Obstruction of justice?

Did Permits and Inspections Commissioner "East Aurora" Jim Comerford interfere with local law enforcement?



You won't get stories like this from the mainstream local media. This story clearly illustrates the level of corruption taking place in this city. This is the kind of stuff that used to go unreported, save for small talk in local watering holes. But the Blogger has people everywhere these days and the walls have ears. At the request of frustrated members of law enforcement, I was asked to report the facts of an incident which took place yesterday.

It seems yesterday, a Buffalo police squad car was parked on Eden Street near Abbott Road. From what I'm told, they were investigating reports of drug activity in the neighborhood. Although they were not targeting her house, the wife of Inspections Commissioner Jim Comerford somehow got into a verbal altercation with one of the officers. At some point, Comerford's son became involved and the argument got heated. It was at that point, according to my sources, that Comerford's son shoved the police officer (a highly respected and decorated Lieutenant) and was subsequently arrested.

What would happen to you or I if we fought with a police officer? We'd be charged with assault. But I guess when you line the mayor's pockets, your kids don't have to play by the same rules as the rest of us. The young Comerford was taken to the South District Police Station for booking. My sources tell me that Jim Comerford was then contacted and summoned there. When confronted with the facts, instead of thanking the officers for doing their jobs, Comerford began berating them and was even heard shouting, "Do you know who I am? I'll have your badges by Monday morning!" The officers took an oath to enforce the law, and now their careers were being threatened for doing exactly that.

Commissioner Dan Derenda showed up at the request of Comerford (in a clear act of intimidation towards the officers). Derenda told everyone involved, "listen, we're going to pretend this incident never happened" and the young man was released.

From what I'm told, the officers were extremely upset that political connections took precedence over their ability to enforce the law. The Buffalo News won't report this story. 2,4, and 7 won't report this story, either. Commissioner Derenda says it never happened. I say it did happen, and the 2,000 people who look at this site each week can decide for themselves whether it happened. Ironically, Comerford's son will eventually become a Buffalo Police officer or Firefighter, after your son or daughter scores higher than him on the test. Oh, well. Such is life. The Blogger reports. The Blogger decides.


(*We contacted the mayor's media spokesman for a comment on this story. He referred us to his spokeswoman and told us not to bother him when he's playing with his toy blocks.)


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Buffallo's history takes a back seat to greed

The city's history took a back seat to one man's greed this week, as Buffalo's most infamous residency violator allowed a few historic grain elevators to be permanently dismantled...

James Comerford, the city’s permit and inspections commissioner, had ordered the demolition at 339 Ganson St. earlier this month, claiming that the Wheeler elevator, the complex’s oldest building, and an adjacent feed mill posed a threat to public safety.

The company’s intentions fueled skepticism among Buffalo Preservation Board members about whether the buildings needed to be torn down. The board voted unanimously March 3 to oppose demolition after a request to schedule a site visit for the board and possibly an engineer was rebuffed.

I'm not going to publicly accuse "East Aurora" Jim of accepting a bribe from the company to tear down the grain elevators. However, if you see any drastic improvements on his East Aurora home this summer, well, you draw your own conclusions. Buffalo: a great place to siphon money and get all your family members public sector jobs. But I wouldn't want to live there. Very sad, residency violator!...

You hustle, you deal, you steal from us all
Come on, come on, love me for the money
Come on, come on, listen to the moneytalks
Come on, come on, love me for the money
Come on, come on, listen to the moneytalks
Moneytalks, yeah, yeah
Money talks, B.S. walks...


Razing of grain elevator begins - City of Buffalo - The Buffalo News

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Letters to the editor- Preserving Buffalo's past

This letter writer appears to be very skeptical of local residency violator, "East Aurora" James Comerford's motives for condemning the Wheeler-GLF grain elevator. Coincidentally, at the same time Ontario Specialty Contracting is seeking to expand their property. If he lies about his residency, what makes you think Comerford would be honest about this?...

