Mayoral Debate 8/23 at 7pm at Hamlin House

It's being put on by Revitalize Buffalo, the New Millenium Group, the Buffalo Jaycees, and Buffalo 2032. Channel 2 did a preview piece, available here.

Stef Mychailiw is moderating the debate, which will take place at Hamlin House next Tuesday at 7pm.

As Amy mentions in the piece, we've had 2 mayors in 26 years, and change is inevitable and imminent. Change of faces, that is. Will there be a change in leadership? A change for the better? A change to lurch Buffalo into the 21st century and on a path to prosperity and growth?

As Deborah Lynn Williams says in Stef's piece, "You have to pay to play, and the currency is participation."

Say something & say it loudly.

The Partnership's Report

The Buffalo Niagara Partnership has issued a report on streamlining the County's business and budget.

Here it is (pdf format) for your review & comment.

Informal Pearl Street meetup on 9/15

The Coalition will be holding an informal get-together/meetup at the Pearl Street on September 15th.

What we need is a name for it, so I've set up a poll at this link on the Coalition's bulletin board.

Vote for a name, or leave a new suggestion as a post.

Free Buffalo on Bass Pro

Jim Ostrowski's Free Buffalo has issued a "rebuttal" of sorts to the WNY Coalition for Progress' Bass Pro report.

It is important to note that Free Buffalo has only one officer and one director - Jim Ostrowski. His rebuttal was not shown to anyone in advance, nor is it a document that was vetted by the membership of Free Buffalo. Free Buffalo has no board of directors to approve such a document.

In addition, Ostrowski's "news alert" consists of little more than rumor, innuendo, assumptions, and recklessly false accusations against the coalition, its motives, its membership, its connections to political parties and entities, and the authors of the Bass Pro report.

It is disappointing that the self-proclaimed head of the Erie County "tax revolt" can do little more than call others names.