Fault Lines

Buzz: In With "Density" . . .

2012-02-01T05:01:00.008-05:00

From City Journal, please read Get Dense. The subtitle tells the story in a nutshell:

"It’s time to stop wasting land and resources in the name of environmentalism."

More than three decades ago, the British economist E. F. Schumacher stated the essence of environmental protection in three words: “Small is beautiful.” As Schumacher argued in a famous book by that title, man-made disturbances of the natural world . . . should have the smallest possible footprints.

The idea is that the environment is protected when human activities are concentrated into a smaller footprint. "Sprawl" immediately came to mind when reading this, and author Robert Bryce did not disappoint.

Perhaps the most familiar example of environmentally friendly density, though, is the way humanity has concentrated itself by moving from the country to cities, a process that is happening especially rapidly in the developing world. The opposite process, suburbanization, requires far more land area per resident—and therefore more miles of streets, electricity cables, and sewer lines . . .

Bryce goes well beyond sprawl to address other aspects of human development. He exposes through specific examples of food and energy production how policies promoted as being environmentally protective can be exactly the opposite when the density of development is taken into account. The numbers will open your eyes. He summarizes:

The greenness of density leads to two conclusions. First, those who make environmental policy should consider density a desirable goal in nearly all the issues that they confront. And second, the real environmentalists aren’t headline-seeking activists and advocacy groups; they’re farmers, urban planners, agronomists, and, yes, even natural-gas drillers and nuclear engineers.

Bryce's article is well worth reading... and we now have a new word to bring into discussions: "density."

Buzz: The Sprawl Lobby .

2012-02-01T05:00:00.002-05:00

From Next American City: Sprawl, Under Any Other Name, is Still Sprawl, we learn that in the Cleveland suburbs, politicians woke up to the fact that sprawl development hurts locally grown small businesses . . . but they cleverly tried to promote more sprawl by making the development aesthetically appear to be more small businesses.

Now, why do we keep up with the illusion? Especially when the reality is a stagnant region with little-to-no job growth, and a concomitant infrastructure footprint that has become so unsustainable . . .

Part of the reason for this . . . is the sprawl lobby.

The sprawl lobby is real, and it’s powerful not only in Ohio but everywhere. It largely represents road and home construction companies, developers and home builder associations with deep pockets, and in the case of Ohio is tied to the farm lobby. Yes, the farm lobby has been fighting for farmer’s rights for generations, which means in the current context a refusal to allow agricultural zoning to occur as it would deflect from potential windfalls if and when the farmer decides to get out of the milking cow business.

We've seen this all happening right here in Greater Utica, too. Now we have new words to describe those promoting sprawl: the Sprawl Lobby.

New Hartford Development: Urban Cancer . . .

2012-01-23T08:29:00.002-05:00

"Cancer ... is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth." (Wikipedia)

"Urban Cancer is sprawl development, involving unregulated regional growth." (me)

"Urban cancer" immediately came to mind when I read the OD Story "Rezoning plan returns to New Hartford," where developers are asking the Town to re-designate about 250 acres to permit mixed uses including small businesses, retail, offices and restaurants. Supposedly the proposal was withdrawn and resubmitted so that it could incorporate goals from the Town's comprehensive plan. (One suspects that the recent change in the composition of the planning board might also have something to do with it.)

New Hartford Online posted on this subject as well, and listed some of the interesting/troubling comments of the focus group that contributed to the development of the Town's Comprehensive Plan Update:

This becomes a mini-city if everything comes together . . .
Town needs to be a leader and needs to be able to discuss issues such as the decay in the City of Utica; NH is a jewel in a rusting hulk
NH has shown a lot of leadership in spite of itself commercially and etc. . . .
NH competes with Utica for offices; businesses are moving out but NH isn’t prepared with a nice business park

Why is there competition between New Hartford and Utica? How is it possible? Does it make sense? This is where the analogy with cancer comes in.

New Hartford development in the Commercial Drive/Seneca Tpk/Route 840 area far exceeds what a town of 20,000 people needs. Rather, this vast commercial development depends upon the 60,000 people living next door in the City of Utica for its survival, for both customers and employees, and to make municipal services affordable.

This development, which is on the southwestern fringe of Greater Utica's urbanized area, would have been more sensibly placed within the City of Utica to be closer to customers/employees, and, more importantly, where the dollars it would generate could be used to maintain municipal services. Instead, the economic activity generated by a Utica-resident population benefits New Hartford, leaving fewer dollars in Utica to maintain services and crumbling infrastructure. The result is what a NH focus group calls "decay in the City of Utica" while "NH is a jewel in a rusting hulk." From a regional perspective, however, the development is more appropriately described as a cancerous tumor because it is draining the life out of its host.

One market cannot spread its population and economic activity over double the area without increasing maintenance costs. Because municipal services need to be extended to cover the newly developed area, it's not hard to see why taxes/user fees in BOTH Utica and NH must go up. This makes the entire Greater Utica area non-competitive with other areas. Like a cancer ultimately kills its host and itself, this sprawl development ultimately will kill the entire region.

How this happened is much like what happens to people when they get old, things start breaking down, and they become prone to cancer. It takes more effort to keep an older person fit and trim than a younger one. If they get the right medicine they can keep going, but the wrong medicine will either do nothing or make things worse.

