Monday, December 08, 2003

Cooperative efforts bearing fruit?

Anyone see the column in this morning's OD by our collective economic development "leaders" about how their cooperative efforts are "bearing fruit"?

Given our population loss does anyone really believe them? (Unemployment rates drop not only when people get jobs -- they drop when the unemployed leave the area.)

If the public could see results for itself there would have been no need for the column.

Their talk about "confidentiality" in dealings is a smokescreen for doing next to nothing. We read how other communities have gone after Wall St. back offices, gone after large companies like GEICO, and have obtained interest from chip manufactrers. No such reading here .... Their trackrecord of feeble accomplishments speaks for itself. Frankly, I think they are only interested in protecting their jobs.

Lets get rid of them all, and give ourselves a tax cut.

Read the article at:
http://www.uticaod.com/archive/2003/12/08/opinion/21568.html

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Sunday, November 23, 2003

Geico considers Albany area for regional center

Geico, the nation's largest direct marketer of auto insurance, is continuing to study potential sites in the Albany, N.Y., Rochester and Buffalo areas for a new regional sales and servicing center. .... is expected to have an initial 300-member work force that is expected to grow eventually to 2,500....

See complete article at Capital Dist Business Review:
http://albany.bizjournals.com/albany/stories/2003/11/17/daily53.html?jst=b_ln_hl


This came up during the campaign, but it is still an issue. .. What, if anything, are our economic development people doing to attract these people here? We certainly have a workforce that is highly trained in the financial services area ... Or are our politicians unwilling to permit competition with local enterprises?

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Saturday, January 18, 2003

State woos firm for Griffiss

Per this AM's O-D, it's nice to see that our state legislators, including Sheldon Silver of Manhattan, have become involved in industrial development at Griffiss, taking a trip to Israel to offer taxpayer money to Israel Aircraft Industries to get them to build an aircraft maintenance facility here.

While their interest in this area's economic wellbeing is welcome, what they are doing is questionable.

First, you've gotta question Sheldon Silver's motives because he really has shown no interest in helping Upstate before, and his liberal policies over the years of more government programs and spending is what has brought Upstate to its knees.

Second, the constitutionality (under Art 8 of NYS Constitution) of giving away taxpayer money is doubtful -- although this hasn't stopped any politician of either party in recent years.

Third, we are paying these legislators to make policy and laws that serve the people -- not to go out and pursue specific businesses (that's what we have "EDGE" and other agencies for -- even though they seem incompetent). Simply put, this is not a legislator's job.

The last paragraph in this AM's article identifies the crux of the issue:

"While few firms relocate from Florida to New York, one official said the firm wants to expand but found the cost prohibitive in Miami, and the package of government assistance being offered makes New York attractive"

Essentially, things are so bad here that NYS has to offer public assistance to make it feasible for companies to survive in NYS. Sheldon has found a new constituency for his ideas! Lets get everyone on the dole.

Instead of traipsing off on junkets overseas, our legislators should stay in Albany and identify those policies that THEY'VE CREATED which drive business out of New York, and to ELIMINATE THEM. That's the kind of economic help this area needs from legislators. Maybe then we'll get good businesses locating here who won't leave as soon as the public $$$$ runs out.

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