True, But Incomplete
English al Jazeera did a piece about Buffalo and how it’s weathering the American economic downturn. It paints a picture of “2nd poorest” Buffalo as being a horrible poverty-ridden place, but that there are a few well-meaning social organizations that are trying to help the destitute by, e.g., pushing living wage legislation and renovating dilapidated homes. It’s far too simplistic, and the whole “2nd poorest” thing is somewhat of a statutory accident. If, like other places, Buffalo had been able to annex its suburbs, it wouldn’t be close to 2nd poorest.
What the piece also tends to ignore is that Buffalo has been in the midst of an economic downturn for decades. If anything, we’ll fare a bit better through this than lots of other places, and we’re an example of the 40-year-long death of American large manufacturing - not of the 2007-2008 economic downturn.
If the piece wanted to focus on the credit crunch or the foreclosure crisis or a real rapid fall from wealth to abandonment, there are loads of other parts of the country that are more indicative of the current slump. Our real estate market is healthier than most.
The video, while not untruthful, was somewhat relentlessly negative and was a bit too selective about whom it spoke with as far as solutions are concerned. It also glossed over (and Byron Brown was the one who made the point) that Buffalo operated under a control board that froze the pay of city workers.
One thing’s for sure - Brown needs to stop parading this list around as evidence of Buffalo’s “renaissance”. Any such renaissance is a figment of people’s imagination, and a new Tim Horton’s at a South Buffalo B-Kwik doesn’t count. Byron Brown’s administration needs to stop using this particular list as Exhibit A of a renaissance. What it shows is a tremendous amount of public and publicly-funded/subsidized projects, many of which will never be built, many of which have been done for ages, and some others that are worth a mention only in a world of insular silliness.
So we have a city that’s in decline overall, and an administration that, instead of tackling the systemic, structural problems that lead to this state of affairs, it touts a make-believe “renaissance”.
Two people from the Coalition for Economic Justice. Aaron Bartley from PUSH are shown in the video. There wasn’t much representation from the business community, with the exception of the bit about collection jobs being the future of Buffalo. There are some initiatives like the centers for excellence that were ignored, and I chuckled at the woman who was foreclosed-upon who was nevertheless able to afford Rock Band. That’s a $170 game, and her mortgage shot up $400 from $900 to $1300.
So, take it for what it’s worth, and I’m sure many will attack the source as being al Jazeera, and a glance at the show’s website reveals that it’s generally a very critical show that selects topics that reveal America at its ugliest.
HT David Torke
mike hudson Says:June 22nd, 2008 at 7:36 am
struck a nerve, eh pundit?
“The video, while not untruthful, was somewhat relentlessly negative and was a bit too selective about whom it spoke with…”
“…a glance at the show’s website reveals that it’s generally a very critical show that selects topics that reveal America at its ugliest.”
now, would this be the same al jazeera cheered last month by chris smith on this very web page for exposing the ugly truth about clinton’s core supporters? you know, the toothless, racist, redneck ones? because there were certainly no caveats contained here on buffalopundit when that was presented and, in fact, both chris and alan defended its veracity against all criticism.
i thought the buffalo piece to be a shining example of truth telling in the james agee “let us now praise famous men” mode. while all of the rust belt cities have suffered over the past 40 years, places like pittsburgh, cleveland and detroit have at least been able to maintain some tiny shreds of dignity. everytime i read a comment on this page from some poor deluded slob who compares the cultural and economic train wreck that is buffalo to places like boston or toronto, i have to wonder if they’re trying to do comedy.
in reality, one has to travel to youngstown, ohio or gary, indiana to find another place so utterly lacking in charm, intellect, money and taste.
Chaz Says:June 22nd, 2008 at 8:24 am
Sounds like you are jealous they didn’t interview you.
*Sniff, sniff*
Please now enlighten us how Buffalo pizza is awful and how Toronto and Boston are infinitely better than Buffalo then throw in some legal mumbo jumbo. I think I have just discovered the recipe for a Buffalo Pundit post.
It is becoming obvious you really don’t know squat on what Buffalo really is. Maybe that is because you live in Clarence. It easy to judge the poor from the confines of one of Buffalo’s richest suburbs.
Dick Strongbridge Says:June 22nd, 2008 at 10:48 am
I’m surprised the Brown administration doesn’t put lining the courts for the Gus Macker as part of it’s comprehensive renaissance of Niagara Square.
Howard Goldman Says:June 22nd, 2008 at 4:20 pm
I don’t see anything illogical or improper about a mayor including government funded projects in a list of economic development achievements.
After all, a mayor cannot invest private money. The government can at best claim indirect credit for private investment. However, the government can certainly take direct credit for government funded programs.
When al jazeera begins reporting positive stories about Buffalo, that’s when we should begin to worry. I’m sure they would have preferred that we didn’t spoil the fun for the Lackawanna Six.
Buffalo Hodgepodge Says:June 22nd, 2008 at 5:43 pm
Pick on the source all you want (btw, the implicit reference in the last comment that al Jazeera supports terrorism is completely inappropriate) but I just watched…and was very impressed.
Don’t think the piece is relentlessly negative AT ALL - but actually appropriately sober. While it’s not going to win an Emmy anytime soon (especially with the strange opening), it should be required viewing for all Buffalonians, especially those in economic development and philanthropy (as should mandatory weekly trips to the East and West Sides).
We need to own up. There is a lesser sense of hope in inner-city Buffalo, and other parts of the Rust Belt, than in much of the so-called developing world. While our poor are unquestionably much better off in absolute terms than the extremely poor in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, we’re going the wrong way and the basics of what it will take to fix it - good schools, decent jobs, and safe streets - are getting harder to come by.
