- Empire Aero struggled to keep business, lagged on payments
- GOP leaders: Despite red flags, Empire Aero benefited region
- Guest view: Empire Aero deal an example of bad public policy
Amazingly, the "clique" that has been running the County for the last 20 years, including the County Executive, EDGE, and most of the County Legislature, are brazenly portraying the millions of local tax dollars squandered on Griffiss as money well spent. . . .
It was not. Empire Aero, and the politically engineered Homeland Security Training Center, were merely pretexts to justify moving the Oneida County Airport from Whitestown to Rome ... and reaping in Millions in Federal aviation funds in the process.
What and Where has the County Clique gotten us?
- An airport that is far too big for our needs that will be a financial albatross around our necks for another generation.
- A violation of environmental laws that will cost the people of the Greater Utica area millions for another generation.
- A violation of an old agreement that led to an expensive lawsuit that has led to a cap on Greater Utica's water supply at 1970 levels, perhaps lasting forever.
7 comments:
Amateurs? Hardly. This "clique" are pros at fleecing the taxpayers. The sad thing is that they continue to get away with it, with nobody asking how much longer the ripoff will continue. While the suckers subsidy EDGE with tax dollars, they collect rent on taxpayer owned buildings with no accountability on where the money goes. That's one hell of a deal that the Mafia would envy.
The strategy of redeveloping Griffiss was flawed from the outside as directed by the Rome oriented decision makers. You simply could not expect to develop a huge "new" town between two small declining cities. The airport relocation was but one error thet resulted. EDGE, which by the way was not created until around 1996, then proceeded to stress developing the ex base by relocating existing business there through below market leases and tax breaks. When one looks at inner Rome and inner Utica one sees the results. We wound up with less development and higher cost. Also note that the exodus of major industry GE,Bendix,Sperry Rand, Oneida Silver and others took place after EDGE was created. Who was minding the store? One can blame New York State but using that logic, why have an EDGE at all?
The OD comments of local elected officials were of the inept. Any company seeking financing wether it be private or public presents a business plan. The lender than evaluates that plan along with other issues such as past track record and financial staements if the company is not a start up. It sound as if our reps simply accepted Empire's business plan. If they did not, there should be a full analysis of the proposal and structure of the deal on paper. We, the taxpayer should have seen that in 2003. If it exists at all, it should be publicized now to clarify why the county did what it did. If it does not exist, decisions were made without proper feduciary responsibilty. This would mean that they took high risk with someone else's money: ours. This should be an open, political issue.
All these shenanigans involving Picente, MV Edge and Empire need to be shoved in taxpayers faces continually until the next election. Hopefully by then the Dems will find NEW viable candidates for the next round of County elections. We can't have guys like Hennessey and Tanoury being the face of the Democratic party or it will be business as usual for another 50 years of GOP rule and many more $10's of millions down the drain.
Why do you say that Anon #4? When you're out numbered as the Dems are, if you ask questions that they don't want to answer, you get marginalized -- like Tanoury was and like they are trying to do to Hennessey now.
Would you have Democrats like Mr. Hertline from West Utica? He got all kinds of public adulation . . . but he was totally useless. If you remember, he was one of the key people that got the OC board of legislators to rubberstamp Mr. Picente's Consent Order with the DEC with virtually no time for public scrutiny and imput.
I see nothing wrong with Messrs. Hennessey and Tanoury -- we need more people like them who are willing to ask the tough questions. I only wish that there were a few Republicans that would be willing to do the same thing too.
I'm sorry but in my opinion these two individuals lost their credibility in the way they conduct themselves and more importantly represent their constituents during legislative meetings. Also we can't exclude the fact they both come with excessive baggage. While their intentions may be in the best interest of the County, they're both damaged goods in the eye of Oneida County voters. There's a correct way of confronting the opposition without always seeming confrontational. That's why I said the Democrats need to recruit NEW candidates with solid reputations if they're going to change the face and direction of county government.
I agree with and appreciate most issues you bring to light on this blog and I also know you're a supporter of both Tanoury and Hennessey but I think you're putting your eggs in the wrong basket on this one. Respectfully, we all have our opinion.
An interesting tale to repeat. A former Republican county executive referred to Harry Hertline as. "the best Republican on the board." In other words, his vote was always there. As to the other observations, both parties are "old" in the sense of the same faces appearing all the time,year after year, decade after decade. There is no, new, vibrant, independent blood in either. Look at those lining up to run for Townsend's seat. Tenny and Gordon. How many times will these people run for office? Richard Allen, a retread party hack. Yeardon, same.Their parties will nominate one of them. Is this the best we can do? Do we really expect any of these repeats to make a difference? I think not, and, therein lies the problem.
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