A New Problem: Plundering Utica . . .

From Bob Sullivan's blog comes this disappointing story: Self-Proclaimed "Princess" destroys 294 Genesee Street.

The genteel and elegant interiors of ... The former "Catholic Women's Club", was gutted by the infamous "Faux Princess," Diana Lenska.

The hand carved Carrara Marble fireplaces, of which there were 6 throughout the house, were ripped from their chimney mounts ...

The Roccoco Pier and Overmantel Mirrors-gone. ...

 The crowning glory of the mansion, the electrified gasoliers, that have hung from the ornate center medallions since Lincoln was in the White House, vanished. Everything was bundled on a huge moving van and shipped to secret destinations. . . . 

How sad!  Was this 'pay-back' for receiving the 'cold-shoulder' in Utica? A means to recoup losses from failed efforts to establish a cultural venue?  A little of both?  Or something else?  We can only speculate on motive... which is irrelevant. As owner, the fixtures are Ms. Lenska's ... hers to dispose of as she wishes.  But this posting is not about Ms. Lenska . . .

This is the second time this year that an architecturally significant structure has been "plundered" (for lack of a better word) in Utica. What happened to the HSBC building? Like the Catholic Women's Club, it was purchased by an out-of-town buyer with fanciful ideas and wound up ransacked. It's not clear exactly what was taken from inside the building, but some marble slabs from exterior planters are obviously missing. There certainly is a lot of beautiful marble covering most of that building . . .

Looking at both situations, Uticans have to consider the possibility that many of the city's remaining architectural treasures may be worth more as sources of fixtures and materials than as real-estate holdings ... With a global marketplace, the prices obtainable may be much much more than local preservationists can muster. Utica may see a lot more out-of-town buyers scooping up properties from desperate sellers at prices that are super-cheap (to the buyers), "mining" the properties for their fixtures or building materials, and then abandoning them. 

Utica seems to be going the way of the Coliseum which had its marble facing stripped after the fall of the Roman Empire.

Only the full-fledged economic recovery of Utica with rising property values will solve this problem.

BTW - Please pass the humble pie.

Reading Tea Leaves

Yesterday's defeat of a proposed contract between the State of New York and rank-and-file members of the Public Employees' Federation apparently took both the governor and the union head by surprise. From the Crain's New York article:

"The decision to reject the tentative agreement was made by our rank-and-file members who clearly feel they are being asked to sacrifice more than others, particularly in light of the pending expiration of the state's millionaire's tax,” said Ken Brynien, president of the Public Employee Federation.

Mr. Brynien should have stopped after the word "others."  He is reading tea leaves if he assumes the rejection was over expiration of the millionaire's tax.  I think union members, too -- the quiet ones without the signs -- understand that we ALL are Taxed Enough Already in New York State and "taxing the rich" will only drive the well-heeled to permanent safe-haven residences in Florida... and then where will NY be?   

I can't say for sure why people voted "no" -- they were not asked on their ballot.  ... But I note that it was after other unions had approved of their similar contracts that the State announced all the new spending on the "economic development contest."   If the state has the money to spend on a contest that pits one region of the state against another, it has enough money to pay people for the 5 days furlough they are being asked to take.  It is not as though the workers are really getting out of work . . . the assignments will be higher and deeper when they return.

Now it will be interesting to see where Mr. Cuomo cuts.  If it is across the board layoffs, then things that need to get done won't -- or at least not on time.  Traditionally that is how it has been done to avoid the politically unpalatable task of cutting programs.

But cutting programs needs to be where it is done.I will even suggest a program to go:  the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and the DEC Office of Climate Change.  The program, which cannot save the climate, was implemented by executive order (Gov. Pataki) and won't be missed.  The governor could even bill a cut as a jobs plan because it will reduce the cost of electric power for everybody. 

Of course the "contest" can go as well as all the economic development programs.  If people have to be paid to bring jobs to NY, there is still something in NY to be fixed.

Good News X 2 . . . We Hope . . .

A couple good stories from 9/27/11.

First was the opening of the Roundabout at Oneida Square. While the subject of much ridicule and scorn, after traveling through it Tuesday morning and afternoon from two different directions, it seemed to work smoothly. Much less time was taken to get through the intersection whether from Genesee Street (Yield sign) or Park Ave (Stop Sign) than it took before the make-over. Time will tell whether the narrowing to one lane on Genesee Street will be a problem when traffic is heavy or weather bad . . . But so far so good.

Second was the announcement of the 450 new nanotech jobs for Marcy. We've heard such promises before only to be let down . . . but with architectural drawings this time feels like the real deal. Four hundred fifty good paying jobs will be welcome ... but considering that we've lost thousands over many years it is too early to sing "Happy Days Are Hear Again" even if this dream comes true. Troubling is that the State has to practically sell its soul to get private companies to invest in NY. But this seems like a start.

Let's keep our fingers crossed ... on both stories.

"Extreme" . . .

WIBX reported on Congressman Hanna's visit to the Mid-York Library . . .

Hanna who served on the Utica Public Library Board for a number of years says he understands the financial struggle its facing.

Hanna said his goal is to lend the full support of his office and listen to what library officials have to say, “It’s an easy place to cut, but the one thing about a Library is that it’s a great leveler. . . . it’s important to remember that education is the one great leveler and has been throughout history, and Libraries educate."

I like the congressman's description of education as being the one great leveler. It is true . . . and defines why it is important to maintain our libraries and other educational institutions.

During his speech, Hanna seemed to distance himself from the Republican party when addressing cuts to education and other institutions like public libraries. He said, “I’m comfortable being a Republican. I think that I probably find myself distanced a little bit from both parties because they both tend to be run by their extremes. . . But, these are harsh times so it’s important to bring balance . . ."


When asked about the threat of the government shutting down again Hanna said, “I don’t think that’ll happen . . . When you have 30 or 40 people that want to push for their extreme views it’s hard to get through that because you need their votes and sometimes the things you have to do to get them on board aren’t really palatable, generally."

Accusing people of being "extreme" is a personal attack intended to marginalize a viewpoint to avoid having to deal with the substance of what is being said.   

Claiming "balance" while not addressing the issue at hand with an explanation similarly implies that the people being labeled extreme are not worthy of being listened to.

While most people recognize the value of education and libraries (and other matters that the Federal Government may have involved itself in) is it "extreme" to question the role of the Federal Government, as opposed to the States, in the endeavor? Is it "extreme" to question the need for its spending? Since we know that the Constitution limits federal powers to certain essential things, is it "extreme" to insist that the Federal Government do the job it was given to do and stay out of things left to other levels of government . . . at least until the Federal Government gets its fiscal house in order?

Mr. Hanna takes pride in his "independent voting record" -- as he should.  No representative of the people should be a "rubber-stamp" for party elite.  Nonetheless, the congressman needs to figure out why he was sent to Washington at this particular point in time.  Dismissal of concerns as "extreme" without explanation merely because they happen to collide with one's worldview interferes with the process.

Tilt-a-Whirl!! . . .

. . . And you thought they were just constructing a Roundabout on Oneida Square.

Especially enjoyable will be that feeling of centrifugal force as you speed up from the 30 MPH City speed limit to slingshot around the circle as you go from Genny to State St or Genny to Oneida St.

I can't wait. When do the tickets go on sale?

9/22/11 Noontime Update:
The 35MPH signs have been replaced with 15MPH signs. Either someone is reading this blog or someone is on the ball! A funny thought, though, while it lasted.

And Then There Were Five . . .

People were just getting used to the idea that the race for Utica mayor would be four-way, when from out of "left" field comes a fifth candidate, Robert Clemente, of the Green Party. Per the OD . . .

During his announcement Tuesday at F.T. Proctor Park, Clemente spoke about various goals for saving the city money, and many ideas had an environmental focus. . . .

“We will think green, live green and save green,” he said.

Catchy . . .

