Changes . . .

The Case Against Sharing Services ...

Slums Along the Mohawk (new to Fault Line's Blogroll) presents the case against sharing services in the Cobleskill area, where eliminating Village government is being considered.

...Trustee Mark Galasso and Mayor Mike Sellers (Cobleskill’s oddest couple, to be sure) have been feverishly pushing consolidation. Galasso’s support for cannibalizing the Village can be explained by his own thirst for Village water and his support for unrestrained sprawl development. Mayor Sellers on the other hand should know better. Both of these individuals need to take a step back and consider the costs and not just the savings associated with consolidation..

Sean makes some good points in his post . . . as well as in some earlier ones on economic development and the appropriate way to extend water and sewer lines. Read these posts, and then see if they give you a different perspective on the "economic development" that has already occurred in Greater Utica.

Dare to Dump D.A.R.E.

Oneida County is not funding the D.A.R.E. program next year and the OD calls this a "disservice."

The drug and alcohol awareness program helped educate fifth- and sixth-grade students each year about the dangers of illegal substances as well as the ramifications of getting behind the wheel of a car while under the influence.

Interestingly:

The presence of drugs and the number of driving while intoxicated cases do not seem to be going away in this area.

Obviously drug "education" has NOT been the answer because after educating almost a generation of kids on the dangers, the problem still remains. D.A.R.E. may have even contributed to the problem by making drugs and their effects familiar, lessening fear, and giving children false confidence that they could handle experimentation.

A better approach to the drug problem is more policing and crushing punishment.

D.A.R.E.'s loss should be a welcome gain to our school children. Frankly, I always thought D.A.R.E. with all its special projects was a distraction (among many), and contributed to our youth finishing school without basic competencies. Eliminating D.A.R.E. will free up time for education basics.

Dumping D.A.R.E. will eliminate an ineffective use of taxpayer money, and eliminate a distraction in school. Do it!

How Bad Can It Get? 4

This little story out of Plattsburgh should be of interest to our legislators ... unless they are still in "rubber stamp" mode: Plattsburgh International Airport manager resigns:

The county then signed a deal with Millionair, a company with 31 sites around the country and the Caribbean.

But the Millionair deal never materialized as the company refused to show up for work on opening day of the airport after the county refused to supply additional items that Millionair asked for after they signed the contract.

The loss of Millionair left the county in a difficult position without a fixed-base operator as planes were beginning to land and take off.

Will our legislators please get off their duffs and represent the PEOPLE in this deal instead of working for the politically connected or turning this into a political football.

No one is saying that privatization should not occur. No one is saying that the proposed vendor should not be approved. But it is obvious that more work needs to be done before the deal is approved. Questions need to be answered. Protective clauses need to be implemented. And the airport needs a business plan that clearly demonstrates it is being positioned to fill a need that exists.

The Democrat minority is in the right on this issue. Protect us taxpayers!

Gone and Going . . .

Three hundred more jobs are gone from the area, Honeywell moving them to China. And 2000 more appear to be on their way out at New Process Gear.

Gov. Patterson is on the right track, calling for $1Billion in cuts to balance the NY Budget. But he needs to do a lot more to make New York competitive at retaining jobs like those at Honeywell and NPG. Overtaxation is the #1 issue, with cost of utilities close behind.

Favoring some groups/businesses has always been at the expense of everyone else -- and it is the "everyone else" who are leaving. Cut out the special gifts to IBM, AMD, etc. and the Construction Lobby-Teachers Union alliance and other lobbies and just maybe more companies will stick around or even set up shop.

Gov . . . You can do it . . . and We can help.

Pension Abuse . . .

New York State educators hit pay dirt with pensions: A retired superintendent collecting $205,000+/year. . . a retired math teacher collecting $90,000/year . . . some pensions exceeding salaries while working!

Padding pensions with overtime or deals like these has been going on for years and years, but does anyone stop it?

Check out what your favorite school pensioner might be collecting. The Buffalo News has posted the state's database.

Is This Why We Need NYRI?

"SHOCKING POWER SCAM JOLT$ NY CONSUMERS" screams the headline in the NY Post.

...electricity users across the state were scammed out of hundreds of millions of dollars - and New Yorkers were put at risk of a blackout - by an elaborate plan to sell power out of state, explosive documents filed with federal regulators charge . . .

Documents filed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission suggest the scheme began in January and ended July 22, when it was shut down by the New York Independent System Operator, which runs the state's power grid.

The plot involved contracts to sell electricity from upstate power plants to buyers in the mid-Atlantic grid, which includes New Jersey, Pennsylvania and other states. . . .

According to the article, when they tried to move all this power around, the grid got clogged, challenging engineers and threatening a blackout.

Just think how much easier it would have been to pull off this scheme with NYRI!

How Bad Can It Get? 3

Boos to the OD for missing the point in today's editorial "Privatization right course for airport" which can be interpreted as urging the legislature to approve the pending contract involving a Million Air franchisee.

No one disputes that privatization is a way of bringing expertise to a County where lack thereof is obvious.

But, as Ross Perot used to say, "The devil is in the details" and, unfortunately, there appear to be too few of them spelled out.

Questions have been asked, and satisfactory answers not received. The legislature needs to do more work before approving this proposal.

Photoblogs . . .

Congratulations to The Shadowman on its 200th post! What you guys do with light and our old city is magic. . . .

And Joe Mezzanini has really perfected his craft! Well done! (from a 10-year fan of "the Mezz" who also hosts computer tips, recipes, conversation and more.)

These sites are "must-see"s

OC CVB - More Wasted Money

Kudos to the O-D for today's story about the Oneida County Convention and Visitors Bureau. Although the "bed tax" does not affect residents directly because it is paid by overnight guests in area lodgings, it nevertheless is money siphoned off the local economy by county government . . . money that might be put to more productive use by the area establishments collecting the tax, or by the visitors themselves at other area establishments.

The bureau does little to track travelers and tourism patterns in the Mohawk Valley . . .

but

...it was already planning to begin monitoring its own success rate and that it’s doing the best it can with a limited budget.

Sure, now that it got caught unable to demonstrate any value in return for the ability to skim $$ from lodging transactions! It's amazing how when government fails, it turns the failure into an excuse to ask for more.

The bureau points to its efforts to attract visitors, including attending trade shows...

Sounds like a boondoggle, no?

Mansukh Paghdal, owner of Rome’s Quality Inn, expressed anger at what he said was the bureau’s bias in favor of certain other hotels.
“They are totally no good, because they are only working for certain people,” he said.
Paghdal said he paid $25,000 a year in bed tax and didn’t feel he was getting his money’s worth. . .
Convention and Visitors Bureau President Paul Ziegler said the Quality Inn might be suffering because of a stabbing that happened in March outside the adjoining Denny’s restaurant.

Or maybe it's because Mr. Paghdal's accusation is true, as a comparison of the CVB descriptions of the Quality Inn and the Inn at the Beeches seems to suggest.

Enough of government taking money from business people and using it to benefit only those who are "connected."

The Public Payroll - NYS

The Times-Union has put on-line the entire New York State public payroll. Similar information was recently posted on www.SeeThroughNY.net, although it did not seem to work that fast. Hopefully these will be improved to show overtime as is done in California.

While some employees may complain, it is only right that those paying the bills know who is getting their money.

Let's see if our local governments, authorities, economic development agencies and school districts have the nerve to follow suit.

How Bad Can It Get? 2

As a followup to yesterday's How Bad Can It Get? . . . post, a kind reader sent some links to remind me that a lot of Federal money is being poured into the Griff.

