For the second time in three months, local leaders just refuse to accept what appear to be unbiased opinions on this region's viability. In May it was Forbes.
Today it is Moodys according to stories in the OD and on WKTV.
Out 384 metro areas, the local region was one of only 22 two deemed by Moody’s to be in danger.The danger being described as sliding into a double-dip recession. (This raises the question of when was the last time this area was OUT of recession?)
And yet, “we are not really at risk like Moody’s portrays us to be,” Roefaro told Erin Burnett, host of CNBC’s “Street Signs.”Per WKTV, Mr. Picente is also in denial . . .
Roefaro — along with John Engen, mayor of Missoula, Mont — were interviewed, and Roefaro focused on jobs he says he’s added downtown, the opening of new small businesses in the city and the progress at Harbor Point in North Utica.
Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente doesn't lend the report too much credence.Local leaders for years have avoided benchmarking Utica-Rome Metro against other parts of the country . . . and local media has been happy to play along with it. That has allowed the same old faces to use the same old policies which has led to the same old place: economic decline.
"When you look at the map and you look at the areas that were designated, there really is no rhyme or reason, or doesn't point to anything significantly that has reacted to any type of recession," Picente said.
Until leadership takes off the rose-colored glasses and starts acknowledging just how bad off we are, nothing will ever change.
3 comments:
Picente & Roefaro's remarks are no surprise. The 2 of them are both worried about getting reelected. Do you think for one minute that either one of these two are going to admit that there's a problem? Which may point to their own ineptness? Of course, they may actually believe that there isn't a problem. Which shows how out of touch with reality they really are. The average citizen doesn't need anyone to tell them or to deny that the area is in serious trouble. The problem is that elected officials like Roefaro & Picente would rather deny it. The status quo rules in Oneida County.
The staus quo rules in many more ways than one.
No elected representative is even discussing the real and basic problems of Utica. They include; a systemic budget deficit, heavy drug related crime and addictions, a deteriorating infrastructure including the most important of all,housing, an off the charts school drop out rate for minorities, an extremly high % of single parent households and out of control public employee pensions. I note no discussion of these issues in the public square.
Post a Comment