The Indie Garage Sale, Fireworks Over Utica and Taste of Utica are in the process of being moved out of the city or dissolved completely.
And organizers say oppressive fees – either enacted or enforced for the first time this summer – are to blame. . . .
But it hasn’t prompted any hindsight change of mind from Common Councilman Jerry Kraus, D-at large, who captained the legislation that included a 15 percent surcharge on the sale of alcoholic beverages and a $1 fee per ticket sold at events on city property.
The money gained from the events would have been “nominal” when compared with the level of public safety and public works services from the city, he said.How about the level of public safety and public works services from the city for Saranac Thursdays, Utica Monday Nights, and the Boilermaker? Following that logic, the city should be slapping a participation fee on everyone attending these events, too . . . And what would be the result if the city did this?
As the region's population center, it is advantageous for events to be located within Utica's city limits. However, this advantage quickly disappears if "Big Government" imposes special fees and requirements. Utica is geographically small. It is easy for organizers to move events across the city line.
Big Government in a Small City simply does not work.
3 comments:
Strike, I love the phrase, Big Government in a small City does not work! I wish I had thought of it myself. When you think about it, forcing the big government model on an area that has shrunken as ours, is at the root of many of our financial and civic problems. My county executive campaign is based on reduce and reform. I'm convinced we do not need nor have to be paying for much of what we now do at the county level. Thanks for adding inspiration.
The Fireworks Over Utica and Taste of Utica events are both Galaxy Communications events, perhaps Jerry Kraus has an axe to grind since Galaxy bought up most of the Utica radio market and put him out of a job?
Also, notice the next Indie Garage Sale will be held in Clinton. To quote Homer Simpson, "So long, Stinktown"!
Unfortunately the Utica Master Plan continues the pattern of Utica imposing requirements that will not be found in the suburban areas ... such as a 20% "affordable housing' requirement in new development and LEED certified construction,among other things. Making development more complicated and more expensive in Utica will ensute that development occurrs on suburban greenfields rather than in the city.
Post a Comment