One of the businesses on Campion Road, a major gateway to the town, is closing its doors. Madden Concrete and Masonry Supply is for sale. . . .This guy makes it sound like N. H. put concrete shoes on his business!. . . But Madden also slammed New Hartford officials for failing to keep development going so construction-oriented businesses like his could survive.
“Town government destroyed development in New Hartford with restrictions and taxes,” he said. “Inept government really took for granted that no matter what the Planning Board requirements were that New Hartford was somehow blessed to the point that development would continue no matter what.”
While I agree with Mr. Madden that taxes are a big problem, I disagree that it is a Town function to "to keep development going so construction-oriented businesses like his could survive." This reveals a sense of entitlement among some NH elite that government must be run in a way that suits their needs, while those of everyone else can go to hell.
The problem with New Hartford is that for many years it DID try "to keep development going". This created the need for more public infrastructure and services that town residents -- including Mr. Madden -- can no longer afford to pay for with taxes.
New Hartford's policies that favored development and certain businesses ultimately created the need for taxation that will kill both.
6 comments:
I'm a little confused about Strikeslip's latest anti New Hartford sentiment. Any government can create a climate that is unfriendly to business through various forms of taxation and regulation. Look at New York State as a prime example. Government should be encouraged to be business friendly since business is the engine of economic growth. My sense is that that is all Mr. Madden is saying. I may be missing something if Madden was getting a lot of Town related contracts. If so, that should be pointed out; if not, the criticism is unfair as written.
I am a NH resident and I agree with Strikeslip. High Taxes are the problem. Thanks to Earl Greed, Dave Reynolds, and Robert Payne New Hartford is destined grow poorer and older.
Mr. Madden is disappointed that New Hartford will not be taxing residents enough to pay for all for the "development" of open farm land into crowded, cheap tacky little houses.
Strike,
It appears Mr. Madden has become victim to his own greed? There is a NYS Clean-up Order against him and his family.
I guess he may not be as clean as he can be?
New houses generate tax revenue. Growth generates new people, new ideas,new talent.Communities do not remain the same, they grow or contract. Smart growth is far different from no growth.
You are looking at things from a parochial perspective, Anonymous.
There is no "smart growth" in a region of declining population.
There is only sprawl . . . and here it is one community cannibalizing another.
Talk about parochial and narrow minded. Growth takes on many forms and communities do not cannibalize each other. They do compete.People are offered choices, thank God. Those comminites who can't, or won't, compete will contract.
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