Gaustad has said on this site that 90% of the people he sees walking around downtown are crackheads. That should tell you all you need to know about his credibility.

Rez - You're right there's a few cities with missing data on that page, but it's pretty complete. To answer your question from the interactive table of 2006 stats on that page,

How does Buffalo's crime rates compare to New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, ect...?

Buffalo's total property crime rate (burglary, theft, car theft, arson), is higher than all of those cities. Buffalo's total violent crime rate was higher than NYC and LA, about tied with Boston, and not as bad as Philly.

Murder rate: as posted in previous comment. Buffalo 10th of 72 cities. Philly (9) about tied with Buffalo. Boston (29), LA (31), and NYC (50) all had lower murder rate than Buffalo.

For violent crime rate (murder, robbery, assault, rape), Buffalo 15th highest of 72. That puts Buffalo in worst 20%, almost tied with Boston (16), worse than LA (37) and NYC (47). Of cities you ask about, only Philly (6) had higher violent crime rate than Buffalo.

For property crime rate, Buffalo is 31st, worse than Boston, Philly, LA, and NYC.

Gaustad – Your right. I’m sorry for the assumptions and I’ll look into that debating class. I am well traveled, educated and heavily invested in the city so I do understand the “simple economics” of its problems. Thankfully I’m also not in that group you described as being here because of lack of options (a little harsh don’t you think?)

There is a problem with panhandling in many parts of the city and whether you agree with the quantity or frequency is irrelevant. It only takes one to sway a would-be visitor or investor back to the suburbs. I’ve begun to call the police non-emergency number to report panhandling and or loitering. I’m not sure there is an immediate response but if nothing else it creates a log of calls that can be used to prove a problem.

Instead of exchanging insults lets come up with some solutions.

Rez - What do you mean by "Buffalo is not a city with the highest crime rates in the country." ?

You might dispute the FBI stats, but for 2007 Buffalo is ranked as a high crime city. Out of 72 cities above 250,000 people, Buffalo was 10th highest. So that's in the worst 15%. I agree the stats aren't perfect, but to say Buffalo is not a high crime city doesn't seem to have any basis either.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_cities_by_crime_rate

You're right about Councilman Golombek's proposal being a great idea. Hope he keeps pushing Brown and Gipson to start publishing that info online as a growing number of other cities do. BR should do an article about that.

Gaustad, I don't think I have that much influence... Listen, I really wish you well, but we'll never shake hands over Buffalo will we? Our experiences are so remote from eachother, we can't even begin to imagine the other's life. But yes, i think you enjoy this diminishing of Buffalo, and I'll call that out every time I see it. It hurts the city and it's false.

As for that wise group of people aged 28-35, most of the ones I know would love to stay here--they do not share your vision of Buffalo as dusted in crack and lurching towards nothing. The complex factors of economic anemia drive many to seek careers elsewhere, but I find very very few who leave with anything but deep ambivalence.

AtwaterLouise I'm not an expert on crime but the wikpedia statistics chart says that these figures have some irregularities and that some areas in Illinios don't report some crimes. I have been significantly negatively impactged by every single crime on this chart. In Buffalo the panhandlers are a smaller problem than the murders and violent criminal acts. Yes pan handlers are a regular annoyance.

I have never smoked crack. Polcie agencies is other parts of the U.S.A. have used decoy cars to catch car thieves. These cars have engine kill switches in them that turn off the engine and the criminals in the car that they have entered and taken illegallly. The F.B.I. had a West SIde sting with cameras that caught former members of the Buffalo Police taking money that didn't belong to them. So Gausted were they also smoking crack here in Buffalo? No!

The comedy routine is on the people of Buffalo who have to live under constant turmoil that is termed qualtiy of life problems. The theft of hundreds of thousands of dollars of metal from the former Bethune building must have the insurance companies and owner not laughing.

Satish Mohan wrote an article this week in the Buffalo News saying that it is time for a return of manufacturing jobs to this country. Replacing manufacturing with service and casino jobs is making this country and city into the Third World. Shipping our good paying jobs to China is growing the Red Chinese Army and making Amercia weak. Our economy will be seriously impoverished by becoming dependent on foreign manufactured goods. Maybe he is smoking crack? No!

