Artvoice: Buffalo's #1 Newsweekly
Home Blogs Web Features Calendar Listings Artvoice TV Real Estate Classifieds Contact
Previous story: Seven Days: The Straight Dope From the Week That Was
Next story: A Man I'd Rather Be: Bert Jansch

Scorecard: The Week's Winners and Losers

The Week's Winners & Losers

Last-Minute

A scheduling error forced 14,000 Buffalo public school students to take state-wide math exams on May 6—four days earlier than they had expected. We want to wish luck to all those neglected of an all-night, Adderall fueled cram session.

Industrial Support Inc.

The small manufacturing business on Buffalo’s East Side was revealed on May 10 as the location of President Barack Obama’s economic speech. Maybe the increased exposure will allow ISI to finally move to a more tax-friendly place, like Raleigh, N.C.

Campaign Commercials

Tea Party candidate for governor Carl Paladino became the first pol to hit the airwaves on May 10, with a television spot titled I’m Your Man that channels the “mad as hell” theme. So if you support horse porn and ethnic jokes, he’s your...

Subtle Messages

On May 10 two Akron brothers, founders of the grassroots org I Need A Freakin’ Job, unveiled a billboard aimed at the President and proclaiming said eloquent message on the 190 southbound. The latest figures put Buffalo’s jobless rate at 8.3%.

Credit Scores

Buffalo Comptroller Andy SanFillippo announced on May 11 that a third Wall Street credit agency has given the city an ‘A’ score, with Fitch Ratings assigning Buffalo its’ first ever ‘A+’. Should we be happy we’re not seen as deadbeats anymore?





By the numbers...

180

Minutes President Barack Obama will spend in Buffalo as revealed by the White House on May 11. The President will arrive at 12:25pm, deliver his economic “White House to Main Street” speech at 1:45pm at a small manufacturing company and haul out at 3:25pm.

34

Years after the passage of a controversial citywide occupancy tax that 2,994 Buffalo homeowners received bills. With interest and penalties accruing at one percent a month, the $8 to $12 tax in 1976 now ranges from roughly $40 to $80. A spokesman for the Mayor’s Office on May 7 insisted that Byron Brown was unaware the City Treasury decided to mail bills to delinquent taypayers after an upgrade to its’ computer system.

3,920

Violent crimes committed in Buffalo in 2009—the highest annual total since 2006—according to figures released by the state and reported in the Buffalo News on May 9. Despite a four percent drop in overall crime, violent crimes (murder, assault rape and robbery) rose by five percent over the previous year.


blog comments powered by Disqus