The Buffalo News, N.Y., David Robinson column: BUFFALO'S BUSINESS.(Column)

Byline: David Robinson

Aug. 12--The recent downdraft in stocks not withstanding, you should be feeling a little richer today.

That's because 2006 turned out to be the best year for per capita personal income growth in the Buffalo Niagara region in the last six years.

New statistics released last week by the Bureau of Economic Analysis show that per capita personal incomes for Buffalo Niagara residents shot up by 5.1 percent last year, the biggest jump since a 5.4 percent increase in 2000.

That's the good news. The bad news is that the pace of income growth here still didn't keep pace with the 5.3 percent increase nationally -- the third …