These are all good reasons to live in Clarence. Low crime, safe streets, no panhandlers, the cops respond if you flag them down, good schools, clean streets, etc. I am not saying that we don' t have our problems, but they just don't spill into everyone else's lives. Sure we have kids and adults who abuse drugs, but they aren't harassing you for change at the Rite-Aide. We have crime, but I can still leave my car parked on the street without worrying about my golf clubs or GPS at night. I think the biggest crime spree we have had out here was a bunch of kids who broke into 3 houses and got caught. That was big news for the suburbs. How many houses are broken into each night in Buffalo? How many cars? How long does it take the police to respond to a car break-in in Buffalo? It took over 90 minutes for the Buffalo Police to respond when my house was robbed in Allentown. This was the final straw that drove me to move to Clarence. My car was robbed three times, my house once, and I was harassed as I walked home from work to the point that I had to start driving. I am not a small person either. It made no sense to stay in Buffalo and people won't move back until you stop accepting this type of thing as normal for the city and start doing something about it. Fix the social ills and maybe people will come back.

Rez, you must be smoking crack with the rest of the crack heads in Buffalo.

AtwnMike, take a debating class or something. I live downtown and have also lived in many other major cities that are far bigger than Buffalo. I don't even consider Buffalo a city. It is large town.

Never assume anything.

Buffalo is too small to have so much crime and panhandling. "Occasional Begger" you say. You will see more beggars and panhandlers in Allentown than most parts of Manhattan.

Travel and get educated. The argument is about restoring Buffalo's economy. It will not happen until people and businesses with money have a reason to come downtown again.

It is people like you that slow Buffalo's progress because you do not understand simple economics.

@GAUSTAD: Where on earth do you live in this city to have all the problems you seem to either have or notice? I live in Allentown, one block off Main Street, and two in from Allen, in the four years I have lived in this "edgy, yet turning" part of Allentown, I have yet to see "crackheads" walking around. I can also count on one hand how many times I have been approached for money [and that has been from "shoe shine" guy']. Other than the Lady in White and the annoying yet harmless 40ozer crowd hanging out at "Bills' Deli. I walk daily to work with never a problem in 4 years, I also walk to bars or restaurants in the area without a problem. My 78 year old mother moved down the street from me from the "burbs" of Atlanta, she daily walks her dog without any issues and lives alone in a large corner lot home one block off main and feels safe and secure. As to your section 8 comment, there is building kitty corner to me, yes, there is problems with the building, but it has never directly affected me in a harmful way and I know I can walk past it and not be harrassed, in fact they usually say hello. My store customer base is 80% suburban women, who have no issues driving in for a meeting to plan a wedding, then they usually head off to lunch somewhere on Allen or Elmwood. If there was "excessive panhandling, drugs and alchohol" as you say that is not conductive for business, then my store and all the others along Allen and Elmwood would of closed ages ago. And don't say what about at night, because many of my clients work so I do many evening appointments with this same crowd, who then head off to dinner in town. I also find your statement about the money crowd staying in the "burbs" laughable and not viable, yes, there is lots of money in the "burbs", but do you actually know people who live in the city? Do you know how much money is actually in the city? Who do you think is buying these 2-5 hundred thousand dollar homes? In fact other than places like Spaulding Lake or Woodstream Farms, city property is on par or even more expensive then most suburban property. My home is worth far more than anything on "Patrice Terrace". and on par with "Brandywine". During Garden Walk and the Tour's of Homes, suburbanites are suprised at what is in the city and shocked at the prices. After reading many of you slanted and degrading posts, I might suggest you apologize to the city dwellers that you have offended and put down and once you have done that, get outa dodge sport, if you hate it that much move on.

Mohan did not write about the Red Chinese Army being expanded by the Most Favored Trade we have with China. He did warn about our economy going down the tiolet because of our country not making products at the level we used to.

All this seams off topic but Buffalo has a lot of problems that are being felt from coast to coast in our country. It is being caused by an economy that harms the middle class and poor in this country.

It is good to see people moving into Buffalo. The problems in Buffalo can be turned around. We keep hope alive and will not give up.

The majority of people living in Buffalo are not members of Richistan. Poverty in spirt is not a problem in this community.

Gaustad, I'm glad you care about Buffalo's future; I just think you're harming it more by indulging the most outdated, inaccurate cartoon stereotypes of what living in Buffalo is like. Where in the city do you live? I've never met anyone in 20 years of living here (I'm 46), whose life is like the one you describe in your last sentence. From your posts, I get the sense that you don't really have any feel for Buffalo's beauty or character: the deep veins of culture running through it, the vitality of its people, its fascinating history, its smooth livability. That's no crime, but in that case, you might want to live somewhere more attuned to your sensibility.

