Here We Go Again!

Western Oneida County Leader:'We need more water'

1. Western Oneida County municipalities which hope to grow and/or the Turning Stone Casino need to make the investments already made by Utica and its surrounding municipalities in developing their own water supply resources instead of Johnny-come-lately merely tapping into Greater Utica's/Herkimer County's supply. To the extent the Utica area has water to spare (legally doubtful) it needs to be kept in reserve for future growth in Greater Utica.

2. Oneida County needs to follow the water supply study it commissioned back in the late 1960s along with the State Health Department. It looked at all potential water supply resources in the Region and planned for significant future growth. No new study is needed. The plan is there. Other sources exist that are more appropriate for western OC to use.

3. Oneida County needs to understand that the water supply belongs to certain communities in Greater Utica and not to the County, and that certain Herkimer County municipalies already have been given rights to the Greater Utica supply. The communities with rights are specifically listed in MVWA's permit. Western Oneida County is not included.

4. The City of Utica, New Hartford, Whitestown and other municipalities currently listed in the permit need to impress upon their MVWA reps that any proposal to share water with Western Oneida County will limit potential future growth in THEIR areas.

5. Mr. Becher needs to be replaced.

ODstrich!

This is just so maddening: OD's View: We-need-to-work-on-improving-our-self-esteem
NO, WE DON'T!

There are many of us who see the good in Utica, promote it, and help Utica in whatever way we can.  But we are realists.  We are not going to pretend there are no problems.... Ignoring problems is a sure fire way of keeping them from ever being solved.

AND WE WILL NOT BE SILENT.

But silence is clearly what the O D wants of us if we cannot support the vision of the Editorial Board and the regional power structure that it supports.

The problem is not the people who are complaining. Rather, it is an arrogant regional elite who think they are smarter than everyone else, think only of themselves rather than the people they supposedly serve, and refuse to acknowledge the failure of their policies; and an Observer-Dispatch that lets them get away with it.

A Diploma for Every Occasion! or Purpose . . . or Whatever . ..

Seems like Global History is getting the short shrift in the latest "improvement" to come out of our Albany Educrats.

From OD's view: Regents' plan for diploma options should get OK

Beginning in 2013, students entering ninth grade would have a choice of three possible pathways to graduation:

The traditional Regents diploma. . . .

A Career and Technical Education diploma. This would require students to pass Regents exams in English, math, science and U.S. history. Instead of the global history exam, they would take a CTE assessment that meets the college and career-ready level of rigor.

The STEM diploma. This focuses on science, technology, engineering and math. Students who choose this path would substitute a second math or science assessment for the global history requirement. . .

What do the Regents have against Global History?

Read between the lines: The Regents are preparing students either for college or for some line of work as though those are the only two purposes of a public school education. 

What ever happened to the idea of creating a knowledgeable population that can think for itself?

While many fail to see the importance of learning history (I was once in this category) the things that are happening today in the news are really not that different from what has happened before. People should be aware of global history to be aware of where their society may be headed. With awareness comes the power to avoid the mistakes of the past through the power of the ballot box . . . Ignorance will doom society to repeat the sins of the past.

The intent of the Regents seems pretty apparent: The Regent's Diploma students get Global History. They are being groomed to be the future leaders of a new global society. The rest are trained to be cogs in that society's machinery, merely to produce needed goods and services. Deliberately keep them ignorant of global history and they won't be able to muck up the New World Order.

OD Blackout: Paladino Endorses Kicinski

From the Amherst Times: Paladino Endorses Kicinski for Congress
From WNY Media's Albany's Insanity: PALADINO ENDORSES KICINSKI FOR CONGRESS

  “In 2010, the TEA Party supported and campaigned for their present representative,” said Paladino. “But it is clear from the incumbent’s voting record that he is not listening to or representing the people of the district,” Paladino continued. “Mike can be trusted because he knows he is accountable to those who support him.”

Interesting . . .

Fishing for $$$!

This makes me crazy . . . 

