NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg
BUFFALO, NY - A spokesperson for the city of Buffalo says New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg called Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown just after 6:00 tonight, to apologize for comments he made earlier in the day while speaking to a group of potential developers.
Bloomberg made fun of Buffalo while speaking at a housing conference at New York University.
"Our city's problems are problems of success. We don't have enough classrooms. We don't have enough roads. We don't have enough housing," said mayor Bloomberg. "If you go to other cities, they don't have those problems. There's an awful lot of free space up in Buffalo, New York, if you want to go there. I don't think you do. Buffalo would love to have our problems."
WEB EXTRA: Video of Bloomberg's remark from NY1 Television in New York City.
Just a couple hours later, Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown had this heated response.
Click the video player to see Buffalo Mayor Brown's response.
"When I heard those comments, I was pissed. It was a cheap shot, and thinking about those comments, listening to those comments two hours later, I'm still pissed off. Buffalo's a great city, with great people, and anytime anyone is saying something negative about this great community and its great people, I get angry."
Assemblyman Sam Hoyt (D) 144th District released this statement Wednesday afternoon:
"I spoke with Mayor Bloomberg this afternoon and he assured me that he misspoke and that he meant no disrespect to the City of Buffalo. I had the chance to remind the Mayor about all that is great about the state's second largest city. He added that he feels that more needs to be done to help our struggling upstate cities and accepted my invitation to visit Buffalo in the future. I look forward to showing him why we are so proud to call ourselves 'Buffalonians.' "
A spokesperson for Mayor Bloomberg's office says the short phone conversation this evening was "pleasant".
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