• $5,300,000 in Military Airport/Airport Improvement Program Grants 2005 (pp 40, J-59)
• $8,400,000 in Military Airport/Airport Improvement Program Grants 2006 (pp 41, J-54)
• Another $20,000,000 is planned for 2007-2011!

Here's my theory of what has been/is going on:

• BIG Federal $$$ came with the Griffiss AFB closure at the Rome Facility (RME).
• OC Officials had no clue what to do except that they knew they had to grab every penny
• When it got to the point that they had to use it or lose it, they decided to do what they already knew how to do (sort of): run a County Airport. (If you remember before the move, there was talk of putting a cargo port at RME. Onondaga County officials suggested it to avoid expanding Hancock, demonstrating Griff-for-cargo had some marketability. Genesis (!) sponsored an expert from RPI to come to the area to explain how it could be done. Of course, with no one in OC having experience running a cargo port, the County would have had to go outside the area for expertise. EDGE brushed off the idea. (Fear of losing control, perhaps?))
• The rest is history: contractors got rich simply duplicating at RME what was already working well (and appropriately sized) in Whitestown (UCA); and then OC literally gave away meticulously maintained UCA to the "pie in the sky" Homeland Security Center that predictably has amounted to zero, but will ensure that UCA never flies again.

There appear to be NO business plans for UCA and RME . . . except to keep spending money and hope that something good happens.

How Bad Can It Get? . . .

Losses at Griffiss are currently $2 million/year as opposed to $300K-500K at the old airport. How bad can it get? After listening Wednesday to Mr. Joseph's responses to Mr. Hennessey's concerns over the proposed contract with Freeman Holdings on WIBX' "First Look," I think we're being led to a mid-air collision. A video of the entire discussion is posted on CNY Homepage.com. Listen to it yourself and see if it makes you uneasy too.

Here are the "high" points I came away with [times approximate]:

The County's bidding process is a sham.

Our airport commissioner contacted the same firms that he contacted when he was commissioner in Plattsburg, and produced the same results: one bid [8:00]. Mr. Joseph interviewed a prospect in Syracuse, who did not submit a bid. Meanwhile the County advertised its RFP in only one trade publication on Feb 8th, and set a deadline for inquiries on February 10th [9:00]. One proposal was received in response to the RFP.

It's obvious that personal connections were counted upon to secure the vendor rather than the bidding process. Calling for inquiries within 2 days of RFP publication strongly suggests that the County already found a vendor ... that no one else need apply ... that the publication was only to make things "legal." This style of solicitation makes it appear that you have to know someone if you want to do business in Oneida County. Could that explain why so many stay away?

The County does not know its competition, and sees no need to know.

The discussion reveals that Oneida County hopes to attract business from Bangor International in Maine, but the administration never bothered to find out what Bangor had to offer. [10:00-12:00] Joseph said that Bangor had no bearing on what happens here. When it became obvious that Joseph et al had not done their homework, he called Hennessey naive [17:00].

The County sees no need for a "security deposit" or escape clauses in the contract, preferring, instead, to trust the parties involved.

Mr. Hennessy noted that Freeman Holdings walked away from its contract in Plattsburgh [12:00], and felt this indicated the need for a "security deposit" and an asset inventory list to protect taxpayers in the event the same thing happened here.

Mr. Joseph responded by marginalizing/attacking Hennessey:

• Joseph implied that Hennessey was besmirching Freeman, and defended "Chris" Freeman's position in the Plattsburgh dispute. Joseph alleged that a "handshake" deal was broken by Plattsburgh [14:30].
• Joseph implied that Hennessey's request for a security deposit was unusual: "In economic development, it's never been produced or asked for." [25:20]
• Joseph implied that Hennessy does not know what he is talking about because he was not part of "the team": "When you are not part of the team that's putting together any of the contract, its easy to pick apart a lot of things . . ." [31:45]

Instead of a deposit, Joseph would rely upon:

• the furnishings and equipment Freeman would put on site.[25:00 - 26:30]
• the franchiser's approval of Freeman: "Million Aire is a Top End Franchise." [26:30]
  

Personal attacks on Hennessey will not protect taxpayers if things go wrong. Furnishings and equipment are no security when you don't know what you're getting because the County requires no asset inventory [27:30], and they are not fungible. Million Aire's judgment of Freeman's reliability is no substitute for the County getting some of its $ix-figure employees off their duffs to perform "due diligence" and place some protective clauses in the contract.

Joseph's responses make clear that he and his committee have become so vested in the process of securing the vendor and negotiating the contract that they have lost their objectivity. They trust the chosen vendor as part of "the team."

Sewer to Schuyler: Passing Costs to Utica Residents?

Oneida County wants to lend a 'helping hand' to its sister County of Herkimer -- but will Oneida County make residents of the City of Utica pay for its 'generosity'?

If Herkimer County chooses a site in Schuyler for its new jail it will need sewer services from the Oneida County Part County Sewage Treatment Plant.

Oneida County Board of Legislators Republican Majority Leader James D’Onofrio said he would like to help Herkimer County by providing the sewer. . . . “and it would be a revenue enhancer.”

But while Oneida County looks forward to enhancing its revenue, what will be the cost and who will pay?

The DEC expressed some concerns about a year ago with the capacity of the Oneida County Sewer District Treatment Plant in Utica . . .

Oneida County officials pooh-pooh the capacity issue, but remember, these are the same people who are now under a Consent Order from NYSDEC due to their mismanagement of the sewer system. Can we accept what these people say at face value?

Simply put: There IS an issue of system capacity. The treatment plant in Utica was sized to treat not only sewage from separate sanitary waste lines, but also a diluted waste-storm water combination from the old combined sewers owned by the City of Utica (maintenance of which is paid for by Utica residents in their separate city sewer charges). This dilute waste takes up a LOT of treatment capacity, however this scheme was permitted by the Clean Water Act in recognition that it would be impracticable to eliminate combined sewers in old cities such as Utica. [See last summer's Consent Order Primer series of posts].

If Utica were made to remove storm water from its combined system, it would free up a lot of capacity that could be redistributed to other areas . . . such as Schuyler, New Hartford and other suburbs.

Oneida County intends to do exactly this. In his November 2006 letter to the DEC complaining about requirements of DEC's proposed permit, the OC Commissioner of Water Quality and Pollution Control commented (p7):

"It is the County's position that the City of Utica and the NYSDEC should be exploring other alternatives for treating CSO's rather than sending them to the WPCP. The capacity of the WPCP should be reserved for treating sanitary wastes rather than combined wastes"

It would seem, then, that Oneida County intends to make Uticans pay to remove storm water from their combined sewers to create more treatment capacity that the County would be able to sell to others -- such as Schuyler.

Why should Utica residents pay to free up treatment capacity for Schuyler's (or New Hartford's) use?

New areas to be added onto the system should be required to pay the cost of creating the treatment capacity that they will require -- whether that capacity is created by adding onto the treatment plant, or by removing Utica's storm water from the system.

Gifts of Taxpayer's Money . . .

Isn't this nice? A few along Woods Highway gaining access to public water.

Taxpayers paid $100,000 for the first 1,300 feet of the water line to be installed on Woods Road, Highway Superintendent Roger Cleveland said.

Tell me . . . since when do the Taxpayers get charged with the construction of a water line to serve private residences and developments? Why isn't this a gift of public monies and facilities to private entities . . . something that our State Constitution expressly forbids?

It looks like we are going to get an answer to that question . . .