People in Buffalo, like every other city in the country, want to improve their city. Buffalo already has so many qualities from once being a major city--to ignore that and just keep sipping away at your pessimism is unhealthy for Buffalo. No developer or business person would want to listen to your attitudes about Buffalo. When you make transparent exaggerations like "countless bums smoking crack in Allentown" you simply lose credibilty. You demean the city and its people.....all in the guise of caring about it. I don't think you really do.

EricO - you and your "build it to the curb" mentality inhibit progress just as much as the countless bums smoking crack in Allentown.

As you can see, some of the us don't want to pay high taxes to subsidize their cost of living. Do you know anything about economics or do you just criticize every large developer for their lack of architectural prowess.

Read the whole thread before you pass judgment; You clearly don't understand what is being said.

You have always seemed to be the one that is content with mediocrity and slow progress; Pay attention to every detail because Buffalo has nothing but time to repair its national image.

While some of us strive for a better quality of life in Buffalo, it is people like you that hold us back becuase you just don't get it.

Now go back into Grandma's basement, order a large pizza, and watch some Sabres re-runs.

onestar - once again, you have missed the point. I am glad that you like Allentown and I am happy that you have found success in your business. My comments are not meant to slander the city.

Downtown is not for everyone; Don't let your emotions cloud your judgement.

Fact is, Buffalo is a the second most improverished city in the county. Business moved out and refuses to move back in. I would like to see Buffalo thrive again some day. We have a long road ahead in its current condition. In addition, we still have a declining population. Why do you suppose that is? Onestar?

So I think you need to ask yourself if you really know any better. The people from Toronto come to the outlet mall in droves on the weekends and never set foot downtown. Why? What are you missing?

My remarks and criticisms are meant to assist Buffalo increase its police presence, especially on Commercial streets like Main and Elmwood so people with money can return to the city to shop and spend time with their families.

It is not necessarily how I feel, but the preception that the rest of the nation has when they come to Buffalo for a visit; our national image is horrible. The people in NYC call us Lumberjacks. Are you a lumberjack?

Do me a favor and write this down and post it to your forehead:

"If Buffalo increases its police presence and security, even more people and businesses will be inclined to relocte to our once great utopia."

Gaustad: stay on the farm so you don't have to put up with city life. I love living in the city and don't seem to be troubled by all the complaints you ALWAYS have. Just hide in your trailer and hope you stay safe.

Thanks Atwater

I rest my case...

Eric - how do you know what the 28-35 peer group really feels............you are 46.

I find it hard to believe that you are really in tune with Buffalo's younger population....or whats left of it.

I am in my early 30's and I can tell you that you are dead wrong. Our perception is much different han yours.

Although you may not agree with my style, I am sincere about creating postiive improvements in the city. Crime is always a deterring factor.

Good luck to you too!

From the FBI stats I've seen, Buffalo's crime rates seem to be about on par with cities with similar demographics--Cleveland, St. Louis, Pittsburgh. Is there any unsual element in Buffalo's crime rates that distinguish it from these cities? I don't see the purpose behind comparing Buffalo's crime rates to those of huge city-states like LA and NYC or Philly, or not as huge but still larger cities like Boston, all of which have vaster police forces and a constant tourist presence.

No one denies that there is a crime problem in Buffalo, just as there is in every single other mid-sized Northern city. But the caricatures and distortions of that problem in some of these posts does nothing constructive. Instead, it reinforces much of the lazy thinking about Buffalo and inflames many suburban people's views of what living in Buffalo is like.

And don't get me started on homelessness in Toronto--I lived with it all around me.

I live and work in the city..it's a daily joy. The amenities, the culture, the variety of people, the interesting people, the parks and events....all of it outweighs the serious crime problem. Where do you live Gaustad?

PaulBuffalo the same thing happens in Oahu with rental cars. If you go up to the north side of the island on vacation wih a rental car and go to the beach you better leave absolutely nothing in the car. If you place a shirt on the car seat the crooks think you are hiding something.

The 911 system dispatches police cars. The police dispatch system is based on priority of emergencies. Please understand that breakins get lower priority if there are violent crimes being commited. If something hapens to you that involves the police immediately get on your cell phone and call the 911.