Local resort receives $700,000 federal tourism grant (5/14/2012)

Fish Creek Cabin Resort has received a Business and Industry Guaranteed Loan for rural development totaling $700,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer announced Monday. The funding will allow the resort to purchase cabins and rental equipment and grow business beyond kayaking and canoeing to benefit skiers, fishers, and hikers as well, Schumer said.

Tourism grant awards announced (5/14/2012)

Oneida County Tourism has announced the recipients for its new Tourism Marketing Grant Assistance Program. The awards provide financial assistance for the promotion of tourism attractions, events and activities taking place in Oneida County . . . Fish Creek Cabin Resorts,. 5,625.00,. . .

Microenterprise Grant assists Fish Creek Cabin Resort to begin operations in Taberg, NY (10/27/2011)

Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente, Jr. announced today that Fish Creek Cabin Resort, LLC has received an Oneida County Microenterprise Grant in the amount of $34,200 to assist its startup operations. The Oneida County Microenterprise Grant program, administered by Mohawk Valley EDGE, utilizes Community Development Block Grant funding . . .

The grant will assist Fish Creek Cabin Resort with working capital as they commence a $1.44m civic, recreational and eco-tourism destination project that is transforming a once blighted landscape in the Town of Annsville from an income dormant rental housing community into a 7-acre four-season economically viable recreation campus. 

From a March 2011 OCIDA Notice of Public Hearing we find out that OCIDA

will provide financial assistance to the Company in the form of issuance of a lease for a term of five (5) years, exemptions from mortgage recording tax, exemptions from sales and use taxes and abatement of real property taxes for a period of five (5) years

and buried in this article Indium Corp. makes plans to expand (10/15/10)

the IDA also approved an initial authorizing resolution for the Fish Creek Cabin Resort, which would be located in Taberg and primarily target kayakers visiting the area.

What ever happened to people putting their own capital at risk?  or going to a Bank for a loan? or selling shares to investors to raise capital?

Through their government the Taxpayers have been a silent "partner" to this little Oneida County start up business -- or making "investments" as the politicians like to claim -- right from its inception. But unlike a real partner, they get NO right to a return on the investment of THEIR money: 

It seems like there's no such thing as a free market/level playing field anymore.  Government is involved in everything.  This is discouraging to those who don't want handouts because Government becomes their competitor.

Upward Bound: DEBT!

Per the OD: MVCC receives $250,000 grant to help students.

Mohawk Valley Community College will receive a $250,000 federal grant to help students from disadvantaged backgrounds, U.S. Rep. Richard Hanna announced this morning.

Wow ... this sounds like great news.  Who could be against helping disadvantaged students?

MVCC's Upward Bound program "aims to generate the skills and motivation necessary to complete a higher education degree," according to a news release. Students eligible to participate include first-generation college students, low-income students and those with disabilities.

Nice -- but how is this different from what we are already paying for?  Aren't our schools supposedly already geared to generate skills necessary to complete a higher education degree?  

And how does a federal program generate "MOTIVATION? The implication is that first-generation college students, low-income students, and those with disabilities somehow are not motivated.

Now consider that about 40 cents of every dollar of this grant (or about $100,000) is being borrowed by the federal taxpayer.

One's education is the responsibility of the parents, and ultimately, the students themselves.  There are so many opportunities already out there that no one should be lacking the education they want if they are really motivated.  No federal program can substitute for what must come from within.

What this program is ... like many others ... is to foster a culture of dependency on the federal government.  Look at the "Life of Julia" scenario promoted by the current administration.  The implication is that people need the federal government to get by.  But they don't . . .

The only thing Upward Bound by this program is our National Debt .... Debt to purchase government control of many people.

TEA Party: NOT Going Away!

As much as some Republicans wish it, the TEA (Taxed Enough Already) Party is NOT going away. Six Term US Senator Richard Lugar (R-Ind) appears headed for defeat tonight in today's primary at the hands of Richard Mourdock, who was backed by Tea Party members. Surely his support for the UN's Law of the Sea Treaty, which was supported by both Bush and Clinton administrations, did not win any support among Tea Party members who view the treaty as an affront to US sovereignty.


