Bloomberg Angers Buffalo Leaders With Comment

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's negative comments about Buffalo aren't sitting well with his counterpart in the upstate city.

Bloomberg raised the ire of city leaders while speaking at a forum on affordable housing in New York on Tuesday.  Hizzoner was talking about the shortage of classrooms, roads, and housing in the city as problems of "success."

"There's an awful lot of free space in Buffalo, New York, if you want to go there. I don't think you do," Bloomberg said.

He went on to say that "Buffalo would love to have our problems, and one of the challenges in this country is how we help a city like Buffalo."
    
Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown called the comments a "cheap shot" and said he owes the people of the 'Queen City' an apology.

"When I heard those comments, I was pissed," he said Wednesday.  "Buffalo is a great city with great people."

Bloomberg spokesman Stu Loeser sad he was pointing out to developers "that despite all the challenges building in New York City, it's better to build in a place with more residents than housing instead of the other way around.''

But other Buffalo officials didn't  see th point.  Buffalo City Comptroller Andrew A. SanFilippo, who is leaving his to become a deputy state comptroller, called Bloomberg's remarks a "gratuitous swipe" at Buffalo, according to BuffaloNews.com
 
Assemblyman Sam Hoyt says he spoke with Bloomberg and the mayor assured him that he misspoke and meant no disrespect.