What ever you do in Buffalo do not leave expensive things like gps, cell phones, purses, or anything that street thieves can see in your car. Remember that the Buffalo actor who was in Law and Order had all his luggage ripped off while he was eating at the Towne Restaurant.

Allantown has a high ratio of social service agencies in the area and released convicts that transit the area.

Best advice is leave all valuables in the trunk and never in view.

Parts of the West Coast are far worse for car theft than Buffalo.

I feel for you that a cinder block got thrown through your wind shield. Sooner or later karma with catch up with cinder block throwers.

ncoli, good points.

GDC, your argument is frivilous at best. I rarley see out of town guest downtown, especially in the winter. Anyone from Toronoto will compalin there is no reason to go to Downtown Buffalo. Elmwood and Main have very little to offer in the way of retail. Come on!

For OneStar to say he "never" gets harrassed by panhandlers is like saying it doesn't snow in Buffalo.

Asking for change is the least of my complaints....all panhandlers in all cities ask for money.

The thing that has always baffaled me are crackheads walking up to me in a restaurant or while I am parking and asking me to light their cigarette or ask me what time it is.

That is what is annoying to me and the other 300,000 people that have feld downtown Buffalo.

Clean up the streets, control the panhandlers.

GAUSTAD, What’s frustrating about your ranting is that you’re probably someone who would never consider city life anyways. The criticism of suburbanites about city life is just annoying. Equally frustrating is suggesting that panhandling doesn’t exist in Allentown. I’ve been here 12 years and experience it everyday. However, I’ll trade dealing with the occasional beggar any day to having to drive my SUV from one big box parking lot to the next.

In the past three weeks, I was routinely harassed by panhandlers and homeless crazy people in front of a big box Rite Aid. Which one? The one in downtown Palm Springs, CA It is everywhere! Even on places with a good police presence.

Dave - I will give credit where credit is due.....you have a little creativity

Truth is, I HATE, getting harassed ALL the fu-king time by panhandlers that I know smoke crack. It is disturbing and annoying, not a matter of being afraid. Trust me, I am big enough to handle myself around these little pookie crack heads....and they do smoke crack....lots of it

Are you gonna condem me becuase I do not want to interact with crackheads on a regular basis?

People want money and jobs to come to the city of Buffalo; this is the reason why all the money stays out in Amherst and Clarence.

Buffalo doesn't have to be like this - step up the police presence and security and you will have a very nice city, especially on the "commercial streets."

I don't think anyone really gets it:

Excessive panhandling, drugs, and alchohol is not conducive for business!

Stamp that to your forehead.....

The least some of these crack heads could do is perform and entertain, like in other cities. Buffalo is not city living. Boston is city living. Buffalo is crack head, welfare, section 8 living.

I am sure Ms. LoConti will love being downtown when she needs to run to Walgreens or Rite Aid and gets harrassed by 15 different panhandlers in and out of the store for a light, the time, or change......nothing like Buffalo's police presence

she will run right back to the burbs

EricO - thank you for your psychoanlaysis....what would I possibly do without you???

Perhaps you should take some of your own advice. While you sit and criticize the design of every project proposed in the city, you say I am the one that is anti-devlopenment because I believe Buffalo needs to step up their police presence? I don't really follow you.

The problem with you is that you are 46 and you need to get with the times. No offense, but I have realized that most people your age like Buffalo because they have no place else to go.

It is not a mystery that the 28-35 population doesn't stay here. Trust me, I know what will keep them here and also what will bring them home and it is not panhandlers or crackheads on the streets...........Yuppies are ambitious and want to see change happen quickly; they go where the money and pace is fast....not Buffalo.

your attitude and personlaity drives young working professionals out of town.

al-alo these social issues happen in all big cities all over the world. It's not as bad here as some places on the planet but Buffalo like all places in this world will never be nirvana.

I feel that these problems will be part of humanity until science and enlightenment advances and our species evolves to take better care of those that are sick or in need of help.

Think about this idea. Growing hops and barley for micro brewers on abandoned lots in Buffalo. Or push Congress to get this country to move to alternate sources of energy and dump the subsidization of big oil, coal, and nuclear power. North Dakota wind power could provide enough energy to power most American cities. Solar energy in Arizona could power electric cars.

Get New York State and the USA to make all stuctures energy efficent. This woud provide many jobs to our citizens.

Iceland and Norway now have healthy economies because they moved away from big oil, coal, and nuclear power. Don' t let the local nit wits invest our taxes into so called clean burning coal plants to provide power to Buffalo. Energy independene is the way to uplift Buffalo, We are blessed with incredible energy oportunities and we have abundent fresh water.