The gifts of public monies by the State of New York for "economic development" purposes is finally being made an issue by some folks out in Buffalo. Listed among the defendants are the Governor, the Assembly, the Senate, Dean Skelos, Sheldon Silver, Advanced Micro Devices, IBM, Bass Pro Shops, and others placed on the public dole. (I can think of a few more I would add to their list). Jim Ostrowski, a Buffalo Attorney (and blogger!) has had enough and is spearheading this -- with a rally today:

"Please join us at noon today in Niagara Square (Buffalo) for an impromptu rally and press conference. Bring pitchforks.

Maybe this could be the spark that ignites a true tax revolt."

My pitchfork is ready!

Taking the Symphony Out of Utica . . .

I was looking forward to seeing our Utica Symphony at our newly renovated Stanley Center for the Arts in Downtown Utica . . . Well, I guess I will just have to keep looking...

The 2008-2009 Utica Symphony schedule is now posted, and out of 5 concerts, the orchestra will perform only the Holiday concert at the Stanley. All the other performances will be at the Clinton Performing Arts Center.

What's this all about?

Maybe it's just me, but I think that most people who donate to the Utica Symphony expect to be able to hear more than just a holiday concert in Utica. . . . And I think that most people who donate to the Stanley expect the theater to host the community's symphony more than once during the season.

I don't know who is running these institutions, but they need to think twice about what they are doing. Both institutions depend on public support. The public purse is only so deep. It should not be too much to expect both to support each other, especially when personal budgets are being stretched to the limit. If the Stanley hosted the Symphony more often, the publics' donations to either effectively go farther.

If these institutions do not support each other, they run the risk of losing the publics' support as well.

It's Main St., Not Wall St.

This past week we got the bad news on the state of NY's economy.

The governor, in a rare move, took to the airwaves to outline New York's fiscal problems. The state, according to projections, faces a three-year budget deficit of $26.2 billion. The reason? Wall Street, the state's financial engine, is, to put it mildly, in need of a tune up. Dwindling Wall Street profits have led to a drop in tax revenue, putting the state, Paterson said, in a recession.

Wall Street. There's the problem: The State has allowed itself to become dependent on Wall Street to be its "financial engine." Trading stocks . . . Pushing paper . . . Taking one's cut . . . Easy money. . .

It wasn't always so. New York used to have a diversified economy. New York used to depend on Main Street.

We made things: in the steel mills and refineries of Buffalo ... in the knitting mills and electronic plants of Utica, Central New York and the Mohawk Valley ... in the garment district of New York City ... in the aircraft plants of Long Island.

We grew things ... from the apples, potatoes, and dairy products Upstate to the fresh vegetables and ducks on the coastal plain.

We moved things ... by barge, rail and road, and through ports ... leveraging topography and strategic location to get products to consumers cheaply.

Main Street and New York State thrived.

But we lost our vitality somewhere along the line ... and don't make, grow, or move to the extent that we used to. Others are paid now to do these things ... people far away. Sure, national and global policy changes and happenings can be blamed for New York's decline, but the current condition started to develop well before these things came into play.

Perhaps it was the shift in power in the direction of Wall Street due to the reapportionment of the state senate during the 1960s. Perhaps it was laziness: it's easier to push papers than build factories and keep them running. Perhaps it was greed and the desire for instant riches, people playing the system to get ahead. Or perhaps Main Street's needs were simply taken for granted while others were given higher priority. Regardless, government in New York State lost focus on what made Main Street work, placed heavy burdens on Main Street, and became dependent on Wall Street -- both literally for the money it took in, and figuratively as a way of conducting its own business. "Deals" were counted upon to solve all problems.

So now New York is having financial problems, and all on Main Street are expected to sacrifice. What will the people and businesses in New York have to do without? We still need government to protect us from crime, maintain our infrastructure, protect our environment, keep our food and water supplies safe, educate our children, and, generally, create and enforce rules and maintain a "safety net" of services that allow us to get along with one another with some semblance of order, civility, and dignity. Will these things be cut 5%, 10% or 25%? That seems to be the "easy" way of making "hard" decisions... make cuts across-the-board. Share the misery.

That approach ignores the reality that some cuts could be devastating while others will not be missed by the general public at all.

Here's a short list of what we could do without:

• $Millions for "Member items:" special projects for special people and groups that keep special legislators in office.
• $Millions for public jobs merely created as rewards to those politically connected.
• $Billions to school districts to reimburse most of the cost of construction projects. (Reimbursement rates above 50% (e.g. 100% for Utica's new plan) are "deals" for the construction lobby and encourage wasteful spending and experimentation rather than represent real needs of students. Old facilities are not the reason why Johnny can't read.)
• $Millions for overtime abuse by police, corrections officers, and others who are close to their retirement and are looking for their "high 3" years to inflate their pensions.
• $1Billion+ for the AMD chip fab in Luther Forest
• $150 million for IBM's latest proposed facility.
• $300+ million for the Yankees
• $400+ million for the Albany convention center.
• $Millions and millions more in specific subsidies for particular businesses or facilities (including $20 million for Marcy Nano)
• $Millions on "economic development" programs.
• $Millions for Authorities.
• You get the picture.

The above represents a Wall Street "Let's make a deal" mindset. Which is fine if you are risking your own money, and not the taxpayers'. Anyone with real experience in business will tell you that most new business ventures fail. Cut out the deals, instead . . .

Use the savings to balance the budget, slash taxes, get rid of business-robbing nuisance fees (including the Thruway tolls) . . . And then get out of the way while Main Street NYS decides for itself what will work in New York.

$2 Million Per Year . . .

That's what Oneida County taxpayers are losing on the new "Oneida County-Griffiss International Airport" according to the Observer-Dispatch today which asks the question "Is privatization the answer or a huge mistake?" Asking such a question now is like closing the barn door after the horse has escaped. . .

The huge mistake was moving the Oneida County Airport to Griffiss to begin with.

By now it is obvious that our County Executives, "rubber-stamp" Board of Legislators, and unnamed co-conspirators failed to give "due diligence":

• when they decided to move the County Airport to Griffiss.
• when they made the move without a plan for the old airport in Whitestown.
• when they arranged and later agreed for the State to take the old airport for a Homeland Security Training Center and renovated (destroyed) the terminal building for classrooms.
• when they entered into a long term lease of the old airport with the State with no escape clause.
• when they squandered federal funds to duplicate at Griffiss what they already had at the old airport.
• when they borrowed several times to duplicate at Griffiss what they already had at the old airport.

If you looked at the links, common sense should have told these people what they were getting us into. But common sense is out the window where there is money to be made and political careers to be advanced. It is obvious that some people must have gotten awfully rich with all the new construction. And given the lack of transparency in all the above decisions, it's obvious that people were given their marching orders. (There are lessons to be learned here, but won't be, because the local media fails to examine the who and how behind the decisions.) But where do we go from here?

When you realize that you've dug yourself into a hole, the first thing you should do is to stop digging!

At this point, the County is prepared to dig deeper! Questions are being asked that are not being adequately answered. Again, we have a proposed contract with no escape clause if things do not work out.

Mr. Fiorini pushed for the move to Rome which got us into this mess, and has in the past cut off questioning. That needs to stop. We should have no confidence that the County has researched its options (as claimed by Mr. Picente) based on the County's track record to date.

Privatization can bring to Oneida County the expertise that it obviously lacks. It could also create a convenient scapegoat when things go under (which may be the motivating factor here). Regardless, business-as-usual must end. No more borrowing, no more unanswered questions, and no more contracts without provisions that protect the taxpayers if things don't go as planned.

