Thursday, December 31, 2009

Tear Down Walls?

I'll settle for erasing a few boundaries . . .

A couple days ago I thought the OD finally "got it" with its editorial "Revive the hearts of our communities" . . .
If we continue to sprawl without growth, we will continue to dilute the strength of our communities and force services to be provided over a wider area. That’s a recipe for higher taxes, not progress.
Wow . . . I could have written that!

But then we read this the next day: "Tear down walls that separate us". . . .
While our individual towns and villages have many good qualities and can stand alone, we lack the cohesiveness — those little pegs — necessary to build one single, strong community . . .
There is a fallacy in this statement. The individual towns and villages -- at least those in the Greater Utica area -- can NOT stand alone. With modern rules and regulations, these jurisdictions require public water and sewer facilities to support their current growth -- facilities that depend upon the population base in Utica to be economically feasible.

Could New Hartford exist without water and sanitary sewer services? Not in its present form. Could New Hartford afford its own separate water treatment plant and sewer systems? No. New Hartford depends on the population base in Utica to make those services, and it's very existence as a populated area, possible.

The shared water and sewer systems should have been the "little pegs" of cohesiveness to bring New Hartford (and other suburban jurisdictions) together with Utica. Instead, two separate units of government for two separate municipal services (the water authority and part county sewer district) were created to avoid the necessity of the suburban communities merging with Utica.

It is interesting to note that these two "regionalized" systems (one that the OD actively pushed for) are the very ones that now are about to bring the entire Greater Utica region down, the first via a Consent Order that the communities cannot afford, the second via a cap on the water that may be drawn from Hinckley reservoir that will hinder regional regrowth.
We must tear down the walls that separate us and build a sense of region. While many good ideas have been floated through the years by many bright people, we haven’t quite managed to find that one unifying element to knit us together.

We now have the unifying element (thanks to "regionalization"): fiscal ruin.

Now is time for the OD to recognize what is under its nose, and to eliminate its own "parochialism."

Happy New Year.


9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow. Sometimes I think you're the only one that gets it. I felt the exact same way about the two conflicting editorials.

Keep up the good work and have a great New Year!

Jr.

Anonymous said...

Funny thing about "fiscal ruin" being the unifying factor... the ones that have the money and the importance in the region in terms of economic growth or sustainment... are divided in interests... The Rome research site, the Casino (and affiliated but separate businesses), and Utica's poorly-paid state jobs.

There are very few reasons for these pillars of the county to get together... In fact, they will conflict in terms of goals, vision, etc...

Anonymous said...

Both ed pieces are nothing but feel good drivel, which is the OD's forte. Why anyone pays any attention to this nonsense anymore is beyond me. The OD & the powers that be have been talking the same old b.s. for the past 20 yrs., & nothing ever changes. It's a race though, to the bottom.

Anonymous said...

Yes, it;s interesting that if one would review all OD editorials on jobs,the local economy and government written aty the end of the year for at least the 20 years mentioned above, one would find them to be strikingly similar. Ultimately financial issues will force some readjustments to antiquated boundaries. Just the continued population loss alone will demand it. But, it is way too late. The most we can hope for is some degree of stabilized medocrity in a social and economic sense. I also agree with the conclussion that it's very funny to speak of consolidation when we've literally allowed the creation of an entirely separate nation in the heart of the region. The ultimate accomplishment may sadly be the Indian Country goal of Ray Halbriter.

Anonymous said...

"I also agree with the conclussion that it's very funny to speak of consolidation when we've literally allowed the creation of an entirely separate nation in the heart of the region."

Actually, the Oneida Indian Nation was recognized as an Indian Tribe by Congress long before Halbritter came on board. And that is irrelevant to the issues of consolidation. Nice attempt to make an insulting remark, but wrong time to make it. Wait for a post about the Oneida Indian Nation.

Anonymous said...

I totally understand the mess we are presently in fiscully around this area. And i agree with alot of what you write about cuttinf spending, rethinking our priorities, and consolidation and such.
What i cant agree with you on is the idea that usually comes off in your posts is that we should all fold into the great metropolis of UTICA. I do not live in Utica for a reason after being raised there. I felt it turned into a mismanaged place that continues to be mismanaged. You couldnt pay me to live there ever again. I would much more be in favor of a regional coutny goverment than all the villages and towns folding into UTICA. That place is a dump and will continue to remain so. Sorry for my candor, i have my reasons.

Anonymous said...

A good example of the same 'ol same 'ol is the county legistlature. We've had a mass exodus of population. Yet, we still have the same number of legistlators. Of course we have to play the study game to see if some positions can be eliminated. Picente is already talking around the issue, & another legistlator mentions the possible "loss of representation for some constituents". It's all a crock of b.s., while the taxpayers continue to support a local political scene that is nothing short of incompetent. Until the voters wise up & get rid of every single entrenched current office holder, this area will never change for the better.

Anonymous said...

The last I knew,"we" are the Congress. Do we not elect them? I also think that the so-called nation subject is approperiate to the discussion. If one is concerned with multi entities including both units of goevrnment and quasi-governements like authorities, is not the "nation" the most extreme example? And, please, don't bore with political correctness to stifle discussion.

Anonymous said...

Strike,

Have you ever thought of writing a blog about the FBI and their Tip Hotline used to expose political corruption?

See: https://tips.fbi.gov/

You would be doing your readers a great service to let them know there is this internet page available to them.