While the "think green, live green" motto will make some see "red," Mr. Clemente's appearance is bringing some new ideas into the mix.

One of his main initiatives would be to take over street-lighting from National Grid and build toward medium-scale municipal power generation using methods such as solar panels, he said.

Although a Government take-over of private business should raise concern, when one is dealing with a practical monopoly like National Grid, can it be that bad? Monopolies are as inefficient and unresponsive as Big Government. National Grid is answerable only to its shareholders and to the State Public Service Commission. Considering that the former are located world-wide (and could care less about Utica) and the latter seems intent on sending our "cheap" power downstate, moving toward a municipal take-over of the power supply is worth considering. . . At least the voters will have a say. It sounds like Clemente has gone beyond mere talking about muni-power to thinking about how it might be accomplished ...

Although some may dismiss Mr. Clemente as an academic, is that any less a qualification than iceman (Mayor Dulan), cheese maker (Mayor Caruso), undertaker (Mayors Assaro and Roefaro), teacher (Mayor Lapolla), lawyer (Mayor Pawlinga), or entrepreneur (Mayor Hanna)? We know where they got us.

Some of his other goals include listening to the public, bringing pharmacy and food stores to downtown Utica, dealing with sewer and water issues, developing urban forestry and urban agriculture, analyzing whether city services can be delivered in a more efficient way and addressing vacant buildings through deconstruction work and the reuse of materials, he said.

These are new subjects for a mayoral candidate to talk about, but they address clear issues that the city faces. Some ideas may be good, other not so, but at least they will be discussed ... and that is the first step to solving Utica's problems.


Mr. Clemente's entry on the scene will hopefully get other candidates to present specific ideas for addressing the issues instead of spouting the usual rhetoric. That would be refreshing.

Curious Non-Issue . . .

There has been a lot of talking about the Marcellus Shale and Hydrofracking ... whether gas recovery is a good thing or a bad thing.  It certainly presents an opportunity, but also a threat.

It is doubtful that fracking will take place locally, and the controversy here seems a time waster.  The boundary of the Marcellus just touches southern Oneida County and it is likely too shallow to be productive.  The same can be said of the Utica Shale, which is productive in Ohio, but outcrops (comes to the surface) in . . . Utica, which is where it got its name. (I have a garden full of it!).  It really should be a non-issue here.

But what IS a non-issue and perhaps should not be is the fact that New York State is one of very few oil and gas producers that has no mineral severance tax.  It's hard to believe that there is a tax that NYS does not have, but this is one.  While it is doubtful that NYS could fuel state government with such a tax (like Texas or Alaska), it might be worthwhile to consider enough of a tax to pay for the oversight of the industry.

Pros and Cons of such a tax should be considered, of course, but it seems that it should be considered now with all the controversy.  

Does This Make Sense?

The State just closed Oneida Correctional Facility to save money. Now it is spending $33 million to expand facilities at Mohawk Correctional Facility (which is next door isn't it?).

Employees from Oneida Correctional have been forced to relocate supposedly so the state can save money.  Almost ALL state employees are being asked to take 5 days' furlough without pay so the state can save money (even though their work will still be there when they get back because the state refuses to cut programs). 

If the State has all this money to spend on facilities . . . not to mention the $1 BILLION to be given away in the "economic development" contest . . .  why are civil servants expected to take a hit?

Interesting News Around the State . . .

Albany: State defends greenhouse gas program

"This lawsuit was not filed because of the individual plaintiffs suffering any injury from the program -- but as part of a cause to bring down RGGI in New York," according to legal papers filed last week by Attorney General Eric Schneiderman in state Supreme Court in Albany County. 

The RGGI program itself was part of a cause . . . Gov Patacki's symbolic attempt at being "green" -- significantly raising our electric rates with no possibility at all of significantly improving the environment.

Albany: Fracking ban not city's call

Burns' memo specifically cites a section of state environmental law that says it "supersedes all local laws or ordinances relating to the regulation of the oil, gas and solution mining industries" ... "We do run the potential risk that this law may be litigated," Burns said. 

Rochester: Sen. Charles Schumer seeks to salvage PAETEC project, jobs

Sen. Charles Schumer, concerned that Windstream Corp.'s proposed purchase of PAETEC Holding Corp. has jeopardized plans for a downtown headquarters and local jobs, is asking state and federal regulatory agencies to consider those issues when reviewing the deal. 

Just what is needed for economic development in NY . . . government interference with business decisions.

Albany and Syracuse: Our taxes propping up development in government picked areas:

Good news, but shhhhhh!     Syracuse's University Hill area, despite shaky economy, is home to more than $780 million in new construction

Albany:  Health exchange lags at $38.7M

The state has made little headway toward building a health exchange, but with $38.7 million in grants, New York still leads the nation in receiving money for one. 

NY sure knows how to spend grants!

Yorkville: To Be or Not To Be ? . . . .

Isn't that the real question in the controversy over whether or not Yorkville should dissolve its police department? Police protection is probably the most defining municipal service a village can provide to its residents. After the police are gone, what is left?

At this point, the only option seriously under consideration is merger of police with the County Sheriff.  No doubt, on a personal level, Sheriff Maciol would be able to make this work because he came out of village police ranks, was a village mayor, and knows the territory. However,  the County Board of Legislators ultimately will control the budget and the contractual terms will the Village ... the overwhelming majority of whom have no direct interest in what goes on in the Village.  What may be favorable terms now for the Village may not be so favorable in the future -- especially when the County understands that it is taking on more risks to go into village policing.

Contracting with another entity for this service would seem to always subject village residents to the control of others.

If Yorkville truly cannot afford its own police department, perhaps it is time to talk about merger of village government itself with an adjoining village such as New York Mills, Whitesboro, or both.  While Yorkville residents' votes would be diluted with those of its neighbors, would things really change for individual residents?  I think not. The villages are so similar to each other that they are practically indistinguishable.

By merging with other like municipalities, village residents will still be in control.

Another One Bites the Dust...

High-end luxury Steuben Glass is closing . . .

Way - to - go N.Y. - not!

116th: Neither of the Above . . .

WKTV ran a "debate" of sorts between Anthony Brindisi and Greg Johnson, the candidates for the 116th Assembly seat that was vacated by RoAnn Destito.  Neither appeared particularly engaged or engaging.  Mr. Brindisi had his non-specific talking points.  Mr. Johnson talked about enhancing Griffiss Airport as our job-maker, but failed to relate this Oneida County-Republican-elite dream to the job of state assemblyman.

What I would have liked to have seen is an articulation of how New York State policies harm our area in ways that have not been been broadcast ad nauseum.  Forcing people to pay tolls to use Upstate's Thruway "Main Street" does not attract jobs. Maintaining a campus of decrepit buildings and dumping mental patients on the streets of west Utica, does not attract people to the neighborhood.  Sending Upstate-generated "cheap" hydropower to well-heeled Downstate does allow Upstate's rates to be competitive for the types of industries Upstate is cut out for.

I became a bit hopeful when Carl Paladino endorsed Johnson, figuring that Johnson would exhibit Carl's fighting spirit (which, eg., got the Thruway tolls removed from a section  near Buffalo).  I did not see that last night, however.  Now it appears that voters are faced with choosing between a Democrat ideologue and an Oneida-County-Republican (more parochial than a regular Republican) ideologue.

Faced with this choice, logic dictates pulling the lever for Mr. Brindisi.

This is not an endorsement of Mr. Brindisi ... but, like RoAnn, being a member of the majority party in the Assembly would give him an advantage in accomplishing something for this district.   

What do you think?                                                                         

Articles: How capital crushed labor.

Pat Buchannan had a Labor-Day article on World Net: How capital crushed labor .
This is a must-read because it describes how trade policy has crushed jobs.

Articles: China Trade Policy and the Fallacy of 'Idea-Land'

Articles: China Trade Policy and the Fallacy of 'Idea-Land'

This is a must-read for those believing in "free trade."

