Control Board: kicking ass and taking names.

Well, reconstituted Buffalo Control Board is back. They're getting mad as heck and will only take it for a little while longer. Did you know this?

"The state law creating the control board gives it the power to impose fines on city officials, remove them from office or even file misdemeanor charges if they willfully impede a fiscal recovery plan.

Good. Personal criminal and financial liability for holding the city back should act as a good incentive. And preservationists might be happy with this:

The board Wednesday imposed more rigid controls over city demolitions, voting to require inspections officials to submit every non-emergency demolition contract to the panel for approval.

I haven't been following this as closely as some people, but this was interesting:

The control board also questioned the Council's rejection of a state proposal to sell the former campus of J.N. Adam Developmental Center in Perrysburg to a logging company. The city is being asked to give up its reversionary rights in exchange for receiving 90 percent of the sale price, or $333,900. Faso said that it makes no sense for lawmakers to ponder the impact of logging in Perrysburg after they recently needed to borrow money to trim city trees. Council President David A. Franczyk told Faso that the environmental impact is only one issue. He said that there have been estimates that the site might be worth as much as $4 million.

Finally, foot-dragging gets addressed:

The board took aim at the continuing delays in efforts to get all Board of Education employees to agree on a single health insurer. Gary M. Crosby, the school district's chief financial officer, expects to learn next month whether unions will accept the plan. Supporters insist that the move would save millions of dollars annually without reducing benefits. Some union leaders have contended that the control board's decision to impose a wage freeze undermined insurance negotiations. Faso said he is frustrated by the "intransigence" of those who "pretend to care about children and taxpayers." All city employees were put under one health insurer last year, and Lipke said the same should occur in the school district. "This is a pure business issue," he said. "No one loses anything in this process. The city and the taxpayers gain a substantial amount."

Yes, Mr. Faso, but you see, you're talking to a brick wall. Buffalo is all about turf; no one dares willingly give up an inch of turf, regardless of the public good and complete lack of private harm.