voting the partyline will ensure that the future of South Buffalo remains uncared for.

Tomorrow could be the dawning of change for our neighborhoods. As we decide on who we select, it’s important to keep in mind what the past has shown…..

here are your candidates:

27th Congressional District

Congressman Brian Higgins (D) incumbent
Budd Schroeder - Conservative Party candidate
Dan Humiston - Republican Party Candidate

145th Assembly District

Assemblyman Mark J. F. Schroeder (D) incumbent
Dennis Merek - Republican Party Candidate

By: Cindy K. A few weeks ago I visited the waterfront downtown, I got to see for my own eyes the wonders of development that our taxes are paying for. It is beautiful, and for a time I felt like I was watching the sunset in a different city, that is, until I arrived back in South Buffalo, where the streets are filled with potholes and the streetlights are rusted beyond quick fixes, other than a couple cans of black paint.

I remember thinking that night about how second-rate South Buffalo has become, and I remember thinking how the Congressman & Assemblyman have put all of their eggs into one basket, as per the new Commercial Slip and other harbor projects. When you take a walk down any given street along Seneca though, we get to see vacant/boarded up houses, some empty storefronts owned by the Plaza Group, whom is asking for rents too high for any businessperson to consider. We get to see loss of business, loss of population, loss of pleasure & pride… because years of promises have turned this part of Buffalo into shambles. How much of South Buffalo’s look could be, would be tolerated if in Orchard Park or West Seneca, or Hamburg? Have our politicians created this second-rate South Buffalo?

We get to see a skirmishing to retain County funding for County construction projects never to touch the infrastructure in South Buffalo.

The look and the mood of the waterfront and harbor are furthering of Buffalo’s honor, a boost needed for a very long time, and yet I wonder about the rest of the city. I’d like to believe in the “commitment of working together” that our elected leaders use when addressing block clubs, I’d like to believe that one day South Buffalo will have earned it’s privilege to be among the same vigor and attention currently focused on the waterfront and other harbor projects. Perhaps one day we’ll have to see if a new set of lawmakers can make it all happen for the people of South Buffalo, because the future is looking more desolate than present.

Having lived in Buffalo all of my life, there’s love for this city…. compassion, understanding and sorrow in feeling like there’s so much to do in so little time. Of all though, there’s frustration from the (election grandstanding) lies, frustration from the waiting & wondering when our time will come for new changes, for new focus…. for that feeling of splendor I had as I sat on a bench down at the Commercial Slip.

By: CindyK. I almost wasn’t going to submit this post, but after reading the blogspot on Buffalo Rising, I thought some things needed to be addressed where Seneca Street is concerned.

While it’s being hailed as good news in South Buffalo, what appears to be really is not. The article in yesterday’s Buffalo News only confirms the obligations of our elected leaders have to the City of Buffalo’s infrastructure. Should there have been a grandstand of what our elected officials say they are going to do? No. After all of this time, all I can really say is: Just get it done already!

Streetlights:

Road conditions:

From a previous post, note the dated paperwork of this “project”. 2000, 2004, 2005, and my blog post from 2007.

Yesterday morning I wrote to the author of the article: (in part, here is what I said)

I was informed of [yesterday’s] press conference after the fact. I’m also a picture-taking blogger who has been out-spoken about the conditions of Seneca Street for more than a year.

I wrote a post following the story on channel 4 [yesterday], in the post you can see the dated documents of this “development” project as far back as 2000, and Seneca Street has only gotten worse.

The dated documentation goes back to the $2 million promise from (then) Congressman Quinn while Mark Schroeder was just a County Legislator, and Brian Higgins was our representing Assemblyman. (Then) Mayor Anthony Masiello in 2004 came to Seneca Street with all the same “leaders” pitching the same project, the results… Seneca Street only got worse. Today it’s 2008 and you can change the names of the “leaders” or their titles as “lawmakers”, but the dates in which these so-called “revivals” come every 2 years… when someone is running for re-election. In the meantime, Seneca Street gets progressively worse.

I’m sorry to say, in my opinion, not all “Neighborhood leaders” are paid via a goverment job.

In the post that I wrote on the internet, there’s a link to pictures that I took of the actual street… pot hole after pot hole. I tell everyone that Seneca Street has more patchwork than a granny quilt, and it’s so very true.

The loss of business is everywhere, but the infrastructure is much more important. Motorists have all but stopped coming down Seneca Street because they feel like they are driving on the moon.

In the article though, one thing stood out:

Other planned or recently completed improvements include upgraded crosswalks, sidewalk repairs and new landscaping.

The new sidewalks being talked about was from the grant to fix Cazenovia Street last year.

Any new sidewalks for Seneca Street came in 2004 when (former councilman) Jimmy Griffin pledged the City of Buffalo would fix any broken sidewalks. And he followed it through.

As per the blogspot on BRO, it’s nothing short of praising our politicians for a job (not) well done. For those of us who live our lives in South Buffalo, we see it everyday…the good & the bad, the changes (if any), the broken promises, the political press grandstands, the political elections and we see a street being neglected by a touting albeit rehashed version a “redevelopment” from last year, and the year before, and the year before and the year before that even.

As I began this post, what appears to be is really not, because after years of waiting, the people of South Buffalo are at the point of “seeing is beleiving” because we’ve been promised all of this before and nothing was delivered. It’s time for these politicians to put their (our) money where their mouths are, otherwise we should look to elect new people, quality people to take their place in office. Seven years is a long time in waiting for their words to materialize into something good for a change.

I wrote the post yesterday “at the end of the day” because the end result is all we really want and need for Seneca Street. Not political grandstands, not shaking the Mayor’s hand, not politicians being hailed as “neighborhood leaders” when the hardworking citizens have done more for this community, as per.. the proof is in the pictures.

So many changes have been made on Cazenovia Street here in South Buffalo. A lot was accomplished is a short period of time. Once the repave is complete, the end result will be a whole new street. I spent the last 4 weeks taking these pictures and sharing them with the world everyday because when you fight for something and it finally happens, it becomes more than words can ever express. Not speaking for southbuffaloblogger, the pictures to me spell out progress. In some small way I wanted to show how we really do have a great city that works along with its citizens.

Cazenovia Street, like many roadways in Western New York are neglected, rundown, and there is only so much the people can do. When I took the first pictures, I never expected that influence was enough to get our Mayor's attention. After years of waiting for something to be done, I was fed-up and wanted to see some accountability out of our leaders. Six months later and a little block grant funding, South Buffalo is improving. A turn-around that was/is very much needed. I have always stood on the belief that when you have a nice looking neighborhood, you feel better about living there. My picture-taking days are far from over, but I hope you have enjoyed so far.

Ok. On to the misc pictures: There is always room for a little hope…

These 2 corners are just about the only remaining work:

by: Cindyk