Utica was a "mature" community sixty years ago when it was filled to capacity, but was showing its age. Envious of the shining new cities that arose from war's ashes in Europe, US experts of the day recommended duplicating the process by leveling whole sections of cities (with bulldozers instead of bombs) and building anew: Urban Renewal. At the same time, US experts recommended arterial highways as the antidote to traffic congestion, predicting that downtowns would continue to grow by making it easier to whisk people in an out. In hindsight, both were not only the wrong medications, they combined to make the patient very sick, not only here, but in other cities as well. Urban Renewal destroyed the "critical mass" of activity needed to attract new investors. Arterials destroyed the advantage of a central location in the city by making suburban greenfields on the urban fringe as accessible as downtown. Instead of high quality construction on expensive downtown land, we have low quality construction on the fringe, and depressed values downtown.

More bad medicine came when regionalization of water and sewer systems with uniform rates made outlying suburban locations as cheap to develop as in-city locations in spite of the greater infrastructure needed to extend the services there. Compound this with local development policies that gave PILOTs and other tax breaks for green-field developments. Development in New Hartford is probably more the product of these occurrances than anything done by the Town itself.

Something is very wrong with local development. Figuring out the answer will not be easy.

The More Things Change, the More They Remain the Same

2012-01-13T06:40:00.002-05:00

Out with the old in 2012 ... the old Airport Commissioner, that is. Per the OD:

Oneida County Aviation Commissioner Vernon Gray is out. . .

“It’s a new term, and I made the decision to go in a different direction,” County Executive Anthony Picente said. . . .

David Wood, the chairman of the county Board of Legislators Airport Committee, said he had been informed Wednesday evening of the decision not to reappoint Gray.
“While he was there, Vernon certainly was instrumental in improving the airport,” he said. “I think there was a difference in vision between him and Tony.”

It seems like only yesterday Mr. Gray was appointed. Back then (November, 2008) I took to task some of the new commissioner's comments to the press ("New Commissioner, Old Vision") and then HE took ME to task to set the record straight! The fact that he took time to do so in a thoughtful manner gave me reason to hope that he could turn things around.

Per the Rome Sentinel, Board Chairman Fiorini indicated that when Mr. Picente advised him of Gray's dismissal:

"He didn’t go into it," said the board chairman. "Obviously he’s got his reasons. I can’t say what went wrong... I’m not privy to that."

If Mr. Fiorini can't say what went wrong, who can?

Somehow I have the feeling that the County has just lost a good man.

Perhaps the reason why no one seems to be saying what went wrong is because no one really knows what went wrong. To judge right from wrong, you need some standard for comparison. In the case of running any operation, the standard is the business plan.

In "Poised for Take Off???" 3 years ago I asked regarding Griffiss:

To the "officials:" Where's the business plan?
What is the need that this over-sized airport will fill?
What data exists and what assumptions are being made to support any conclusion that this albatross can ever be made profitable?
What data exists and what assumptions are being made to support any conclusion that this albatross will ever return more to the taxpayers than is being taken from them

These questions need to be asked again today. What is the "different direction" that the County Executive wants to move in? Does anyone really know? Is there data to support the vision? The impression with the airport has long been that the ones wielding the power are amateurs and don't know what they are doing.

The more things change, the more they remain the same.

Common Sense . . . From California!

2012-01-10T05:31:00.000-05:00

Unlike New York where the Court of Appeals has given the green light to crony capitalism in spite of the State Constitution that provides otherwise, California (of all places!) is moving in the opposite direction. Per City-Journal: Crony Capitalism Rebuked:

On December 29, the California Supreme Court handed down what the state’s urban redevelopment agencies (RDAs) and their supporters called a “worst of all worlds” ruling—first upholding a law that eliminates the agencies, then striking down a second law that would have allowed them to buy their way back into power. This was great news for critics who had spent years calling attention to the ways modern urban-renewal projects distorted city land-use decisions, abused eminent-domain policies, and diverted about 12 percent of the state budget from traditional public services to subsidies for developers, who would build tax-producing shopping centers and other projects sought by city bureaucrats. As of now, the agencies are history, though the redevelopment industry is working to craft new legislation that would resurrect them in some limited form. . . .

The article, like many on City-Journal, is a good read.

Bring the Money to US . . .

2012-01-10T05:03:00.000-05:00

A quick little video that explains how our US tax system is killing jobs . . .

A Change of Perspective . . .

2012-01-09T07:02:00.001-05:00

Once again, the Arterial plays into the Observer-Dispatch's Good, Bad and Ugly column:

Once again the Utica Common Council has shown its lack of good sense by attempting to undermine the state Department of Transportation’s proposed North-South Arterial project in west Utica. In a 5-4 vote, the council voted this past week to urge the DOT to consider keeping Sunset Avenue open where it intersects with the arterial.

This should not be viewed as an "Arterial project," but, rather, a "project to close Sunset Ave and Warren St at the arterial, and close Lincoln Ave. at Court St."

A change of perspective from "commuter-orientation" to "resident orientation" is needed to understand the true damage that the State's proposal will do to the city. These changes will disrupt traffic patterns that have been established for perhaps 150 years, and will be on top of other disruptions the State has done through other rounds of arterial-making.

Simply put, the state proposes to sacrifice the proper functioning of Utica's local street system to make it easier for people to get to and from the suburbs.

That is wrong, and the Council is right in taking a stand that protects Utica's interests.

A New Law for a New Year?

2012-01-03T05:36:00.001-05:00

Per the Post Standard: Proposed NY law would require documents to be made public before meetings.

Amen to that idea! All too often members of the public that are concerned enough to attend city or town council meetings have no idea what their representatives are discussing because proposed legislation is been distributed solely amongst the representatives.