Pataki Chutzpah . . .

Can you believe how "full of himself" this guy is: Pataki sees museum noting his Albany years.

Three-term governor and failed presidential hopeful George Pataki has a new project: a museum and learning center honoring his administration. . .

Top Pataki aides are raising money for the museum, which has little precedent among U.S. museums or educational institutions. . . .

Backers hope to raise $500,000 in private funds in the first year . . . The effort is being headed by Charles Gargano, who was Pataki's top statewide economic development official.

Hopefully Mr. Gargano and Mr. Pataki will be successful: As successful as they were at reviving the upstate economy and as successful as they were at controlling state spending.

New York's current fiscal mess was not created by the Spitzer/Patterson administration. It was created by Mr. Pataki's abandonment of the conservative principles that got him elected in the first place. After the welcome initial housecleaning and honeymoon (about 18 months) he became every bit as bad as what preceded him -- only the faces of the friends on the take changed.

His desire for a museum to honor his Albany years aptly demonstrates how out of touch he was with what he was creating.

My 2 Cents: Griffiss Port

After some thought, and since it's my blog, here's my own offering in the name-the-airport contest:

"Griffiss Port"

I believe that "less is more" on this issue . . . more honest . . . but with more potential.

Griffiss as an "International Airport" really sounds like a joke... Oneida County acting too big for its britches. No offense, Mr. Picente, I understand that you want "international" to emphasize its port-of-entry status, but to most people, an "international airport" means international passenger service -- and Griffiss has no scheduled passenger service of any kind, nor the facilities to accommodate same.

But Griffiss IS a port, with the potential to be a very good one. . . . for cargo. It has not only rail and highway connections, but it's on the Erie canal. Dropping "air" from "airport" allows for the intermodal nature of Griffiss: it can be a rail port, highway port, and canal port all at once. Calling it a "port" also suggests its importance for cargo (which I think is the only niche this airport will successfully fit into) without limiting it to cargo.

Anyway, that's my 2 cents: Griffiss Port. Simple, honest, and a name that can be grown into. . . and bought into by all of Central New York.

It's the Label, Silly . . .

NOW I understand why the Oneida County taxpayers are pouring millions into the new airport: It's for the LABEL:

The county Board of Legislators’ Ways and Means Committee voted Wednesday evening to move a resolution that would rename the airport “Oneida County-Griffiss International Airport.”

“Oneida County-Griffiss International Airport.” It almost takes one's breath away!

After the laughter from Syracuse (and maybe locally) dies down, the OC Board of Legislators needs to reconsider their proposed name.

In his letter, Picente suggested calling the airport Griffiss International Airport.

I actually find myself agreeing with the County Executive on this. "Oneida County-Griffiss International Airport" is too cumbersome. "Griffiss" has historical significance and already enjoys name recognition on its own among aviators (the market for the facility) - recognition that does not need to be diluted by "Oneida County." Lastly, "Griffiss" signifies something bigger than "Rome," bigger than "Utica-Rome" and even bigger than "Oneida & Herkimer Counties" combined, because all of these are far to small to justify such a huge airport (and, more than likely, to keep it going financially).

A few years ago, some Syracuse-area legislators actually suggested that Griffiss be used as an alternative to their own Hancock International for air cargo, in order to avoid having to make some expensive additions and impacts to their neighborhoods. It's unknown if those additions were ever made, but if they were not, there's Griffiss' market: all of Central New York, from Auburn to Canajoharie including Greater Syracuse, Greater Utica, and Rome. And think again if you think that a "regional" airport will not receive support. People in Greater Binghamton, Elmira-Corning, and Ithaca are considering jettisoning their respective airports in favor of a centrally located regional one.

"Oneida County"-Griffiss International is too provincial.

Griffiss (alone) is a name that all of Central New York can identify with. . . .

(. . . and maybe our friends in Syracuse will stop laughing if they think about the possibilities. . . .)

No Standing . . .

It's funny that I had go to the Buffalo News to find this bit of local news: Judge kills suit to force collection of tax on cigarettes sold by Indians.

A State Supreme Court justice has dismissed a state lawmaker’s lawsuit seeking to force the collection of taxes on cigarettes sold by Indian retailers. . . .

State Supreme Court Justice Robert A. Sackett tossed out the legal challenge by a North Country convenience store and Assemblyman David R. Townsend Jr., a Republican from Kirkland in the Utica area, saying neither had the legal standing to bring the action.

"No standing" . . . That means that Justice Sackett avoided ruling on the merits of Assemblyman Townsend's case . . .

"No standing" . . . I guess that means that State Legislators have no standing to sue to ensure that the laws they pass are enforced. . . .

"No standing" . . . I guess that means that someone who is harmed by the unequal enforcement of tax laws has no standing to see that the inequity is fixed.

"No standing?" Why bother having a Judicial System?

OC Sewer Gestapo: Looking for YOU!

In one of the most brazen displays of blame shifting, Oneida County Government claims that the "Source of sewer problem may be private residences"

In other words Oneida County says that YOU are the problem!

“We are pretty convinced that a major part of this problem is on the private side of things between the line in the street and the house,” Oneida County Water Quality and Water Pollution Control Commissioner Steven Devan said Tuesday. . .

In heavy rains, stormwater floods into sanitary sewers, overwhelming the Sauquoit Creek pumpstation. Raw sewage then is mixed in with stormwater that pours into the Mohawk River.

County studies show much of the stormwater that enters the sewer system might come from private residences, Devan said.

For example, some older homes might have roof gutters or sump pumps that are connected to the sanitary sewer lines, he said.

“If we don’t solve the private side of this thing and make repairs on the private side, we probably will never get a handle on this,” Devan said.

No doubt storm water is entering the sewer system through private residences. Some people may have illegally tied their sump pumps into separated sanitary waste lines, and those people should be expected to fix their situations.

But roof gutters and sump pumps leading to combined (sanitary + storm water) sewers was common practice many years ago, and is one of the reasons why the Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) was originally permitted at the Sauquoit Creek Pump Station in Yorkville: Pressure in the combined system caused by storm water was allowed to be released by an overflow into the river, rather than by backing up into people's basements. The system was intended to work that way . . . and it was perfectly legal.

The system was never a "problem" -- and there was no illegality -- until Oneida County and (primarily) Suburban Towns decided it was to their benefit to "grow," and allowed new developments -- which have separate sanitary waste and storm water lines -- to tie their sanitary waste lines into the old combined sewer system. This allowed tax bases to expand while the County and municipalities avoided the cost of constructing new treatment facilities to handle the concentrated sanitary waste from the separate lines. Once "the problem" was discovered, the US EPA declared the CSO illegal and, effectively, all the old developments with combined sewers are now going to have to remove storm water from their systems -- systems that were designed to convey storm water.

The villages of Clayville, New York Mills, Yorkville, Whitesboro, New Hartford and Oriskany are the places most likely to have combined sewers, because they were settled many years ago when combined sewers were accepted practice. As long as combined sewers continue to exist, making people unhook their roof drains and sump pumps from combined sewers accomplishes little. The storm water has to go somewhere, and will simply run off the land, into the street and back into the combined system. But today's article suggests that this may be what people will be expected to do.

Ultimately, separate waste and storm water lines will be the solution to the now-illegal CSO. But the problem was not caused by the people with roof drains connected to the sewers. It was caused by the County allowing developments with separated sanitary lines to tie into a combined sewer system.

