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.
8 comments:
Why isn't the O.D. reporting all the crap that is going on in New Hartford with the school district? Donna Donovan is a poor example of a CEO of a newspaper.
Who is "us"? Metro government has been discussed here since the 1960's. Who will lead the charge now? Do we seriously expect an uprising or ground swell of citizens? Why far less than 50% even vote around here. Do we expect OD leadership? If that ever existed, that ended decades ago. Chambers? All far less than serious organizations. Civic groups? Do we have any? Colleges? They are barely engaged in anything except sustainabilty whatever that means. How about our tax reform organizations? Do we have any? The point is that if it hasn't happened by now, it never will.
Well . . . The OD as Utica’s “hometown” newspaper, advocates ushering businesses from the city while advocating a metro form of government. If every Utican threatened to relocate to China, I wonder if Edge would persuade these citizens with taxpayer funded incentives to move to Rome? Perhaps the OD should look into relocating to China.
Whether true or not most businesses threaten to leave as one of many ways to scare politicians and groups like EDGE to throw money and tax breaks at them. Since labor skill is such a huge component in the mix, the threat is usaully a gambit. Here the deck is stacked anyway since the businesses who receive the goodies are plugged in heavily to the political officials. Everyone wins except the taxpayer, particularly those in Utica. And, the Utica voter keeps electing Romans!!
C'mon, this is the 21st century. Gone are the days we remember when cities and surrounding towns were truly separate, connected by secondary roads sparsely populated by cows and their keepers. Today it's wall to wall people and businesses lining the highways now called traffic connectors. All that's left of the old ways are the politicians trying to get you to believe there really are distinct places like Utica, Rome, Sauquiot, New Hartford, etc., so that they can all collect their paychecks and spread your tax dollars to their friends. Only if you believe in a false sense of place can you justify the stulfitying and expensive melange of office holders and paid officials in every dinky burg across the county, each with a town board, mayor, police, fire, assessor, compliance officer, grant writer and dog catcher. It's a big joke and we're paying for it, for services we don't need ... paying twice, as a matter of fact ... locally and to the state, where everything is duplicated.
The OD is just looking for the lifeboats as they cheer the sinking ship onward. We should stop viewing them as a "news organization" and instead consider they're just another advertising business with an inferior product. When their suggestion for Utica is, "let's not exist," it's time to admit that Utica has already stopped being a city.
It is not all that simple. There is still a distinct sense of identity tied tom localities in the area. And, counter to national trends, as more of the middle class has left the area, the more backword in that sense we have become. Spend a few miniutes talking to what is perceived as a real Roman. And, how about the consolidation votes that keep losing? Does one seriously think that there is not a distinct New Hartford pride and identity and a closed circle of control based on it? The old ways of thinking have not left us at all because we are an old area in more ways than one. That is why change will not be forthcoming very soon, if at all.
I don't think it's reasonable to say that threats to leave are usually a gambit. Count the number that have left, those who have folded and then the number that are still here.
The companies did not leave because they did not get grants or local property and sales tax breaks. These are small items in what companies use to measure profitability in relationship to location. Labor cost is by far the single largest factor. The second is composition and supply of a labor force.
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