In this day when almost any individual can publish information and make it available to the world on the web at virtually no cost, there is simply NO EXCUSE for legislative bodies to not make this material available to the public in advance of meetings by posting it on the Internet. It is actually less time consuming and labor intensive to publish on the web than to print and physically distribute materials.

According to the article, the Governor has until today to sign this into law. Let's hope that he does.

Drama . . . On Sunset Avenue!

2011-12-30T21:47:00.001-05:00

By the West Utica Puppet Theatre . . . (Of Course!)

Unsustainable. . . .

2011-12-19T05:58:00.002-05:00

House Passes Bill to Avert Government Shutdown

With the government just hours away from running out of money for a wide range of programs, the House of Representatives approved on Friday a nearly $1 trillion spending bill. The Senate most likely will pass it on Saturday and send it to President Barack Obama to sign into law.

The House vote approving the spending bill was 296-121, with about a third of the chamber's 242 Republicans voting no. [emphasis, link added]

Meanwhile . . .
50 Facts About The U.S. Economy That Will Shock You

1. A staggering 48 percent of all Americans are either considered to be “low income” or are living in poverty.

2. Approximately 57 percent of all children in the United States are living in homes that are either considered to be “low income” or impoverished.

3. If the number of Americans that “wanted jobs” was the same today as it was back in 2007, the “official” unemployment rate put out by the U.S. government would be up to 11 percent.

4. The average amount of time that a worker stays unemployed in the United States is now over 40 weeks.

5. One recent survey found that 77 percent of all U.S. small businesses do not plan to hire any more workers.

6. There are fewer payroll jobs in the United States today than there were back in 2000 even though we have added 30 million extra people to the population since then.

7. Since December 2007, median household income in the United States has declined by a total of 6.8 percent once you account for inflation.

8. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 16.6 million Americans were self-employed back in December 2006. Today, that number has shrunk to 14.5 million.

9. A Gallup poll from earlier this year found that approximately one out of every five Americans that do have a job consider themselves to be underemployed.

10. According to author Paul Osterman, about 20 percent of all U.S. adults are currently working jobs that pay poverty-level wages.. . . .

Rich Can Pay for It All . . . NOT

"According to Internal Revenue Service data, the entire taxable income of everyone earning over $100,000 in 2008 was about $1.582 trillion," reported the Wall Street Journal on the morning after Obama's speech. "Even if all these Americans — most of whom are far from wealthy — were taxed at 100 percent, it wouldn't cover Mr. Obama's deficit for this year."

Unsustainable.

The Pledge of Allegiance . . . But Not at the New Hartford Town Library!

2011-12-18T07:19:00.003-05:00

The Pledge of Allegiance was in the news this past week. In Around Central NY: Pledge of Allegiance Joe Kelly reveals that the Pledge was written by a local man, Francis Bellamy, who is buried in the Rome Cemetery. Mr. Kelly presents some little known facts about the Pledge, and about Mr. Bellamy, who wrote the words that are repeated every day in schools and government meetings throughout the nation.

One place where the Pledge is not heard, however, is at the meetings of the New Hartford Town Library Board! One trustee, Mr. Wiatr, sought to right this wrong, but here is what happened . . .

Almost the entire New Hartford Library Board believes that saying the Pledge is "for show," and "waste of time" (or at least voting on it is such because most abstained) ! New Hartford OnLine produced this video, and did a little research that shows the New Hartford Library Board as being out-of-sync with other library boards across the state.

The Bigger Question that only New Hartfordans can answer: Is the New Hartford Town Library Board out-of-sync with its own community?

Win for Yorkville, Win for Utica Residents

2011-12-14T05:08:00.001-05:00

Yorkville residents vote down police abolishment proposal

By a vote of 538 to 100, Yorkville residents decided they didn’t want the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office patrolling the village . . .
Shannon Conner remained concerned about the safety and response time with abolishing the department.
“The economy is bad. Crime is increasing. Things happen,” she said. “It’s nice to have police right there and not have to wait.”

I actually think that the sheriff takeover would have worked out well for Yorkville residents: More crime-fighting resources would have been available at less cost. No doubt, on a personal level, Sheriff Maciol would have been able to make this work because he came out of village police ranks, was a village mayor, and knows the territory.

However, there is always the issue of local control, and that is a biggie. In this day and age when government seems to be out of the control of those whom it supposedly serves, you cannot blame people for wanting to hold on to the little control they have left. And in that sense, yesterday's vote was a big win for the People of Yorkville.

But Why is this a Win for City Taxpayers?

The plan also included enhanced investigative and supervisory services, and the Sheriff’s Office would take on any liability costs.

The Sheriff's Office is funded by County taxpayers. County taxpayers, thus, would be picking up the liability costs resulting from Yorkville policing. Without a thorough analysis of costs including things such as overtime, pension contributions, etc., and a comparison with what Yorkville residents would have paid into the Sheriff's Office, the potential exists to shift a lot of local policing costs onto County residents -- many of whom are also City residents (Utica, Rome) or residents of Towns with their own police departments (New Hartford, Whitestown). City residents could have wound up paying for part of the cost of local policing in outlying villages taken over by the Sheriff's Office, in addition to paying for their own local policing. In that respect the Yorkville vote is a win for Utica residents (and those of N.H. and Whitestown, too) because an opportunity for cost shifting has been avoided.

No doubt this issue or others similar will come up in the future as local governments struggle to make ends meet. "Consolidation" or "shared services" will be the buzz words for local government leaders. Every time they are used should be a "red flag" that cost-shifting from one group of taxpayers onto another group may be afoot. "Local control" will always be the buzz word for voters. But at what cost?

