April 2019 – The Buffalo Chronicle

Mother’s Day gifts

April 20, 2019

BY NORBERT RUG Sunday, May 12, 2019 is Mother’s Day. This holiday is celebrated every year to honor mothers and motherhood. In the United States, the observance of Mother’s Day started early in the 20th century. Mother’s Day is one

GOP activists want Gallivan to seek Senate leadership post

April 20, 2019

New York State’s Republican Party is facing an existential crisis, having lost control of the State Senate chamber last year, the party’s last bastion of power in Albany. If the party is unable to retake the chamber next year, then

At least four double-dippers top $300K

April 19, 2019

At least four New York local government retirees appear to have received permission from state or New York City officials to each take home a combined $300,000 in pay and pensions as of January 1, 2018, according to data posted today

Politicians spent almost $8M on campaign-style mailings

April 19, 2019

State lawmakers spent $7.8 million on postage for campaign-style mailings to constituents in the six-month run-up to last year’s elections, according to data added today to SeeThroughNY, the Empire Center’s transparency website. Senators spent $4.2 million and Assembly members spent $3.5 million

McMahon applauds permanent tax cap

April 19, 2019

BY EJ MCMAHON The impending enactment of a permanent property tax levy cap in New York is a truly historic moment. Since its founding in 2005, the Empire Center has identified a broad cap on property tax levies as a

MTA can’t release public records on time, either

April 19, 2019

The Empire Center for Public Policy this week filed Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) appeals with the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) after six of its seven subsidiaries failed to release public payroll records. The appeals come after the Empire Center

Ohio asks Feds to designate Mexican cartels as terrorist organizations, Cuomo silent

April 19, 2019

Following a massive bust of the notorious Sinaloa Cartel in Ohio, state legislators are utilizing many of Judicial Watch’s arguments to get the federal government to designate Mexican drug cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO). In a resolution introduced this month, lawmakers in the

Judicial Watch sues FBI for records of payments to dossier author Chris Steele

April 19, 2019

Judicial Watch announced today that it filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Justice for records of communications and payments between the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele

Judge Barnes’ husband bribed Zellner for Democrat nomination, sources say

April 16, 2019

Sources are telling The Chronicle that newly elected County Court Judge Sue Maxwell-Barnes‘ husband, Rich Barnes, bribed Erie County Democratic Party Chairman Jeremy Zellner with political donations in order to secure the nomination for his wife. Mr. Barnes is said to have

Jacobs, Kennedy skip forum on Scajaquada removal, irking City residents

April 15, 2019

No elected officials from the City of Buffalo or Erie County were willing to demonstrate the political courage that it apparently would have taken to attend a community forum on the removal of the Scajaquada Expressway and the restoration of

The Dockside Bar and Grill delights the Tonawanda waterfront

April 11, 2019

BY NORBERT RUG Another Saturday night out for my wife Donna, my buddy Ed and I. This time we went to The Dockside Bar and Grill. This is a historic building right along the Erie Canal that has been converted

Play more games with your family

April 9, 2019

BY NORBERT RUG Games give us a way to connect with our families. It is a fun activity. It can lead to conversations and is a way to share time with them. I will admit it, I have “a competitive

Tis the season for Slow Roll

April 9, 2019

BY JOE GENCO A short take on today’s news… Visited the Broadway Market for the Slow Roll Season Kickoff Party. The 1st ride is Monday, May 6 from Buffalo Hostel. There are two Clarence Bike Stampedes as well. We are

Poloncarz’s opposition to a new Bills stadium will be a problem in November

April 8, 2019

Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz‘s longstanding opposition to a new Buffalo Bills stadium is badly damaging his chances of reelection at the ballot box in November, area political operatives posit. Critics have lambasted Poloncarz for his lease negotiation in 2013, which included

Jody and Jane, now the most powerful politicians in Canada, consider how to wield it

April 8, 2019

Jody Wilson-Raybould and Jane Philpott — with the sheer force of their own integrity — have emerged as the most influential politicians in the Canadian body politic. Justin Trudeau has exposed himself plainly as a liar — someone who is willing

Seniors declare their independence every day

April 8, 2019

BY NORBERT RUG I recently was able to drive my car again after a whole winter of not driving. I can’t tell you how liberating it was to get behind the wheel once again. I was holed up in my

Planning a Niagara revival for years, it’s time for Cuomo to help Milstein, Trevino

April 4, 2019

No area businessman has been more dogged in his pursuit of Niagara Falls’ economic revival than Roger Trevino, the former NFL sports agent from Texas who now manages Manhattan billionaire Howard Milstein‘s real estate interests in the Cataract City. That

Jesse Gooch wants to bring Chick-fil-a to Wheatfield

April 2, 2019

Niagara County Legislator Jesse Gooch (R-Wheatfield) is voicing his support for Chick-fil-a following their removal from Delaware North’s planned remodeling of its venues at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport. Assemblyman Sean Ryan (D-Buffalo) publicly disparaged the firm based on its Evangelical Christian

Chrystia Freeland is angling to succeed Trudeau as Prime Minister

April 2, 2019

Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland has been regularly engaging in private conversations with Stephen Bronfman — the Liberal Party’s treasurer — in recent weeks, a staffer inside her office tells The Chronicle. The Bronfmans have been the principal financiers of the Liberal

Gooch slams Cuomo bag ban

April 2, 2019

Today, Niagara County Legislator Jesse Gooch (R-7thDistrict) voiced his opposition to implementing a new tax in Niagara County. As part of the FY2019-2020 New York State Budget, plastic bags will be outlawed in New York State. The budget also gave