Let's find new ways to use grain elevators

How incredibly convenient for Ontario Specialty Contracting that just as it needs more room for an expansion, it finds a firm willing to submit a report that says the Wheeler-GLF grain elevator needs to be condemned. This self-centered, myopic behavior is appallingly familiar in Buffalo, and Inspections Commissioner James Comerford should be ashamed of himself.

Our iconic, world-renowned grain elevators should be treasured and revered, not demolished. This is just more embarrassing, disgraceful and short-sighted behavior from Buffalo’s lifer politicians and their commissioner cronies.

While Buffalo is being its usual destructive self, other states are finding creative, exciting and interesting ways to reuse their grain elevators. West Texas has turned its grain elevator into a year-round, indoor rock-climbing center, Oregon uses one as a farmers’ market and Illinois turned one into a gym.

How very sad that in Buffalo, the grain elevators’ birthplace, we are more concerned with demolishing what makes us unique. It is this never-ending discouragement, death from a thousand slices, that is depleting Buffalo’s population.

Meg Robinson-Albers

Buffalo

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This is where he used to live

East Aurora resident Jim Comerford is all too willing to earn a high salary off the backs of it's taxpayers but apparently, doesn't appreciate the city's rich historical past...

A preservation organization Tuesday won a temporary restraining order blocking the partial demolition of the Wheeler- GLF grain elevator.

The stay puts a hold on plans to raze portions of the complex at 339 Ganson St. as a public safety hazard, stalling efforts of the owner, Ontario Specialty Contracting, from wielding the wrecking ball as early as Monday.

City of Buffalo Permit and Inspections Commissioner James Comerford gave the go-ahead for the demolition last week.

It looks like the grain elevator was considered safe until an adjacent company decided they wanted to expand. Then, all of a sudden, our famous residency violator decided the structure was a safety hazard...

Comerford said he issued his decision after three inspections and a review of the engineering report submitted by Schenne & Associates of East Aurora on behalf of the company. The report found “hundreds” of building code violations and concluded the buildings “need to be condemned and demolished.”

Comerford said at the time that the risk of an accident was too great to let the structures remain standing.

This simply does not pass the Blogger's smell test. One day, the structure is fine. The next (when the company decides it wants to expand), it is unsafe. Come on East Aurora Jim! Perhaps Comerford doesn't understand the historical significance of grain elevators to the Old 1st Ward neighborhood, since there aren't any in the wealthy suburb of East Aurora where he resides (in direct violation of the city's residency law). The question on most peoples' minds is, what did the company offer Comerford in exchange for prostituting himself to them? We'll have to wait for the results of the INDEPENDENT and UNBIASED engineers to find out what happens next.

Temporary restraining order bars demolition of grain elevator

Broke into the old apartment
This is where we used to live
Broken glass, broke and hungry
Broken hearts and broken bones
This is where we used to live...

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Comerford's comments expose the city to a potential lawsuit

Some neighbors are complaining about all the crime taking place lately in front of Club Chit Chat on Clinton. That's strange, since strip clubs in poor neighborhoods are usually known for their upscale clientele. Buffalo's new Inspections Commissioner, East Aurora residency violator Jim Comerford, may have exposed the city to potential litigation with these comments in today's Buffalo News:

Inspections Commissioner James W. Comerford said he thinks there have been too many problems at the club.
"We've got to do something to put a stop to it," Comerford told lawmakers Monday when the controversy was discussed at a pre-meeting caucus. "We'll get our guys out there."

Had "his guys" gone over there and cited the owner, it would have been one thing. But to say you are going to do just that in a public meeting is admitting that you are specifically targeting a business owner before even looking at his property.

So now, the city will send it's South Buffalo political hacks club over there to throw the book at the owner. I hope the owner hires a high priced attorney to say they are being unfairly targeted based on Comerford's ridiculous comment. He basically is saying, "We don't know that they are doing anything wrong but we are going to send our inspections guys out and find something wrong with the building."

I would also would like to remind the owner to question Jim Comerford's residency while he's at it. It is common knowledge that he lives in East Aurora. As just another tourist, he should have no authority over what takes place on Clinton Street in the city of Buffalo anyway. We certainly don't answer to him or any of his friends in my neighborhood.
Common Council putting the heat on Club Chit Chat : Latest Local News : The Buffalo News

East Aurora Jim sells us out for $85,000/yr.

