South Buffalo Blogger

By: Cindyk. This is a topic that has been on my mind much lately. I wonder how people, including our elected leaders, could think we should spend millions in taxpayer money to tear the Skyway down when the Grand Island bridges are deemed structurally deficient?

If anyone can seriously answer that, then you’re smarter than I.

If to say it’s ugly, it’s a dinosaur, it just needs to go… keep in mind, it’s structurally sound and not in any disrepair, there is nothing calling the skyway an unsafe bridge.

Then you take a closer a look at the Grand Island bridges, and have to question such priorities of some politicians.

There’s a serious problem with the infrastructure in the Erie/Niagara region…. from Senator Stachowski’s district in Buffalo to Senator Thompson’s in Niagara Falls, and everywhere in between. Drive down the streets in every area to get the full effect in how badly politicians have neglected our streets. They are falling apart, potholes nearly the size of manhole covers, duct tape to cover exposed wires of a street light, patchwork on top of patchwork, and the best we get is (some other) elected representatives in Buffalo who think it’s more important to have the skyway gone, or others who continue to ignore the problems at the Grand Island bridges.

I’ll let these comparing images ask the real story of prioritizing:

Special thanks to Rus Thompson (Albany’s Insanity & No GI Tolls) for use of his pictures.

By: CindyK. There’s much hype and political propaganda about the idea of tearing the Skyway down. Politicians are using the idea as campaigning stepping-stones for themselves or others. In my thinking, it’s but one roadway in the City, and I wondered much about the rest of the streets around Buffalo. Or even just my area of South Buffalo.

I can’t see the investing of billions of dollars to take care of a perfectly good piece of infrastructure as the streets throughout the City of Buffalo continue to be neglected over the years. My fight for Seneca Street is just the tip of the iceberg, you could say. For anyone, even the politicians who want the skyway torn down, I ask that you take a good, long look around your own neighborhood and consider which would be a more benefiting priority…. the Skyway or the rest of the City of Buffalo?

Would taking down one perfectly sound bridge help the city more than the fixing of our streets first?

While these pictures aren’t all, it’s a good enough example in asking our elected leaders to take priority over the areas of which they are elected into. I’m sharing with you the neighborhood in South Buffalo, from Indian Church to Mineral Springs, and from Frank St. to North Legion (without reposting any pictures of Seneca Street, which is center-parallel with Frank & N. Legion)

From your own neighborhood or looking at these pictures, I wonder what part of infrastructure is really more important to a political agenda on “commitment to the City” and “working together with the people of Buffalo”… And providing our city with the best possible services to the neighborhoods, all of the neighborhoods, not just the areas that would help a congressman get re-elected.

Imagine having no skyway, but the same neglected streets which get worse after every winter.

How much federal money would it take to redo every street in the city first before thinking of spending all of our hard-earned taxes on just one road?

By: CindyK. It’s very simple, the City of Buffalo Comissioner of Public Works said in June (2008) that the new streetlights for Seneca Street would come “within” a month. He said this while Mayor Byron Brown paid a visit to the Irish Center in South Buffalo.

July arrived and it was said there was to be a 4-week delay. And here we are, the end of August stilling holding on to the promise Legislator Tim Kennedy made more than a year ago about wanting something a little nicer for South Buffalo.

May 2007:

Now when you talk about $300,000 and you think of light standards, we could have got the typical light standards that you see all over the City, or we could have gotten something a little bit better, a little more unique, and that cost over $300,000. But because of this Mayor’s dedication to this project, and because of the work of Congressman Brian Higgins, Assemblyman Mark Schroeder, and Councilmember Mickey Kearns working together this Mayor saw there was a viable project in the City of Buffalo that demanded attention and demanding commitment from his administration and that came in the form of $300,000.

August 2008:
All of this talk about “commitments” and “working together” led to nothing but waiting, like we have for the past 5 years when the community was told by another politician “the money’s in the bank, folks“.

I suppose the taxpayers of South Buffalo can only assume the dozen or so primed streetlights are mere props for a few primary elections coming up.

From this picture, it’s dated from the City of Buffalo “12/04/07″ today’s date: 08/26/08

By: Cindyk. For several months we’ve all seen this sign displayed in a vacant lot on Seneca Street in South Buffalo.

Last week I watched as the sign was taken down and hauled away. As of yesterday (8 months to the date), can we assume the plans for the “Future Home of the Chikara Kempo Karate” is now off? I didn’t see anything in the South Buffalo News of when construction is to begin, or if plans had fallen through. Who knows?

Are we to still give “Special Thanks to Legislator Tim Kennedy” anyways?

By: CindyK.

When a County Legislator becomes a mouth-piece for a Congressman & an Assemblyman, only the obvious can happen, promises made quickly turn into promises unkept set for many years.