At some point reform of local government will have to occur because financially what we are doing now is unsustainable.

Can we have both consolidation AND local control? I think we can. All it takes is for us to look at each other and see who has similar characteristics and interests -- and then join forces for the common good.

Assaults On Utica's Streets!!!!

2011-12-07T07:11:00.000-05:00

And I mean that literally . . . The assaults are on the streets themselves! Everyone (all levels of government that is) wants a piece of Utica's streets!

The State hopes to close Sunset Ave. and Warren St. at the Arterial, and reroute Lincoln Ave. over Roberts St. for its Federally funded Arterial Project.

The City has approved closing a block of Charlotte St. to install a bus transfer facility of questionable need (other than to spend Federal money).

Now the County is resurrecting its "Terror from the Year 2007" to re-propose closing Park Avenue between John and Blandina Streets to create a surface parking lot.

Apparently government officials are not going to stop until Utica is in gridlock . . .

Park Avenue, a great example of 19th century urban street design, was intended to serve as the bypass of downtown for all traffic going to and coming from the streets to the east. Although part of this function was lost when its northern end was chopped off and incorporated into the E-W Arterial, the remainder still serves that function... which function has recently been improved by the Oneida Square Roundabout that gives an easier connection for traffic coming up Genesee St. from the south.

The notion that streets can be closed without causing problems must go away. As pointed out a few days ago, one cut-off can can change a simple no-turns trip into a 5-turn frustration. . . . This can affect routing decisions for traffic coming from miles away. People will avoid coming into Utica if they feel they are being forced into a maze.

Utica needs to become more like an Apple . . . an Apple product. Apple became a very successful company because its products are simple -- intuitive -- to use.

Utica's street system needs to be simple and intuitive to use.

Utica's old street grid used to be simple and intuitive to use. Instead of taking more pieces out of it, maybe its time to start restoring it. You might be surprised at some of the problems that it could solve.

You-Tube: The N-S Arterial Story by the W Utica Puppet Theater

2011-12-06T07:05:00.000-05:00

Many Thanks to John Ossowski for posting this on You-Tube.
Come to the Common Council Meeting Tomorrow, 12/7

The OTHER Arterial Street Cut-Off

2011-12-04T14:46:00.007-05:00

Much has been made of the "wall" and the State's proposal to cut off Sunset Avenue and Warren Street at the Arterial so they no longer have access to or across the State's Highway.

Practically unnoticed is the OTHER street cut off that the Arterial project will cause -- a street which neither connects to nor crosses the Arterial: The northern-most block of Lincoln Avenue will be cut off from Court Street, because the intersection has been deemed too close to the exit ramp of the proposed Court Street interchange. Where will the traffic go?

Roberts Street

Lincoln Ave will be terminated at Roberts St., and its traffic carried over one block of Roberts St to its intersection with State St.

Have you ever been to Roberts Street? It's a "funky" little street that you might stumble upon by accident when walking about Downtown. There are a couple interesting things there in that one block. Someone has a garage with cool-looking orange doors which I photographed a few years ago. Shades of Mondrian? Perhaps not. But a pleasant surprise during a lunchtime walk. Neptune Studio is there, too, though it might currently be undergoing some rearranging per its website.

One thing that you cannot miss, however, is that the street is exceedingly narrow. . . barely two lanes with parking limited to one side.

What makes planners think it is a good idea to reroute Lincoln Ave. over Roberts Street?

Is this fair to abutting property owners?

A Closed Club at the New Hartford Library . . .

2011-12-02T05:00:00.002-05:00

Entertainment courtesy of the folks at New Hartford OnLine . . .

I thought it was interesting how a member of the Library Board could assert that the Library was not subject to the 2% tax cap, refuse to produce the documentation to back up her point, and then be backed up by the chair of the meeting.

I guess only "insiders" are entitled to information in New Hartford.

And this crew expects to take take their board into public elections? I can't wait for the campaigns to begin!

Meanwhile, New Hartford OnLine, as usual, documents its sources.

Arterial: Regionalism and Expertise . . .

2011-12-01T06:49:00.006-05:00

The OD has an interview in today's paper with Mayor-elect Palmieri: City workers need more active role . His comments on the Arterial project are troubling:

He also said that while he understands the concerns from some officials and community members over the state’s proposed $62 million North-South Arterial project, he believes it will benefit the region.

"Region?" Here we go again! I thought Mr. Palmieri was elected to be mayor of UTICA!

“Those are the professionals,” he said of the state Department of Transportation. “Those are the engineers and planners. You’ve got to have confidence in them.”

One should have confidence in DOT's engineers and planners in designing a highway . . . but they are not the experts in the lives of everyday Uticans. Decisions that may make sense from a regional perspective are horribly disruptive when taken down to the city level.

Case in point: If you were driving from S. Utica to Varick St. you would probably get on Sunset Avenue and go straight to Varick. No turns needed . . . . That's today. After the proposed Arterial project, the northern end of Sunset would be cut off from you. If you were proceeding north on Sunset, you would have to turn Right on Lincoln (where Sunset is blocked), turn Right on Roberts (because the N end of Lincoln will be blocked), turn Left on State, turn Left on Court, then Right onto Varick. Five turns required.

DOT officials tout the proposed ability to make lefts onto Court St coming off the future arterial from north or south as improving access to Varick and Downtown. Yes, that will be a good thing for people coming from New Hartford or Marcy. But S. Uticans will be seriously inconvenienced as above. N Uticans trying to reach Varick have ALREADY been inconvenienced by the State's cut-off of Whitesboro St. -- which was their most direct route to Varick St.