Actually when I worked for the CVB Visitor Center, we did get loads of tourists DAILY and that includes Weekends too from Canada, Europe, across the Country and beyond. Many came to see the Architecture, Festivals, here on business and/or just passing through to either Niagara Falls or another place. Many were impressed and some did wonder why our downtown was empty and had no retail. BUT, when you tell them about Allentown/Elmwood Village is not too far away or the many projects taking place rightside (downtown) and how we are bringing in residents , transforming old buildings, re-doing the waterfront, and how retail will follow, many said they WANT to come back and spend more time or to see the changes (Casino, Waterfront, Main Street after cars return, and so on.) So to say people from Toronto (or where ever) Never set foot downtown is so NOT True.

Buffalo is not a city with the highest crime rates in the country. It is the second poorest city in America.

The big problem in America is violent crime tied to gangs and drugs which keeps police resources from focusing on all the non violent crimes that harm people in their pocket book and their quality of life.

In my opinion there should be a special branch of police assigned specifically to quality of life and absentee landlord/tenants.

We need to understand that cities across America are the dumping grounds for social problems as rural areas are places for prisons. There a very few prisons or social agencies in suburban neighborhoods. Therefore social and crime problems are inordinately heavier in densely populated areas based upon the lack of wealth.

Presently we live in a country that produces a large dangerous criminal class that exports them to the country like the British used to export criminals to Australia or France to South America. The under class of society still exists today as it did in ancient times. However opportunites for the vast majority of Americans have decreased as has the standard of living. This in part causes social ills.

The best we can do is to be proactive in not allowing a decline in the standards we accept in our community. We must always advocate for better despite a system that seams hell bent on maintaining a status quo for a country for a few very rich people. We must not run away from problems but find ways to flank them and defeat them.

Buffalo is in serious need for manufacturing jobs as it is for across the board strict enforcement of quality of life problems.

Last night a lot of people had their cars robbed in the lower main street. There is a big, current problem with car breaks ins across Buffalo and break ins into old homes and closed businesses to rob metals.

The Buffalo Police should start setting up decoy cars to catch car thieves in Buffalo and set up decoy houses to catch copper and metal thieves.

All of us must be constantly vigilant and determined to push for changes in Buffalo that are oriented to self determination of the law abidng people in this city.

Buffalo Counciulmember Golembak is correct to call for more police transparency and updated online computer reporting of crime problems block by block in Buffalo so that people can become more vigilant and aware of what is occuring in our community. We need to use the computer as a town cryer when the criminals come to invade and take lives and property.

Gaustad, Buffalo is a city, whether you like it or not, once a very large city, now a struggling one. Does that make its people any less interesting than anywhere else? If anything, quite the reverse. And when is size any real indicator of how good a city is as a place to live, or how happy its people are? I've lived in three huge city-states, all of which were a real pain to live in year after year. City-States are not enviable places to live for everyone; some people tend to like them, but many just have to live in them for jobs. And as for panhandlers being a real problem in Buffalo....that's laughable.

The reddest flag of true provinciality is someone wagging his finger about "traveling" to some city-du-jour to get "educated." Please, neither Rez nor anyone else here needs your advice about that--we've done our own living and learning, here and elsewhere, and I've learned far more about life and culture living in Buffalo than I ever did living in New York. Trendy cities in this country have gotten so homogenized and bland, it is hardly worth traveling to them for anything but the most cartoon tourist pleasures.

So, get out of the way and let us stay home and work on our problems.

Word up Tony. Somebody needs to drive the paint and storm the boards. If anyone wants a lesson watch the NBA Network for early 90s highlights. Honk...Honk....

Comparing city life to suburban life is just not a reasonable argument. It is because the suburbs are socially and economically exclusive that they are free from the social ills of the city. If life in a homogeneous bubble is right for you I commend your choice. Making statements like "fix the social ills and people will come back" is just absurd. Maybe we can throw in world peace. While many of the concerns raised by critics here should be addressed the likelihood of any of them moving into the city is minimal.

Next time anyone here blames Buffalo police for lack of effort, keep the following in mind which happened this morning:

Two city officers hurt in struggle with suspected shoplifter By Vanessa Thomas - News Staff Reporter Updated: 05/21/08

Two Buffalo police officers were sent to the hospital with injuries this morning after they were attacked by an alleged shoplifter, police reported today.

