Two weeks ago it was pointed out that the residents of Utica were about to have it stuck to them again by Oneida County tapping them to pay to increase the size of the County's sewage treatment facilities to accommodate suburban storm water flows while being left to take care of Utica's storm water problem without county help.
As can be seen from the two pieces of legislation embedded at left, the County Legislature "rubber stamp" is alive and well, approving the legislation almost unanimously. Of course, NONE of this was reported in the Observer-Dispatch.
The OD did report on Utica's sewer repairs a few days ago in the story "First phase of Utica's sewer project is complete." No mention here of any help from Oneida County. The only mention of Oneida County's sewer work is the statement that "Oneida County is under a state order to do the exact same thing." This leaves the impression of two separate units of government working independently to solve their problems -- leaving out the part that residents of Utica are being forced to pay for both.
EVERY UTICA COUNTY LEGISLATOR APPROVED !
This blogger attempted to engage legislators Ms. Speciale, Mr. Davis, Mr. D'Onofrio and Mr. Gordon -- as well as certain "big mouths" on the City Council -- on this issue days before the vote, but only Ms. Speciale had the courtesy to respond -- after the legislation was voted upon.
Typical! And we wonder why the region declines.
7 comments:
You didn't really expect to hear from legislators, did you? They are not accountable to anyone. Most obvious is that there is no two party system here and no one on the board adequately representing Utica.
Not for nothing Anon8:17, but it's not as if there's any large scale political accountability in this area.
Isn't the percentage of Utica residents who are property owners something like 30%? Despite the stakes, the turnout to vote is pitifully low even given that number.
But my question is this: won't there come a point where the vultures will have picked Utica's corpse clean? What then?
Utica has allowed this to happen to Utica. Utica's elected officials were, as you pointed out, silent on this issue. Wasn't it Utica's own electeds that agreed to turn over the Water Authority, so to speak? At what point does Utica take repsonsibility for its own predicament instead of blaming everyone else? Maybe if our elected officials did something other than infight and grandstand, and instead presented a united front on certain issues, we might get somewhere.
There is plenty of blame to go all around, but you are correct Anonymous 6:22, Utica's elected officials must be held primarily responsible for Utica's condition. Unfortunately they seem to be doing Utica more harm than good. For all their machinations, Utica residents pay increasing taxes and fees while services and the environment around them decline. When they do or approve of things such as this piece of legislation, or other things that result in, for example, removal of multiple parcels of properties from the tax rolls, you have to question just who these people are working for.
Perhaps they are just not very smart.
I find it interesting {though not surprising}that Palmieri & the Council are silent as O.C. sticks it to Utica residents once again. One has to wonder who these people are getting their marching orders from as they seem unable or don't have the backbone to look out for their constituents.
Me, I'm looking on the bright side! My house in Utica is up for sale with some potential buyers! Soon I won't have to put up with yearly tax hikes from the city & annual rate hikes thanx to the MVWA. I won't have to pay attention or be concerned in regards to the nonsense coming from the County Executive or the unkept promises coming from politicians in Utica & the County every time elections come around.
O.C. & Utica is a cesspool of rotten politics, cronyism, probable corruption, parochrialism {sp}etc.
Get involved? Forget it! If you're not one of the "good 'ol boys' you have about as much chance of instituting change as you have of hitting the lottery.
You can have Utica & O.C. Me? I've had enough!
Unfortunately, the only valid vote is with our feet.
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