In our own backyard we have a Tea Party Challenge to Representative Richard Hanna on the Republican ticket June 26 by Michael Kicinski of Earlville.  The OD (unsurprisingly) merely reported that Kicinski was running in a short blurb today not mentioning that Kicinski fought off a challenge to his petitions by the Oneida County Republican Establishment.

Unreported by the OD whatsoever is the fact that long-time local Conservative leader Julie Miller of Utica also filed petitions to challenge Mr. Hanna on the Conservative line. You have to read the Binghamton Press-Connects to find that out.  

Mr. Kicinski may seem like a long shot -- but maybe not. Mr. Hanna won with Tea Party support in his last run, but cannot count on that support now. The Tea Party favors limited government and fiscal responsibility, and abhors politics-as-usual. It thought it had a champion in Mr. Hanna who was not a politician.  However, Mr. Hanna not only has sounded very much like a politician after taking office, he has disappointed many with his votes to increase the debt ceiling three times and for more government programs. He gives no comfort to those who fear that government has simply become too intrusive into every-day lives, nor to those who fear that our national debt will become this nation's undoing.   Mr. Hanna could be viewed as an out-of-touch "1% er" -- in tune with the "global elite" compared to Mr. Kicinski who unabashedly admits to being unemployed on his web-site -- who like many others, has been the victim of an economy that has been shedding jobs to overseas locales under policies promoted by Democrats and Republicans alike. 

This could be a very interesting primary.    

Metro Government: Let's Get Started.

Every now and then, something comes along in the Observer-Dispatch on the subject of consolidation of regional services or "Metro Government."  Usually promoting the regional agenda of our "powers that be" that already control things  (you know, the people who always seem to manipulate government to wind up on the receiving end of the taxpayer largesse -- see recent posts in NH Online for the latest example), today's edictorial "Time to talk about metro government" is no exception.

The editorial gives three examples of businesses that have been/are being moved to Rome from Utica with county taxpayer (i.e., including Utica residents') participation. These moves manifest the "regional agenda."  Those who call these moves "hijacking" are dismissed by the O-D as "parochial." To the O-D:

The silly turf wars need to stop. We must see ourselves as a region . . .

I agree. The question is, is the Observer-Dispatch serious about our creating a true regional government that will REPLACE our current patchwork, or does the O-D want just enough "consolidation" to continue implementing its friends' current policies which have promoted one unit of local government cannibalizing another (with Utica seemingly always being the one eaten).  

The O-D needs to be reminded that these policies have created sprawl and given us a public infrastructure that far exceeds the needs and ability of our stagnant regional population to sustain.

To be Fair to the residents of the municipalities involved, "Metro" needs to be an "All, or Nothing at all" proposition... Responsibilities for both the good and bad in the region must be shared. One community should not be built up at the expense of another.

So, Observer-Dispatch, when you use these examples of businesses moving from Utica to Rome and promoting "Metro" government, are you ready for a merger of Utica and Rome and environs? Though more ambitious than what this blogger has proposed in the past, I actually think that would be a great idea! That way, when former Rome's tax-base gets augmented while former Utica's declines, some of that money will find its way back to pave roads in former Utica... and it will come back because more than 2/3 of a Utica-Rome Metro Council will be from former Utica and vicinity.

The "devil" is always "in the details,"  isn't it, O-D?


Somehow I don't think the Observer-Dispatch is really interested in Metro government, at least not one where ALL participating residents will share the benefits, ALL will share the burdens (including the cost of negative results such as declining tax base or incomes), and ALL will share in the decision-making. The O-D has always been there to demand that Utica "share" its benefits with the region, but has never demanded that the region share Utica's burdens . . . The region's principal city, Utica, is always left to fend for itself.    Like the pot calling the kettle black, perhaps the O-D is the one that is being parochial.....

But I could be wrong.   This is 2012 and some say the world as we know it is about to end.  If so . . .

Metro Government: Let's Get Started.