BUFFALO (WBEN - Brendan Keany) - On Wednesday afternoon, Senator Chuck Schumer visited Buffalo to announce a fight against the Coast Guard for their "callous and shortsighted threats to evict Sail Buffalo."
. @SenSchumer is calling on the Coast Guard to extend its lease agreement with Sail Buffalo to allow the program to continue. The organization could be forced to vacate the area due to capital improvement plans on the nearby exchange station. @NewsRadio930 pic.twitter.com/4G1TLFLbeJ
— Brendan Keany (@BrendanKeany) August 7, 2019
Sail Buffalo is a local water and safety school that uses property on the inner harbor that is owned by the Coast Guard. The organization could be forced to vacate their current spot because of what Schumer calls "bureaucratic capital improvement plans" - essentially improvements to increases access to the lighthouse.
"I guarantee you there's a way to do that without evicting Sail Buffalo," said Schumer.
So, Schumer is calling on the Coast Guard to extend the lease agreement with the organization to allow them to continue their programming.
"All of this great stuff - the education, the recreation and the teaching of kids - is now at risk because of a dumb decision by the U.S. Coast Guard that doesn't have to be," he said. "Believe it or not, the Coast Guard actually wants to evict Sail Buffalo from this property, leaving behind hundreds of children, their teachers and something that's become a real part of Buffalo - why? Well, this is typical bureaucracy at work."
He added that he will not be going away quietly.
"I think they thought they could just let this happen and nothing would happen, but here I am," said Schumer. "I'm pleading with the Coast Guard to help Sail Buffalo stay afloat by extending its lease agreement, and I will be using all of the clout I have in Washington to get that done."