Officer Thomas Duffy, a nine-year veteran of the force, suffered a possible broken right ankle during the incident. An ambulance transported Duffy to Erie County Medical Center where he underwent emergency surgery. ... Officer Colleen Leatherbarrow, a 20-year veteran, also was injured when the alleged shoplifter swung his bag at her, which contained several 40-ounce glass bottles of beer.

...Their alleged attacker was identified as ____ , 45, .... Police said the incident began at about 9:40 a.m. when a man stole several four packs of energy drinks from the Elmwood Market, located at 214 Elmwood Ave. in the city's Allentown neighborhood. The energy drinks had a total estimated cost of $100.

...When Leatherbarrow and Duffy approached the man, he began shouting obscenities and lunged at the officers in an attempt to flee from them, police reported. The man knocked Duffy to the ground and struck Leatherbarrow in her head with a bag containing the bottles of beer. Police said the man then struggled with the officers until they were able to subdue and handcuff him.

... Police reports described _____ as 6-foot tall and 200 pounds. Court records show that he has a lengthy arrest record with three convictions for petit larceny, two convictions for assault and one for harassment.

http://www.buffalonews.com/258/story/352234.html

That lengthy arrest record didn't happen by itself. Every arrest involved Buffalo police putting themselves on the line to bring him into custody. Obviously that's what they're paid to do, but why should it be that someone with a legthy arrest record and six (6) separate convictions, at least two of which were violent, should've been walking among us as of this morning?

Now this will be the 7th, and how long before he's back on the street? Maybe 2 or 3 years? How's that the fault of police? Why are police blamed much more often than lenient judges, DAs, and parole boards?

EricO - do you want ot come over my house or something? I would expect a little more maturity from somoene that is 46. Don't worry about where I live.

Colin - qucik running from the crackheads - they'll get you sooner or later.

Good points and well taken.

My thought is just having a police car present or parked does a lot of good. No arrests need to be made, just be seen and be aware.

This afternoon I heard a very smart educator on WNED News Radio talking about building better schools that are bright and well lighted and show poor people there is a way up through education. He said that if we lower the bar we make it easy for people to step over it.

We in Buffalo need to demand that the bar be raised higher in public schools and that these buildings incorporate new construction with more natural natural light, central water fountains, art and sciences.

We must demand our community look physically better . We must now demandand strict enforcement of qualaity of life problem resolution. Driving a car is a privilege and not a right. Reduce speeding cars and end high volumn boom cars in this City. Raise the bar higher, Make Buffalo a place that offers more educational oportunites to the poor. Make their schools look like the Albright Knox Art Gallery. Enshrine Buffalo schools into temples of learning and opportunity. There are poor people in this community who have the ability to take us to the stars or understand geometry and music.

Increase solar and wind generation power in Buffalo. Build an academy that teaches structure energy efficiency construction. Get our government to invest in structure efficiency across Buffalo.

Protect our parks and old structures and communities like they were art works.

Manufacturing does much better in some U.S. states other than NY for whatever reasons. Asian car company plants for example, employing many (growing number) thousands of American workers in Ohio, Indiana, Tennessee, and others.

I'd like to see it get better too, but the casino and other service jobs aren't standing in the way of manufacturing so it's not an either/or trade-off.

For another take on Mohan's article, you might like this guy's post:

http://buffalog.blogspot.com/2008/05/on-american-manufacturing.html

Snippet from that:

...we must remember that all the manufacturing job losses mentioned by Mohan are not due to foreign competition. Most of those reductions have been the result of advances in technology allowing fewer people to do the same work. Mohan does mention the productivity of the American workforce but doesn't make the connection that industry is now less dependent on masses of employees to staff the assembly line. ...GM Powertrain makes more engines now with 1,600 employees than they did in 1984 when they were Erie County's largest employer with 10,000 employees.

He also ignores the fact that manufacturing, while a smaller part of the overall economy is still three times the size it was in the seventies. American is still a manufacturing giant. ...

Says who you?

Who made you the dictator of Buffalo?

This afternoon I heard a very smart educator on WNED News Radio talking about building better schools that are bright and well lighted and show poor people there is a way up through education. He said that if we lower the bar we make it easy for people to step over it.

We in Buffalo need to demand that the bar be raised higher in public schools and that these buildings incorporate new construction with more natural natural light, central water fountains, art and sciences.

