It Pays to Have Friends in Government . . .

Access still a major issue at N. Hartford business park reads the headline but . . .

The New Hartford Town Board took steps at its last meeting for the two major projects aimed at easing traffic into the business park.

 The board voted to go out to bid for construction of the Route 840 ramp and to establish a public hearing for the eminent domain proceedings that would allow for the Clinton Street extension. 

The New Hartford Business Park is a PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT. Not only is the Town taking residents' monies by applying payments in lieu of taxes to construct roads that are only good for Park access, Town Government is using its power to take private property from another person to complete the project.

County residents should have a beef too because payments in lieu of County Taxes are also being used.

In addition, the type of development duplicates other developments that already exist in the area. It will not create jobs, but, rather, will move jobs and economic activity further away from the older urban core and out toward the fringes.  This sprawl costs us all money because our stagnant population is forced to maintain an ever expanding infrastructure.

If private businesses want to compete with each other, that's called free enterprise.  If some are getting government help to do it, its called state capitalism . . . and state capitalism is unfair. 

Read more on this issue on New Hartford Online: A dollar and a dream.