State Sen. Valesky had a guest editorial in the OD this weekend about how we should spend our federal "stimulus" money.
This guy (along with our other elected state reps who essentially say the same things) doesn't have a clue.
' . . . the relief should help us make needed investments in higher education, especially SUNY'Now, just, exactly, how will more investments in higher education help us grow the economy? We've seen SUNYIT expand considerably. Although it provides opportunities for our students to educate themselves locally -- and we should be thankful for that -- it has NOT attracted significant numbers of jobs to the area.
'. . . create long-term funding for successful state programs like Power for Jobs a program that has proven to keep manufacturing jobs in our area. 'Another way of saying this is that the taxpayers/electric rate payers should continue to SUBSIDIZE lower electric rates for companies who otherwise cannot make ends meet in New York's unfriendly business climate. If the stimulus is used for this, taxpayers will get some temporary relief, but what happens when the stimulus runs out? The companies go back on the public dole. Using stimulus like this only perpetuates New York's failed government model.
'. . . enable us to move forward on a statewide high speed rail system'Again, just how will this make New York more business competitive? This needs to be thought through. Is there a market/demand for such service? What will be the maintenance costs? What will tickets cost? Rochester tried something similar with its 'fast ferry' to Toronto, somehow believing that there were thousands of Torontonians just waiting to hop on the boat with bundles of 'loonies' ready to spend in a has-been Upstate New York city. Rochester lost 10s of millions of dollars as the scheme went belly-up within a matter of months.
I'm sick of these politicians spending our money on harebrained schemes. They basically want to use the stimulus to do more of what they have already been doing: growing government, growing government dependency, and growing government control where it is not needed. If we are given money to spend, then at least let's spend it on repairing all the infrastructure things that we failed to maintain . . . . and not use one penny for further expansion in the name of 'growth' or 'economic development.' With our declining population, we already have enough public infrastructure to take care of.
True growth and development will not occur until New York drastically shrinks the size of government, limits its involvement in our day-to-day lives, and casts aside its socialist tendencies.
6 comments:
You should read the whole column. Valesky points out that many people think the stimulus means we will not have to cut gov spending - he says that's the wrong approach, and we should cut spending and target relief. From his article:
"There is a growing sentiment among some interest groups that the stimulus funds will mean that all the governor’s proposed cuts to the state budget will be restored and that difficult decisions can be avoided for another year.
This cannot — and should not — be the case.
I believe our priority must be to spur economic growth – not to sustain governmental growth."
I read the whole column.
He's saying one thing and doing another.
Expanding SUNY increases government spending. More education spending and developing High Speed Rail only "spurs" governmental growth.
Wouldn't a ferry from Rochester to Toronto cause more Rochester peoples to visit Toronto, and not vice versa?
If there was a Ferry from Utica to Toronto, I'd be there every weekend. Heck, I'd rent a cheap apartment to crash in when I visit for the weekend.
"Wouldn't a ferry from Rochester to Toronto cause more Rochester peoples to visit Toronto, and not vice versa?"
Nope - nobody used it. Too expensive. Another example of government at work. huge fiasco.
High speed rail will be the same.
It will cost a fortune to build and as a result the ticket price will be prohibitive and nobody will use it.
I was on that ferry a couple of times. The Rochester side was all restructured with a an airport type terminal. Must have been millions put into it.Stores, shops eating places etc. But nothing else but a mall when you left the complex. Then when you got to the Toronto side they let you off in a freight yard. Like getting off a train 10 miles from the train station. You can clearly see the Torontoians wanted to see some proof of sustainability. It was a novelity gone bad. Not cheap either. Your right about the highspeed rail. Another blowing in the wind statement from the locals. Must make them feel good or something. Show me the plans. Are there any?
The article and reactions to it point to several problems. First, New York State will never willingly downsize.Given the legislature and the built in union and liberal constituencies, it would take something like receivorship to bring about a downsize. Given that fact of life, the downsizing must come from the bottum up so to speak; from local governments. Yet we do not see the caliber of leadership required. One must only look to the pathetic Mayor of Utica to grasp the decline we face.
Post a Comment