Clipping Wings . . .

The race for State Assembly 116th District seems rather quiet.

The Brindisi website offers the usual rhetoric on "creating jobs," working for "tax relief,"  "ensuring strong public schools" and "fixing Albany"  -- all phrases calculated to appeal to the disgusted voter -- but with absolutely no specifics offered to indicate that real changes will be made.

The Johnson website promises "job creation,"  but sounds suspiciously like Oneida County's focus on Rome, Rome, Rome ... and the Marcy "Nanocenter" ... but offers nothing to improve job creation in Utica ... which is the 116th District's largest municipality in population. (How Johnson expects to win with a Rome-centric platform is a head-scratcher.)

The one place where Mr. Johnson seems to part ways  with the County is to push for a passenger terminal for commercial aviation.

 There is a shovel ready plan for a 6.3 million dollar terminal at Griffiss. This facility has not been built due to a lack of political courage to move forward with this plan. There is a need for this facility and it can and will be a catalyst for developing new jobs and protecting the jobs we currently have.

Although it's not clear how a county terminal ties into a state assembly campaign, Mr. Johnson is at least refreshingly specific in pointing out a need. And he makes sense. 

As we have painfully learned over the years (and no one in County government admits) anyone looking to locate a major manufacturing facility will not seriously consider coming to an area without commercial air service.
 

However, the dream of a commercial air terminal (which Oneida County had in Whitestown but willingly gave up) may now be beyond reach. Per today's OD Federal money for Griffiss airport may be grounded because another airport in Maine wants a turn at the funds. Congressman Hanna is trying to get a reauthorization, but with the tight federal budget situation more money does not appear likely.

Assuming that the funds will be available, would they be well spent? (This blogger has questioned airport spending for years.) Finally, at least one political candidate who, if elected, would be in a position to do something about the situation, is publicly asking what the taxpayers are getting for their dollars.

Rodger Potocki, who is running on the Conservative line [for County Executive] . . .  said he has been skeptical of the planning process for the airport at Griffiss from the beginning, and if elected would do a cost-benefit analysis of its budget.

“I am dead set against continued taxpayer commitments, be they federal, state or local, without full, responsible justification,” he wrote in an email. “The fact that federal funds may be available or not should not drive local decisions. We, in my opinion, got sucked into airport decisions that have cost us serious tax dollars simply because of the original availability of federal dollars.”

This is the right approach on the airport... and on a lot of other issues, too.  To repeat Mr. Potocki:

“The fact that federal funds may be available or not should not drive local decisions." 

Simply put, federal funds' availability has distorted local decisions ... whether it is Oneida County abandoning an appropriately-sized and well-cared-for airport in Whitestown for a behemoth in Rome, the Utica Master Plan's proposal to require 20% "affordable housing" in all new housing developments in a city already flush with affordable housing, or building a roundabout at Oneida Square that was not on anyone's list of needs.

Clipping the wings of those looking for grants will be the first step toward restoring sound decision-making to government. 

Devastation Downstream . . .

With some notable exceptions (more) (more) (more),  Greater Utica was spared the worst of Hurricane Irene.

Not so our friends to the east . . . YNN has some incredible footage of flooding down the Mohawk River and Schoharie Creek.  I-90 is still closed. Traffic is still snarled in Johnstown. The Elwood Museum in Amsterdam is devastated and Guy Park Manor damaged. A death in Glen has been confirmed. Canal locks are swamped in Rotterdam and the canal's reopening is uncertain. The historic Stockade District of Schenectady had major damage.

The extent of the devastation is just starting to sink in.

Here's a place where Neighbors can help Neighbors. Thanks B95.5

Rainy Day Reading . . .

If you wanted to get away from all the Hurricane Irene TV coverage, today was the perfect day to curl up on the couch with your I-pad or tablet and check out some of the area's newest blogs.

LunarTicks has just launched and promises "A few News items to discuss. From everywhere, with music thrown in for no good reason." It's Dave Griffin's (of Windswept Press) latest foray and joins the popular "Monk in the Cellar" to entertain you. Brother Jesse is working overtime!

Ray Jadwick's Utica has been around for only a couple months but has already stirred the pot, garnering an article in the Utica Daily News, discussion on Mark Piersma's Show,  and threats of a lawsuit from the Observer Dispatch! Mr. Jadwick is a master of Photoshop and paints our local luminaries into ... shall we say "interesting" ... situations.  It's provocative reading and viewing ... and entertaining unless, I suppose, you find yourself painted into one of the pictures.  Caution to parents and sensitive individuals, this is strictly adult stuff that many may find shocking and offensive with some posts crossing the line.  Mr. Jadwick has something to say, and a talent for saying it, but runs the risk of turning off an audience with certain recurring themes.

If curling up with technology is not your cup of tea and you prefer a good old fashioned magazine to share your lounger, Dan Weaver's Upstream & Downtown Blog (formerly just Upstream) has spawned a full fledged magazine: "Upstream - A Mohawk Valley Journal ." It bills itself as "A Cultural and Counter-Cultural Journal from New York State's Mohawk Valley," has a host of talented writers, and is available through Amazon and AbeBooks. Check the link for availability and other information.

Upstate NY -- You've got talent!

All For Naught?

Users of the Mohawk Valley Water Authority have faced increased water bills to pay tens of millions of dollars to construct new water tanks to hold the treated water from formerly open reservoirs. Per a 2009 independent auditor's report for MVWA, EPA regulations are to blame.

Essentially, all open reservoirs must be treated as a raw water source and either re-treated or eliminate the reservoir from daily use by means of covering the reservoir or constructing alternative tanks. 

Now that our water bills have been raised and the construction project to comply with the new rules is about complete comes this article from the Portland Mercury newspaper's blog ... about something happening in New York that might obviate the need to comply with these rules:  New York might just have saved Portland $500 million.

For seven years, the Portland Water Bureau and several activist groups have been fighting a national Environmental Protection Agency requirement stating that the city must cover its iconic reservoirs to protect against cryptosporidium . . .

In March, it looked like the city had lost and would have to spend $500 million to cover the city's five reservoirs...

But from the East comes a sign of hope! New York state is fighting the same rule, not wanting to spend $1.6 billion to put a concrete cap on an upstate reservoir. New York Senator Chuck Schumer wrote a letter to the EPA asking them to scrap the plan and, miracle of miracles, the EPA wrote back this weekend saying they would reconsider. If the EPA is willing to reconsider for New York, they could be willing to reconsider for Oregon, too!

In the early 1990's area residents were forced to pay for a multimillion dollar filtration plant ... a requirement that New York City managed to escape.  Now the same thing seems to be happening with the covered reservoir requirement.

Since there is no memory of MVWA or the earlier Utica Board of Water Supply ever having had a problem with water-borne diseases, these costly federal mandates appear to be unnecessary expenses, placing significant burdens on local residents and businesses and making the region uncompetitive. Perhaps we should have been more like Portland or New York City ... or allied ourselves with them in challenging the need for such rules.  

Anyway, it looks like NYC is getting another break ... too late to save Greater Utica's money . . . but perhaps in time for Portland.

Pataki for Prez? They're Kidding, Right?

From the NY Daily News: Former Gov. George Pataki close to entering Republican presidential race

"Pataki the first two years was great, then we went on a spending binge," said Assemblyman Thomas Kirwan, an upstate Republican first elected in 1994, the same year as Pataki. "The federal debt runup was rivaled only by what we did in New York under George Pataki."

I could not have summed up Mr. Pataki's problem better.

Numbering the Corporate Welfare Days . . .

One can only hope that the days of taxpayer-funded corporate welfare are coming to a close. James Ostrowski's lawsuit against numerous state officials, agencies, and corporate-welfare recipients to end the freebies has been percolating through the courts and will be heard by the New York State Court of Appeals on October 12, 2011.  A big rally is planned for Albany that day.

