Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Local Economy Growing?

Cog of Zanzibar nailed this story right. EDGE/NYS Development claim the economy is growing by comparing the number of jobs in 2006 with the number in 1990 (up by 3600) -- carefully glossing over the fact that the number of jobs dropped by 4200 since 2000. What a crock! Let's not even think of comparing the region's inflation-adjusted income over the years ... and how about the population? No mention that it has dropped 26+% since 1970 -- and still dropping. How can you have a growing economy when you have a shrinking population?

"Economic development agencies and educational institutions coordinating and supporting workforce development programs is key to changing the perception that the Mohawk Valley lacks high-quality job opportunities, DiMeo said."

"
Changing the perception"???? Well, we're sure that if you look hard enough you will find some "high-quality" opportunities, but they are hardly plentiful -- and what Mr. DiMeo calls "high quality" might be different from what most people consider "high quality." Maybe that is what "changing the perception" is all about ... Let's convince ourselves that slinging hash at the local greasy spoon is a "high quality" opportunity.

And let's not forget that this is the same bunch that told everyone that we had a "shovel-ready" Chip-Fab site in Marcy -- all the while knowing that it lacked an important wetlands permit. But its all a matter of perception, isn't it?

And perception can be controlled by leaving out key facts.

7 comments:

RomeHater said...

You have to remeber that all the EDGE employees found high paying jobs with little oversight. Nice work if you can get it.

Anonymous said...

Steve DiMeo has done nothing for Oneida County but collect his $100,000 plus salary and perks. He is the most useless individual to be in this type of position. He is no better than his wife (Diane) who should have quit the Utica School Board - years ago.

What we have here is a Republican controlled machinery that continues to take and give nothing back.

What did Edge do for the Chip Fab? Nothing. They just sat on their fat behinds and let a viable industry locate elsewhere.

We have no jobs for our youth. People like DiMeo will destroy this area, if he is not removed. Perhaps, it may be already much to late!

Anonymous said...

This would be alarming if we weren't used to it.

Can't we dissolve that EDGE thing? Or perhaps maybe get those people more focused?

Chips aren't for Upstate, now.

Yes they could have let a large detail kill CNY's chances of getting AMD, however, I suspect there were several reasons Marcy lost it.

Taxes, Energy costs, hee-haw politicians... take your pick, and any would be right. Throw in one other influence that is just to rotten to mention, and top it all with deep dark pockets and deep dark politics like a beam pulling AMD there to Albany's yard.

Thats what happened. (Am I wrong?)

As bad as things are perceived to be, or dire, EDGE must somehow reallocate(?) or something (?) until the winds change around here.

This is a ten or 20 year picture, much beyond our control.

I give them a lot of flack too, yet recognize that there's no magical formula.

(Granted there are a few arrogant coneheads there and SUNY)

Why not hook Marcy around to the higher end TV flatscreen and LCD makers? They're less snooty than BigEngine Lead Team gang. Worldwide flat display (every size) is in worldwide undersupply and will remain that way 15+ years. Thats GOLD... the world is changing over. Watches, TVs pcs, cameras and someday walls will be made of that crap. EDGE dummies + SONY (looking for us [consolation for tax, trade, and int. pr] tech sites) or Toshiba = Happy Marcy.

Who's that local Rich Guy who's looking for a billion?

There's some smart freakin' people at SUNY and the our kids are bright around here.

No?

Strikeslip said...

Those are some good ideas Catluver -- I'd throw fuel cells into the mix somewhere as well ... the problem is EDGE is too lazy ... too narrow sighted ... and incompetent. (Though I might also buy the notion that they intentionally "threw" the fight for the ChipFab on orders from Albany.) Anyway, they did not want to try a Cargoport at the Griff ... even tho syracuse 32 miles away was seeing a need for one. [why do a cargoport and bring in outside experts who cannot be dictated to when we can spend all this grant money by duplicating and doing something we already know by moving general aviation to griff?] They did not seem to make much of an effort to attract back office financial operations from NYC after 9-11 ... tho Syracuse and Newburgh did. What did they do to attract GEICO when it was looking to expand? What did they do to look for an alternate use of OC Airport -- as an airport facility where the ROI would be highest? Instead they accommodated their institutional friends - the Rome School system and UCP. Here's a thought: an international US port-of-entry for that monster Airbus that just came out. Bet that won't generate 5 minutes of thought.

Anonymous said...

If you fail to plan,
you plan to fail.
This area hasn't had a cohesive vision or plan for the community to latch onto since our forefathers got together in the mid-late 1800's and decided to invest heavily in the textile industry. Or more recently, when political bosses were able to lure aerospace industry here in the mid 1900's. This area is crazy to depend soley on politicians to keep bringin home the political bacon to keep us sheep fat and happy, especially around election time. But this is how trusting and dependent on politicians, this community of "the valley of the sheep" is. Now if a contingent of respected business leaders would sit down alongside political leaders, educators, etc. and formulate a cohesive, realistic, and visionary plan then perhaps we could escape from this economic twilight zone and emerge like we did twice before as a strong vibrant economy-community.

Rebecca Mecomber said...

tachikawa811 makes some excellent points. However, as to the "contingent of respected business leaders alongside political leaders, educators, etc."---we have one (Genesis Group) and they seem as inept as the politicians themselves. The best thing they have done is organize an Independence Day parade...

Strikeslip said...

I have to agree with Tachikawa811's idea of planning by the private sector -- good idea. But I also agree with Mrs. Mecomber -- we have such a group in Genesis, but they have accomplished little. Genesis is certainly the group with the potential to do great things ... but after having been a member for about 4 years, its still just potential. They spend all their time celebrating the region's assets, having good times, and patting each other on the back, and none addressing the root causes of this region's economic malaise. Decisions on "plans of action" seem to come mainly from the top down and everyone else is expected to get in line and cheer lead. No real debate to find flaws and come up with a collective approach. To the extent that there are any attempts to tap the members' minds, it usually winds up being over something trivial. Any discussion of a major problem usually falls by the wayside in planning the next awards dinner. Sometimes I wondered if they were there to keep potential "trouble makers" busy, to protect the interests of the regions "players."