Simply put, the convenience of Uticans is being sacrificed for the convenience of suburban commuters. You do not need to be a traffic engineer to see this. Perhaps you need to NOT be a traffic engineer to see this because the traffic engineers don't seem to comprehend the disruptions they are causing within the city.

It's more than Uticans' convenience that is being sacrificed for suburban commuters. Utica's economic potential is also being sacrificed.

Another case in point: Utica's economic development area on Whitesboro St. north of the Auditorium. A beautiful piece of property, formerly the site of the Washington Courts housing project, all is now cleared, and infrastructure is in place including new sidewalks. Try getting there! The cut-off of Whitesboro Street makes this site less accessible . . . and less likely to be developed.

Sunset Avenue will become the new Whitesboro Street after the Arterial project is completed. Existing businesses will wither . . . new businesses will be few . . . crime will increase . . . residents will suffer.

Utica leaders need to wake up!

Mayor Places the City of Utica in Jeopardy . . .

2011-11-29T06:56:00.003-05:00

WKTV: Roefaro: "Mr. Zecca, you are putting the arterial project in jeopardy".

Utica Mayor David Roefaro says Utica Common Councilman Jim Zecca may put that project in jeopardy if he goes through with a request to get the state to reconsider the current plans.
Roefaro said Sunday, "you cannot expect to change at the 11th hour and expect you're going to keep a 60 million dollar project in Utica. That's the problem with our politicians here, is that they send the jobs packing and the money packing, and the citizens of the City of Utica lose." . . .
Mayor Roefaro says he hopes Zecca and the rest of the common council reconsider their own efforts, "this plan has been thought out by the best engineers the D.O.T. has, we have gone over the scenarios and this is the best viable plan for this area."

The mayor's implication that Mr. Zecca waited until the 11th hour to bring the arterial's design topic up for discussion is patently false.

(1) Zecca has been calling for a Boulevard replacement for the Arterial for years - practically from when the design process was first made public.

(2) The DOT, from evidence available thus far, never properly engaged the Common Council in the design process -- DOT's obligation under the Highway Law.

The Mayor and his staff have been privy to all of DOT's plans and have supported them right from the beginning. Mayor Roefaro has been content to rely on what DOT engineers have figured out as "best" -- but best for whom?

The NYSDOT is going to do what it believes to be best from its perspective. It needs to move X amount of traffic while eliminating Y amount of accidents. It designs a road to meet these requirements. Fair, good, and understandable.

While Utica needs these things, too, it needs so much more to create an environment where people within the city are supported in their day to day activities. People LIVE here and they WORK here. DOT can try to understand these needs, but it can never achieve the level of understanding of those who are both responsible for meeting the needs of city residents and engaged in dialogue with them.

The residents of the "host neighborhood" have been steadfastly opposed to this project right from the beginning. They are going to be seriously inconvenienced -- some to the point where they will be losing their houses, businesses, or their jobs. How are their needs being met? Eminent domain payoffs might help some individual property owners -- but everything is part of a web. What happens when part of the web is torn out? DOT at least met with people in West Utica -- but where has the Mayor been? City streets are being cut off. The Mayor is supposed to be the leader for city residents -- these people. When has the Mayor ever engaged them?

The Common Council members are the policy makers for the City of Utica. They are both responsible for their constituents and engaged with them on a day-to-day basis. Should not the Mayor have engaged the Council, and asked the members how they felt about:

a wall going up across West Utica
about 2 additional street closures on top of the devastating street closures of the past (such as Whitesboro St.)
about additional property takings on top of the devastating property takings of the past -- which properties will forever lose their potential for productive use
about potential lost property and sales tax revenues
about jobs ultimately being lost from a very poor neighborhood
about businesses that likely will shut their doors due to traffic disruptions
about potential crime increases when traffic is reduced on local streets
about personal inconvenience and disruption to UTICA residents

The Mayor may be worried about losing money for a highway project, but he obviously is NOT worried about how the arterial project will adversely impact city residents and businesses. . .

Money isn't everything. . . .

The Mayor is placing the City of Utica in jeopardy.

More Sprawl On Tap In New Hartford . . .

2011-11-27T18:45:00.004-05:00

More sprawl is on tap in New Hartford . . . or as the O-D titles their story: Town considering stores at business park.

Adler has submitted a proposal to the Town Board that would change the zoning for the business park to allow 20 percent of a property owner’s land to be used for retail, town Supervisor Patrick Tyksinski said.

Currently, the primary uses for the business park listed in town codes are offices, manufacturing, research laboratories, hotels and mixed-use businesses.

Hmm 20% of the land for retail? Isn't that about what it is in a shopping center . . . with the rest (80%) of the land in parking lots and landscaping?

There has been a slow motion "bait and switch" progression ever since the Business Park was proposed by the Town: First it was to be a manufacturing site . . . then an office park . . . now more retail.

Per the Town's 1999 Environmental Impact Statement, the Business Park area was rezoned from a residential-retail-manufacturing mix to "Business Park District" in order to "facilitate the development of new high-technology industries that will economically benefit the area through increased revenues and jobs." That obviously has not happened . . . and now it looks like it will never happen.

