Buffalo’s Olmsted Parks and politics

First, I like the way the Olmsted Conservancy has handled the Olsmsted parks under their charge in Buffalo…we have seen an improvement in all of them and they haven’t had the type of care and planning we are seeing in who knows how long.

Second, with all the news lately about the Erie County and the City of Buffalo ending their arrangement for county management of city parks, there was bound to be some anxiety on all ends about the future of the parks and more specifically the Olmsted Conservancy’s role in managing the Olmsted parks.

What developed over the last few weeks was a growing concern that the city and Mayor Brown administration was going to pull the plug on the Conservancy.  It all struck me as a little fishy.  It didn’t make sense for the city to do this.  Of course, all the accusations started flying that the the parks were going to become a patronage pit for the mayor and his cronies, etc.  It all culminated with a rally over the weekend to support the Olmsted Parks and the Conservancy’s role.

While watching the rally video, something dawned on me.  I think all the hub bub was politically motivated…especially when I was treated to the site of Sam Hoyt at the rally.  As we know, Sam is no fan of the mayor.  The whole thing just stunk as a way to stick it to Byron Brown.

As it turns out, the city and Conservancy are close to working out a deal.  The problem and hold up for a deal stems from the mayor working out an agreement with a city union allowing non union members, including the Conservancy, to work in city parks.

The question I have is why the mayor didn’t make this known publicly before the issue started to get a bit ugly for him.

That aside, the politics in this town are maddening.