Government funds going to the politically connected (i.e., state capitalism) has poisoned the marketplace, rewarded defective business models, discouraged competition, and cost the taxpayers dearly.  It must be ended if New York State, and now the nation, are ever to return to robust economic health.

New Hartford Online has all the details on the lawsuit. 

Thank you Mr. Ostrowski for taking this on! 

Big Government in a Small City . . .

Per today's OD, popular events are leaving downtown Utica.

The Indie Garage Sale, Fireworks Over Utica and Taste of Utica are in the process of being moved out of the city or dissolved completely.

 And organizers say oppressive fees – either enacted or enforced for the first time this summer – are to blame. . . .

But it hasn’t prompted any hindsight change of mind from Common Councilman Jerry Kraus, D-at large, who captained the legislation that included a 15 percent surcharge on the sale of alcoholic beverages and a $1 fee per ticket sold at events on city property.

The money gained from the events would have been “nominal” when compared with the level of public safety and public works services from the city, he said. 

How about the level of public safety and public works services from the city for Saranac Thursdays, Utica Monday Nights, and the Boilermaker?  Following that logic, the city should be slapping a participation fee on everyone attending these events, too . . . And what would be the result if the city did this?

As the region's population center, it is advantageous for events to be located within Utica's city limits. However, this advantage quickly disappears if "Big Government" imposes special fees and requirements. Utica is geographically small.  It is easy for organizers to move events across the city line.

Big Government in a Small City simply does not work.

Little New Here . . .

The Final Draft of the Utica Master Plan (UMP) has been issued. The biggest change is the cover which adds the following words, "A NEIGHBORHOOD-BASED PROCESS TO ESTABLISH THE VISION AND GUIDE FOR UTICA'S FUTURE"

That sort of sums up the whole problem with the UMP. 

It's an admission that the master plan is not really a master plan, but rather a plan to make a plan in the future.

Appendices have been added to the Final Draft to explain some of the document's jargon (e.g. "dark sky principles" and "context sensitive solutions").  Some new maps have been added to show current zoning and land uses. 

But overall, the UMP remains a fundamentally flawed document because it, itself, does not present a vision of the city's future, but, rather, substitutes a cumbersome, special-interest charged process in place of the vision to guide Utica's future planning decisions.

I detailed UMP's flaws here so I won't repeat them.   Suffice it to say that the flaws remain.


The UMP in its current form will create more harm than good.  It should not be enacted into law by the Common Council.

Shake Up at MV Chamber of Commerce...

Per tonight's OD: Elias ousted as Mohawk Valley Chamber of Commerce president

Frank Elias III was removed Tuesday as the president of the Mohawk Valley Chamber of Commerce.

Of course there is much more that is not reported in the OD. This past Friday, Mr. Elias e-mailed fellow C of C Board members and Ex-Officio members to protest the manner in which a nomination was placed before the Board -- apparently in a surprise move engineered by insiders in the organization and sprung without notice upon other members.

Attached to the e-mail was a document "Fellow Board Members.doc" which is reproduced in the PDF document at left.

The Mohawk Valley Chamber of Commerce has long been perceived as a non-transparent regional "good old boys" network that caters to the area elite and is uncooperative with peer organizations.  Mr. Elias' missive confirms it as such.

This blog has long been critical of the MV C of C . . . especially with its use of the "Mohawk Valley" moniker when "Greater Utica" is the accurate -- and more precise -- description of the market it serves. . . 

The "regional" trappings adopted by the C of C appear to be nothing more than a subterfuge to serve the interests of particular powerful members.

Too bad . . .

Shooting the Messenger . . .

From the Right: George Will: We’ve Learned Nothing From Standard & Poor’s

And from the Left: ‘Stunning Lack of Knowledge’: Geithner Slams S & P for Showing ‘Terrible Judgment’

Guess that means S & P must be on to something.

Spilling Beans, Mr. Greenspan?

Per CNBC

"The United States can pay any debt it has because we can always print money to do that. So there is zero probability of default" said Greenspan on NBC's Meet the Press

Since that is the case, why would ANYBODY want to invest in US Government Bonds? The bonds get repaid in money that is worth less (if not worthless).

Scary thinking.

Does Anyone Buy This?

John Kerry: ‘This Is the Tea Party Downgrade’

“I believe this is without question the Tea Party downgrade,” Kerry said. “This is the Tea Party downgrade because a minority of people in the House of Representatives countered even the will of many Republicans in the United States Senate who were prepared to do a bigger deal, to do $4.7 trillion or $4 trillion, have a mix of reductions and reforms in social security, Medicare, Medicaid, but also recognize that we needed to do some revenue.” 

I. The Tea Party was not the party that demonized every attempt to fix projected shortfalls in the Social Security System.

II. The Tea Party was not the party that enacted a vast new prescription drug program costing billions without ensuring that money would be available to pay for it.

III. The Tea Party was not the party that voted for Obamacare and Economic Stimulus packages requiring trillions of new spending without ensuring that "increased revenues" would be available to pay for it.

IV. The Tea Party was not the party which failed to produce a budget for over 800 days even though the one party that now complains the most controlled all three branches of government during most of this time.


The Downgrade was caused by a government which spends beyond its means.


The Tea Party has been the ONLY party to insist on fiscal sanity. . . . yet Sen Kerry not only blames the Tea Party for the results that he helped to create, he would even deny air time to the Tea Party to conceal the truth of the situation from the public.


I guess the truth is simply something Sen. Kerry -- and most Republican and Democrat leaders -- cannot deal with.

Spending Business As Usual . . .

I'm really not too sure what was accomplished yesterday in Congress. $2.4 Trillion Would Be Largest Debt-Limit Increase in U.S. History.

Up until now, the largest increase in the debt limit was the $1.9 trillion increase passed by Congress and signed by President Obama on Feb. 12, 2010. That law increased the debt limit from $12.394 trillion to $14.294 trillion.

The bill hasn't even passed the Senate yet, but that doesn't stop the Federal Government from more give-aways. $1.3 million in border development funds available. 

Joseph Farah of World Net Daily isn't too happy:

We're back to business as usual in Washington. . . . .
They could have forced deep cuts and possibly even the elimination of worthless and unconstitutional agencies and departments like Education, Agriculture, Commerce, the Environmental Protection Agency and Homeland Security. They could have forced defunding of Planned Parenthood, NPR, PBS, the National Endowment for the Arts and countless foreign wealth transfers. They could have postponed any implementation of Obamacare until it could be dealt with in finality in 2013.
Republican control of one House could have made all that possible with one no vote on raising the debt limit. 

Instead, House Republicans chose to trade away that one political nuclear weapon it wielded for a "compromise" plan that calls for massive new unsustainable debt and massive new unsustainable spending. . . .

Disaster?
Catastrophe?
Outrage?

Yes, but none of these words even comes close to adequately characterizing the betrayal perpetrated by the Republican establishment in Washington over the last few days.
The era of big government is back with a vengeance – and apparently here to stay.
There are no limits. There are no restraints. There is no accountability. There is no end to red ink as far as the eye can see.

 At least one local Republican voted against this. Kudos to her for standing up for what is right. Whatever . . .

I agree with Joe: "red ink as far as the eye can see."

It Pays to Have Friends in Government . . .

Access still a major issue at N. Hartford business park reads the headline but . . .

The New Hartford Town Board took steps at its last meeting for the two major projects aimed at easing traffic into the business park.

 The board voted to go out to bid for construction of the Route 840 ramp and to establish a public hearing for the eminent domain proceedings that would allow for the Clinton Street extension. 

The New Hartford Business Park is a PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT. Not only is the Town taking residents' monies by applying payments in lieu of taxes to construct roads that are only good for Park access, Town Government is using its power to take private property from another person to complete the project.