Legislator Tim Kennedy: (May 2007, Cazenovia Library)

But for the time being, there was one more step that needed to happen and the funding for Seneca Street development to surpass one million dollars that was $300,000 allocated from the City of Buffalo. That money is going to go to a specific piece of the revitalization of Seneca Street into the light standards on Seneca Street. Now when you talk about $300,000 and you think of light standards, we could have got the typical light standards that you see all over the City, or we could have gotten something a little bit better, a little more unique, and that cost over $300,000. But because of this Mayor’s dedication to this project, and because of the work of Congressman Brian Higgins, Assemblyman Mark Schroeder, and Councilmember Mickey Kearns working together this Mayor saw there was a viable project in the City of Buffalo that demanded attention and demanding commitment from his administration and that came in the form of $300,000.

When that Congressman grandstands on yet another “waterfront” project…..

In 2005 Congressman Brian Higgins (NY-27) pushed for the creation of a board made up of local people who would be responsible for timely decision making and oversight of developments on Buffalo’s waterfront. Three years later we are making real progress on the inner and outer harbors thanks to the efforts of that board, the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation (ECHDC), in conjunction with those of Congressman Higgins.

Click here to read the full story…

From channel 4 news:

“Finally we are seeing real progress along our waterfront and this is just the beginning,” said Congressman Brian Higgins. “One generation built the canal, another generation buried it and this generation has created a redeveloped Erie Canal slip that pulls together our unique natural and historical identity providing an exciting destination for visitors and unlimited opportunities for associated business and job growth in the immediate future.”

When the Assemblyman is applauding the same event….

“There would be no City of Buffalo if it were not for the Erie Canal Harbor,” said NYS Assemblyman Mark Schroeder. “In 1825, Governor Dewitt Clinton, aboard the Seneca Chief, commemorated the opening of the canal with a ‘Wedding of the Waters.’ It was understood that a new city would rise from the banks of the canal’s western terminus - and that is exactly what happened. Seven years later, the New York State Legislature incorporated the City of Buffalo. Now, 183 years after Governor Clinton’s historic voyage, there is a new ‘Wedding of the Waters.’ And once again, a new city will rise from the Erie Canal Harbor. This new Buffalo will follow in its predecessor’s footsteps by honoring its waterfront heritage and recapturing the canal side environment that cultivated its rise to greatness.”

When it took several times (and in different ways) to ask the head of the City of Buffalo Dept of Public Works (at the Irish Center in South Buffalo, Monday, June 2nd, 2008) when things will begin for Seneca Street, his evasiveness finally led to “late summer” on the repave project, and “within a month” on those new street lights

The same promises from when the Asseblyman was a Legislator. When the Congressman was not but an Assemblyman. Those new “something better” street lights promised for more than a year from the current Legislator…..

Today, more than a month later, the street lights on Seneca St. are still “promises unfulfilled”

It’s been 5 years, the same promises are being made & those same promises are being broken….

yet Congressman Brian Higgins is living the lime-light of a brand new waterfront, Assemblyman Mark Schroeder is riding the congressman’s coat-tails and celebrating in the South Buffalo News on getting passed a law of County funding not being funneled via the control board for yet more County-wide construction projects. County of Erie construction projects that aren’t set to touch Seneca Street.

All this as Seneca Street suffers more & more everyday.

I really wish these people that keep getting re-elected would spend less time trying to save their job with political fundraisers & spend more time just doing their job, living up to the promises made during an election season.

It’s high time for the citizens of South Buffalo to call on our elected officials … and tell them to stop trying to bull-shit us!

Maybe, after all these years, maybe we need people in office dedicated to getting a job done vs. a job kept.

By: Cindyk. Looks like not much has changed in the past 6 months, except the snow is traded for weeds, and the grafitti marks the real sign of what’s coming to this vacant lot on Seneca Street in South Buffalo ….

December 14th, 2007:

June 5th, 2008:

To continue on the infrastructure frustration, in random order, Seneca Street from Southside Parkway to Mineral Springs:

By: Cindyk. They say a picture’s worth 1,000 words … how many ways can you reword “What a shame!”?

Close:

and closer:

Editted as per Chili Willie’s commenting….

These are a new batch of pictures taken from Cazenovia Street to Mineral Springs and back. Posted in random order.

By: Cindyk. The other day the green street light poles were (re)painted in black on Cazenovia Street in South Buffalo,

And then I was reminded of the same green street light poles on North Legion Drive that were (re)painted 2 years ago: (pic taken day of post)

I don’t know if the City of Buffalo realizes this….. but THE RUST ALWAYS SHOWS THROUGH THE BLACK PAINT!!!!

Updated post to add Cazenovia Street pictures from last year to go along with my comment left:

The fact that these street lights are the oldest in the city, there are only so many times they can make them look new again. They are all rusted to some extent, and they all need to be replaced, not just covered up.

The rust is chipped away, metal plates are welded on to cover the rust, and then they are painted with primer. Eventually (re)painted black to cover up the “quick fix” work, so that anyone would think they are new, when all they are are quick fixes…. in two years though, the street light poles on Cazenovia will then show the same condition as those on North Legion.