We must demand our community look physically better . We must now demandand strict enforcement of qualaity of life problem resolution. Driving a car is a privilege and not a right. Reduce speeding cars and end high volumn boom cars in this City. Raise the bar higher, Make Buffalo a place that offers more educational oportunites to the poor. Make their schools look like the Albright Knox Art Gallery. Enshrine Buffalo schools into temples of learning and opportunity. There are poor people in this community who have the ability to take us to the stars or understand geometry and music.

Increase solar and wind generation power in Buffalo. Build an academy that teaches structure energy efficiency construction. Get our government to invest in structure efficiency across Buffalo.

Protect our parks and old structures and communities like they were art works.

gaustad - Your case can rest for sure, but one thing I disagree with is blaming the cops for it all. DA's giving lenient plea deals, judges not taking quality of life crimes seriously - or even violent crimes seriously sometimes. Cops must get frustrated at being blamed when all that goes on so much. To take the time to arrest and book someone removes them from duty for a while, and then if soon they again see that same person they arrested doing the same thing it must get discouraging. I think a lot of the cops work hard and want to have good results. Not all always, but a lot do.

Sorry for the multiple posting of the same thought.

Welcome to Buffalo. Let's create a more self determined democracy and development for all the people who live here.

AtwnMike - great idea and Thank you....you are forgiven :)

this is what I have been waiting to hear this whole thread.

I am tired of reading stories in the Buffalo news regarding muggins and shootings and car jackings, etc.

Buffalo doesn't have to be like this -

This afternoon I heard a very smart educator on WNED News Radio talking about building better schools that are bright and well lighted and show poor people there is a way up through education. He said that if we lower the bar we make it easy for people to step over it.

We in Buffalo need to demand that the bar be raised higher in public schools and that these buildings incorporate new construction with more natural natural light, central water fountains, art and sciences.

We must demand our community look physically better . We must now demandand strict enforcement of qualaity of life problem resolution. Driving a car is a privilege and not a right. Reduce speeding cars and end high volumn boom cars in this City. Raise the bar higher, Make Buffalo a place that offers more educational oportunites to the poor. Make their schools look like the Albright Knox Art Gallery. Enshrine Buffalo schools into temples of learning and opportunity. There are poor people in this community who have the ability to take us to the stars or understand geometry and music.

Increase solar and wind generation power in Buffalo. Build an academy that teaches structure energy efficiency construction. Get our government to invest in structure efficiency across Buffalo.

Protect our parks and old structures and communities like they were art works.

Welcome Ms. LoConti. Good Luck. In every dark cloud there is a silver lining. The beauty of living in a democratic society is differing opinions and ideas. We might not come to an agreed concensus here but we are happy you have moved to Buffalo.

Again welcome.

Correction to:I have never smoked crack. Police agencies is other parts of the U.S.A. have used decoy cars to catch car thieves. These cars have engine kill switches in them that turn off the engine and lock the criminals in the car that they have entered and taken illegallly.

Also when I think about crime in American cities I think about how much crime is in cities of all sizes. In other words I think about the crime in big and small cities. How does Buffalo's crime rates compare to New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, ect...?

Thank You AtwaterLouse Buffalo has high poverty and crime. That should be no surprise to either of us.

Tech advances do not explain the massive shift in jobs to China that Americans once did. The wages over in Asia are dirt cheap and all the advances for the American worker under FDR and environmental protection that has been more recently advanced here does not exist in China. Perhaps the main problem is the Most Favored trade agreement with China did more harm to American middle and poor class workers than it helped? I think so.

Yes the economy is three times better for investors and productivity is much higher in American factories but the middle class is shrinking and the number of poor is growing. Look at what productivity has done for American Axle workers. They are getting laid off and taking big pay cuts. How did an economy that is three times better help them? How did their higher productivity help them? I don't think that any poster here qulaifies for citizenship in Richistan.

The casino deal for Buffalo is like the Most Favored Trade Status with China for the American worker.

TonyMacaroni Toronto does not report all the crime it has. A lot of it gets swept under the carpet. If people want to meet people from Toronto just take a drive on a Canadian holiday out to the Walden Galleria. Canadian shoppers are saving Erie Counties bacon.

It not only frustrating to police but to people in Buffalo to see the revolving cycle of crime but we're already jailing more people than most countries on the planet. The costs of housing prisoners has led to a push to reduce the prison population. There needs to be more intervention with these problems at an early age. More good paying jobs are a big component of the problem.