BengalNews Reporters
Talks of repair and unity specific to the West Side echoed throughout the room as Assemblyman Sam Hoyt addressed his supporters of his plans to run for re-election Saturday, March 20 at the Polish Cadets in Black Rock.Hoyt touched base on a few key topics relevant to the rehabilitation of the West Side and re-establishing the sense of community the area had once been known for, this included mentioning community organizations like P.U.S.H. Buffalo and it’s efforts in the recent Extreme Makeover: Home Edition project. Hoyt expressed the significance of P.U.S.H. Buffalo to the West Side and said the organization is a part of a bigger project similar to Extreme Makeover but will focus more on the whole of the West Side.
“We’re going to take a block-by-block approach to restoring neighborhoods and improving housing. We’re also working with David Rivera, the councilman for the Niagara district, so there’ll be a lot of work on the West Side,” he said.
Assemblyman Hoyt represents District 144 when in Albany, an area that spans the West Side and Grand Island. He is up for reelection in November and is currently running unopposed, however, in a recent interview Hoyt stated that he welcomes the competition.
One of Hoyt’s concerns for the rehabilitation of the West Side, however, is the “scattershot” approach to home improvement that Buffalo is accustomed to. Hoyt’s plan is to follow suit of Extreme Makeover and invest energy in one area at a time reiterating a “block-by-block” construction model.
Other community organizations including Journey’s End and the Massachusetts Avenue Project also have sparked Hoyt’s interest in that they are working together at ground level solely for the benefit of the West Side.
“Mass-Ave Project, P.U.S.H. Buffalo, and the West Side Collaborative are all at a grass roots level, cooperating with each other instead of going in an uncoordinated direction. They’re all doing great work typically helping the impoverished,” said Hoyt.
Other points Hoyt touched upon that stretched outside the borders of the West Side included marriage equality for same sex partners, provisions to the city of Buffalo’s education system, as well as keeping green jobs in the area. Kitty Lambert, gay rights activist and advocate for same sex marriage, spoke at the rally in support of Hoyt and his efforts in addressing the matter.
“Sam has championed the issue of marriage [equality] in the Assembly going so far as to talk to other Assembly members, to make sure they were educated on the issue and the realities of the issue,” Lambert said.
Lambert also mentioned that Hoyt was in the middle of finalizing some legislation to be submitted that requires police officers to complete up to 15 hours of sensitivity training specific to lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, or transgendered individuals who are victims of crime. Hoyt expects the provision to be put into effect immediately once the final kinks in drawing up the legislation are fixed.
The first wave of petitioning for Hoyt’s campaign is slated to begin early June.
