REPRINT, June 25, 2001 City Hall Watch May 7

There are contradictory reports, but it is clear that Residency Officer #4 in four years will be appointed soon. Reportedly top candidate is Chris DiPasquale, who achieved “position 185” on the recent BMHA Security Officer exam. Actually 190 test-takers got scores of 90% to 100%, while DiPasquale & 112 others got scores of 85%. His position was determined by randomly sorting end digits of Social Security numbers. So his real rank among testees ranged between #191 & #304.

Clearly only the finest will do for city hall Residency Officer!

But we can’t find Mr. DiPasquale in the phone book. Hopefully he is a city resident. There was some question about whether RO #2 (Erie Co. Independence Party Chair, Realtor & BMHA Bd member Charlie Flynn) was a city resident. He recently bought a house on Pomona (where he reported that a old man on a bike ‘stalked’ his house. The implication was that this writer was the ‘stalker’. Fortunately the police did not take him seriously). Flynn, before becom-ing a political leader, was viewed as something of a charlatan. He was convicted of ‘criminal tampering’ for call-ing Niagara Mohawk after being fired as a Realtor, pretending to be his boss asking office electricity to be shut off. A Niag. Mohawk worker recognized his voice. He was ordered for psychiatric treatment, never paying the court surcharge until 5 years later, having meanwhile been a (city?) hearing officer & after being fired as RO #2.

Most people never knew that RO #3 was hired last spring. Retired-cop Pat Fahey was very low profile. He never responded to any messages left on the RESIDENCY HOTLINE (851-4691). What Fahey did we have not a clue Indeed, nearly 1_ yrs. after Flynn’s being fired, his voice still answers the machine. Is RESIDENCY DEADLINE more apt?.

Reportedly Residency Officer #3 Fahey left for “health reasons”

The Residency Officer position was created in January 1997. Tom Chwalinsky, RO #1, tried to do an honest job, even talking to this writer regularly. However, he was obviously frustrated by lack of real authority. Quite clearly some non-residents were above the law. Masiello has turned EQUAL OPPORTUNITY CHRONYISM & CORRUPTION into an art form, making it virtually un-reformable. Top officials in Masiello, Pitts & Nanula camps all live in the suburbs. Everybody knows it, nobody says so. Instead, there is political noise about NYS laws being the problem. Nonsense. If Masiello, Pitts & ESPECIALLY Nanula, who had broad new powers under Charter Revision to make govt. accountable, enforced existing laws, state laws would be more vul-nerable to change. Cronies would have to pay (move?) . . in the public interest. Instead, taxpayers pay for a farce.

The TOM, Dick TONY & Harry LARRY TEST

The Mayor is sending a clear message by choosing Rank #185 candidate on a BMHA Security Officer test to be the city’s next Crack Residency Officer. To be certain that he deserves to be called Buffalo’s Finest, we suggest an additional screening measure. He should publicly report, using his expert investigative skills, the REAL residences of Tom Williams, Tony Farina & Larry Stitts.

If he finds that Williams DOES live with his mother-in-law on West Ave., if Farina DOES live in a free room on Lafayette Ave., or if Stitts DOES live in an attic apartment on Schuele. I will distribute 1,000 flyers through city Hall (& BMHA) apologizing for my deficiency as a (self-appointed) residency investigator. And send personal letters apologizing to their wives in Clarence, N. Tonawanda, & E. Amherst.

And please, tell us where he lives. Not in Niagara County, we hope. If he passes the TOM, TONY, LARRY (& CHRIS) Test he will have proven that ‘rank 185’ on BMHA’s security officer test is OK.

Richard Kern, MSW, May 7, 2001
354 Baynes St. Buffalo, NY 14213 (716) 882-2388 Kernwatch@AOL.com