Later, when the current private developer took over the property, the Business Park became recommissioned as an office park and boundaries were altered . . . without proper review . . . and without the Environmental Impact Statement ever being formally amended to show the changes. For Taxpayers, Payments in Lieu of Taxes are not going into Town coffers where they can be applied to the increased costs for police and fire protection and other Town functions. Rather, the PILOT is being used to finance the developer's roads. Guess the Town Taxpayer gets stuck paying this developer's share of Town expenses. For Town Residents, Fees In Lieu of Mitigation, paid by Other Developers to mitigate the impacts of Other Projects, are being applied to this project -- meaning that the impacts of the Other projects (increased flooding along Royal Brook Lane in NYM, perhaps) aren't being addressed. Guess Town Residents better get used to the negative impacts. For Fair-Minded people, Eminent Domain, or the threat thereof, is being used. Guess Fair-Minded people have to live with UNfair.

Now we have the proposed zoning change to permit retail. Whatever happened to facilitating "the development of new high-technology industries that will economically benefit the area through increased revenues and jobs?" Guess we have to do without.

“I don’t see any harm in rezoning to have 20 percent retail,” [Town Supervisor Tyksinski] said. “To some extent, it does make sense.” . . .

“I’d like to see growth anywhere,” [one New Hartford Resident] said.

No harm? Growth? Quite the contrary. There IS harm and NO growth, because this is Sprawl.

Development in New Hartford is merely Utica being turned inside out.

Office and retail functions of the local economy which used to take place at the urban core in Utica have been transferred to the outer edge of the urbanized area... N.H. retail development would not take place but for the City of Utica being next door to supply the customers, and the State's Arterial highway system making it easier for them to reach suburban greenfield developments while more difficult for them to navigate about their own city. Taxpayers/Residents at both ends of this transfer face higher taxes (among the highest in the country) and degradation of their living environments. Regionally, only suburban developers and government officials benefit, and their cozy relationship will keep the benefits flowing.

This zoning change should not be approved.

Utica certainly has an interest to intervene in N.H.'s development activities -- and there are plenty of irregularities in N. H.'s procedures that Utica could make points on in court. But will Utica do so? Past history shows probably not. It has always been "hands off" and "none of our business" what the neighbors do.

Utica leaders need to rethink this policy. Residents of Utica and New Hartford will both benefit by forcing New Hartford leaders to take a more regional perspective in their decision making.

[New Hartford OnLine has much more detail on this story here and here.]

No Protection From Crony Capitalism . . .

2011-11-22T17:02:00.001-05:00

Lockport Journal: Pork Lawsuit Dismissed

Will the Real Common Council Please Stand Up?

2011-11-22T08:21:00.000-05:00

Will the REAL Common Council please stand up, because (except for Councilman Zecca) your bodies seem to be occupied by forces alien to Utica. How else can one explain the apparent disinterest, uninvolvement, and lack of knowledge of what the State’s proposed North-South Arterial remake will do to the citizens of Utica?

The North-South Arterial has been a problem for Utica residents practically from the day it opened in 1963. The concentration of three state routes funnelling traffic at a high speed through one corridor was bound to cause problems when the corridor chosen was the dense West Utica neighborhood. Adjustments have been made over the years to make the highway safer for pedestrians to cross, and the rate of accidents abated considerably but sadly still occurred, sometimes with fatal results. A death in 2004 and the need to replace the aging viaduct over Oriskany Blvd., Lafayette and Columbia Streets, initiated the process of redesigning this roadway, which commenced in 2006.

At a hearing in late September, 2006, the authorities initially presented the public with four proposed alternatives: depressed expressway, multi-way boulevard, surface expressway, and elevated expressway. The depressed expressway maintained all existing street connections while allowing through traffic to pass beneath at high speed. The highway would pass beneath Court St. The multi-way boulevard slowed the speed of through traffic to 35 and integrated the highway into the neighborhood fabric with extensive landscaping enhancements. The intersection with Court St. would be at grade level, with either a wide median or a roundabout. Both depressed expressway and multi-way boulevard met the needs of the neighborhood for connectivity and for traffic to get through, although the depressed expressway seemed to present obvious problems for maintenance and expense. The surface and elevated expressways clearly divided the neighborhood. Two months later, in late November, 2006, the surface and elevated expressways were publicly discarded by the authorities. The depressed expressway and multi-way boulevard were designated “preferred.”

In the following years designs significantly changed. By March, 2008, it became clear that NYSDOT would elevate the arterial over Court St. and close streets. The difference between this configuration and the previously discarded elevated and surface expressway concepts was hard to say. By this point it should have been clear that NYSDOT was going to eliminate highway-neighborhood conflicts by eliminating the neighborhood. The City administration’s reaction to this? Praise! They loved the “urban-grandeur” feeling of it all. Who were they working for?

Councilman Zecca started lobbying for a boulevard, sending out e-mail after e-mail attaching countless articles from other cities to show that NYSDOT was bucking a national trend. He showed that other cities are discarding their urban expressways for boulevards and, surprisingly, meeting the needs of both motorists and neighborhoods. The rest of the council? Not a flicker of interest -- or at least nothing to move them to action!

As plans stand now, the current viaduct over Oriskany Blvd., Lafayette and Columbia Streets will be replaced and extended southward over Court St., reaching the level of adjoining streets someplace between Warren and Sunset. Instead of the current arrangement of columns that allow air and light to pass through, the viaduct will be supported by a stone wall -- a visual and psychological barrier across West Utica. The Court St. intersection will be replaced with an interchange similar to that in New Hartford, where Commercial Drive meets Route 840. Warren St. and Sunset Ave. will be severed at the arterial, neither connecting with it nor crossing over. Scores of properties will be removed from the tax rolls and several businesses taken. Although this design allows the state to move 40,000 cars a day without pedestrian conflicts, no one really knows the overall impact to Utica and its residents.