The shrinking city of Buffalo is the 2nd poorest city in America, and the boundaries of impoverished zones are actually expanding rather than contracting. Denial won’t get us anywhere.
If the mainstream media in our own community focused on these issues - rather than murders and fires - maybe something would change.
freida Says:June 22nd, 2008 at 5:50 pm
I find it a bit strange that a reporter would do a story on what he labeled the second poorest city. Why wouldn’t you do it on the poorest city? First which one of the many ranking studies currently rates buffalo the second poorest major city? from the mid decade census it is rated the 5th poorest, fom a 2007 rating by CNN it was the 3rd poorest? Search the internet and just about every study has a different poor city ranking. Is the poorest city Miami? Detroit? Cleveland? . I’m not defending Bufflo’s economic condtion, nor am I defneding the poor performance by the politicians, but I think the reporter was solicited and then spoon fed the story by a couple of self-promoting local putsch artists.
mike hudson Says:June 22nd, 2008 at 6:27 pm
“I find it a bit strange that a reporter would do a story on what he labeled the second poorest city… I think the reporter was solicited and then spoon fed the story by a couple of self-promoting local putsch artists.”
wow freida! you mean to say that al jazeera was manipulated? by who, like? osama bin laden? the erie county gop? the woman-hating, barbaric government of qatar, which provides their funding? steve pigeon?
it’s too funny. thanks!
mike hudson Says:June 22nd, 2008 at 6:29 pm
and howard, the lackawanna six didn’t do anything. what was done to them by the u.s. justice(?) department and the new york times is too funny too!
STEEL Says:June 22nd, 2008 at 10:38 pm
The negativity of the piece was fine and fair game but why wrap it up in a misleading and false context. It probably would have been more powerful propaganda to show formerly wealthy California neighborhoods full of foreclosed empty houses. The stinking abandoned pools would have said it all. As noted here the stuff shown of Buffalo has nothing to do with the credit crisis or gas prices. Or why not just do a truthful piece on how America has these entrenched slums with no plan for dealing with them.
Interesting thing is that Buffalo’s real estate is going up and I just read that job growth is above the national average.
Starbuck Says:June 22nd, 2008 at 10:48 pm
Howard - The types of government spending projects in question are usually not “economic development” by usual definitions of that term.
For example wikipedia says this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economic_development#Local_development
The billions being spent on Buffalo projects such as the federal courthouse, renovated school buildings, and subsidized residential units might be good ideas - but to lump them in with the smaller amount of private sector business investment and and refer to the total of it all as “economic development” is Clintonesque.
The Tim Hortons and B-Kwik projects would meet the definition, but are embarrassingly insignificant to brag about.
Buffalo’s job growth exceeds national average for short periods occasionally. Over multi-year intervals it’s been lagging terribly. In the 15 years since 1993 (when the Buffalo Niagara Partnership formed), the Buffalo News recently reported Buffalo’s job growth was only about one-fifth of the national average.
Ben McD Says:June 23rd, 2008 at 3:19 am
“Why wouldn’t you do it on the poorest city?”
Maybe the poorest city didn’t fall so far to get there?
Buffalopundit Says:June 23rd, 2008 at 6:26 am
Aw, is ChazBrown sad that his comments are moderated?
It’s the IP that’s moderated because Wordpress recognizes it as spam.
Please now enlighten us how I’m fat and Geek’s fat, too, how WNYMedia.net posts advertorials all the time, and throw in some more ad hominem attacks to boot. I think I have just discovered the recipe for a Charlie Brown post.
It is becoming obvious you really don’t know squat on what this site really is. Maybe that’s because you have the mentality of a 3-year old.
lover of the Lo Says:June 23rd, 2008 at 10:06 am
Job growth means very little if those jobs that are created are low wage and keep individuals below the federal poverty line.
I thought the video was insufficient, but only because of the amount of time they allotted. Buffalo has a sorted complicated history that begs for a more in depth analysis, but they did what they could. I think the message was more, the city has been declining, but there is a lot of tremendous work being done to bring Buffalo back.
Also, as a clarifying point, Community Organizing, like the work the orgs represented in the film are doing are not just “do gooders” or “well meaning.” Giving people opportunities to be policy makers, to speak truth to power, to hold their elected officals accountable are legitimate and powerful pathways to change.
Frieda Says:June 23rd, 2008 at 10:37 am
@Hudson, Let’s be real and not exaggerate. People play politicas all the time. I don’t beleve that HQ Al Jazeeera said to this wannabe reporter, I have a story for you to cover in Buffalo NY. Get on the next plane. I think there are legitimate questions as to how he ended up in Buffalo. How did he pick the people he interviewd? Contacting a freelance American reporter for English Al Jazerra to do a story is no different than contacting Don Esmode for a sympathetic story.
Lover of the Lo Says:June 23rd, 2008 at 11:34 am
Job growth means very little if those jobs that are created are low wage and keep individuals below the federal poverty line.
I thought the video was insufficient, but only because of the amount of time they allotted. Buffalo has a sorted complicated history that begs for a more in depth analysis, but they did what they could. I think the message was more, the city has been declining, but there is a lot of tremendous work being done to bring Buffalo back.
Also, as a clarifying point, Community Organizing, like the work the orgs represented in the film are doing are not just “do gooders” or “well meaning.” Giving people opportunities to be policy makers, to speak truth to power, to hold their elected officals accountable are legitimate and powerful pathways to change