More Bad News . .
WKTV:
Covidien closing; 185 employees being laid offCovidien in Oriskany Falls is closing their doors, leaving 185 full-time workers without a job . . .
All local operations are moving to existing Covidien plants in Massachusetts and Georgia.
WKTV: Daimler Buses: 27 to be laid off at Orion Bus The company says the layoffs are a result of many factors, including the overall economic downturn.
Only massive, drastic changes (downsizing) in our state and local governments will enable Upstate New York to be competitive again. How much longer are we going to wait?
7 comments:
We do not cut public employment nor hold our politicians accountable. Track the experiences of Boehlert, Griffo, Destito, Pecenti and others and you'll see that we, the voters, have rewarded failure. So, what should we expect? Certainly not the drastic change necessary.
What you should expect is more people like myself leaving the area when we retire. Local Government on most levels is run for the benefit of local people who have those jobs not for the local people who pay taxes.
On another note if the Governor keeps our tax refunds ( our money) shouldnt we get to charge them interest and penalities just like they do to us if we owe them additional taxes? I for one will look at my payroll deductions and change them so that I can keep my money and if I owe money at the end of the year send it in on April 14th. We have to get the attention of government somehow.
What you should expect is more people like myself leaving the area when we retire. Local Government on most levels is run for the benefit of local people who have those jobs not for the local people who pay taxes.
On another note if the Governor keeps our tax refunds ( our money) shouldnt we get to charge them interest and penalities just like they do to us if we owe them additional taxes? I for one will look at my payroll deductions and change them so that I can keep my money and if I owe money at the end of the year send it in on April 14th. We have to get the attention of government somehow.
As sad as it is to say, it does appear that it is time to throw the towel in on the area. As discussed in other sections of this blog, there is no accountabilty of public and quasi public officials and groups we spend millions on in the name of economic development. The County Executive, in the latest Covidien closing, runs after the fact to contact the company. He ought to be ashamed. And, where was the EDGE? Can anyone seriously argue that no one had a hint of what may be coming? If they did not, they ought to be doubly ashamed. We have been sheep led to economic slaughter. And, the OD just sits there writing and covering pap.
The OD writes ed pieces lamenting our economic freefall, then in the same editorial says that 'this is no time for finger pointing'. Well, maybe we don't need any finger pointing, but a thorough house cleaning of EDGE, would work fine if u ask me. Either the OD is in bed with these people, or is too lazy to do some real reporting as to why EDGE is a failure.
The OD will simply not get aggressive or radical to the level of addressing the real issue or holding leadership feet tot the fire. It is part of the establishment. Boy, did you guys catch the boring and goobeldygook business special inn Sunday's paper. The only interesting comments were from the businessman that operates a venture capital conduit. The EDGE article was awful in many ways. Millions are spent, for what? Talk.
The 64 dollar, I mean $1.8 million per year, question is why the EDGE has a budget as large as it does. And, if you add other economic development agencies just in this area, you are talking about around $4millon annually. Why is the question important? Because the money is primarily public meaning local, state and federal. The other reason relates to substance.
According to business owners, local elected reps, EDGE board heads and Steve DiMeo, Newe York State makes it near impossible to compete with low tax, lower regulation states and international areas. So, why are we spending so much to compete?
A much smarter stratgy would be two fold. Go after companies who are looking for special locations and lower labor costs. We got the WalMart distribution center and other large employers that way. Second, concentrate on a robust local loan fund which should include a venture capitital fund run by a private venture capital group. The fellow in last Sunday's OD was close but his outfit is both in Syracuse and ias just a conduit to venture capital funds. It does not invest money directly.
My point is that by virtual self admission teh EDGE tells us it is held back from success by the state yet we spend a fortune on it and its huge budget.
Why does the OD never zero in on these basic questions? Perhaps a Pheonix column should?
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