comments, concerns, or just plain bitching

Dear Buffalo,

What’s wrong, baby? You seem sad.

Every time I hear from you it’s something else. Industry left. You’re having budget problems. Your officials are corrupt. You can’t afford your own parks. The Sabres haven’t been to the Finals in blah blah blah waa waa waa.

The waterfront’s coming along nicely, I hear. Fiscal watchdog Nancy Naples is cleaning up Erie County, and possibly the nation (pending Election Day results). You were listed as having one of the top art scenes in the country. UB’s making a name for itself as an upper tier public research university, and they just got a new president.

Buck up. Things are getting better every day. Just look at me. I’ve had my ups and downs, but you don’t see me moping about it.

With love,

Albany

P.S. Your budget money’s in the mail.

Dear Albany,

You’ve got to be kidding me. Ups and downs? No matter what happens economically, you’ll always have the windfall of massive state bureaucracy to keep you afloat. You can’t even find people to fill the jobs state government and technology investments are creating. Meanwhile, every Thruway exit from Schenectady west leads to a city struggling to tread water in an economic bathtub from which the drain plug has been pulled.

Industry didn’t just leave; it disappeared. It left central and western New York like a state assemblyman from an intern’s apartment.

Also, the simple fact is that I am, along with other cities like me, dealing with the affects of corruption that dates back to when the mob controlled this entire region. And if you believe some of the talk, those days aren’t exactly behind us.

On top of all that, my citizens keep putting (and keeping) people in office who either: a) make decisions for short term solutions that prevent any long term success, or b) are the kind of people who gave us the problems in the first place! Just look at City Hall, or the history of UB’s campus expansion, for crying out loud.

In summary, either help me out, or don’t. I don’t need you to make press appearances in my area to show how much you care—either do something to pull me out of this mess, or stay in Manhattan and don’t even bother. It’s just insulting.

Still wishing on a star,

Buffalo

P.S. Your state representatives who actually care enough to stand up and reform the system are in the mail.