It’s finally beginning to look like spring. Political TV ads are appearing. Independent petitions are on the streets. There are just six weeks to go until primary day in Buffalo and Amherst; just over a month until early voting starts (June 14th).
Here are some facts, observations, and heard-on-the-streets:
- An American Pope, Leo XIV! How about that! He knows his way around the Church and around the world. And to top it off, he’s a Chicago White Sox and Villanova fan. The White Sox could sure use some divine intervention.
- When I attended Canisius College the study of religion was on a par with what your actual major was – 30 credit hours required over four years. Among the teachings were the works of Pope Leo XIII who in the late 19th century led the way for workers rights and social justice at a time when worker unions were just getting started.
- Donald Trump was actually polite in his greetings for the new Pope.
- Trump is particularly obsessed with tariffs. He has backed down on China and Britain but his decision-making changes wildly from day to day. It’s tariffing! The apologists in the cabinet are the richest group of yes-people ever assembled.
- Republican senators and members of the House are twisting themselves into pretzels trying to rationalize Trump’s actions while protecting their own political careers. Does Mike Johnson really like the job of playing Caucus Wack-a-mole with his so-called moderates from blue states; the Freedom Caucus; and Majorie Taylor Greene. Trump’s “big beautiful bill,” intended to cut taxes and spending, is shrinking by the day.
- Governor Kathy Hochul and the state Legislature finally wrapped up the state budget. The governor scored some policy wins on the reform of trial discovery requirements, supported by the state’s District Attorneys; bans on cell phone use during school hours; and some relief for middle-class taxpayers.
- Trump seems to be putting his thumb on the scale for Republicans looking for their candidate for governor of New York next year. The Trump endorsements of Congressman Mike Lawler and Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman for their current jobs seem to be saying that he wants them to stay out of the gubernatorial race. It must be Trump’s way of trying to make up with Congresswoman Elise Stefanik after he yanked the United Nations Ambassadorship away from her to keep her in the very small Republican House caucus. She would surely be the Trumpiest candidate New York Republicans can come up with in 2026.
- The approved state budget included authorizations for the hotel bed tax and the creation of a Parking Authority that acting Mayor Chris Scanlon requested. Implementation of the bed tax should be relatively simple but the setup of the Authority is considerably more of a challenge that will take months at best.
- Even if the Authority setup moves along smoothly and produces the $42 million for the city that the administration has projected, that will not solve the city’s problems with the 2025-2026 budget and the outyears, which both still include millions in uncertain revenues and underestimated expenses. Where would the one-time revenues come from next year?
- University District Councilmember and mayoral candidate Rasheed Wyatt has proposed bringing Police and Fire Departments overtime down by about half. The thing is that Scanlon’s budget almost does that already but leaves a big hole in the overtime account on the order of $15 million or more. The Council could improve the city’s finances by increasing the overtime line to approximately the $40 million amount that the city has been spending. That would provide a more accurate expense line while also increasing the property tax levy to an amount that will get the city somewhat closer to what is needed to balance the budget.
- The Buffalo Fiscal Stability Authority (aka the Control Board) has given the city administration until May 28th to come up with more realistic revenue and expense projections. The information may come too late to be of any value to the Common Council, which must take final action on the budget by May 26.
- Control Board Secretary Fred Floss made some important comments at the end of the last Board meeting relating to how federal budget cutting might impact the city. It could happen in two ways: directly by cuts in revenues currently received by the city from Washington and indirectly from possible state budget actions if the state’s response to federal cuts trickles down to the local level.
- Another candidate in the Democratic primary, Garnell Whitfield, suggests that a complete audit of the city’s books should be conducted, something that is also included in Senator Sean Ryan’s platform. It’s might provide useful information but it won’t actually solve the current problem.
- Anthony Tyler-Thompson is on the Democratic primary ballot but has not said anything about the city’s financial issues.
- Acting Mayor Scanlon, according to a report in the Buffalo News, wrote a letter supportive of Benderson Development/Delta Sonics’ plans to move their corporate offices out of Buffalo and into Amherst. That’s an unusual move for a mayor. A Benderson Development executive has contributed $2,500 to Scanlon’s campaign and the firm that lobbies for Benderson and has employed Scanlon’s First Deputy Mayor gave $5,000, per the January 2025 financial reports filed with the state Board of Elections.
- WIVB-TV is sponsoring a one-hour debate among the Democratic mayoral candidates on June 3, followed by a town hall-style question-and-answer period. D’Youville University is hosting the event.
- The Bills official 2025 schedule will be out on the evening of May 14. Will there be five or more evening prime time games? Will the team be playing on Christmas Day?
- Count me among the doubters about building out a soccer stadium in the industrial area of South Buffalo, redesigning the property that was originally constructed for the Medaille College’s athletic program. Contamination on the site raises lots of questions, as does the air quality. I have no alternative to suggest, but that site has problems.
Bluesky @kenkruly
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