Buffalo budget critics overlook economic issues

The article written by two members of Our City Action Buffalo in the Sunday, June 16 newspaper about Buffalo’s budget process was almost entirely accurate, …except for one important item. The city of Buffalo has not had a viable economy, the basis of any budgeting process, for at least 100 years. The industry had begun to expand outside the city at least five years earlier. And for almost as long, the New York City Constitution has made expansion by annexation nearly impossible. All a mayor can do in such a situation is pray that dollars will rain into the city from other, more viable economies, if they are willing to part with some of their dollars.

Unfortunately, and I mean unfortunately, in the absence of such charity, the only thing the city can do to improve its economy “while waiting for the rain” is to make the neighborhood more attractive to the middle and upper classes who could bring with them economic growth if they settle here. This is a really unappealing alternative, although I suspect it may be the only one.