Tagged: billion for buffalo

When Governor Andrew Cuomo promised a “billion for Buffalo” earlier this year, he promised to draw on the expertise of Bruce Katz of the Brookings Institution.

“There already is a buzz nationally about the Buffalo billion,” Katz told the crowd of 200 at “Buffalo City Forum” on Wednesday at WNED’s downtown studios.

Former Buffalo assemblyman Sam Hoyt was in the Rochester area Friday delivering Governor Andrew Cuomo's 2012 budget address.

It was mostly a recap of Cuomo's 2011 legislative victories and a brief sketch of the governor's 2012 priorities.

But one thing was not mentioned: Cuomo's billion-dollar pledge to the state's second-largest city.

"I can assure you that Andrew Cuomo is not giving a blank check to Buffalo," Hoyt, now a senior VP at Empire State Development, said after the presentation.

"If they come up with a half-assed plan, the governor's going to reject it," said Hoyt. "There's no, 'Here's your billion dollars, spend it as you please.' If they use it as pork, or member items, the governor will say, 'Sorry, you blew it. You blew this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.' "

Meeting for the first time since winning $100 million in a state competition late last year, the Western New York Regional Council (WNYREDC) was still aglow with pride Tuesday.

But in 2012, the council faces a litany of new tasks, starting its sophomore season with a to-do list longer than ever.

In fact, shortly into Tuesday’s meeting, the 30-member body was told their work has only really begun.

“Remember this is taxpayer dollars - so we need to ensure there’s appropriate documentation and due diligence demonstrating that the awardees did in fact do what they said they’re going to do,” Christina Orsi, a regional director with Empire State Development, told the council as it gathered in horseshoe-shaped seating arrangement.

Earlier this month at his State of the State Address Governor Andrew Cuomo said he wants to make Western New York a priority in 2012, and announced plans to send a billion dollar economic development package to Buffalo.

But is that enough to reverse decades of decline?

Let us know what you think in this week's poll question for New York NOW.

Governor Andrew Cuomo called on western New Yorkers to adopt his vision as their own during a visit to Buffalo Wednesday.

But questions surrounding his latest budget proposal are coming from more than one direction.

The first term Democrat has barnstormed the state since unveiling his budget last week.

During these drop-ins, Cuomo repeats the broad strokes of his spending plan, but tweaks the message for that day’s host community.

The state’s second largest city heard the governor again promise to send a $1 billion to spur economic growth, but this time it was tinged with a message of self empowerment.

“Change begins with the man in the mirror ... [With] a billion dollars, we’re going to turn around Buffalo. You know who it starts with? It starts with you!” Cuomo roared. “You have to wake up and say, ‘You know what? I believe in this city. I believe in this region. I’m not going to talk about the past. I’m going to talk about the future!”