How do Utica’s elected officials allow this project to go through without knowing its consequences? There are a lot of questions begging for answers:

1) How much will Utica lose in property taxes from the scores of properties to be taken? How will this money be made up? What happens to the property values and taxes from those that remain? What happens to Utica’s tax rate?

2) How much will Utica lose in sales taxes from the businesses that will be taken? What will be lost from remaining businesses who lose customers to changed traffic patterns?

3) How many jobs will be lost from this very poor neighborhood? How many businesses will eventually shut their doors after they become difficult to find? How will the jobs be made up?

4) How will the street cut-offs affect police, fire, and ambulance response times? Will insurance rates go up?

5) How will the street cut-offs affect garbage and trash pick-up, street-cleaning, and other city services? Will fuel purchases increase after traffic-patterns are disrupted?

6) How much more, in time and distance, will people have to walk just to cross the arterial? What are the minimum and maximum detours that the closed streets will cause? Will this prevent some families from visiting loved ones? How do the cut-offs affect the relationship between the Brewery District and the Arts District?

7) How does severing the main artery between South Utica and the Brewery District, Sunset Ave., affect traffic? Where will traffic increase or decrease? How will this affect travel time between Varick Street and Faxton Urgent Care?

8) How does closure of the northern end of Lincoln Ave and rerouting over Roberts Street affect travel or businesses?

9) How does the closure of access to the state highway at Warren and Sunset affect the marketability of parcels nearby or viability as business locations?

10) How does the interchange at Court Street affect pedestrian and bicycle traffic? Will it encourage or discourage people walking from Downtown or the Arts District to the Brewery District?

11) How will “the wall” that will extend from Oriskany Blvd. almost to Sunset Ave. affect neighborhood dynamics? Will it attract interaction between both sides or block it? What does it mean for businesses near by? Or the Irish Cultural Center that is being constructed? What does the wall do to the relationship between the Brewery District and Downtown? What does it do to the relationship between the Brewery District and the Arts District?

12) How does this entire project affect the range of potential uses for adjoining land? Does it increase or decrease options?

13) Is it really necessary for the State to send three routes through this corridor? Are there no other options?

The Council should be able to answer these questions. If it cannot, it needs to get the answers. If the Council does not have the resources for this, it should demand that the State produce the answers. It is, after all, the State’s project and the State has the obligation to identify and minimize its adverse impacts.

It is the Common Council’s responsibility under Highway Law to approve, disapprove, or propose alternatives to the State within 60 days of receiving the State’s plan. It is no one else’s. People asked for the Council to put the Boulevard into the Master Plan, but that was rejected. If not the Boulevard, what else? If the Council takes no action, it is deemed to be the Council’s approval.

The Mayor has already cast his lot on the side of the NYSDOT. Who is looking out for the interests of Uticans? The Common Council is the people’s last defender.

The potential impacts to city residents -- all of them -- are simply too big for the Council to let this project go through by default.

N-S Arterial Video - The Problem and a Solution . . .

2011-11-22T02:54:00.000-05:00

Thanks to West Utican John Ossowski Jr. for producing this video. It succinctly summarizes the problem and a solution. . . .

The Rest of the Story . . .

2011-11-21T08:18:00.000-05:00

Last week the OD reported that at the last Common Council meeting, residents assailed the State's proposed Arterial project.

The council took action on the project, too. The body voted not to overturn Mayor David Roefaro’s veto of a previous resolution that urged the state to consider the large part of the Arterial that would be untouched by the project.

Then the council unanimously passed a nearly identical resolution, except that it reinstated one of the Utica Master Plan subcommittees to work with the state to establish a long-term plan for the Arterial.

New Hartford Online in Missed Opportunities? posts a letter from the chairman of that subcommittee indicating that he essentially was unaware the Council was going to do this.

Doesn't the Council ask people first before giving them work to do?

Reading his letter, it becomes apparent that the problems some Uticans are having with NYSDOT's proposal are more the result of the City Council failing to take a position on the street closures, wall, and property takings, than the NYSDOT not caring about Uticans.

If the elected representatives of the people, the Common Council, do not object to these aspects of the State's project, then it's reasonable for NYSDOT to conclude that its current design reflects the will of Uticans.

The Council needs to decide one way or another on this project. THEY are being paid to be Utica's voice. Ducking the issue by tossing the "hot potato" to a group of citizens not only is irresponsible, it is disrespectful to those citizens who already put a lot of time into the Master Plan and thought their work was done.

The More They Get . . .

2011-11-15T05:04:00.001-05:00

... The More They Want!

From the Times-Union: GlobalFoundries delays fab plans.

The company . . . says it will not expand in Malta without more financial assistance from New York beyond its current $1.4 billion package.

Wow!

An Interesting Admission on the Arterial . . .

2011-11-13T23:58:00.007-05:00

A former state official comments on the Arterial project, as reported on Dan Miner's blog.

Read the comments carefully. The public was presented with an "alternative in the planning study of going underneath Court Street [which] was never a viable realistic alternative." [Bracketed word mine]. The former official claims that the depressed alternative would require severance of Columbia and Lafayette Sts. However, this statement conflicts with the Depressed alternative presented to the public back in 2006 as designed by Greenman-Pederson/Saratoga Associates. Do you see any severed streets? People would have noticed that. In fact the news account of 11/28/2006 said that all current connections across the arterial would be maintained. Are we supposed to now believe that engineers presented the public with an impossible design?

