The Worst City Government
The Worst City Government In Buffalo, New York, locals don't have to go to the park; the Parks Department comes to them—provided that they're on Parks Commissioner Robert Delano's special...
...Katherine Boo When the District of Columbia recently proposed a 20 percent increase in the school budget, there was considerable grumbling and confusion about how the city would raise the additional revenues to pay for it...
...Neighbors testified that over a two-year period, park workers installed the commissioner's fences, paved a driveway, sodded the lawn, sided his house, and converted his garage into a family room...
...At a private riding academy, city workers repaired corrals, cut the grass, and removed trees...
...the Parks Department comes to them—provided that they're on Parks Commissioner Robert Delano's special list, that is...
...But Delano didn't reserve departmental services solely for himself...
...And speaking of deliberate padding, the chairmanship of the D.C...
...Daniel Kaufman The Monthly depends on its readers to keep track of the breakdown of big-city government...
...Other important Parks Department functions included the annual overhaul of the lawnmower and fishing boat motor of Buffalo's mayor—not to mention those of 100 other private citizens...
...And to help out a local nightclub, city workers paved driveways, installed signs, and planted shrubbery— foliage provided gratis by the city...
...While one may sympathize with their position, as council member Betty Ann Kane puts it, "A school system that can't count, can't teach kids to count...
...But all that was probably unnecessary...
...The Worst City Government In Buffalo, New York, locals don't have to go to the park...
...Administrators knew of the discrepancy months before the initial budget hearing, but said nothing...
...This winter, a Buffalo News investigation discovered that instead of maintaining the city's parks and playgrounds, Parks Department employees often were dispatched to work on private jobs—including a home improvement spree at Delano's own address...
...The inflated figures are probably the result of principals deliberately padding the estimates to get larger budgets for their schools...
...Retirement Board was meant to be a part-time job, but in the past two years chairman (and Barry appointee) Theresa Watson took 26 trips costing a total of $17,000 and was paid over $90,000, more than three times what her predecessor earned...
...NW Washington, DC 20009...
...For the second time in as many years, the D.C...
...Unmarked Parks Department trucks were also sent to local businesses and the homes of other city officials...
...No wonder the city auditor has tagged Parks "the worst-managed and operated department in city government," noting that department officials frequently forgot to collect on their bills or put their contracts in writing...
...Please send your nominations to: Worst City Government The Washington Monthly 1611 Connecticut Ave...
...All this while the District is up against nearly $5 billion in unfunded future , pension costs...
...Board of Education has overestimated the number of city students, this time by nearly 8,000...
...We thought the Delanos won the lottery," said the man next door...
Vol. 22 • April 1990 • No. 3