Before the County sends its sewer Gestapo to make people disconnect roof drains and sump pumps, it needs to identify where the combined sewers are located, and hold the people connected to those sewers harmless.

EXCELing at Fiscal Irresponsiblity . . .

Today on the Utica School District TV channel, Board President Ms. Klein was joined by the local heads of the teachers' union and the construction union to push for the Utica School District's $187 million capital program. Everyone is on board it seems, ready to cash in. Public money is being counted upon to pull contractors out of their slump. This is being pushed as "free money" because all the construction will be funded by state aid under various programs, and a full court press is going on to get you to pull the "yes" lever tomorrow.

Of course, no one tells the taxpayers what the completed project will mean in additional facilities to heat, light, staff and maintain ... One could have hoped that local leaders would have used the funds to make facilities that would cost the taxpayers less in the long run to operate . . . but since no one claims that the project will do this, you can be sure that this project will cause future operation and maintenance costs to go up. Think about that when you pull the lever.

Utica's scenario is being played out in school districts all across the state with proportionate dollar amounts to be spent elsewhere. In Utica, $187 million works out to be over $3200 for every man, woman and child in the city. Imagine these kinds of expenditures everywhere else in New York State. Big money! A bonanza that caters to big blocks of voters: Teachers unions, the construction lobby, and parents who have been duped into thinking that such spending will educate their children. It also rewards those school districts who have done a lousy job maintaining their facilities. (Does anyone remember the tennis ball in the roof drain that caused a roof to cave in at one Utica school years ago?) Thank you, Ex-Gov. Pataki for catering to the special interests and leaving the taxpayers with such a wonderful parting gift. This kind of spending will bankrupt the state.

Small wonder that the state is now in a fiscal crisis. We'll find out just how bad it is tomorrow night.

So vote as you please on the UCSD proposal . . . but if I were the governor, this outrageous spending on these school construction projects is the very first thing that I would cut.

No Daylight on the Knights . . .

It's been how long since the Knights of Columbus headquarters in Downtown Utica was ravaged by fire and closed? A couple years? Yet, there it still stands with the "no trespassing" sign prominently posted in front.... a local landmark ... the large yellow brick building attached to the rear, all boarded up.

What is going on here? Was there insurance? Why no reconstruction?

Perhaps it is none of our business, because the Knights of Columbus is a private organization . . . But it IS our business when there is BLIGHT on Genesee Street . . . which is exactly what this is. This is particularly annoying being next to the Public Library and across from the Munson-Williams-Proctor Museum of Art

The Knights need to get off the stick and fix their buildings.

Great Lakes Compact - A Local Caution . . .

Good news (from the Buffalo News) for the Great Lakes States is coming out of Congress:

Congress is likely to ratify — possibly this year — the Great Lakes Compact, an agreement among the eight Great Lakes states — including New York — that bans most water diversions, the lawmakers said.

This region -- a/k/a "The Rust Belt" -- has lost many people and jobs to other parts of the country in warmer climes. And it is those fast-growing "other parts of the country" that now find themselves running out of water.

Lawmakers said they think the compact is hugely important because the demand for fresh water is expected to grow exponentially in the coming years — and the Great Lakes possesses a fifth of the world’s surface fresh water.

“We all see what’s happened with oil,” said Rep. Vern Ehlers, R-Mich. “The same thing is likely to happen with water— but it’s likely to be worse.”

Without the protections provided by the compact, drier states might try to strike deals to extract the lakes’ waters, said Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio.

“They’ve been stealing our jobs, which led me to ask: Are they going to steal our water, too?” Voinovich asked.

At some point, people and jobs just may come back here to be near this supply of water. . . .

There is a caution, however, that our Oneida-Herkimer County officials need to be concerned about:

Western Oneida County is in the Great Lakes Basin, and would still be able to tap abundant Great Lakes water if needed (part of the County already does). Eastern Oneida County, including Greater Utica, and Herkimer County, are out of the basin, and would not be permitted to draw upon Great Lakes water.

The Great Lakes Compact makes it even more imperative that the Mohawk Valley Water Authority's expansion plans for Verona (in the Great Lakes basin) be denied. Verona will continue to have access to an almost endless supply; Greater Utica and Herkimer County will not.

With that in mind, good sense would dictate that resources east of the Great Lakes Basin be reserved for users east of the Great Lakes Basin.

Tug-O-War Over Chip Plant (2)

In a follow up to last Friday's post on the chip plant "Tug-O-War" the Albany Times-Union reports:

Officials in Oneida County are making a play to attract a $125 million computer chip research facility proposed last week by IBM Corp. and the University at Albany. . . .

It appears that Albany and the Capital Region would be a logical choice for the facility, but that hasn't been determined, NanoCollege spokesman Steve Janack said. Rensselaer County has also been talked about as a possible site.

"No decisions have been made about location for a facility, or anything along those lines," Janack said. "The intent of the investment is to create opportunity across upstate New York. Clearly no decisions have been made."

At least Utica-Rome is getting some positive press in the Capital District and "no decisions have been made."

In the 'Truth in Labeling' Dept . . . .

A couple stories this week were interesting more for their labels than their content.

Utica region in running for nanotech support jobs -- Was it a slip calling us the "Utica" region, or is the OD finally becoming sensitive to the fact that we need to properly label ourselves if we want to be found on a map?

It was probably a slip . . .

One of the state university system’s leading nanotechnology officials said Monday that Albany intends for the Mohawk Valley to benefit from plans for a 120,000-square-foot semiconductor packaging facility.

At least the state official seems to understand the significance of accurate labels:

“We are focused on building the relationship to make sure that the Utica-Rome area hopefully gets a significant portion, if not the lion’s share, of the contractor and supplier jobs that will support the facility,” said Alain Kaloyeros, chief executive officer of the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering at the University of Albany.

"Utica-Rome" . . . now that's more like it (and accurate). But read the tea leaves . . . the plant itself will not be in Utica-Rome.

* * *

Marketing the Mohawk River corridor -- Oneida County officials are developing a "Comprehensive Greenway Plan for the Mohawk River Corridor" from Sylvan Beach to Utica, to develop and market environmental and historic sites along the Mohawk River and Erie Canal. A meeting will take place 6:30 tonight at Rome City Hall to inform the public about the project.

Today’s meeting serves a dual purpose of outlining what has already been done, as well as drawing greater interest from the public, said Andrew Schrauth of Peter J. Smith & Company, which was hired to study and oversee the planning of the project. . . .

Fred Miller, executive director of the Mohawk Valley Heritage Corridor Commission, attended a public meeting on the project earlier this year and said he agrees with its goals.

But, he questioned why the project’s name included the Mohawk River instead of just Oneida County.

“I will strongly request that they not miss-brand the 150 mile, historic Mohawk River with a name for a 25 mile or so pathway between Utica and Rome,” Miller said in an e-mail.

Schrauth said he eventually hopes to incorporate all communities along the Mohawk River into the project.

Mr. Miller is upset because his organization truly covers the entire Mohawk Valley! If you were in his shoes, you would think Oneida County was infringing on your turf. Mr. Schrauth, on the other hand, seems to have ambitions that extend beyond Oneida County. (Mr. Schrauth's company, by the way, does a lot of business for the Town of New Hartford.)

This may give a bit of insight into why some local organizations may have abandoned more accurate place labels for a "Mohawk Valley" brand . . . and why others may be offended.

[Gear presents another aspect of this particular story in the Snakepit.]

Planting Progress in Proctor Park

The folks at the CNY Conservancy are doing a fine job 'polishing' the 'gem' of the Utica City Park System, Proctor Park! Take a break and enjoy it.

As If We Can Afford It . . .

After locking away the Old Oneida County Airport in Whitestown in a long term deal with State Homeland Security that has not produced a fraction of the activity originally promised (with little sign that it will ever do so), "Picente to push for private firm running airport." This time the County Executive wants a 10 year deal with "Million Air" to run the New airport in Rome's fixed base operations. Apparently, there are some significant expenses that the County will have to take on in this endeavor.

Picente said such investments were needed if the airport was to grow.

“I’m going to show the contract and the differences and what was Whitestown and what is now Griffiss,” he said, referring to the older and smaller county airport in Whitestown. “And why the investment has to be so much larger, but also why the potential is so much larger.”

Let's see. The Whitestown Airport served our needs well when our metro (Oneida-Herkimer Counties) population was 335,000 and our sales and property taxes were a fraction of what they are now. Now that our metro population has dropped to about 295,000 with the trend expected to continue, we need something "so much larger" because of "potential."

Frankly, I would have been happier just retaining our past reality than this "so much larger" future "potential."

This is just one more thing to increase taxes, killing off any "potential" we've got left.

Around the State . . .

No Surprise Here: Albany's 'big 3' fail to reach compromise on property tax cap. . . And it's not even a 'cap' . . . just a limit on how fast taxes can increase. . . Excelsior . . .

Nor Here: AMD factory still on track although "New York state's $1.2 billion incentive package offered to AMD expires in 12 months" raises an interesting question, "what if?"

Nor Here: Nuclear Operator Seeks to End Revenue Deal With State. Planning to close nuke plants? We should be opening MORE!

The New York (Thru) Way

Excelsior . . . Ever Upward . . . It's the New York Way . . . at least when it comes to taxes and fees.

Following the recent Toll Hike, traffic on the Thruway has declined so much that the Authority can't pay for planned road maintenance and will have to scale back... Looks like we'll be getting more for our money: More Bumps!

It's no surprise that the toll hike was followed by less traffic. Mayor Bloomburg tried to reduce traffic in Manhattan by adding a toll . . . but the people there would have nothing of it . . . We can't interfere with Manhattan's economic vitality, now, can we? But Upstate? There is apparently nothing there because no one is complaining.

The Thruway needs to be toll-free, like almost all the other interstates both in NY and in the rest of the country. . . . but we hear not a peep from Ms. Destito, Mr. Townsend or Mr. Griffo.

Can we dump these people . . . please?

Tug-O-War Over Chip Plant

There's a Tug-O-War going on over the state's second taxpayer-subsidized computer chip plant -- this one by IBM.

The problem for us: Marcy isn't a player.

Can we dump EDGE . . . PLEASE? And while we're at it, can we dump our Albany representatives, too? All the good stuff is going to areas that are already thriving.

PM Update: Picente urges Gov. to bring IBM expansion to area. Someone commented "pipedream" and that's pretty accurate. Picente compadres, former County Execs. Eannace and Griffo, appear to have gone along to get along to advance in their own political careers while Joe Bruno walked all over this area. I did not hear CE Eannace complain even once that the state had potential chip makers touring a Saratoga County site that was not even off the drawing board while our Marcy site was (supposedly) "shovel ready." CE Griffo said nothing either. Now Republican Picente expects Democrat Patterson to deliver the goods? Give me a break!

OD: Down For the Count?

Gear has the details in the Snakepit.

State Ed Skullduggery . . .

Leave it to our Board of Regents and State Educrats to screw things up -- and burn a ton of our money while doing it. Per yesterday's Associated Press and Times Union: "Scoring low no bar to passing."

New York's new integrated algebra test administered in June was so hard that a student could get a "raw score" of 30 points out of a possible 87 and still pass.

Wait a minute ... What could be more objective, easier to score, and less subject to "interpretation," than mathematics? If X + 4 = 10, then X=6 . . . Right? Well . . . This is New York, where government jobs are created to substitute for real ones -- where it takes 10 people and 3 politically appointed supervisors to do the work done by one in India (or the NY of 50 years ago).

A student can answer less than half of the questions right and still pass because State Ed uses a "scale score" for the grade, allegedly giving more points for more "difficult" questions.

. . . the Board of Regents says it uses them because it's a more accurate gauge of whether students are meeting standards for understanding a subject...

...Test questions for Regents exams are devised in committee by some of the state's top teachers and are field tested before they make it to a Regents exam...

After the June test, the state also had to issue a directive clarifying how to score one question for partial credit...

And you thought it was simple! This is complicated stuff - - you will get the bill next April.

Look, what is going on here is sorting . . . grading students in relation to each other rather than in relation to what they should or should not know. What is "hard" or "easy" or "appropriate" or "challenging" is pretty much in the eye of the beholder - - unless you are the one making the rules. These words describe performance rather than knowledge. That is why scoring directives must be sent -- why teachers are even given special seminars on how to score exams. And when performance is graded, you may be inadvertently grading things like physical, mental or social maturation, interest, outlook, even political perspective. Take a look at the new standards . . . they are quite vague in so far as what a student is expected to KNOW. Knowledge, on the other hand, is easy to score: you either know the material (and get a point) or you don't (and get zero).

So when you read of the "hard" algebra regents and State Ed using a scaled score, ask yourself:
Is State Ed hiding the fact that the students really don't know the material.

Utica Name Dropped Again . . . (2)

The more I think about this (Utica Name Dropped Again . . .) the angrier I become. The taxpayers of Utica take a huge hit on this event every year, not to mention suffer a huge inconvenience. It is suburban snobbery that wants to remove the name 'Utica' . . . taking advantage of the city's services, but pretending it does not exist. The "Regionalization" argument made by Tim Reed (like other 'regionalization' arguments) is Rubbish. People from all around have always been and felt welcome to participate in the event.

Utica needs to stand tall, put its foot down, and not allow itself to be walked upon. Mayor Roefaro holds the cards. He needs to show he has some cajones and say: "If no 'Utica,' then no permits and no race."

Enough is Enough!

Sign the online petition to keep Utica in the Boilermaker.

Utica Name Dropped Again . . .

The disappearing ‘Utica’ name is finally getting attention from places other than this blog -- this time from the O-D. In the front-page story published in print today, “Road race marketing limiting Utica mention” (which seems to have mysteriously disappeared from the OD's website), the OD notes that ‘Utica’ will be removed from the 2009 Boilermaker logo, and also seems to be lacking from the race’s website. Supposedly the organizers want a more “regional” identity. Former Mayor Julian believes that this would be the loss of an area marketing tool. Mayor Roefaro, however, does not have a problem with it. . . Could Roefaro be right?

The City of Utica is so closely associated with the Boilermaker Road Race that its name may not have to be attached. The Boilermaker will still be Utica’s ‘signature event.’ The thousands of runners converging on Utica from all over the country and beyond is probably all the “marketing” that is needed. The Running of the Bulls = Pamplona, Spain. Il Palio = Siena, Italy. The Boilermaker = Utica. The name is there, whether it’s legible or not.

The race organizers have arranged a spectacular, well-run event. But they’ve done something more: They’ve grown a sense of community pride in a place where people have lost much to be proud of. The Boilermaker’s close association with the ‘Utica’ name over these many years has given Uticans a sense of ownership in the event. This is really THEIR race … and like proud homeowners, THEY want it to shine. . . And they make it so. . . by the thousands … with water ... funny hats … ethnic costumes and dancing ... music ... and more. Many of these people normally would care less about running, or who wins ... but they cheer everyone on, spurring them to do their personal best. Given statistics, many probably don't have two nickels to rub together . . . but they give what they have and they give their all . . . It is the participation of the throng lining the route that sets the Boilermaker apart from other races. Watch other major road races on TV, and you will see how dead the others are in comparison. The ‘pride of ownership’ -- Utica's pride -- makes the difference.

No, Utica does not need to have its name attached to ‘Boilermaker’ as a marketing tool . . . But maybe the reverse is true: The Boilermaker needs to keep ‘Utica’ attached to its name. Without 'Utica,' the Boilermaker is just another 15k race.

The Tradewinds Are Blowing . . .

Barely a week after the Observer-Dispatch complained that Utica's proposal to charge user fees would hurt Not For Profit (NFP) organizations, we see a Guest Column, a "Special to the Observer-Dispatch" singing the accolades of Upstate Cerebral Palsy’s Tradewinds Program. The Guest wrote:

My daughter has just graduated from this program. Every year, these special individuals give these special kids a chance to attend a prom. Limos, formal clothing and a wonderful dinner is donated by local merchants. They have a grand march, where each child is announced by name. Deejay music and dancing fill the cleverly decorated gym . . .

Is the timing of this editorial coincidence? Or is the OD trying to manipulate public sentiment, engendering sympathy for NFPs and opposition to the user fee proposal (not that the proposal does not have significant flaws)?

What we don't get from the OD is any reporting about what Tradewinds is.

A visit to Guidestar.org indicates that there is a Tradewinds Foundation, Inc., with a New Hartford mailing address, that provides

programs for handicapped and developmentally challenged individuals (primarily youths) and at-risk children, located in New York State, Florida, California and Maryland. The Charity's programs consisted of developmental activities for children and adults in need of special training . . .

The 2006 Federal Form 990 is interesting reading. According to the 990 on pages 35 and 39/44, the purpose of the foundation was to support various programs of United Cerebral Palsy and another NFP that work with children and adults, including the Tradewinds Special Education Center in Utica. I say "was" because further reading indicates that the organization was winding down operations (which involved boating operations of some sort). Officer compensation "from related organizations" was $322,694 for one officer, $112,347 for another, $53,099 for a third (the last figure still more than double the income of the median household in Utica, p. 23-4/44).

Not bad for officers of "charitable" organizations. Of course, these people I'm sure do much more than put on proms, because they are involved with related interlocking organizations that do many other things . . . but with such generous compensation packages, one has to wonder why such organizations would not be able to pay fees to Utica to clear the snow or repair the sidewalks at their Utica facilities.

Making the Most of The Mills . . .

In many respects New York Mills seems like a place that time forgot -- in a good way. It's a compact village of under 3500 residents where most places are within walking distance, people are friendly, there is a nice grocery store (Hapanowicz Market - with fantastic sausages made on the premises), Santa Claus rides through every neighborhood on a red firetruck during the holidays, and the schools have their own district. Most people know their neighbors, and if they don't, there are plenty of opportunities to meet them over the summer at the Tuesday night concerts at Pulaski Park.

The BEST of New York Mills will be on display this weekend at the annual Bell Festival with a parade, entertainment, food, and fireworks.

New York Mills is, indeed, a place apart . . . but can it continue?. . . Two stories this week raise some long standing concerns.

Mills residents are proud of their school system. Somehow the little village manages to keep it going . . . However, the school taxes are among the highest in a region where all school taxes are too high. . . . and this is in a village where average family incomes are below average in a region that is below average. If residents want to maintain the separate existence of their school system, they have to insist that things be done to bring down school taxes - - - otherwise the district may wind up being merged with an adjoining one to keep people from being taxed out of their homes.

An opportunity to do something about school taxes was passed up this week. With very little fanfare, much less exploring options, the NYM school board promoted one of its own administrators to be superintendent to replace outgoing Supt. Langone. This would have been the ideal time to try going without this position. Simply put, a school district as tiny as the Mills does not need a superintendent -- and, indeed, it is my understanding that the district (when it had more students) did without one for many years.

Another troubling story this week was that a group of residents felt compelled to bring suit against the village to enforce its own laws! People like living in small villages because they believe they have more control over their own environment --- that their government will respond to their needs better than some larger form of jurisdiction.

Well . . . the Mills has just demonstrated that a village does not necessarily respond to or protect its people any more than a Town or a County. Why bother having a village government when the residents have to spend their own money to ensure that the village's laws are enforced?

So this weekend while whirling on the polka floor, downing pierogis or pizza frittas or shortcakes, or eying the fireworks, ponder this:

Being small has its advantages . . . but unless leaders work to preserve those advantages, the reasons for New York Mills' separate existence will disappear.

Plunging Populations . . . Exactly What We Deserve!

We open the paper this morning to read "Utica and Rome losing population," and "Herkimer Co. villages losing residents. " People awoke to similar headlines in Buffalo, Albany, Niagara Falls, Rochester, Syracuse, and Binghamton.

No surprises here. Just read the comments on the Utica-Rome post. Everyone knows that New York's style of government makes it impossible for people and businesses Upstate to make ends meet. The cause:

• Government spends too much
• We have too much government.
• Government makes the wrong choices.

But ultimately, WE are all to blame . . . We tolerate the government we have (or even ask for more of the same) rather than change it.

Some Good Advice . . .

Some good advice (for a change) is offered by the OD editors to the Utica school board, along with a bit of criticism.

The Utica City School District is filled with immense potential and opportunity, yet its leadership continually manages to turn the simple into the complicated, the sure thing into the missed opportunity.

Lou LaPolla gets a bit of an accolade:

For years, board member and former Utica Mayor Louis D. LaPolla has been one voice shouting into the wind as he’s criticized waste, inefficiency and poor management. Now, the board has selected him its vice president.

While Ms. Skermont seems to be taking the fall:

Skermont’s heart was in the right place, but she struggled with aspects of the job and mismanaged planning for the massive capital project that voters will consider later this month.

But I don't understand the deal with Ms. Barbara Klein, who demonstrates "a grip on power that’s been unusual on in recent years." She seems to be getting a pass. With all the nonsense that the residents of Utica have had to put up with from the Board . . .

Why are there no calls for Ms. Klein's resignation?

Fees for NFPs . . .

More ODd journalism yesterday. The editors of our local newspaper jump to oppose the proposal for Utica to assess annual "user" fees on ALL property owners -- including Not For Profits (NFPs) -- for such things as snow removal and sidewalk repairs, but fail to offer any data from Rochester, NY, where this has been done for years.

The OD editors raise valid concerns about fees possibly driving people and businesses out of the city and becoming excuses to increase spending. These are things that Utica needs to come to grips with, if fees are not going to create more problems than they solve. But that is why it is so important for the OD to explore what happened in Rochester.

The valid concerns, however, are no justification for not charging NFPs their "fair share" for the services they receive from Utica taxpayers. Per the OD editors:

But while nonprofits don’t pay taxes, they do provide human services this city could not do without. They reach out to the city’s poorest residents whose needs, if left unmet, might end up costing taxpayers even more. Places like Hope House, New Horizons, Catholic Charities, Thea Bowman House, dozens of houses of worship and so many more people-committed agencies provide essential services ranging from meals and clothing to day care and housing. Their clients are most often people caught in the cracks of life who have no place else to turn. . . .

Slapping a tax on that is not only wrong, it’s unconscionable. Any “fee” would only end up being paid by the same generous people who already donate time and money to keep the facilities going.

Every community has poor, and to the extent that they need services, they are everyone's responsibility. But for many, including the OD editors, the concept of "community" seems to stop at the city line, as though city policies made a high percentage of its citizens poor and needy. Of course, they did not.

For years Utica taxpayers were forced by law to pay significantly higher taxes than the surrounding jurisdictions in order to fund welfare programs for the poor. This made sense at the time the laws were drawn because municipal boundaries were the boundaries of the "community" economically speaking, containing both its rich and poor.

With the advent of the automobile, however, it became practical for people to make their living in the city, while living in another jurisdiction near by. It also became possible for people to leave the high taxes of the city behind. While many who could afford to move just wanted more space and that new house, the low if non-existent local taxes in the suburbs were also an attraction. (My understanding is that New Hartford at one time had NO Town taxes.) The rest is history. Wealth concentrated in the new "suburbs" while the city became increasingly poor . . . which, in a perverted feedback-loop, raised city taxes and drove even more to the 'burbs. The stark contrast between homes in Cornhill and those just 2-3 miles away in the upper Tilden Ave and Higby Road areas of New Hartford is breathtaking. No one wants to deny those in New Hartford their fabulous homes -- they worked long and hard for them -- but why should they not have to shoulder the burden of municipal services to the region's NFPs while those in Utica do?

The OD's solution is for the city to "tighten its belt," but how can that work when Utica has the lion's share of the region's tax exempt properties, owned by the NFPs, as well as taxpayers who have the region's lowest incomes? The OD's solution is no solution.

While the OD editors periodically beat the "racism" drum, they apparently are OK with "class-ism" -- safe behind their municipal boundary wall.

Stacking Up Schools . . .

Steve Schiavi has a thoughtful article in this week's Life & Times going over the report cards from our local schools. As expected, the New Hardford district did the best. What was interesting was how some of the Utica schools did in relation to each other. King did the best overall, and Watson Williams came in fourth. Both are inner city schools -- which should tell you that no matter where these kids come from, if you know what you are doing you can achieve success. Perhaps a surprise was how poorly Kernan did, coming in as the worst school in Utica. It once was a great school. How painful to read of one's alma mater this way . . .

But Kernan's dead last performance should be no surprise to readers of this blog. You remember that Krazy Kernan Skewl . . . with its Kollege Daze? and Yoga Klasses? and seminars on Kommunity service . . . and Health Klinics.

. . . Anything but Reading 'Riting and 'Rithmatic!

Meanwhile Utica School administrator Bernadette Eichler has an editorial in the OD pushing the upcoming capital project. According to Ms. Eichler . . .

Over the years, I have worked with brilliant, creative and caring administrators, teachers, members of the Utica Board of Education, college staff and community members.

Their wisdom, leadership, support and ideas did indeed bring the students in the Utica district to a higher level of academic achievement. These abilities and talents also created a stimulating environment for learning, as well as provide opportunities for students to explore and try new ideas.

Now this leadership and support groups of Utica have an unbelievable opportunity to once again demonstrate their wisdom and talents by supporting the $187.6 million bond issue.

Wow. These are the same people who studied a project for months that they could not carry out, shuffled administrators like they were a deck of cards, couldn't keep student schedules straight, ran out of textbooks, and spent a ton of money at Proctor and now want to spend more at the same school. Did Ms. Eichler "slip" with the reference to "support groups" in the quote above. One suspects that the spending really isn't to benefit the kids, but to benefit the "support groups" and all the others who are allegedly there to "help" the kids, but are really helping themselves . . . to a lot of money.

We saw what happened with the Millennium fiasco: $37 million was spent building a school that required administrators in quadruplicate.

Before pulling the lever for this allegedly "free" now-$187 million project, ask:

What will the capital construction plan mean in terms of additional square footage to be maintained? Additional personnel for staffing? Additional costs for heating, electricity, communications? Reorganization of students and transportation costs?

If history is our guide, this spending will beget permanent increases in costs for operation and maintenance that will likely break the backs of Utica taxpayers . . . and probably create more distractions to real learning.

Rearranging Deck Chairs in Syracuse . . .

The engineering firm O'Brien and Gere, with its 300 employees, is going to be moving from suburban to downtown Syracuse thanks to a $6.5 million gift from the NYS taxpayers that will be applied toward construction of a 6-story, multi-tenant, $25 million office building.

"This isn't about O'Brien and Gere, it's about the community, public private partnerships, to do something to restore the vitality of the city of Syracuse," said O'Brien and Gere CEO Terry Brown.

Meanwhile, across town, following the loss of 330 jobs at New Process Gear in March, 250 are immediately out of a job at Magna International, and another 42 are laid off at CXtec. To the north in Jefferson County another 75 will be out of work Friday when Brownville Specialty Paper closes.

Down the Mohawk Valley, another State subsidized move is having some negative repercussions in Canajoharie whose water and sewer rates are expected to skyrocket 250% after Beach-Nut moves 20 miles to suburban Amsterdam.

While it's nice to see the State encouraging redevelopment of a city in the Syracuse project as opposed to sprawl in the suburbs, spending money to move employees from one place to another while plants close or make layoffs is like . . .

Rearranging deck chairs on a sinking ship.

ODd Journalism (3)

I don't normally link to forum articles, but this one on Utica Topix about our local newspaper: GATEHOUSE PUBLISHER HELPS DESTROY CITY was a good read.

"If the only newspaper in our area has become a deceptive, sly snake, with an agenda that corrupts us and spews venom and poison on us, perhaps we should kill it, whether it's our only "newspaper" or not." -- "Bouncer"

Indeed!

ICU . . .

I came across an interesting blog while searching for information on Utica's Harbor Point. It's called "ICU" by "CNY Urban Guy" - - - who is believed to be a beloved Utica long-time radio personality, master of ceremonies, former public official, and all around "good guy." It's been around for a few months and has a lot of videos featuring interesting local spots (such as Utica Harbor) that often are overlooked. A great read . . . and a great addition to the Blog Roll.

Is that you, Lou?

Training Shmaining . . .

The Observer Dispatch continues to keep its fingers crossed in hoping that the NYS Homeland Security Training Center at the old Oneida County Airport amounts to something, and points to a doubling of the number of students as progress.

Sorry . . .Two times almost nothing is still almost nothing.

Homeland Security's list of upcoming courses from July through December is rather sparse: 24 courses, only 16 of which are offered in Oriskany, and most of those are only 1-day affairs. This is hardly worth tying up the old Oneida County Airport Terminal Building, much less than discarding what had been well-maintained runways and other associated facilities.

Can't the OD read the tea-leaves? This was never a serious project.

As I posted back on 12/05/05:

Choosing the Airport for this facility does three things that benefit Mr. Griffo, the County Legislature and our local state-level elected officials (but not the people):

1) It provides an instant solution to the problem of what to do with the Old County Airport -- a problem that they created by choosing to move the airport to Griffiss without first determining a plan for the old one.

2) It ENSURES that Utica-New Hartford-Whitesboro, or the Oneida Nation, or some enterprising entrepreneur (like the one who created a housing development where people had their private planes in their garages), will NOT continue airport operations there -- avoiding potential competition for the new Griffiss facility.

3) Our Albany reps can claim to have "brought home the bacon."

I predict that very little benefit will come of this.

This situation has been painful to watch 'develop': 1/1/08, 9/13/07, 8/31/07, 2/27/07, 1/18/07, 3/24/06.

Pull the plug, kick 'em out, and market the old airport as an airport for private use.