County residents should have a beef too because payments in lieu of County Taxes are also being used.

In addition, the type of development duplicates other developments that already exist in the area. It will not create jobs, but, rather, will move jobs and economic activity further away from the older urban core and out toward the fringes.  This sprawl costs us all money because our stagnant population is forced to maintain an ever expanding infrastructure.

If private businesses want to compete with each other, that's called free enterprise.  If some are getting government help to do it, its called state capitalism . . . and state capitalism is unfair. 

Read more on this issue on New Hartford Online: A dollar and a dream. 

Giving and Taking by EDGE. . . .

Giving:  A small firm is given $15,000 to expand and hire one employee via a county "micro enterprise" grant.

The grant program, administered by Mohawk Valley EDGE, uses federal Community Development Block Grant funding through the state Office of Community Renewal.

This is another example of federal spending that MUST be eliminated. Taxpayer money should not be given away to anyone. . . . More so taxpayers' children's money.    The federal government should not be allowed to borrow for this.

If the proprietor has a good idea that will work and generate income, he should look for a loan or sell a share to an investor to expand his business. The government should stay out of private business.

Taking:  Marcy woman forced to sell property in eminent domain battle with MV Edge

A Marcy woman has spent her golden years fighting her own government for land that's been in her family for more than 100 years and on Thursday, she lost that battle. . . .

Officials with Mohawk Valley EDGE said they need the property to make adjoining land more appealing to chip-fab plants, which they've been trying to lure to the area for years.

It is simply wrong for EDGE to use the power of eminent domain to deprive a person of their own property. What kind of country have we become to tolerate this?

This is Oneida County-sanctioned, folks.   Remember on election day which legislators and county executive are supporting EDGE.

Actioni contrariam semper et æqualem esse reactionem . . .

Newton's Third Law of Motion: To every action there is always an equal and opposite reaction . . . That's what came to mind with all the chatter about the national debt crisis and the likelihood that the credit of the USA will be downgraded.

As the theory goes, the increased risk that the US will delay/default on payment of its debts caused by the bumbling in Congress will be reflected in a loss of our AAA credit rating among the various ratings agencies.  Action = Reaction.

A downgrading of our credit rating makes US instruments less attractive to investors. Action = Reaction.

A decrease in attractiveness of US instruments requires an increase in interest rates to make the instruments more attractive.  Action = Reaction.

Economics is not Newtonian Physics, but it seems to follow the same natural law.  For every action there is a reaction.

Three years ago we had an alleged "credit crisis" where money available for loans dried up. One would have thought that the natural reaction would have been for interest rates to have gone up to entice people to make loans. Instead the Federal Reserve intervened and started printing money -- loaning it out for a song or outright giving it away.We had "Quantitative Easing (QE) I" and then II pumping dollars into the system. The interest rates that should have gone up were kept artificially low by all the new money the government pumped into the system . . . nice if you were a borrower, but terrible if you were a saver. The value of the money had to decline, too, because if you double the $ supply without a doubling of the economy which backs it up, each dollar represents a smaller portion of the economy.  If money is cheap, it is treated that way, thrown around on risky or nonsense items.

If you constantly spend more than you make, your credit worthiness goes down because it becomes less likely for you to pay your bills on time.  If you have the ability to pay your debts with money that you print yourself, you might get away with it for awhile, but people will eventually figure it out. Your credit worthiness SHOULD go down because you are not returning value for what you initially received. 

Savvy investors, like the Chinese government, have figured this out and have slowly been shedding themselves of US instruments of late because the US has debased the value of its currency with QE I and II. They did not need a ratings agency to tell them what to do.

A downgrade in US credit must occur because the US is repaying its debts with money that is worth less.

While a downgrade would make the US look fiscally irresponsible, it is only because it is true. The good side of a downgrade is that borrowing will become more expensive . . . as it should have become three years ago before the Fed started pumping money into the system. Interest rates may actually return to normal levels from the ridiculously low rates they are at now.

Like Newtonian Physics . . . or Mother Nature . . . government tinkering can only get around the natural laws of Economics for so long.

Just What We Need (Not) . . .

It's difficult enough for the Utica area to compete in the world marketplace for jobs given New York's high cost/high regulatory burden status.

But now we have to compete with other areas of the state in a state-government "contest" for a share of a pot of money we are paying into?

This is apparently "Economic Development" a la Cuomo II.  Per the OD:

Cuomo's twist would pool $1 billion in tax breaks and aid for construction and infrastructure as prizes for the best proposals in 10 regions around the state that would compete for the resources.

What is state government's track record in deciding what is "best" for business?  The more "economic development" we fund, the less we seem to have to show for it.


This program really seems to be about awarding prizes to those people that will bring the most votes to Cuomo. How about a $ billion in tax cuts for everyone instead?

To put it bluntly, this sucks.

Marriage Rites and Rights . . .

Today is the big day for a number of same-sex couples across the state to finally become legally married now that the "Marriage Equality Act" has been signed into law ... Everyone should be happy for them. Why not celebrate love when there is so much hate in the world?

But what about those who feel the whole concept of same-sex marriage is wrong? Town officials in Granby, Barker, and Guilderland have resigned from their positions over this issue rather than perform duties which conflict with their religious beliefs.  Why should people lose their jobs over this?

The name "Marriage Equality Act" implies that marriage to date has somehow been "unequal." The debate over the law was couched in terms of "civil rights" and "individual rights" vs inequality. But is that accurate?

My, how times have changed!

There was a time not that long ago when marriage was not the choice of the participants. Marriages were arranged by parents or by tribal chiefs to ensure perpetuation of a family or a tribe. Religion regulated marriage for the same reason -- to ensure perpetuation of certain beliefs. Marriage outside one's religion or ethnic group carried serious social consequences. Governments became involved to regulate marriage practices because of their repercussions to society, eg. to control the spread of diseases or to ensure that children are cared for. That is why one has to get a "license," a permission to marry in New York.

But if marriage is a civil right or an individual right, why is permission from the government even necessary?

As noted above, marriage did not necessarily start out as a civil or individual right, but, rather, as a right of society: a highly regulated practice for society to perpetuate itself. Over the years, however, our society has become narcissistic. People have become oriented more toward fulfilling their own desires rather than fulfilling responsibilities to others. In that milieu, the concept of marriage changed.  Activities reserved for married couples became allowed for singles. Marriage became easy to get into and get out of compared to times past. Single parenting became common and socially acceptable. Perhaps marriage has evolved into an individual right, but with that evolution, the beneficial structure that marriage once provided to society is barely there.


And if the benefits of marriage to society are barely there, why should the government continue to be involved with it at all?

Perhaps the time has come to end government involvement in marriage altogether -- leaving marriage as a religious rite, or a personal rite. Let people define their own relationships to each other. With no marriage under the law, there will be no divorce under the law.  Think of the court time that would save!   

This would have been a more fruitful debate for our legislators to have had. Ending government-sanctioned marriage would provide a means to avoid pitting one group's beliefs against another.


In the meantime, while we raise a toast to the happiness of the newlyweds, we should ponder what the ultimate implications will be to society's structure.

That Didn't Take Long . . .

No sooner than a potential deal with state government workers is announced that would save the state millions of dollars, Governor Cuomo lays out a billion dollar plan for "economic development." Per YNN

On day two of phase two of his agenda, Governor Andrew Cuomo laid out an aggressive incentive program for bringing private investment and jobs to New York State, pooling existing state funds which will be available in the form of tax credits and grants. 

PLEASE, stop the nonsense.

You cannot sell a product (New York State) that is defective.

Economic development in the form of government-subsidized jobs simply does not sustain itself. We've done the tax-credit and grant thing in NYS for years with no real lasting results.

If the governor wants economic development in NYS, he needs to fix what is wrong with it: lower NYS taxes and fees (for everyone, not just the ones winning a government-sponsored "contest"), decrease regulatory red tape, and lower the cost of power.

