Class Warfare

It’s stuff like this, Buffalo. Third-poorest city in the nation. Scores reliant on public transportation. And yet on Oct. 13, the chairman of the NFTA was resigned to the fact that a dramatic fare hike would be necessary to close a $15 million deficit. Sleep well, NFTA officials, knowing the comfort only a plush pension affords.

Big Gay Paydays

Buffalo State Sen. Mark Grisanti saw some of the economic benefits of supporting equal rights on Oct. 13, splitting a take of over a million dollars from a Manhattan fundraiser for the four Republicans who voted in favor of marriage equality. I guess sometimes it really pays to vote your conscience.

Election Shenanigans

On Oct. 18 the Erie County Board of Elections began to investigate reports that a small number of absentee ballots delivered in Lackawanna had been pre-marked for Republican Chris Collins in the race for County Exec. Say hello to another election season in Western New York. Let the dirty tricks commence.

Preserves

Local volunteers did their best to dress up Buffalo on Oct. 19 and hide our shame from the thousands of guests from around the world attending the National Preservation Conference. Keep holding on tight to that nostalgic image of the past. Yup, I’m sure those streetcars and steel mills will be back any day now.

Protectionism

Taking time out from his war against food trucks, noted small government advocate Carl Paladino recently made waves by attempting to drum up opposition to a $5.3 million grant—to a rival developer—to rehab the Statler Towers. On Oct. 19 Buffalo Place voted not to adopt Carl’s stance against the subsidy.

Percentage of New Yorkers who favor higher taxes on those who earn greater than one million dollars annually according to results of a Siena College research poll released on Oct. 17. 83 percent of Democrats supported the measure along with 55 percent of Republicans. New York currently faces a $2 billion budget deficit.