'2015 City Council Survey and Action Plan' Says: It's Time for a New Mayor!By Anna Howard April 21, 2015 |
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The "non-scientific" resident survey designed, circulated and released recently by city council chairman Andrew Touma pretty much supports, if not outright re-states, what the Reporter has been saying for the past eight years: It's time for Mayor Dyster to leave office. Mr. Touma's survey charts the residents' displeasure with the city administration and the administration's terrible delivery of city services, money management and crime fighting. The chairman made the results of his survey known at last week's council meeting. The blank survey forms had been circulating passively to residents from February 13 to March 31 through the clerk's office, city libraries, billing office and on Facebook via the council page. Some 489 survey forms were completed with results tabulated and put into graphic form for release at the council meeting. What does the survey say? Snowplowing? 58% disapprove 21% neutral 21% approve, (37% disapprove, 21% strongly disapprove, 21% are neutral, 19% approve, 2% strongly approve) Street paving? 56% disapprove, 23% neutral, 21% approve. (28% strongly disapprove, 28% disapprove, 23% neutral, 19% approve, 2% strongly approve.) Trash, recycling services? 53% disapprove, 16% neutral, 31% approve. (33% strongly disapprove, 23% approve, 20% disapprove, 16% neutral, 8% strongly approve.) Impact of casino dollars on city's economic development? 38% negative impact, 38% no impact, 24% positive impact. (38% no impact, 26% very negative impact, 22% somewhat positive impact, 12% somewhat negative impact, 2% very positive impact.) Do you feel safe from crime in Niagara Falls? 59% don't feel safe 41% feel safe Have mayor and council been fiscally responsible in past year? 40% not fiscally responsible 34% fiscally responsible 26% no opinion. How do you prefer to communicate with the council? 31% face to face, 26% email, 16% Facebook, 13% phone, 9% mail, 5% other. A truly damning survey result for Mayor Dyster in an election year. A mayoral candidate at a loss of where to take his own media campaign would be well served to print this survey and use it as a template for his political ads…the survey veritably proves that the city is in desperate need of a new mayor. Take the survey results regarding the trash plan and print them alongside photos of garbage in the streets and alleys. Take the survey results on snow plowing and print them alongside photos of snow clogged streets. Take the survey results on casino cash and print them alongside photos of the train station, Isaiah 61 fire hall, broken roads, trash totes, conference center, ice pavilion etc. And right on down the line with additional survey findings including the crime issue and irresponsible money management by mayor and council. All of this clearly sends out a call for new leadership at the top of the city government food chain. While some in the media have expressed surprise, if not disappointment, with the survey results the Reporter isn't the least bit surprised. For the eight years of the Dyster reign of error we have been reporting, analyzing and informing our readers as to the waste, mismanagement and non-transparent nature of the Dyster administration. While it's better late than never that the residents move to express their feelings and then vote the mayor from office, it's a sad fact that in the last eight years the man has proven to be a disaster for the city of Niagara Falls. A shrinking population, higher taxes, less development, increasing government overhead, unconscionable high salaries for his friends and supporters, millions to Buffalo consultants, engineers and lawyers, a callous disregard for residents that is exemplified by frozen water pipes in LaSalle and the abused Cayuga Island residents who lost a park to the mayor's campaign contributors all adds up to a groundswell call for his ouster from office. Survey says: It's time for Mayor Dyster to go. We couldn't have said it better ourselves.
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