But the governor is actually taking the opposite approach. There are more regulations and burdens that will harm New York, particularly Upstaters. For example, DEC is planning on new regulations to allegedly protect fish in the Hudson, but which will be so expensive to meet that it will either dramatically raise electric rates, or result in shutting down the Indian Point nuclear power plant about 30 miles north of NYC (the likely real objective) -- which will also raise rates.  

So much for this governor's fiscal conservatism . . .

"Balanced Budget" Baloney . . .And Other Things to Give Up Upon . . .

I wish our Republican members of Congress would get off this "Balanced Budget Amendment" (BBA) baloney. Assuming for the sake of argument that the BBA passes both houses (unlikely), that it is signed into law by the President (unlikely), that it is ratified by the requisite number of states (unlikely), what would it accomplish?

At best, the BBA would only create an annoyance for the big spenders/borrowers . . . something to be gotten around. . .   The evidence for this is New York State, which is required to have a balanced budget, but continues to spend and borrow big via a "creative" labyrinth of authorities, public benefit corporations and financial gimmicks (destroying the economy of the former "Empire" State in the process).

At worst, the BBA could significantly delay or prevent appropriate action in case of war (a real one) or an emergency of national scale (like Japan's earthquake/tsunami/nuclear meltdown).

Like morality, fiscal responsibility cannot be legislated.  Our representatives are either responsible, or they are not.  I think most people on the street intuitively know this ... and know that discussion of the BBA is a waste if time.

If the Republicans don't give up on the BBA, it will come back to haunt them.

Another thing to give up upon is the "No New Taxes" stance.  Yes, Bush No. 1's breaking his "No New Taxes" pledge lost him the election.  And Yes, a recession is NOT the time to raise tax rates.  But do Republicans really believe that the American Public will not support their offering to eliminate tax loopholes which subsidize the export of American jobs?  The Tax Code is so Byzantine there are probably many loopholes that can be closed.

Ladies and Gentlemen of Congress, here are your assignments:

• Republicans, since you hate raising taxes, it is now your assignment to come up with a list of the loopholes that can be closed. 
• Democrats, since you like spending so much, come up with a list of spending programs that can be cut.  
  

If you don't do your assignments, you will be failing the country.

Now . . . Stop posturing and Get to work.

It's a SPENDING Problem . . .

Recent headlines from the Observer-Dispatch:

Schumer pushes for funds for worker training

Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., announced on Wednesday that he would push for a grant that would bring more than $3 million in job training money to area community colleges.

Gillibrand wants to boost high tech manufacturing

Among the top items on Gillibrand’s agenda is the creation of a block-grant program. This legislation would establish a competitive grant program so small- to medium-sized manufacturers in communities with high unemployment could retool operations and retrain staff.

DEC announces availability of clean-air grants

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency provided the DEC the funding for the grant program, which has $60,000 available

Housing authority to build homes, spruce up downtown businesses

Within the next month, Furman and Herbowy say they expect construction to begin on six handicapped-accessible homes, scattered between Neilson, Elm and Miller streets in Cornhill.
Total cost: $1.39 million, funded through the federal Section 811 program and the city’s HOME allocation.

$4.2M grant to be used for volunteer firefighting efforts

The Firemen’s Association of the State of New York announced that it was awarded a $4,270,570 grant from U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

The grant will help strengthen the response of fire departments throughout the state by promoting and maintaining adequate volunteer firefighter staffing.

Contractor chosen for Oneida Sq. roundabout

The city Board of Contract and Supply unanimously approved Barrett's bid of $1.6 million at its Thursday meeting . . .
The project will be funded 80 percent by the federal government...

New Hartford OKs shorter Rayhill Trail expansion

The town received a federal grant in 2006 to cover $841,600 of the trail extension costs.

Bridgewater meat processing plant set to expand

The company plans to expand, hiring 14 employees immediately and increasing the size of the building’s footprint by a third, using a $210,000 Community  Development Block grant

Grant for 8 Utica firefighters awarded

The Utica Fire Department has been awarded a federal grant for nearly $1 million to fund eight firefighters, U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., announced Wednesday.

Schumer, Hanna: Don’t take away Utica’s lead grant

Two federal legislators are lobbying the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to give the city another chance to meet the requirements of a $2.1 million lead abatement grant it is in danger of losing.

Area gets first local food policy council in state, $100,000 grant

Rust to Green Utica, Cornell Cooperative Extension, the Resource Center for Independent Living and the City of Utica have created the state’s first local Food Policy Council and have received a $100,000 grant via the United States Department of Agriculture’s “Hunger Free Communities” program.

County using grant funds to add 2 probation positions

Two positions created Wednesday by the Oneida County Board of Legislators are not a sign that the county’s fiscal constraints are loosening. Instead, the county is paying for the salaries of a probation assistant and probation officer using funds it received from a federal grant.

While the above are nice, the country can survive without them.  They are more appropriately the responsibility of local government, private business owners/shareholders, charities, and individuals who would be more careful with how money is spent if they had to raise the money themselves.   


These items all come from our local newspaper.  Now, just think of all the similar stories that can be found in newspapers in every city, town and village across the nation.

We don't have a taxing problem.  We have a SPENDING problem. Raising the Debt Ceiling will only allow for more.

Negotiation for What?

Utica housing authority looks to develop Bossert site

"The Utica Urban Renewal Agency, which owns the vacant former industrial site adjacent to the North-South Arterial, voted unanimously to give the housing authority site control of the property."

"But neither city nor housing authority officials would release the exact nature of the proposed project – saying to do so would hamper the negotiation process." 

Negotiation?

"Whatever the project is, it appears it will not be similar to other housing authority endeavors, which mostly focus on housing. The Bossert site restricts residential development." 

In fact per DEC press release, the site is to be used only for commercial or industrial purposes.

So which is it?  Commercial?  Industrial?   We are left to guess.

While the need for confidentiality in both negotiations and project details is appreciated, what is not appreciated is being left in the dark as to the range of possibilities.  That will affect what OTHER people do with THEIR properties.  Knowing the range of possibilities is the function of a Master Plan . . . but the Draft Utica Master Plan, unfortunately, does not fulfill this function.


I guess the people are expected to swallow whatever they are given. The future of the City should not be determined behind closed doors.

Another $1B for Albany -- Another Plant to Close in Buffalo

The Times Union reports that an R&D center is being proposed by Global Foundaries, Inc. for Malta (just north of Albany) as part an expansion for a SECOND chip fabrication plant.

Plans for the R&D center were part of the pitch that GlobalFoundries made to the state as it reportedly sought more than $1 billion in new public financing to build another factory.

Meanwhile the Buffalo News reports that American Axle & Manufacturing is threatening to close its last WNY plant in Cheektowaga, employing 100,  if labor costs are not reduced. The plant opened in 1999 with a lower labor-cost structure when the company employed 2,800 at two other WNY plants.  The other plants have since closed.  The company's CEO

. . . keeps pressing for more-extensive changes, such as lowering starting pay for workers to $10 an hour from the current $11.50 per hour.  . . .

Starting pay currently $11.50 and hour?  Isn't manufacturing supposed to be high paying?

American Axle has increasingly shifted its production outside the United States, to places such as Mexico. At the same time, Wheaton said, the company has put more pressure on workers at its remaining U.S. operations to accept reduced compensation.

In both stories People are being pressured to contribute to corporate bottom lines.

In the first story, the People are the taxpayers who have already given the company over a $Billion in grants and infrastructure.  In the second story the People are the workers who have already made pay concessions.

The moral to both stories is that those with the means to pressure for more will do so. . . . and in both the government has supplied the means.

In the first, the State government uses its power of taxation to take from the taxpayers and give to Global Foundries.  In the second, the Federal government's power over international trade has been perverted to allow American Axle to avoid labor and environmental laws by relocating overseas the jobs that produce products which are consumed here.