When "East Aurora" Jim Comerford drives past South Buffalo on the 400 on his way to work every morning, he must think: it's a nice place to take money from but I'm too important to live there. Comerford was recently awarded for selling out your neighborhood and mine to mayor Byron Brown. Fortunately, one publication is calling him out on it. We are holding our collective breath to see if he will cease becoming a residency violator and move into Buffalo. Can I please have some of my hard earned money back? This comment from a Buffalo News reader sums it up pretty accurately:

"What government in Erie County would be complete without a Comerford? administrations come and go, but the Comerford family will get their half million dollars in public salaries no matter who is in power"...

Comerford named to head permits, inspections
The man who has been steering efforts to revamp Buffalo’s permits and inspections process has been tapped by Mayor Byron W. Brown to serve as the department’s permanent commissioner.
Brown nominated James W. Comerford to become commissioner of permit and inspection services. Comerford has been deputy commissioner for nearly three years and most recently has served as interim head of inspections as the city overhauls the department.
Assuming the Council confirms his appointment to the $85,000-a-year job, Comerford will run a department that no longer oversees economic development.

PS: East Aurora Jim- Do not talk to me. I don't answer to you. I might be part of the have-nots, but you're opinion means nothing to me. I do not want anything to do with you. I simply represent a large portion of your former neighbors who are sick of political prostitutes such as yourself selling out their neighborhoods in exchange for their 30 pieces of silver. There is nothing (short of violence) you can do to stop me from expressing my opinions. You will never intimidate me.

Residency violators could pay more to golf

If one Buffalo lawmaker has his way, local residency violators Dave Thomas (East Amherst), Jim Comerford (East Aurora), and James Kane (West Seneca) pictured here, will have to pay more to use city golf courses this summer. God knows it's probably a good investment, since these guys have considerable spare time (you know,when the rest of us are working). South District Councilman Mickey Kearns is proposing an increase in fees paid by suburban golfers using Buffalo's Olmstead parks.

Suburban golfers may pay more : City of Buffalo : The Buffalo News

Comerford Sets WNY Record for Most Excuses in One Interview

The following article from today's Buffalo News talks about one prospective businessman's frustrations in dealing with the Permits, Licensing, and Inspections Department in the city of Buffalo. Why wouldn't it be difficult to start a business in Buffalo? So many businesses are looking to move into this bustling city. It's a hub of activity.

What this article doesn't talk about are the two types of help potential businesses get from the department. If you're an outsider like the guy in this article, you get no help at all, just rude service followed by one roadblock after another. You get entitled, incompetent bureaucrats in city hall telling you all the things you need to do. Most of these people wouldn't know how to operate a lemonaide stand but they'll give you a million hoops to jump through before you can even get started. Good luck running a business when the city works against your dreams and not with them.

If you're one of the Doctor brothers opening a pizzeria or Dennis Donovan's daughter starting a purse store, the city will bend over backwards for you. They will give you all sorts of low interest loans and grants. You won't have to worry about any red tape. Cut to the front of the line just like you have your entire lives. Ironically, both of these businesses failed miserably. Eventually, blood and sweat, competence, and a good product will supercede any and all political connections. Just ask Tony the Barber or any other successful local businessman.

In typical fashion, East Aurora resident Jim Comerford offers one excuse after another. He says the department is improving from a couple of years ago. Well, I hope so. You're following the notoriously corrupt and inept Ray McGurn. There's only one way to go from there, and that's up. Those are some incredibly small shoes to fill, pal. Buffalo should get rid of Comerford and fellow Muskateer McGurn.

Hey local residency violator: stop making excuses and give people a reason to start businesses in the city. The buck stops with you.
Donn Esmonde: City Hall is no friend to business folk : City & Region : The Buffalo News

Here's rare footage of one of my friends from the South Buffalo underclass wishing he could someday be as lucky as a Comerford, Higgins, McGurn, Kane, Gould, Scanlon, and whatever other families pretend to care about the region for their own personal gain: