U Knew This 2 . . .

USA Today: Wyo. named most tax friendly state; N.Y. Worst

The Tax Foundation considers New York to have the worst business climate of all states. While the state actually ranked in the better half in terms of corporate taxes, its individual income tax policy was ranked the worst in the country. The state collected $1,864 in personal income taxes per capita in 2011, higher than all other states. In addition, the Tax Foundation considered the state's unemployment taxes and property tax policies among the most burdensome of all states. Nevertheless, 17 of the 2012 Fortune 100 companies are located in New York, with nine of these companies among the Fortune 50. . . . despite the tax burden, many companies, especially large ones, are attracted to New York due to such factors as its large population and proximity to Wall Street.

Of course, the state's "large population" and "proximity to Wall Street" benefit us in Utica, Syracuse and Buffalo how?

Where does NY's ranking leave Upstate?

NY: Home of the Least Free . . .

You knew it . . . When they passed a law in the middle of the night to make law-abiding citizens register their guns and limited what they could have.

You knew it . . . When they offered a $500 bounty for one neighbor to turn in another for gun ownership.

You knew it . . . When they passed a minimum wage bill and buried in the text the provision that you would be paying for it.

You knew it . . . When they took your tax dollars and started giving them to certain designated businesses while you can barely afford to keep  your own going.

You knew it . . . When they took away your water rights without even asking you if it was OK.

You knew it . . . When they started using your children to collect information on you.

You knew it . . . and now so does the rest of the nation:   New York is the Least Free of all the states. 

Now, what are you going to do about it?

Keeping Tabs . . .

From WND: Bill Gates' $100 million database to track students

... a massive $100 million public-school database spearheaded by the $36.4 billion-strong Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has been in the making that freely shares student information with private companies.The system has been in operation for several months and already contains millions of K-12 students’ personal identification ‒ ranging from name, address, Social Security number, attendance, test scores, homework completion, career goals, learning disabilities, and even hobbies and attitudes about school. . . .

And this is not just Mr. Gates . . .

. . .the Gates Foundation, entered the joint venture with the Carnegie Corporation of New York and school officials from a number of states. After Rupert Murdoch’s Amplify Education (a division of News Corp) spent more than a year developing the system’s infrastructure, the Gates Foundation delivered it to inBloom ‒ a nonprofit corporation recently established to run the database. . . . . . Louisiana, which, along with New York, is slated to input virtually all student records statewide. . .

Of course, longtime readers of this blog know that government collection and sharing of assumed private information on students and their families has occurred right under our noses in Utica through a federal grant:  The "Safe Schools" Project -- What's the real intent? (2002)

The same question can be asked here.

But Is It Constitutional?

OD: Taxpayers to subsidize NY's higher minimum wage.

The hike in New York's minimum wage is a big win for Democrats, but a provision buried inside the tentative state budget shows taxpayers will be paying much of the bill. The "minimum wage reimbursement credit" . . . would reimburse employers for part of the difference in wages from the current $7.25 minimum wage as it rises to $9 an hour by 2016.

 Article VI Section 8 of the NY State Constitution provides as follows:

1. The money of the state shall not be given or loaned to or in aid of any private corporation or association, or private undertaking; nor shall the credit of the state be given or loaned to or in aid of any individual, or public or private corporation or association, or private undertaking . . .

Somehow I don't think this is about helping the needy with a "living wage", but, rather, asserting government control over a larger segment of the economy through employees and employers alike. 

Congressional Condescension . . .

From the Oneida Dispatch: Congressman tells elementary student to watch more than just Fox News

U.S. Rep. Richard Hanna, R-22, visited students at Otto Shortell Middle School on March 22 and answered their questions about the world of politics. . . .
Toward the end of his visit, Hanna was introduced to 4th-grade North Broad Elementary student Dylan Price, who offered the congressman his own take on the federal budget in writing. He’d like to see massive cuts in spending. Hanna promised Price he’d give the note to the president the next time he sees him and suggested the boy stop watching Fox News more than the other news channels.

A boy expresses his concern over federal spending  (and, by implication, the federal debt that he will be expected to assume), and the Congressman responds by speculating on the boy's viewing habits and changing the subject to Fox News.

Hanna commented that Price’s advocacy of sweeping cuts to Medicare, prisons and other important programs, makes his proposed budget Tea Party worthy.

That's it Mr. Congressman!  Marginalize the person giving an opinion by appending the "Tea Party" label instead of addressing the issue.

Marginalizing a Fourth Grader . . . 

Amazing! 

Close But No Cigar...

From the Sentinel: Firm picks Lysander; no job harvest for county.

A site in Onondaga County has won out over Oneida County as the home for a new plant for a producer of fruit preparations for the dairy industry. Agrana Fruit U.S., Inc., is going to Lysander to build its fourth plant and not the business park that’s adjacent to the former county airport in Whitestown. It will construct a new manufacturing and distribution operation, investing more than $50 million and creating approximately 120 new jobs, according to this morning’s announcement by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo.
"Very disappointing," said Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente Jr.. "We have not specifically heard what our (site) shortcomings were or overall issues" that affected the final decision.

I would not expect to be told what our shortcomings are.  I would be expected to know.

I've said this before but it bears repeating.  Our leaders do not benchmark ourselves against our competition, not just for specific projects, but for doing business in the county in general.  The latest increase in sewer rates is an example.  When county leaders are asked how our rates compare with others a response is received that presents figures that cannot be intelligently compared... with a snotty tone to boot!

Close but no cigar is not acceptable.

Another article from the Syracuse paper is here. 

Shortchanging Rome is Shortchanging Utica . . .

 . . . and the Country Bumpkin legislature explained . . .

From the Sentinel: Redistricting plan shortchanges Rome, legislator says

The legislature is being shrunk from 29 to 23 seats following a public referendum in November. The proposed districts have a target population of 10,046. . . . Utica would have six legislative districts wholly within the city boundaries. The county’s largest city now has eight city-only districts. Rome would have only one district that is solely inside city limits while five would be city-town districts. Minority Leader Frank D. Tallarino, D-7, Rome, objects to this aspect of the plan. He says the population for Rome is large enough to have three districts within city boundaries.

Mr. Tallarino raises an important point ... and people in Utica  and Villages need to pay attention. 

Viewed from the prospective that the county is a provider of municipal services (roads, police, 911, sewer, airport, economic development, etc.)  all the municipalities within the county are not created equal.  There are "taker" munis and there are "provider" munis.  The Cities and Villages generally provide for their own services such as police and highway maintenance, but their residents also pay to provide such services to outlying areas, so Cities and Villages are "provider" municipalities.  Towns, on the other hand are "taker" municipalities.  Just drive through New Hartford and Whitestown in all the newly developed areas around Middlesettlement Road and you see blue county highway markers everywhere. People in Utica, Rome and the Villages pay to maintain these roads, but there are no county highways within the cities or villages.

Add up the populations of Oneida County's cities and villages and you come up with more than half of the population concentrated into urbanized areas  But representation on and the outlook of the County Legislature is decidedly tilted toward the Towns.  While it would be difficult to forge districts made up of far-flung villages, it is important that a majority of districts represent reflect a city/village perspective -- because the people in these jurisdictions are bearing the costs of duplicate services.

Diluting City of Rome with the Town of Rome dilutes the urban perspective on the County Legislature.   While this is obviously bad for Rome it is also bad for Utica because Utica loses allies with those of similar interests.

The redistricting plan must be rejected.  Rome needs more city-only districts.

The State of the County . . .

Some excerpts  from CE Picente's State of the County Speech and comments:

"I believe so much in the Marcy project, that I believe it is time we look to the next step. There are vital questions we need to answer: Where’s the next generation of workers going to come from? Where will employees live? How will new workers get educated and trained in STEM; Science, Technology, Engineering and Math? How will the region embrace corporate cultures that put a premium on diversity? These issues go beyond development of the site." 

Why are these things becoming the role of county government?

County Government does not wait to sweep up the pieces of human tragedy. We are all aware that the tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut late last year gave new concerns to school safety. Sherriff Robert Maciol has taken the lead role in joining my administration along with Oneida-Madison BOCES and all of the school districts within the county in creating a police presence in local schools. The placing of trained safety officers in schools can not only providefor a layer of peace of mind and protection, but can also deal with conflicts long before they become serious problems.

Why is school safety becoming the role of county government?

One of the great successes in this county is the 911 Center consolidation . . .The success of the 911 center isn’t just about fiscal efficiency, although it does save money and operate more efficiently. It’s about public safety. The system is better today than before. The people of Oneida County are safer today because we acted.

Are we really safer than when people self-dispatched emergency services by choosing which emergency number to dial?  How much safer? Where is the statistical evidence?   

"We cannot shrink our way into survival; we need to get there by being aggressive -- by planning big and working hard"

This to me is probably the most telling statement.  The tone is that we all must depend upon county government to get things done.

• So we spend a fortune on Griffiss "International" Airport that nationally is so insignificant that its tower is scheduled for closure because of a mere 2% decrease in an increased bloated federal budget.  
• So we spend a fortune on infrastructure on the Marcy Nano-Center to attract a chip fabrication plant to a site that requires us to ask our US Senators to intercede for us to get a federal wetlands permit.
• So we've spent a fortune consolidating 911 (which had been kept solvent for years by contributions from Utica and New Hartford which were not on the system) that now requires asking Albany for a new charge on cell phones.

Perhaps in the current national parlance this is moving "forward,"  but in reality we are building a house of cards of government dependency. Our "faded glory" days were based on private entrepreneurship, not "public-private partnerships."  Government can always find something to do to justify growing ever bigger and bigger, enriching those with government connections, but crowding out private enterprise and individual initiative.

And THAT is the State of Oneida County.

Expanding Traffic Access in Rome . . .

While we CHOKE IT OFF in Utica!  That's how I felt when I read this Sentinel article.

The state has money to spend and some of it could be used to make Griffiss Parkway four lanes wide through the entire business park. Griffiss Local Development Corp. is applying for funding through the state Department of Transportation’s Strategic Transportation Enhancement Program. . . . 

"With the final completion of the Griffiss Veterans Memorial Parkway, access will be unencumbered into the park and allow for more parcels to be developed between Books Road and the Mohawk River bridge, an area that contains some of the most valuable real estate in the region but is relatively inaccessible without the project," says the GLDC document.

In Utica, of course, we plan on spending money to choke Genesee St. down to two lanes.  Sure traffic counts are down now, but choking access will ensure that downtown can never redevelop to its former density -- wasting infrastructure already in place.

How about the new $62 million Arterial in Utica.  Worse than choking, Sunset Ave. will be entirely severed from both the Arterial and from itself.  This not only REDUCES access to nearby parcels from the Arterial and Sunset, it makes Sunset Avenue useless as a thoroughfare for local traffic from S. Utica to the Brewery District.

We seem to be able to find funds to "unencumber" access in Rome, but cannot even maintain access in Utica across the Barnes Ave. Bridge. . . . or across Oriskany Blvd. along Whitesboro St.  . . . or from State St. to Whitesboro St.  making the now vacant land on Whitesboro St. behind the Aud difficult to reach.

The "Statewide Sustainability Team" should be ashamed of itself if it approves of this project in Rome while DOT projects and crumbling infrastructure continue to turn vast areas of Utica into hard-to-reach backwaters.  Meanwhile EDGE, of which GLDC is a related entity, needs to be defunded for its continual focus on Rome while the county's principal city continues to decline.

Required Reading . . . and More

This Forbes article is about Syracuse, but it all applies to Utica, too: By Forgetting Its Proud Economic History, Syracuse Loses Its Future

It appears that its future is no longer dependent on the genius of its people but the largesse of higher order governments both state and federal.  It has lost its ability to determine its own fate.  Poverty is the city’s overwhelming social characteristic . . .  When a metropolis no longer generates the wealth to sustain itself it has no choice but to become a supplicant city whose future is guided by federal and state politicians and bureaucrats whose visions of what to do with places like Syracuse are likely not sensitive to its history or what its destiny might be. . . . 

. . . the challenge is reshaping their economic cultures to encourage new business formation among its permanent residents; especially its poor. Doing this is a complex task.

The article goes on criticize local-based business recruiting efforts, and suggests that the solution to the economic malaise of Syracuse and other former industrial powerhouses is grow the economy from within, like it had been done in the past, with the government to "back off."

I agree with everything in the article, and local decision-makers need to heed its recommendations.  But something else is needed, too.

           "It has lost its ability to determine its own fate." 

The economic decline is pretty uniform among the formerly industrial cities of Upstate NY.  There once was a strong economic base to build upon, but the base has eroded. Why? Most of the larger cities have well-respected colleges and universities, so there is no lack of intellectual power.  But the best and brightest seem to leave for other places.  Why?  There is no reason to assume that Upstate New Yorkers are less entrepreneurial than their peers elsewhere or from prior generations.

The one thing that all the industrial cities of Upstate New York have in common is that they all must operate under policies coming from Albany, and that since the late 1960s due to a forced-reapportionment of the State Senate under a US Supreme Court Decision, those policies have been engineered by a downstate majority -- policies that may make sense in that part of the state, but have caused decline here.  Examples have been given over the years in this blog such as maintaining Thruway Tolls long after the road's bonds were paid off, using tolls to maintain free Downstate highways (I-84), closing downstate nuke and coal power plants and sending "cheap" upstate hydropower there, raising rates here above our competitors, sending NYC garbage to upstate landfills  -- to name a few. The recent gun-control law is reigniting discussion of the Upstate-Downstate divide.

Our Founding Fathers, both for the Nation and the State, knew the tyranny of pure democracies --  that majorities could force their wills on minorities.  In New York, government was crafted to ensure that the needs of the lesser populated areas would be voiced in law making, to keep the lesser-populated areas thriving, strengthening the economy of the entire state.  It worked tremendously for almost 200 years -- until the reapportionment of the Senate changed the delicate balance in NYS policy-making and Upstate's decline set in.

The alternative is to split the state -- but remember the motto "divided we fall."  Regardless ...

ALL of New York has lost out on the current deal.  Had Upstate continued to grow as it did before the reapportionment, the state probably would have several more congressional districts.

Times may have changed, but fundamentals of good government are timeless.  Leaders need to go back to court to revisit the decision that put us on the wrong track.  

Plummeting Planes . . .

Takeoffs, landings at Griffiss airport drop 30% in one year 

The number of takeoffs and landings at Griffiss International Airport is down since 2011.
Recent figures from the Federal Aviation Administration show a drop-off of more than 30 percent, from 60,265 in 2011 to 40,474 in 2012.

That is a nose-dive in flights no matter how you look at it.  Our officials are blaming the economy and they are right -- THE LOCAL ECONOMY. Oneida County has been shedding jobs and people from long before the national malaise due to the high cost of doing business here -- and spending another $1.5 million on this facility on top of the tens of millions previously spent before has only worsened the situation.

How much money have we lost on our "investment" so far?

Griffiss "International" has been a boondoggle of get-rich projects for the connected elite...  but the average tax payer has nothing to show for it... less than nothing because a perfectly good airport in Whitestown was destroyed for it. Griffiss International will mire the region in debt and other expenses for years to come.

And the sad thing is . . . by applying a little common sense this outcome would have been known from the very beginning.

What's Wrong With This Picture???

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand Announces "Made In America Manufacturing Act" In Utica

In the first year, the new legislation would award ten $20-million dollar grants throughout our country.

Gillibrand: Sequestration would be devastating to NYS

"Early childhood education is going to be cut, education for special needs kids, money for our local firefighters, police officers and teachers will all be cut," she said. "So basically, all of our highest priorities for local and state spending will be cut.

Yesss!!!

Finally something to cheer about!  Bass Pro Shops headed to the Mohawk Valley and they're coming to the Riverside Center . . . in UTICA!

This IS a Big Deal.  Ask the folks in Buffalo who have been trying to get one for years.  The location is fantastic on the prime route to the central Adirondacks, and reflects the traditional position of Utica as the gateway to ADK adventure.   One might imagine shuttles running between Union Station and the Bass Pro store for people wanting to gear up while taking the Adirondack Scenic RR from NY City to Lake Placid once the line starts running there.

Congrats to the folks who helped pull this off.

The Regional Solution . . .

The Observer-Dispatch had an interesting editorial Sunday on solving Utica's fiscal crisis: A three-pronged attack. Certain statements stand out (not necessarily in order of appearance):

          There needs to be a city-wide — and a regional — spirit of cooperation as very difficult choices are made. And suburbanites who think that Utica’s fiscal woes don’t affect them are sorely mistaken.          In the end, as the urban center goes, so goes the region. . . . 

         Metro areas that thrive do so because a collective mindset focuses on the hub and works cooperatively. Utica’s population has dwindled not only because people and business have left; much of what once was in the center city has sprawled into the suburbs. 

. . . DiNapoli rightly pointed out that Utica’s suburban communities won’t be as attractive to newcomers if the urban center is weak.

This blogger could not agree more with these statements.  But then the editorial board misses the mark.

. . . the mayor . . . must continue to reach out to neighboring municipalities to establish inter-municipal agreements that can help cut the cost of government.

The editorial board assumes that regional partnerships cut the cost of government.  But do they really?

How well has regionalization of water and sewer services worked out? Certainly the costs of both services have skyrocketed.  While some of the costs are attributable to new state and federal mandates, it cannot be denied that both systems now service more acreage while the population served has dwindled. That means fewer people must pay to maintain more pipes, water and sewage must be transported longer distances, and service vehicles must clock more miles to keep things running. Regionalization, thus,  has increased costs -- for everyone.  The key to understanding why this happens is population density.  Services can be kept affordable when they are confined to densely populated areas. Extending services into less-dense areas increases costs. If the past is predictor of the future, Utica's entry into shared-services agreements will only accelerate sprawl and its own demise, taking the region down with it.

Though many are reluctant to tear down physical borders between our communities, we must abolish mental ones and embrace a more regional attitude.

A "regional attitude" is not enough. As long as Greater Utica remains divided there are financial incentives for the suburbs to sprawl. The region's decline will not reverse until the physical borders actually come down and the people of the region start governing themselves as a region.

The "Best Transit Experience" ...

Per WKTV: Ribbon cut on new Centro Transit Hub in Utica

"Seeing this come to fruition is really a high point of my career," said Frank Kobliski, Executive Director of Centro. "This is what it's all about, making the transit experience the best that you can for the customer and the community at large." . . . Five stops will be eliminated on Genesee Street from the Radisson Hotel down to APAC . . .

I get it.  Walking more makes the customers' "transit experience" better!  (?)

Is Anyone Else Uncomfortable With This?

OD: Sheriff: Businesses must register with website by April 1

The website, LeadsOnline.com, allows law enforcement agencies to "search for suspects and stolen property across secondhand stores, scrap metal dealers, pawnshops and Internet drop-off stores . . ."   

. . . Oneida County businesses that fall into those categories will be required to register with the website by April 1, and to then upload their transaction information on a daily basis . . . (emphasis added)

According to the website's About page

. . . we help businesses, which are typically required by law to report their transactions to law enforcement, by making reporting easier and more efficient. From secondhand dealers, pawnshops, and gold buyers to pharmacies and scrap metal dealers, we help each of them reduce the hassles of reporting. The vast majority of the transactions taking place in those businesses are completely legitimate, but reporting laws exist because a relative few are related to criminal activity on the part of the customer or some other party. . .  (emphasis added)

But "the website" is NOT "law enforcement" and it is NOT a government agency.  It admits so. It is a private entity.

When disposing of items it is not unusual for a dealer to take a thumbprint, a signature, and make a copy of your drivers license.  How much of this information will be "uploaded" to the "website?" What assurance do you have that YOUR information will be kept private? Will you become a "suspect" because your name is in their database? You may deal with a dealer whom you trust (because you know him or her), but your dealer is now going to be "required" by Oneida County to share this information with a third party over which neither you, your dealer, nor the County will have control. Per the website's data access agreement:

"TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMISSIBLE BY LAW, LEADS DISCLAIMS ALL REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND WHATSOEVER INCLUDING FOR ANY BREACH OF SECURITY ASSOCIATED WITH THE TRANSMISSION OF SENSITIVE INFORMATION TO LEADS OR THROUGH THE WEBSITE."

While there is no reason to believe that the website isn't run by a reputable company with a great product -- and the people running the operation certainly look like nice people -- shouldn't the choice be YOURS who has access to your private transaction information? -- or at least the choice be of the person you choose to do business with? With the collection of such information into one place, isn't there a potential for abuse?  If you are in financial distress and visit pawn shops regularly, do you want that information out there?

Should the County be choosing who has access to your private information? 

While the database may make the police's job easier, this forced-sharing of information with a 3rd party over whom no one has control is troubling.  

What do you think?

What's Next at the Airport?

Major tenant at Griffiss moving some of its operations to Florida

MidAir USA aircraft overhaul company, which occupies one of the airport’s enormous hangar buildings, is poised to sign a lease with the City of Melbourne Airport for 75,000 square feet of space for its engineering operations and back shop operations.

The reason given is that MidAir wanted to lease another part of the building that it is already in, but that part of the building is currently occupied by MillionAir.

While MidAir's CEO is quoted in the OD article as saying "I don't know" in response to the question whether his company will renew its leases in 2015 with Oneida County, this story from Orlando Business Journal from last March should give pause for concern: MidairUSA hangar at Melbourne Airport ready to take off

 Melbourne City Council unanimously approved a special permit MidairUSA needed for the proposed height of the hangar it plans to build at Melbourne International Airport, Florida Today reports. . . MidairUSA will use the hangar to overhaul Boeing 747s and plans on hiring more than 450 workers.

Interesting!

Utica Reassures Itself . . .

Before It Drinks the Kool-Aid!

That's the thought that went through my mind at last night's Utica Common Council caucus meeting when the subject of the North Utica Interceptor easement came up.

The hoped for weighing of the issues turned into listening to invited guest Mr. DiMeo's rosy predictions of the benefits of their approval of the project.  No one was asked to present the other side.

Listeners seemed to take solace in the fact that Utican's make up only 49% of the sewer district's rate-base, rather than the 70% earlier reported, without inquiring as to what those numbers really mean. (Utica's population of 62,000 is still more than half of the sewer district's estimate of 110,000 population served).

While it may be comforting for councilpersons to believe that the new pipeline will lead to hundreds of good-paying jobs at "Quad C" and the Marcy NanoCenter, they failed to even entertain the more likely outcome that they have just approved a pipeline that will
(1) Be heavily financed by Utica rate-payers along with rate-increases to finance corresponding expansions of the treatment-plant itself,
(2) Increase the cost of doing business within the City of Utica,
(3) Give the gift of access to public sewers to large areas north of the Mohawk River (I.e., Marcy, Deerfield, Trenton) at no cost to developers there,
(4) Devalue all properties in Utica because access to public-sewers in the suburbs will become common
(5) Lead to the exodus of more Uticans for the suburbs, making it even more difficult for their City to finance even basic municipal services.

The Council has unwittingly driven a nail into Utica's coffin.

The Next Shoe to Drop (On Upstate)?

From Crain's last week: LIPA sale could require state bailout.

If you remember LIPA, Long Island Power Authority, was formed at the insistance of Gov. Mario Cuomo to absorb the costs associated with closing down the completed, but never put into production, Shoreham nuclear power plant (a political move to win him votes). In domino effect, we were asked to share our power with the downstate branch of the "family of New York" ... resulting in the Marcy South Power Line AND higher, job-killing, electrical rates being shoved down our throats.

Well now Governor Andrew Cuomo wants to sell LIPA after its perfectly dismal response to hurricane Sandy.

The problem is, who would want to buy a company with a $4billion liability associated with a dismantled, now useless nuke plant?

It's sure starting to look like a state taxpayer bailout of this mess is in the offing. ... Meaning we upstaters get to pay again for unproductive political decisions by the Cuomo Family of New Work.

Thinking of the PEOPLE . . .

It is odd that this comes up in the context of Utica approving an easement, but airing the issues regarding the County's N. Utica Interceptor project is welcome, and kudos are due to Mr. Zecca for raising the matter, and Mr. Marino and Ms. Colosimo-Testa for withdrawing their sponsorship pending an airing.  Per the OD: Utica Common Council uneasy over easement.                                             

Oneida County and Mohawk Valley EDGE are trying to expand the sewer capacity in North Utica to prep for possible development with SUNYIT’s Quad C project.  . . .  the city must sign off on an easement granting access because the interceptor crosses city property.  . . . But only residents in the sewer district will pay for the upgrades and city residents make up about 70 percent of those ratepayers. . . .
If it is a project that will benefit the whole county, the whole county should pay for it, said Councilman Jim Zecca, D-at-large.

You make a great point, Mr. Zecca! And in doing so you represent not only the interests of the 70% of ratepayers who are Utica residents, but ALL ratepayers, whether they reside in Clayville, New York Mills, Oriskany or places in between. If the county feels that the Interceptor is a worthy project, then the county should figure out a way of paying for it itself because it is unnecessary to the ratepayers' needs.   . . . 

                                                                     

While the proposed resolution embedded at left would lead Utica Council members to believe that  the Interceptor project is solely related to the Marcy NanoCenter, a recent letter from the County Executive to a County Legislator (embedded at right) makes abundantly clear that:

"It is not solely for the purpose of the Marcy Nano-Center, but for all future development north of the river and would be needed regardless of that project.  It was undertaken to address growth at Marcy that is taking place now. . . ." (emphasis in the original). 

So there it is, in black-and-white. Let the County Executive's words sink in.

You, the rate payer, have invested probably thousands of dollars in the public sewer system to give yourself a service that enhances the value of your home.  Now you are told that you have to pay to expand the system to serve future development.  Applying the law of supply-and-demand, not only will developers be able to offer public sewers at your expense, the value of your property will go down because properties with access to public sewers will become more common.  While this result falls most heavily on Utica (simply because its residents make up the bulk of ratepayers) it affects all properties already on the system regardless of location.

The end result of the County's proposals, of course, will be more "sprawl" -- requiring more infrastructure expansions and more extensions of services.  This is something that the Oneida County folks have yet to comprehend as contributing to our region's job-killing levels of taxation and fees -- unlike Onondaga County which has long recognized (but not solved) the problem of sprawl. Oneida County could put the brakes on sprawl by simply not expanding its system and forbidding the connection of new developments (directly or indirectly via town pipes) to its system that would cause its system to violate pollution control laws.  The County has that authority to comply with Clean Water Act requirements -- and its failure to use that authority in the past led to the Consent Order problems we pay for now. Developers, meanwhile, will have to seek alternatives for waste water disposal (and there are alternatives, particularly where large volumes of industrial waste water are involved).

It will be interesting to see how the Utica Common Council grapples with this issue. 

The Rest of the Story on NH Library . . .

In the OD the headline is: Library board recommends DeRosa to fill opening
But, per New Hartford Online, the headline should have read: New Hartford Town Board Is Accepting Applications. NH Online:

Reality is that the library board can "recommend" anyone they want to fill an expired term, but according to NYS Education Law and the library's own bylaws, the town board has complete control over who is appointed to the library board when a term has expired. No "recommendation" from the library board is required.

And the Town Board is soliciting applications from residents interested in serving.  Get the details on NH Online. 

Hiding the Provolone . . .

This should be a shocking surprise --  except for the fact that the New Hartford Public Library (NHPL) is involved: OD: New Hartford Library surplus surprises some.

So let me get this straight ...  The NHPL, which was crying the blues a few months ago over not having enough money and tried to recharter itself to tap the taxpayers even more, was somehow able to amass a $100,000.00 fund that just now came to light?

$100,000 is about 20% of the library's annual budget, no?

While the Town Supervisor (he's a CPA, don't you know) seems to defend this as necessary to keep an organization running, if this was 20% of his town budget, wouldn't that attract the interest of NYS authorities -- i.e., if you can have a rainy day fund that large, you are taxing your residents too much.

Seems like the NHPL Board of Trustees is playing "hide the provolone" with the taxpayers!

New Hartford Online has all the sordid details! $100,000 hiding in the "books" at the New Hartford Public Library?

Killing Us Softly With Sewers . . .

Utica OD: Sewer costs overflowing: Projects will be costly to ratepayers

A convergence of several sewer projects is hitting local residents hard in the pocketbook. And it only will get worse as the years go by — you might be paying at least $80 more a year by 2016. . . . Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente said the county doesn’t have a choice but to make the repairs and upgrades.

Pure BS plain and simple. One of the "repairs and upgrades" is:

 . . . construction of an improved pipeline, or interceptor, for the planned nanotechnology sites in Marcy.

The choice here is "don't do it!" Simple enough. 

1. No one is holding a gun to Mr. Picente's head to extend sewers to the NanoCenter site, it's an option.
2. When a new development is proposed -- any development -- the county has an OBLIGATION TO REFUSE tie-ins to its system that the system is incapable of handling. (That, BTW, is how the County got into its Consent Order mess to begin with. It was too easy with developers and did not know how to say "no" to new connections that caused increased pollution to spill into the River.) Upon refusal, developers, then, have to implement alternative means of waste disposal as part of their obligation to reduce the environmental impacts of their projects under the State Environmental Quality Review Act.
3. Going into hock for a big industrial user leaves Sewer District Rate-Payers vulnerable to rate-shocks should the industrial user pack up and leave -- which is exactly what happened when Beech Nut left Canajoharie, forcing rates there to skyrocket.
4. It is gambling with Rate-Payers money to build an expansion that might not be used because  (a) a chip fab does not come or (b) the chip fab that comes decides that it makes more sense to treat its industrial waste water itself and discharge same directly rather than use the county facilities.

Why would anyone want to come into a community where sewer rates are unnecessarily high?  

The immediate question now is, why would the County Legislature approve of such nonsense?  

• Perhaps it is because most have no "skin in the game"  since it is the Rate-Payers who are confined to the Greater Utica area that are being placed on the hook to pay for this.
  
• Perhaps it is because they are desperate to hold on to their pay and benefits as legislators that they will do what ever the political elite tell them to. . . or
  
• Perhaps it is because they simply have no clue what they are doing.

What ever the reason, they are drowning us in infrastructure and killing us with astronomical costs.  It needs to stop if this region ever hopes to make a come back.

An in-depth discussion of this issue can be found on the New Hartford Online posting Who is representing the sewer ratepayers??? It is worth reading and and watching the video.

An EDGEy Land Proposal . . .

Buried in the 12/26/12 Co-Leg communications packet was this letter from EDGE, proposing to purchase almost 83 acres from Oneida County at a "minimum" $10K/acre for use as a Business Park Extension at the old County Airport site in Whitestown. EDGE proposes to subdivide and resell the property, remit on resale an additional $5K/acre to the County (less sales expenses), and keep any difference in price (i.e., between the resale price and the $15K/acre total paid to the County) for use in building roads and other infrastructure needed at the Business Park extension. The letter indicates that EDGE has a prospective buyer for a portion of the property.

I'm not sure how "good" a deal this is for the County, but I am troubled that publicly owned property is being sold by an entity (EDGE) that is controlled by its "members" rather than the government itself.

More troubling is the statement that "additional economic development funding is required to meet the requirements for extension of water and sewer lines, construction of an access road and, because of the Consent Order, the purchase of sewer credits to enable the company to locate here."

Sounds to me like the taxpayers (or water and sewer ratepayers) are going to be soaked again to finance more sprawl.

What's your take?

Sewer District Sleight of Hand!

While eyes watch Oneida County's Right Hand shift suburban sprawl's sewer compliance costs on to all Sewer District Users (over half of whom are Utica residents), is the Left Hand shifting County NanoCenter sewer costs on to all Sewer District Users (over half of whom are Utica residents)?

The documents embedded at left are preparatory to an almost $12 million "North Utica Parallel Interceptor" project (Cap. Proj. "HG-479") which will cost the "typical" Sewer District property owner $6.70 per year to finance almost $7 million in borrowing ($5 million allegedly will come from a grant secured by EDGE -- which hints at the purpose of the project).  Interestingly, the draft resolution provides neither a project description nor an explanation why this project is needed.

Embedded at right is the Short Environmental Assessment form for "HG-479" that indicates that the project involves  upgrading of 9,300 feet of 30" sanitary sewer with 42" sanitary sewer from Rt 12 at 790 to the Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) on Leland Ave. Again, no description of the need for this project is provided, but our legislators will be voting their approval in January.

Interestingly, just before Christmas the Mohawk Valley Regional Economic Development Council's 11/2011 Strategic Plan was in the news, which plan seems to place undue emphasis on the Marcy Nanocenter considering that the "Mohawk Valley" region here is truly "Mohawk Valley" -- at least the portion stretching from Rome to Amsterdam. (This will be the subject of a separate blog post).  It is mentioned here because stated at pages 161-2 (reproduced at left) is a "Priority Project: Marcy Nanocenter at SUNYIT Upgrade County Interceptor" which will replace 9,350 feet of 24" and 30" sewer pipe with new 36" pipe from Edic and River Roads to the STP on Leland Ave.   Sounds similar to the N Utica Interceptor project, n'est-ce pas?

It certainly looks like all Sewer District Users (over half of whom are Utica residents), such as the Shmoes of New Hartford with 10 kids and lots of laundry, will not only be paying to have their sewage transported and treated, they will also be paying for the sewer infrastructure at the NanoCenter site.  Awfully nice of the OC Legislators from Rome, Camden, Boonville, Ava, Westmoreland, etc., to foist the cost of their NanoCenter "economic development" dreams onto the backs of all Sewer District Users (over half of whom are Utica residents), rather than County taxpayers,  but it should be no surprise because the same MO was attempted (and probably will be used) to extend water service to Verona.

Read the pages beyond the Short Environmental Assessment form above.  There seems to be more "sleight of hand" going on with another, much more expensive, sewer district proposal also on tap for January just to add to the (intentional?) confusion. More on that later.

They Might As Well Be From Camden . . .

The Utica representatives on the Oneida County Board of Legislators, that is. Oneida County legislators approve hike in sewer rates

 If you are connected to the Oneida County Sewer District system, your bill is going to go up 13 percent in 2013. . . . 

The Oneida County Board of Legislators approved the new rates Wednesday at its regular meeting. . . 

The legislation passed the full Board unanimously.

Why do I single out Utica legislators?

The change is linked to the 2007 state Department of Conservation consent order that threatened to block development along the Sauquoit Creek line if certain repairs were not made.

The Consent Order was the end result of all the "growth" in New Hartford.  So now UTICA residents are forced to pay to improve County facilities to foster more surburban "growth." But where is the County allowing its facilities to be used to help Utica solve its storm water problem?

When will Mr. Trevisani, Mr. Paparella, Mr. Welsh, Ms. Speciale, Ms. Convertino, Mr. Caruso, Mr. Davis, and Mr. Furgol start representing Utica's interests?  

They might as well be from Camden!

The Effluent of the Affluent - Part 2

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.

Excuses, Excuses . . .

Clinton won't testify on Benghazi due to illness

First wine-tasting in Australia -- and now this.

For someone who should have been on the first plane home to testify after Gen. Petraeus regarding the death of 4 Americans on her watch, this is looking more and more like a delaying tactic and a cover-up.

What did she know and when did she know it? 

Obamacare: Killing Local Jobs?

Washington Examiner: Democrats urge delay for ‘job-killing’ Obamacare tax

Sixteen Democratic senators who voted for the Affordable Care Act are asking that one of its fundraising mechanisms, a 2.3 percent tax on medical devices scheduled to take effect January 1, be delayed. . . . The senators, who made the request in a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, are . . . Charles Schumer, . . . Kirsten Gillibrand . . . All voted for Obamacare. 

Hmmm!

Hidden in Plain Sight . . .

My Pet Peeve!!!

The Greater Utica-Rome Board of Realtors announces name change to . . .  what else? . . . the "Mohawk Valley Association of Realtors"

Google "Mohawk Valley, NY" on Google Maps and it takes you to "Mohawk Valley Airport" in Scotia.  
Search "Mohawk Valley, NY" on Bing Maps and you are taken to "Mohawk Valley Estate" in Fultonville.  
Search for a zip or area code in "Mohawk Valley, NY" on Switchboard and you get taken to Mojave Valley, AZ!

The best results come from Mapquest. Search "Mohawk Valley, NY" there and you are taken to a map with 9 bubbles in places stretching from Rome to Albany.

The Greater Utica-Rome Board of Realtors website dropdowns do not list St. Johnsville, Canajoharie, Fonda or Fultonville, Florida, Tribes Hill, Amsterdam, Scotia or Schenectady -- all of which are in the Mohawk Valley.

People can find Utica.  People can find Rome. "Greater" Utica-Rome means places near by.  And the Utica-Rome Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area is defined as Oneida and Herkimer Counties. I don't understand the problem some people have with identifying our region by the names of its two principal cities.

Calling the Utica-Rome area "Mohawk Valley" makes as much sense as calling Binghamton-Endicott-Johnson City (a/k/a "Greater Binghamton") the "Susquehanna Valley." If you were looking for a house in the Binghamton area, would you look to do business with a "Susquehanna Valley"  realty company?  In Binghamton they have common sense . . . but not here.

One would think that REALTORS, of all people, would know better than to hide themselves on a map.      

LibraryGate . . .

The OD has an editorial today: Our view: New Hartford library board must try again

It made me wonder what New Hartford Online has been up to.

Looks like Cathy has been up to her eyeballs in e-mails from New Hartford Town Library Trustees ... FOILed e-mails that is ... and many are the kind that certain trustees and officials won't be too happy to have meet the public's eye.  New Hartford Online is posting some of the juicier ones, some juxtaposed with what was coming out contemporaneously in the newspaper.

Probably most shocking was : "He was not aware that he was on camera and being videoed..." Where the library director acknowledges videotaping a library trustee (who came to review records) without his knowledge.

There's more of the Library Board e-mail expose posted at New Hartford Online and it's my understanding that a LOT more is coming.

The shenanigans of our elite running a small town library makes some pretty interesting reading ... and makes one wonder how long will town residents put up with it?

Eyes Wide Open

I thought this was an interesting video. I've always enjoyed Ms. Gabriel on Fox, but this is the first time I've heard her speak free of the question-answer-comment constraints. For balance here is an article about her from the NY Times.

Interestingly, here's an article published yesterday on the same topic from another prominent American writer of Lebanese-Christian heritage, Joseph Farah, of WorldNetDaily: What Muslim-Americans really believe.

Recently The Blaze TV covered the subject in a documentary called "The Project" (use the free trial to watch if you are not a subscriber).

As American products of the great "Melting Pot" we must not allow ourselves to become xenophobic -- but we cannot afford to be be naive, either... The stakes are too high.

The Public Hearing Sham . . . .

Palmieri's downtown Utica plan raises concerns about median, parking

The plan would go a long way toward revitalizing downtown and bringing more businesses to the area, but there still are details to be worked out, Palmieri said.“We’re taking an opportunity to move the city forward,” he said. “Nothing is carved in stone.” . . . 

Paul Balzano, owner of Nicolas Jewelers on Genesee Street, asked if the median was an absolute necessity.“Do we have to do this?” he asked.  If the city gets the federal grant it will have to proceed with the median because it was written into the application, Palmieri said.

"Nothing is carved in stone,"  but  Utica " will have to proceed with the median because it was written into the application."  So. either the median is "nothing" or the mayor was trying to deceive the public when he said "Nothing" is carved in stone.  

What's the purpose of public hearings if the application is already written?

I'm in favor of the city getting as many grants as possible -- but not for the "pet projects" of some obviously "connected"  individuals who feel that they know more than everyone else and devise plans for spending taxpayer money and changing the city environment out of the public's view and without genuine public input.

Here's a novel idea:  Get public input BEFORE applying for the grant!

Frankly, as much as Genesee needs a remake and the sewers need work, I hope the City loses this grant.  It is poorly conceived, will make downtown difficult to navigate, and is being shoved down the throats of those with the most to lose - the people with businesses on Genny. 

The Effluent of the Affluent . . .

... Becomes the responsibility of the indigent -- at least in Oneida County!

According to the notice of public hearing at left, the County Legislature is considering an

"increase and improvement of the facilities of the Oneida County Sewer District in said County . . . to fix various problems concerned with the wet weather overflows from the Sauquoit Creek Pumping Station . . ." 

The "problems" to be fixed were caused when sanitary sewer lines from massive new suburban developments were connected to the County's combined sewer overflow at the pumping station. The suburban officials who approved the developments, and the county officials who approved the connections, either knew or should have known that the connections were illegal -- but they allowed them anyway, making suburban growth possible.  Now that they got "caught" and have to fix the problem, because facilities "of the Oneida County Sewer District" are being improved, all customers of the sewer district -- roughly half of whom are Utica residents -- are being forced to pay the cost.

While seemingly "small potatoes" at only a $3 annual cost per family, this is only the most recent example of how residents of Utica are being required to support suburban "growth" while the tax base of their own City shrivels and their taxes soar.

Suburban jurisdictions get Sewer District help in taking care of their wet-weather overflows, but, as indicated in an 11/15/2006 letter from the County Water Pollution Control Commissioner to the DEC, Utica will not be permitted to send its wet-weather overflows to the County treatment plant. As pointed out here five years ago, Utica is being left on its own.

County Legislators from New Hartford (and other places where the illegal hookups were made)  might be forgiven for approving this plan because their constituents benefit.  Those from Utica, however, need to take notice of this cost-shift and either speak out and vote against it, or demand that as part of the deal the Sewer District provide similar aid to Utica in solving the city's overflow problem (as recommended years ago by the DEC).

Owing to the way the Sewer District was set up, almost half of the County Legislators who will vote on this proposal represent areas that are unaffected. Rather than merely "rubber stamp" what county administrators have proposed, I ask that they take a serious look at the results of such policies: more "growth" in suburban areas (because it is subsidized) and decline in Utica (because that is where the subsidy comes from).  More suburban growth is planned, making solution of the problem even more pressing.  Increasing the County's urbanized acreage while its population declines means that the average costs of all local services must go up.  This helps to explain why Oneida County is one of the most heavily taxed counties in the nation when calculated as a percentage of real property value. Continuing such policies can only lead to more regional decline.

The Mayor and City Officials should not ignore this as a "County" or "Sewer District" issue because the costs of living and doing business within the City, and the City's ability to pay its bills, are directly impacted.        

Change the plan so that only the areas receiving the benefits pay for them

--o-0-O-0-o-

12/04/12 Update:  There is apparently an impression among some legislators that (1) the County is under a Consent Order to increase the amount of water that the County Facility can take in and treat and (2)   that the Towns of New Hartford and Whitestown will bear the costs of the plan.  

With regard to No. (1), expansion of the sewage treatment plant capacity is an option that the County has chosen to stop spilling raw sewage into the river and bring itself to compliance with the Consent Order, but it is not the only option.  DEC is only interested in stopping the spillage and not a plant expansion.  So to imply that the county is under an order to expand the plant is deceiving the public. Now that the big storm water leaks have been plugged, it is probably cheaper to increase the size of the county's treatment plant in Utica to accommodate the remaining suburban storm water in the system rather than remove it.  But make no mistake, any plant expansion is strictly to solve the suburban problem because, as noted above, the county has already stated it would not accommodate such flows from Utica.    

Which brings us to No. (2):  If the costs are going to be borne solely by New Hartford and Whitestown, why does the Legal Notice (above) and the proposed legislation (left on page 2)  talk about annual costs to families "in said Sewer District" or "in said District"?  And why does the Bond resolution (left at p.6)  state that "There shall be annually apportioned and assessed upon the several lots and parcels of land within said District, in the manner provided by law, an amount sufficient to pay the principal and interest on said bonds as the same become due . . . " (bold supplied)? There is nothing to qualify that the responsible parties will be limited to New Hartford and Whitestown.  If the County intends for the costs to be born solely by New Hartford and Whitestown, the legislation and legal notice have not been drafted that way.  As written now, Utica residents will be made to pay for this.

Crazy Idea??

From yesterdays Crain's New York Business: Liu calls for ending tax subsidies for business

New York City Comptroller John Liu proposed a self-described "crazy idea" on Wednesday: get rid of all taxpayer-funded subsidies for private businesses and lower taxes for all businesses across-the-board. "That way we don't create unlevel playing fields even within our own city, where completely unsubsidized businesses have to continuously compete with their neighbors, some of them down the street, some of them a couple miles away, that are getting significant subsidies from taxpayers," Mr. Liu said. "Let's level the playing field for everybody."

The article identifies Mr. Liu as one of the Democratic contenders for Mayor.  And THAT's really the ONLY thing that seems crazy about this idea:  that it comes from a New York City Democrat!  

Other contenders quickly dismissed this idea, and the City administration jumped in to claim how its use of taxpayers dollars "leveraged" billions in private investments to create "tens of thousands" of jobs, and that "independent watchdog" groups held its IDA up as a "model" of "transparency" and "robust efforts to protect taxpayer dollars."  (The buzzwords and rhetoric from the economic development types gets tiring).

It's funny how the others totally missed or intentionally ignored the "create unlevel playing fields" argument.   But that's not unexpected because eliminating crony capitalism would eliminate the source of political power for many of these people.

Mr. Liu's position sharply contrasts with that of Governor Cuomo who toured the area yesterday Per the Governor (via WIBX)

“I want to make sure that we’re using taxpayer money wisely and we’re investing in the best plans that have a high likelihood of success,” Cuomo said. “This is about creating jobs, and I support taxpayer investment to create jobs. But, I want to make sure that we’re actually creating the jobs. That’s what the competition helps us do.”

Right! The "competition" between New York's regions can do no such thing because it is phony -- set up by Mr. Cuomo himself, rather than the marketplace.

Mr. Liu is on the right track.

The question for us Upstaters:  Can we get Mr. Liu to set his sights a hundred miles north of Gracie Mansion?   

Airport: How Much is "a Lot?" - a Sequel

City Journal has an article by Steve Malanga that makes a good sequel to last Friday's post on the wasteful spending at the County Airport.

Titled Airfields of Dreams, the subtitle, "If you build it, they won't come" explains why this should be made required reading for our County Executive and every County Legislator.

Public officials and local business leaders in areas looking to stimulate growth argue that they need to invest in airports, just as Atlanta and Dallas have. These officials are willing to risk millions of taxpayer dollars on a bet that it’s an airport that drives a local economy, not an energized economy that drives airport expansion. The results are empty terminals and gates, unused runways, and even flight-free airports. In China, the government has swiftly constructed entire new cities that so far remain eerily without residents. America is building a network of ghost airports every bit as strange.

It Takes One to Know One?

From the pages of that perpetual propaganda organ, Pravda, in praise of Putin: Obama's Soviet Mistake

. . . Bye, bye Miss American Pie. The Communists have won in America . . .  Obama has been re-elected for a 2nd term by an illiterate society . . .He is a Communist without question promoting the Communist Manifesto without calling it so. How shrewd he is in America. His cult of personality mesmerizes those who cannot go beyond their ignorance. . . They read history in America don't they? Alas, the schools in the U.S. were conquered by the Communists long ago and history was revised thus paving the way for their Communist presidents.  

Russia lost its' civil war with the Reds and millions suffered torture and death for almost 75 years under the tyranny of the United Soviet Socialist Republic. Russians survived with a new and stronger faith in God and ever growing Christian Church. The question is how long will the once "Land of the Free" remain the United Socialist States of America? Their suffering has only begun.

There's a lot more in this rambling article. I only posted portions to give you a flavor. While not inclined to pay attention to Pravda or believe it, there is a lot in this article that rings true to those who grew up in the Soviet era. If we don't learn from history, we will repeat it.

The Russians seemed to have learned . . . and they are warning us.

Airport: How Much is "a Lot?"

Per the OD: U.S. Customs office at Griffiss 'will help a lot,' official says

Now that the Oneida County Board of Legislators has passed the plan to borrow $1.5 million to construct a U.S. Customs office at the airport, planes coming from other countries will be able to land there more conveniently. . . .

Great!  Another airport building taxpayers are forced to pay for! Another $1.5 million in debt! But wait . . . Didn't the last airport commissioner propose a pre-fab facility built to Customs' specs for only $800,000 in the 2012 budget?  Why has the cost doubled?  If there really is a need, why build more than the minimum? Who is making $$$ from the excess?

But it does not stop there . . .

The Griffiss office will have one officer at a cost of about $120,000 per year. The customs officer will not be a county employee. Instead, the county will pay the fee to the federal agency. 

Great again! We not only have a questionable real estate investment, but will also incur ongoing staffing costs. The article makes a point that two businesses, MidAir USA and Premier Aviation fly to/from Russia or Canada and that customs agents either have to come here from Syracuse to meet the planes or the planes have to go there to deal with them.

So why is that an issue for Oneida County taxpayers?

Can't the agents simply continue to come from Syracuse (32 miles away) as needed? Or  can't the planes continue to stop there?  MidAir and Premier had no problem locating facilities here without this service. Why is this an issue now? While this may make things convenient for these two companies, why should taxpayers foot the bill? The taxpayers already subsidize these companies in various ways but, unlike shareholders, get NO part of company profits. Why should taxpayers pay more?

And where is the evidence that this service is or will be needed in the foreseeable future? There was no demand for customs agents when the market was thriving and had regularly scheduled air flights.  There has to be less of a demand now that our population and business base has shrunk. Now add the national economic malaise on top of our long-standing local malaise. One suspects that we'll build another Taj Mahal facility that will be mostly empty -- and have Customs Agent "Tatoo" sitting around most of the time waiting for "the plane, the plane." 

I've given up trying to figure out the "plan" for the county airport because there is no "plan" -- at least nothing that is backed by solid market analysis and business data...  Just the musings of  a bunch of country bumpkins who make themselves feel smart and important simply because they can spend lots of our money. Here's a series I did in August, 2008:  "How Bad Can It Get?" "How Bad Can it Get 2?" "How Bad Can it Get 3?" "How Bad Can it Get 4?""How Bad Can it Get 5?""How Bad Can it Get 6?" --- Has anything really improved?

So how much is "a lot?"  It depends.  If it is the cost of this project: TOO MUCH!  If it is the anticipated economic improvement from it: NOT MUCH! 

As a percent of the value of our real estate, taxes in Oneida County are among the highest in the nation.  Oneida County needs to spend less time catering to the needs of particular businesses or persons, and more time reducing the general level of taxation for everyone.   Only then will we finally begin to see some real, sustainable economic development. 

Boomerang!

It's interesting how a story can develop! A few days ago Gov. Cuomo was busy deflecting potential criticism of the state's response to Hurricane Sandy by bullying the utility companies with threats of public hearings and loss of state franchises because he felt that they were not moving fast enough.

Now it turns out that the worst problems with restoring power are found in the area served by the Long Island Power Authority --  a quasi-government agency formed by Mr. Cuomo's father, former Gov. Mario Cuomo, to purchase the Shoreham, Long Island, nuclear power plant, shut it down, and pass the costs on to Long Island rate-payers. (Upstaters became saddled with increased electric bills when Mr. Cuomo, Sr., pushed for the Marcy-South power-line to deliver relatively "cheap" Upstate hydropower downstate to make up for decommissioning the nuke plant).

Current problems can be blamed on more than the usual ineffectiveness/inefficiency found in a government authority.  Per Celeste-Katz' post on the NY Daily News website Friday, the current Mr. Cuomo bears some responsibility.

. . .  some longtime politicos say Cuomo needs to look in the mirror when it comes to LIPA, a state authority that has been without a permanent chief executive officer since before he took office in 2011.Chief Operating Officer Michael Hervey has been serving as acting CEO since September 2010 when former LIPA head Kevin Law left to head a business trade group.“An organization needs leadership,” said a longtime top state official. “For the governor to talk about the bureaucracy — it’s a bureaucracy he’s supposed to oversee.”
In addition, three of the LIPA board’s six gubernatorial appointments, including chairman Howard Steinberg, are serving with expired terms. Cuomo has appointed just one new board member since taking office.

The NY Post details more of LIPA's long time failings.

Maybe Mr. Cuomo is right.  Revoke LIPA's franchise. Take control from the government, put it back in private hands, and make them earn a profit.  Government bureaucrats, particularly political appointees, have little incentive to perform well.

Half-Way to Oblivion . . .

Oneida Square halfway house proposal upsets residents

A Frankfort woman who works with paroled women wants to open a halfway house near Oneida Square. Some neighbors are outraged by the plan, claiming it will drag down property values and bring criminals to a residential neighborhood. . . . 
Luther must receive a special-use permit from the city’s Zoning Board of Appeals

This proposal comes just a week after someone else proposed a 51 unit apartment complex for people with behavioral problems.  Utica residents -- barely able to make ends meet for the the City while simultaneously subsidizing suburban growth through water and sewer services and a network of county highways -- are being asked , again, to accept more of society's problems in their midst.

If Utica leaders are serious about turning the City around economically, they are going to have to say no to such projects. Utica will not be regarded as a place to live or do business until City leaders start paying attention to the sensibilities, needs, and pocketbooks of those paying Utica's bills. 

"Revocation of Franchise" . . .

From the AP: Cuomo says he’s angry at pace of power recovery

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday that utility companies have done an unacceptable job of getting service back to customers and that he’s ready to take away their rights to operate in the state. “The progress is unacceptable,” Cuomo said. “To say that I am angry ... would be the understatement of the decade.”

Tough talk certainly plays to the emotions of those frustrated with the pace of Sandy recovery. While it makes no sense to think that the utilities are dragging their feet because power lost is revenue lost to the company, the quality of the state's own response may be the issue. Perhaps Mr. Cuomo thinks that "a good offense is a good defense."

So what would Mr. Cuomo do differently? We don't know.

"I am a reasonable person and I want to give utilities the time to explain their side,” Cuomo said. “But I believe the service was inadequate.” He said he will force utilities into public forums to defend their effort. . . . . Cuomo said Monday that state action could range from “sanctions to revocation of franchise.”

Unless some performance standard applies to hurricane response, there is no basis for sanctioning a company.  And revocation of franchise?  The utilities own all the power lines.  Does Mr. Cuomo have some foreign company ready to come in and buy these at fire sale prices after he revokes their franchise?   Or is this all prelude to something bigger on the horizon that has not been revealed to us?

Popular rhetoric to stir up the masses.  Anger.  Government threats. Excuses for taking radical action.

It's starting to look like New York is the vanguard of the New World Order.

Keep that in mind as you vote today.

Reviving Utica with People with Problems?

51-unit apartment complex proposed for West Utica

A Syracuse-based nonprofit organization is proposing a 51-unit apartment complex on Lincoln Avenue, but its funding is dependent on a series of grants.Central New York Services Inc., a behavioral health organization, wants to build a $12 million complex on two vacant lots between Roberts Avenue and Warren Street. . . .The proposed apartment complex would have 51 units, with 25 set aside for individuals with mental-health or substance-abuse issues. The other units would be open individuals who qualify for low-income housing.CNY Services Executive Director John Warren said the area is underserved and would benefit from a project like this.

This seems to be the regional plan. Make Utica the place to concentrate the region's poor and troubled. Better yet: concentrate them all in West Utica!

Any wonder why Utica cannot pay its bills? and why West Utica is in the condition it is in?

Who Loses Their Voice?

Back-of-ballot issue: Size of Oneida County Board of Legislators

Oneida County voters will get to decide whether to reduce the size of the Board of Legislators from 29 to 23.
The move would save taxpayers about $50,000 a year. It also would mean each remaining legislator will represent more area and people.

It's interesting how the voters are being asked to approve this reduction BEFORE district lines are redrawn.  Is this another power grab by you-know-who? $50K doesn't seem like a big price to pay to keep what we know.

Who Pays?

They're up to their old mischief again: Officials begin discussions on best way to utilize region’s water supply

Officials from Oneida County, Utica and Rome gathered Wednesday at the State Office Building for the beginning of a series of discussions about regional economic development and water resources. 

Poor Herkimer County (the place with the water). Left out again! Gotta wonder what the Utica representative was saying?

“The focus of the meeting was to begin a conversation with the water producers on how do we get water to parts of the region that are currently underserved or using well water,” said Assemblyman Anthony Brindisi, D-Utica.

"Underserved?" In who's estimation? "Well water?" Isn't that what you get when you choose to locate yourself away from cities or developed suburbs that have the population density to support municipal water service?

Sounds like someone has some "empire building" in mind -- and they plan on using water-rate payers' money to subsidize it.

Special Legislation

OD's View: Special legislation for merger vote should be passed (to allow Mohawk and Illion School Districts to merge):

A proposed three-district merger that included the two districts and Herkimer was rejected Oct. 18, and while Mohawk and Ilion want to press forward, they’re handcuffed by the law.Last week, the two districts passed a resolution asking for special state legislation that would allow another vote to take place sooner than permitted under current law. 

Why is it that when the local elites don't get their way, they go to Albany for "special state legislation?"

We saw this a few years ago when Mrs. Destito sponsored legislation to give the Mohawk Valley Water Authority special rights that it did not have under state law.  We saw this more recently  with Mr. Brindisi's "successful" sponsorship of legislation to exempt the City of Utica from state rules that required a showing of "public necessity" before the city could establish an ambulance service that would compete with a private company.  Now we're seeing another request to shorten the waiting time on school district merger votes.

There is a purpose to every state law that "handcuffs" local authorities. In every instance of special legislation, the purpose of the "handcuff" is being thwarted.  At least some of the people who would be affected by  special legislation are being denied the protection of state laws afforded to persons elsewhere in the state.

In the case of the original 4-way school district merger, Frankfort dropped out in one vote, Herkimer dropped out in a second.  Ilion and Mohawk want to press forward anyway, but are now forced to wait a year under state law before they can vote again.

Isn't repeated voting on an issue a tool that elites in government use to coerce voters into approving a pre-ordained outcome? Isn't the state law there to prevent coercion?     

While the overwhelming majority in Ilion and Mohawk voted for 4 and 3-way mergers and probably will settle for a 2-way merger, you do not really know the outcome of such a vote until it is taken.  One thing you do know is that at least a minority of voters prefer separate districts.  Those people are probably feeling coerced right now by the proposal for another vote.  Mob rule?

When you hear that "special legislation" is being proposed, think of who may be losing the rights held by others elsewhere.

Next time maybe YOU will be the one receiving "special treatment."

Dealing with the Devil?

WKTV: Remington Arms to manufacture rifles for the country of Oman

Congressman Richard Hanna (R-24) confirmed the announcement to NEWSChannel 2 Thursday evening...

Hanna said, "The expertise and quality of Remington and their centuries of experience are clearly recognized not only by our own men and women in uniform who depend on their products to keep them safe on the front lines, but also nations around the world."

Oman?? What is the likelihood that at some point these arms will be used against our own people?

TWC: Dissing Customers! and Catholics!

Not Getting What You Paid For?  Stations missing from that fancy 55" flat screen digital TV that you recently bought?  You are not alone!

It is really disturbing that in the middle of a presidential campaign ... and just as two local saints are being canonized ... Time Warner Cable chooses to futz with C-Span and EWTN (along with several other channels) to make them unavailable to customers who are paying for them unless they go to Time Warner to get an additional piece of equipment!  (To add insult to injury, you have to install the equipment yourself.)

I cannot say that I was not warned that something was going to change on 10/10.  I got a letter dated 9/4/12 from Mike Munley, President of Residential Services, indicating that if I wanted to continue viewing these channels "on additional direct-connect analog TVs (and similar devices)" I could request, for a limited time, a Digital Adapter -- free of charge through November, 2013, and then 99 cents/mo. thereafter. But I do not have an analog TV... and my flat screen technological marvel is not similar. Why should I need a digital adapter for a digital set?  Well it's been 10 days and several digital channel scans and still no C-Span and no EWTN ... but now I get several heretofore undelivered Syracuse stations (which carry the same networks as Utica stations) and a duplication of stations found elsewhere on the dial.

I can understand TWC wanting to conserve bandwidth so it can deliver even more trashy channels that I won't watch, but with all the duplication, this is obviously not about conserving bandwidth. And since all new TVs are digital but still require the adapter, it's not about going digital.   It's about forcing you to use a box, for which you will eventually pay a monthly fee, on every set in your house.

I thought we ditched set-top boxes back in the 1980s!

If I have to use a box/adapter/whatever, and waste the digital tuning technology in my new TV -- or pay for stations that I cannot receive --  then I might as well look at alternatives like Dish, DirecTV, or FIOS which require a box for everything.   In the meantime, I intend to complain to the authorities:  each local municipality from which TWC must receive a franchise before doing business ... state agencies ... Why stop there? This could go even higher: to  the Bishop ... or the Pope!

Mr. Munley claims TWC is "committed to bringing you ... high-quality entertainment" and that "We appreciate your business ..." but TWC just made 2 high-quality stations inaccessible without special equipment ... and I do not feel appreciated.  Frankly, I'm disgusted.