In both cases governmental power has been used to reward private interests at the expense of the average person. When the government teams up with private businesses, the average person loses.

The GOP is Done!

Washington Post: Boehner abandons efforts to reach comprehensive debt-reduction deal

There simply is no reason to support Republicans anymore.  They were put into the House Majority to repeal Obamacare . . . The Debt Ceiling issue presents the only opportunity to get that done NOW. . . but now the GOP is caving in on even cutting spending significantly...  The GOP has outlived its usefulness as an alternative. Most likely a third party will rise, split the GOP votes, and continue the country down its current path, despite the voters' desires last November to change course.

Wimps!

EDGE + Utica . . .The Worst That Could Happen!

EDGE, Utica officials meet to discuss merger
City Hall needs its head examined on this one! Why?  Let me count the ways:

1. EDGE is controlled by private interests rather than the taxpayers.  It works through a host of subsidiary organizations making it difficult to track its activities.
2. EDGE's performance has been unsatisfactory, causing Herkimer County to dump EDGE and Whitestown Business Park (Old O.C. Airport area) tenants to complain.
3. EDGE is unaccountable.
4. EDGE is incompetent.
5. EDGE is lazy.  
6. EDGE encourages sprawl.
7. EDGE is dishonest.

Need I say more?

Departure of a Class Act . . .

There is an interesting article in the Utica Daily News about the departure of Urban and Economic Development Commissioner Soggs.

Former Utica Urban and Economic Development Commissioner Randy Soggs said that his decision to resign last week came down to the simple issue of time and balancing his private business with public service. . . .  

". . . And, I told myself when I took the position, I never wanted to be in a position where I was working for the city and couldn't give a 100 percent to the people city."

Mr. Soggs was on the receiving end of much criticism (including from this quarter) for his positions on the HSBC Building and housing next to the Arterial.

. . . but Soggs said that good people can disagree and he didn't take it personal.

"Listen, I'm not the kind of guy that doesn't get his way and then takes his ball and goes home," he said. "It's really as simple as I had one way of thinking and some other people had another. I think my way will prove to be the best way in the end, but right now that's just my opinion."

Now THAT is a class act! Don't you wish we could see more of his kind of attitude in City Hall instead of the confrontational shouting and name-calling that seems to happen all too often?

He said he sees his old job as going regional, possibly partnering with Mohawk Valley EDGE so that resources can be shared and the city can shape itself with a regional vision.

This might be where we could have had a little debate had he stayed in office.  Utica residents have "shared" their "resources" by paying into EDGE via County taxes for many years, but have seen precious little in return. EDGE should have put together a Brownfield redevelopment and marketing strategy by now, but it isn't even on their radar with most of EDGE's efforts being directed to Rome.  Utica residents have also "shared" their water supply and sewage treatment systems with the suburbs.  True, those are now in "regional" forms of ownership, but, as the population center, UTICA RESIDENTS still pay the bulk of the purchase and maintenance costs for these systems, making development in suburban areas less costly, and making suburban growth possible. In effect, the suburban parts of the region are able to finance their growth on the backs of Utica water and sewer users. Even with the 911 service, which finally will be consolidated County-Wide, Utica residents have been paying into the County system for years but receiving nothing in return.

Here I think Mr. Soggs has it backward.  Utica should not shape itself with a regional vision.  Rather, the Region needs to shape itself with a Utica vision.  Regional progress will not occur until this happens.

That said . . .

Soggs said that he would still volunteer if the mayor or other city officials asked for his advice or help in the future.

 . . . and I hope that city officials take him up on this offer. Even though I think he was wrong on several issues, Mr. Soggs has a lot of experience in the development world and a track record of success.  His insights should be brought into the decision making mix.   

In the more immediate future, however, Soggs said fiscal issues will dominate city politics and operations.

"We have to get our financial house in order," he said. "There are some very unpleasant decisions to make, but somebody's going to have to make them soon. Otherwise, the numbers are going to force them to be made."

On that last statement we can agree. Utica's finances are precarious . . . and options are now more limited with the 2% tax cap.  Expenses need to be cut, or revenue needs to be grown by expanding the tax base.  The latter cannot be done unilaterally by the City.  Rather, Utica needs to cultivate confidence in its day-to-day operations before private businesses see Utica as the obvious place to set up shop. When the latter happens, Utica will be on a more secure financial footing.  But there will be no confidence until Utica officials clean up their behavior.   

Here is where we can all learn a lesson from Mr. Soggs: Have disagreements, but don't take things personally.

Yes . . . a Class Act, indeed. 

Varick St. and the Unhelpful New Arterial . . .

The OD is abuzz about Varick Street.

“In Varick Street, they have a tiger by the tail,” said Fire Chief Russell Brooks, who is involved with the nearby construction of the new Irish cultural center. “The city has an opportunity currently it has not been involved in for decades.”

The $2 million cultural center – funded from proceeds of the Great American Irish Festival – will include an Irish pub, kitchen, meeting rooms and office space.

No doubt, Varick St. is where things are happening in Utica ... and the construction of the long-awaited Irish Cultural Center is the BEST thing to happen to the neighborhood in a long time.  But a problem looms on the horizon that local officials -- and the newspaper, apparently -- are obviously blind to . . .

The center isn’t the only change to the area. The state Department of Transportation’s mammoth North/South Arterial project will include razing some houses and buildings on the Varick Street side and realigning the roadway, said Brian Hoffmann, DOT project manager.

This is more than a mere taking of houses and realignment. The razing of a couple of architecturally interesting structures a stone's throw from the Irish Cultural Center, the shifting of the alignment of the Arterial toward the Center, and then the replacing of the current bridge pylons with a retaining wall to hold up the Arterial will do exactly what for the aesthetics around the Center?  Making the opening in the wall for Columbia St. an arch, and making the facing on the wall look like blocks from the old Chenango Canal is merely putting lipstick on the pig.  It does not change the fact that a WALL is being erected across the neighborhood fabric, effectively limiting any positive impact of the Cultural Center for redevelopment to the east along Columbia St.  

The new bridge will include an exit ramp at Court Street, similar to the one at Commercial Drive and Route 840 in New Hartford, finally providing direct access to Varick Street from the northbound Arterial lane.

This is inaccurate. There will be no direct access to Varick St. from the northbound Arterial ramp.  Rather, the access will be to westbound Court Street -- a small improvement over what can be done now by making a right onto Warren, left onto Lincoln and left onto Court. This improvement will be more than offset by other disruptions to existing traffic patterns.

Officials say that infrastructure was vital to New Hartford developments as Consumer Square and The Orchard.

“This time, that development will hopefully take place within the city,” said Stephen Zywiak, DOT regional design engineer.

While it is true that the Rt. 840/Commercial Drive interchange was vital to New Hartford development, suggesting that a similar interchange will spur development in Utica is wishful thinking.  Interchanges spur development where there are large areas (acres and acres) of contiguous undeveloped/semi-developed properties, with the developments being large-scale and auto-oriented -- like in New Hartford. Utica is different. Its lots are small and its infrastructure is already pedestrian oriented.   

History proves that interchanges in Utica lead to neighborhood decline -- like what happened at Baggs Square and at Oriskany Circle (where Oriskany St. now passes under the Arterial).  Decline occurs because the neighborhood's fabric becomes disrupted and no longer functions. Streets become cut off and people are forced to walk in unpleasant, auto-dominated environments . . . like this: 

View Larger Map
Businesses leave and do not come back. City tax-base becomes reduced resulting in increased tax rates and more departures. 

Utica's small lots and pedestrian-orientated, in-place infrastructure could provide ideal places for small start-ups or mom-and-pop businesses -- in short supply in the suburbs -- if the infrastructure's original functioning could be restored and preserved. There would be no need to artificially create business incubators at taxpayer expense in fancy industrial parks when the entire city could act as an incubator.  

State officials, City officials and local media need to realize that Utica cannot and should not be remade to meet some surburban ideal.  Utica has a different niche.  The sooner that niche is recognized, the sooner a real renaissance may begin.

Something Done Right...

The Oneida County Farmers' Market opens Saturday by the old Railway Express Agency building adjacent to Utica's Union Station. It's understood that the market will eventually be in the REA building once it is renovated.

This is great news! Who doesn't like fresh food?

While some are concerned about competition with the Utica Farmers' Market  located in Chancellor Park on Bleecker Street  on Wednesdays, Utica seems large enough to support both markets -- especially considering the large foreign born population for whom such markets were a daily occurrence in the "old country."

What is especially exciting about this development is the new use being given to an old building. The building always seemed to be tailor made to be a market . . . the subject of blog posts here in 2006 and 2007.

I don't get to say it very often about Oneida County, but this seems to be something done right!

Pillaging Park Ave. for Parking

More is in the news today about the city's parking "plan." The plan to convert Park Avenue into a County  parking lot is particularly disturbing.

The plan to close Park Avenue for parking gained serious consideration in 2007 before the Common Council decided not to vote on it. It requires the approval of the Common Council and Oneida County Legislature to move forward.

Some of the concerns from four years ago have not changed – including that Park Avenue connects two of the city’s most historic parks: Chancellor Square Park and Rutger-Steuben Park. “Why the push for all this stuff now?” said Michael Bosak, president of the Landmarks Society of Greater Utica. “Why not wait for a new administration to come in rather than make decisions that can’t be turned around.”

Bosak also expressed concern about the traffic flow on John and Rutger streets if Park Avenue is closed.

The plans call for a walking trail where the road once was to keep the connectivity between the parks, Soggs said. It would result in about 90 new spaces, up from the roughly 500 currently there.

Park Avenue is important to Utica's well being for both its function and form.

The 1950 Utica Master Plan's transportation section identifies Park Avenue as an important distributor street.  Park Ave. performs this function by channeling traffic coming from the east around the Central Business District and moving it down to Oneida Square.   The new Roundabout at Oneida Square will only improve this function. It is counterproductive to improve traffic functioning at one end of Park Ave. while completely blocking traffic at the other.

Park Ave. also serves as a visual axis, connecting Oneida Square, Steuben Park, and Chancellor Park (and, formerly, the site of Old Fort Schuyler before the E-W Arterial disrupted it). This is historic urban design. It is part of what gives Utica its distinctive character. It made Utica attractive at one point and can do so again if the design elements are reinforced with things as simple as plantings of street trees. The street width is an essential part of the design. People will not want to set up shop in Utica if it is unattractive.  This old design needs to be dusted off and re-polished.  Footpath "connectivity" simply does not do it.

“Nothing will work for us unless we have Park Avenue,” [County Executive Picente] said. “I don’t even want to talk about Charlotte Street unless we can do the Park Avenue plan.”

Excuse me, Mr. County Executive, but why should Utica have to give up a traffic artery merely to provide parking for the County Buildings? Creating parking on Park Avenue will not make Downtown more attractive to private development. Did not the County just spend 40 million dollars renovating the interior of the Courthouse (while leaving the exterior as ugly as ever)? Has not the county spent over $100 million on its airport in Rome?  Why can not the County spend $10 million and build a County parking garage in Utica?


Oh, I get it.  It's because it's in Utica.

The Picture of a Parking Problem?

The proposal to tear down the landmark HSBC building to create parking has brought the parking issue front and center again. . . . But a picture is worth a thousand words...



Pam Jardieu was kind enough to work up this picture of Downtown Utica's parking situation. Blue = existing parking garages, green = existing surface parking, red = PROPOSED additional surface lots.

The picture shows there is plenty of parking in Downtown Utica.

So there should be no need to destroy a landmark . . . nor to re-propose the blockage of Park Avenue and disrupt hundreds of motorists.

There may be parking issues in Downtown Utica, but there is plenty of parking.

The problems may be that certain places have a high demand at certain times, that much of the parking is privately owned and may be underutilized, and that many of the public lots and garages are for pay.

The City and County have now created a new parking problem for the general public at the train station by turning a free public lot over to private hands.

No expertise has been brought to bear on the issue. Our public officials are winging it and don't have a clue.

Barnes Ave. Double Standards . . .

This is interesting.

State offers $1.07M to Barnes Ave. businesses. Five businesses have been cut off from access to the rest of the world with the closure of the Barnes Ave Bridge. But . . .

The state offered nearly $1.07 million to four of the five businesses.

Bob’s Barnes Ave. Auto Parts was offered $374,500, B&W Auto Parts $323,000, A-1 Auto Parts $277,000 and the Paris Gun Club $95,000.

According to the state, the city of Utica is responsible for compensating Controlled Waste Systems Inc. because its truck terminal fell within the city limits.

Why is Utica responsible for compensating the business in Utica (which hasn't been there long enough to pay much in the way of taxes) when the Town of Marcy (which has been receiving taxes from the businesses there for years and years) is not responsible?

Why the Double Standard?

The next step is removing 110,000 tires that remain strewn across the salvage yards. That job likely will be contracted out to a tire removal company, Litwhiler said. The cost of the removal will fall upon the property owners, he said.

“It’s more than going in there and just hauling them out with a truck,” he said. “There are mechanisms in place to recover those costs.”

Property owners are responsible for cleaning up their properties to meet environmental standards. But the STATE is now the property owner in equity because the STATE has condemned the property. So why is it now the dispossessed businesses' responsibility to move the tires when the STATE caused the dispossession.

Why the Double Standard?

Common sense and turf wars have caused this needless problem.

According to an article from last November

Completely repairing the bridge would cost about $3 million . . .

About $2 million of funding – primarily federal funding, combined with state and local contributions – was obtained years ago and could potentially be put toward addressing the issues. But instead, city engineers are proposing developing an alternative route to the properties across the bridge.

If the State can now come up with  $1 Million to take the properties, when added to the $2 Million previously obtained there would have been enough money to repair the bridge . . . to keep businesses in business . . . to keep taxes flowing to Marcy . . . and to keep the state's recreational facilities along the river and canal accessible to the public.

Is a little cooperation among different agencies, municipalities and the state too much to ask?

Outrageous!

Council haggles over fate of HSBC building.

The city’s leading economic development official told Common Council members Wednesday he’d like to see the city purchase the downtown former HSBC building for $350,000, for the purpose of demolishing it and turning it into a city-owned parking lot.  

 Randy Soggs, Urban and Economic Development commissioner, said the money for the purchase and demolition, an estimated total of roughly $700,000, would come from state money allocated for downtown parking.

The city needs to use every legal means possible to force the owner of the HSBC building to bring the building into compliance with codes and to recoup all costs related to having to deal with the nuisance on the property.

The city's proposal to pay the owner $100,000 more than the owner paid for the building has a distinct odor. The idea that someone would be permitted to benefit from neglect at taxpayer expense is simply outrageous. It will only encourage more of the same.

First it's proposing a housing development next to the proposed up ramp on the N-S Arterial.  Now this!

The proposals demonstrate that a successful businessman can be totally clueless when it comes to setting public policy and planning.

This guy has got to go!

Common Councilman James Zecca, D-2, has proposed legislation, currently in committee, that would halt demolition of all commercial buildings until the master plan passed.  

This is another crock of baloney. While I'll agree that demolition of this building should be stopped, there is NOTHING in the draft Master Plan that addresses this situation.

Rather, this debacle will be used to justify appointing a bunch of insiders to update the zoning ordinance and city code (because that is what the plan calls for). Undoubtedly the insiders will rewrite things to benefit themselves. The Master Plan RFP called for professional consultants to do a written technical review of the zoning ordinance and city code and to draft revisions for same, but it was never done. Instead the taxpayers received $325,000+ window dressing.