Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Dan Derenda: Brown's latest Yes-Man


Mayor Byron Brown missed a great opportunity to conduct a national search for a police commissioner. His administration pretended it was looking nationally but didn't fool anybody, instead picking Dan Derenda, a huge campaign donor who lacks the respect of many cops. From the Buffalo News:

What Derenda has going for him, more than anything else, are a tightness with Brown and right-hand man Steve Casey, the requisite willingness to mouth the administration’s lines and a history of contributions to the mayor’s campaigns. With those connections, who needs qualifications?

Masiello, even with his status quo tendencies, did make a great choice when he landed Gil Kerlikowske. Kerlikowske was a nationally known figure who wasn't afraid to try and reform the system. Nobody could question his qualifications, unlike Brown's choice.

If rising through the ranks mattered, if test scores meant anything to the mayor, if having a range of experience counted, then there are dozens of Buffalo cops—and legions of others nationally— who have it all over Derenda. But those folks might go off-message and say the department is stretched dangerously thin, after the mayor claims that the streets are covered and everybody can sleep tight.

Derenda was hired to decrease overtime. My source at city hall (that would be a member of the maintainance staff) tells me that 6 or 7 police liutenants are getting paid through government grant money to give the appearance that overtime is down. The rank and file police say this will cost us more in the long run. From what we hear, Derenda has betrayed the police union for his own personal gain. From the same story:

“This is a slap in the face to any [cop] who ever served in a supervisory or command position,” said a veteran Buffalo cop, who—given Brown’s media gag order— would face discipline if identified. “A lot of [cops] are disgusted with this.”

Byron Brown could have picked someone who rose through the ranks locally or accomplished something in another community. Instead, he chose a yes-man who will do whatever Brown's aides tell him to. More incompetance coming from the 2nd floor of city hall. Is anyone really surprised?

7 comments:

  1. Mickey Kearns better not vote for Derenda. What do you think, Mike?

    Talk about residency violators... Parking a car infront of his mothers eastside home does not make him a resident!

    Mickey better take a stand against him & Mayor Urkel.

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  2. Mickey will vote for him just like he voted for the new fire commissioner that was never able to pass a promotional test . If he votes to give former council member kevin helfer the job of PARKING COMMISSIONER at $ 95000 it will be time for mickey to find a new job.

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  3. This is the first I'm hearing about Derenda not living in the city. I saw it mentioned in today's paper. I agree this should be questioned hard. Regular patrolmen currently have the right to live wherever they want. But this changes if they take a Commissioner's position. I hope Mickey doesn't support this.

    Regarding Helfer, it never amazes me how the same names keep coming up. Why is this guy considered to be some sort of parking guru? I hope he gets denied too, but he probably won't.

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  4. It just seems like our current system rewards ass-kissers and people willing to write out big checks.

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  5. I asked Mickey months ago to introduce me to Superintendent Williams. I figured with 20 years of coaching and being a lifelong city resident, I might be able to persuade Williams to get me an interview for a position teaching phys ed.

    Mickey has not spoken to him on my behalf.Petrucci claims to have but he's widely known for his lying. I guess next year I'll change my last name to one of the entitleds' and write a check to whoever will go to bat for me. One thing none of us can do is sit back and wait for any of these incompetent people to take a stand on anything. They're only worried about themselves.

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  6. Teaching in the Buffalo Public Schools? I thought you supported charters and what they are doing to change the status quo. Wow I guess I was wrong about you.

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  7. I do support parents' right to send their kids to charters, but that doesn't mean I'm anti traditional schools. I went to school to teach physical education. I'd take a job in any school system that teaches city kids (public, private, or charter.)

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