Block grant woes go from bad to worse

The city's block grant program may be more screwed up than ever.

Given its history, that's saying a lot.

And given the city's status as the nation's third-poorest city, that's a shame.

Not that anybody in a position of authority seems embarrassed about it, at least not enough to actually do something about it.

Of course, Mayor Byron Brown can fix the problem. But he hasn't exactly built a track record as a problem solver during his nearly four years in office, has he?

From what I learned during the course of reporting today's story, it appears Brown -- with his sidekick Steve Casey doing the dirty work, of course -- is using the program's millions in part to reward friends and punish enemies.

Let's move on to others who could be part of the solution, if they so chose.

For starters there is the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. It's real good at finding problems. Not so good at fixing them.

It has the ways -- it's the will that's lacking.

HUD and the city have been going back and forth since the feds issued their report in March that found 19 serious problems with the Brown administration's management of the block grant program. So far, 10 of the 19 problems have been fixed, ones that to varying degrees involve pushing the right paper across the table. But the root problems, starting with poor management, remain unresolved. The full updated report is here.

HUD has all kinds of regulatory powers. And it's got the power of the purse strings. Not that it acts that way. Heck, the feds won't even use the bully pulpit. Call them for a comment, a chance to nudge the city, and you get blah-blah-blah quotes from a flak. The last time anyone had anything stronger to say, HQ in DC called and told everyone to dummy up.

Perhaps Chuck Schumer, Kirsten Gillibrand, Brian Higgins and Louise Slaughter should tell HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan to get tough. Our local delegation has been awfully quiet about the city's misuse of federal dollars ever since John LaFalce retired. Yeah, I know, they're all Democrats and want to act like We Are Family, but it is their constituents who are getting the short end of the deal.

The Common Council, on the other hand, has had a few things to say. But it's been mostly just talk.

For all its rhetoric, the Council in recent years has changed about 1 percent of the spending proposed by Brown in his block grand budget submissions. And there's been no push for structural changes.

Yeah, the Council was successful this summer in getting HUD's inspector general to agree to come in and audit the block grant program -- not that he's shown up yet. Far be it for me to discourage another pair of eyes from looking over the books, but what we need a lot more than another study is a solution.

Three Council members sit on the governing board of the Buffalo Urban Renewal Agency -- the crew that mismanages the block grant program -- and I don't see them pushing for meaningful change on that front, either. Yeah, the mayor controls the board majority through appointments, but that doesn't mean you just go through the motions. And that's largely what's happening.

Then there is city's foundation community, which invests a lot of money dealing with the vestiges of poverty. It is in their interest to see that the biggest pot of money available to do likewise -- the block grant program -- is money well spent. But they're spectators.

Finally, there are those so-called advocates for the poor. There are a lot of fine people in their ranks. Unfortunately, too many of them feel they have more to lose by speaking out than the community has to gain, and Brown and Casey give them a justifiable reason for pause. But a lot of these advocates have, or want, a piece of the block grant pie. They'll grumble, but not much more.

It's all so Buffalo.

I guess this leaves it up to the citizenry to do something about it.

People, are you ready to rumble?

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Comments

[Leaving, but not too soon]

"it's history" should be "its history." Copy editing!

[Rob]

Perhaps the problem isn't the bureaucratic hurdles and the incompetent people that run them.

You are missing the bigger picture. Why are we taxing people to give their money to blatantly corrupt politicians like Brown and the City of Buffalo administration to redistribute as they see fit?

Cut taxes and defund these grant programs. If these causes are so worthy they will be supported by donations and I am certain the donors won't be as racist as the Brown administration is being here.

[RKT]

So the Byron brown administration has fixed 10 of the 19 HUD issues. They fixed them. Considering the mess they were left by the corrupt Massiello, Griffin and Makowski regimes, let's give credit where credit is due. I don't understand this News thing against Byron Brown. He's a staunch Democrat and is trying to do what is best for the city. All the News can do is pepper the poor guy with all kinds of nickle and dime charges. Charges they would never would level against his predeccessors that got us into this mess in the first place. The voters in Buffalo have made thier voices known and I guess the News just can't stand that. Seems to be a big disconnect between what the News says and what the voters in Buffalo believe. After all, Byron Brown is running unopposed tomorrow. Speaks volumes for me.

[pgr88]

How sad Buffalo has become. The entire city has become a welfare basket case, and the (Democrat) political elites, from Schumer to Higgins to Brown are the leading Welfare-queens, with the mindset that the only hope for the future is ask the sugar-daddy Feds to give us more money.

[OP Mike]

RKT says "After all, Byron Brown is running un-opposed tomorrow. Speaks volumes for me."

Here are some other facts that speak volumes about Buffalo.

Only two Buffalo residents cared enough to attended a recent hearing seeking public comment on the $23.8 million spending plan.

Only about 5% of Buffalo voters bothered to show up and vote at the last school board elections

Only 10% of Buffalo residents bother to use their recycling bins.

Mayor Brown continues to skim off 30% of all HUD funds to finance patronage jobs.

Yes indeed RKT, it certainly does speak volumes about residents of Buffalo!

[guest]

What speaks volumes is the absence of any moral compass. Dirty Politics at its best, racist agendas, divisive bullying. Dirty, dirty, dirty...this guy is going out in cuffs, cannot wait. It's worth sticking around Buffalo just to watch.

[Hank]

Remember the Buffalo Control Board? It's about people named to "boards", "advisory councils", and such as "HUD" Administrators. These people are yokels. You write that HUD has "all kinds of regulatory powers" and the "purse strings." To me, that spells power with a capital P. You give the names, and say they just want to be a "big family."
Every time I hear an ad or slogan, "We treat you just like family", I know what that means. It looks like the whole chain of people in positions are bureaucrats, with a capital B. No different than some foreign nations that come to mind.
Question to taxpayers: Is that an effective use of tax dollars? The people in charge won't change. The system has to be changed.