Look at the Boulevard alternative as it was originally presented to the public back in 2006 and as designed by the same consultants. No streets were proposed to be severed. Court St. crosses the arterial at grade level. Two options for the Court/Arterial intersection were proposed: a broad landscaped median, or a roundabout. Later designs confused the public by showing a roundabout UNDER an overpass -- but this drawing makes clear that a grade level crossing was originally proposed. One cannot have a landscaped median option if it is under a bridge.

Was the Boulevard another alternative that "was never a viable realistic alternative" (drawn by an engineering firm) as far as DOT was concerned? Were problems built into the alternative to make it not viable? I was very nice to the DOT back in 2007 and tried to give the agency the benefit of the doubt when it looked like plans had been changed without notice. One of my readers, however, was more blunt, calling it Bait and Switch. Is the charge of Bait and Switch warranted?

One can get the impression that "straw men" were presented to the public so they could be knocked down in favor of what was desired all along. Essentially that was my reader's conclusion -- and mine as well.

I agree, as suggested by the official's comments, that the Boulevard alternative as originally proposed contains unacceptable levels of taking of private properties... Utica needs to preserve its tax base and needs to preserve places where businesses can set up shop.

But Utica also needs to ensure that its streets have full access both to the state highway system and across it. The Boulevard and the Depressed highway alternatives were both favored over an overhead or surface expressway. They met the city's needs. They should have been the starting point for further discussion. They were not. Both were cast aside in favor of a combination overhead and surface expressway... something that both the public and planners had rejected.

The state never developed real alternatives to this project -- such as one that would not funnel all the traffic from 3 state highways through this corridor, one that would restore and improve Oriskany Circle, one that would reconnect Whitesboro St., and one that would better use the traffic-carrying capacity of existing streets. Instead we are presented with trivialities, such as whether or not ivy will cover the wall that will separate us.

Memories may be short, but documents these days are easily copied, passed around, and filed away for future reference . . . and posted when necessary to set the record straight.

Let's avoid revising history when discussing this issue.

Transfer This . . .

2011-11-11T17:36:00.007-05:00

In the Building for Building's sake department: Bus Transfer facility .

Bus ridership -- and downtown traffic -- had their zenith about 50 years ago when Utica had a population of 100,000 and a thriving commercial center. No bus transfer facility was needed then.

It's not needed now.

What would have made this project worthwhile to pursue would have been the parking garage that was originally proposed. But that has been left out.

What this does is close another street to traffic. Granted, Charlotte Street does not have a lot of traffic most times . . . but it does handle some traffic during evening rush trying to get from the Union-Blandina lot to Bleecker-Lafayette Streets to go East and West. Closing it off only forces traffic to go farther out of its way -- increasing the inconvenience of navigating through Downtown. Forcing people to drive farther to accomplish what should be simple movements has been a contributor to the decline of Downtown over the last 50 years. (Note: Charlotte Street used to connect Steuben Park with Oriskany St E. and, with Park Ave., was formerly an important bypass of busy Genesee St. ... Here's an idea: Knock down the County Office Building and reconnect Blandina Street with itself!)

At least with a parking garage, the inconvenience would have been balanced by more parking which most people acknowledge is needed at this location ... Early concepts included small store fronts which could help re-establish Bleecker as a street for small retail operations.

As this project stands now, it fulfills only an academic need that does not really exist. It takes more property out of private hands and puts it in public... creates a gap in commercial development . . . and it causes further disruption to the street grid.

It has become merely an excuse to spend Federal dollars, with little real return for the taxpayers.

More of the Same . . .

2011-11-09T07:48:00.002-05:00

But with some interesting changes that may contain a message . . .

That's my assessment of the election results.

A number of new faces will be taking positions in January but not necessarily new parties, so it is unclear if voters in those places have picked a new direction for their communities.

But something is happening in New Hartford . . .

Long a Republican stronghold, Paul Miscione takes a seat on the Town Council away from Christine Krupa, and David Gordon (who lost this race a couple times before) takes a County Legislative seat from Fred Sadallah. Is New Hartford becoming disillusioned with the Republican establishment?

Another County Legislative seat that will switch hands to Democrat: Harmony Speciale replaces old-timer Howard Welch. Although the Republicans still have a majority on the County Legislature, it is narrowed. However, of the 29 seats up for grabs, less than half -- only 12 -- were contested.

What would have happened if there were contests in all races?

As evident from the Utica Mayor's race and County Exec race, minor parties play a minor role in this area (spoiler at best) ... The thinking among voters seems to be, if one of the two major parties does not endorse a particular candidate, the candidate is not worth considering.

The Democrats did not field a candidate for County Executive. The Republicans did not field a candidate for District Attorney. The Voters were deprived of the chance of sending government in a new direction for two very important positions.

Few choices for voters result in a government that is stagnant. And a government that is stagnant results in a region that is stagnant. Party leaders need to do more to cultivate and promote alternatives if the region is to move forward.

Bait and Switch . . .

2011-11-07T07:26:00.002-05:00

Looks like my congratulations to the Common Council for "doing the right thing" was premature.

Per the OD today, Mr. Zecca changed his resolution at the last minute to gut its meaning.

But after several meetings, Zecca said it became clear the state is proceeding
with the $62.5 million plan, which will include replacing the aging bridge
over Columbia Street.. . . Instead, the council unanimously approved a
resolution Wednesday urging the state to put together a long-term plan for the rest of the Arterial after the current project is finished.

To so significantly change and pass the resolution after it was discussed the night before with totally different wording is "bait and switch" and borders on dishonesty.

The public was entitled to an up or down vote on the resolution as originally drafted, so voters can decide which councilmen will stand up for Utica residents and which do not.

The whole lot should be sacked tomorrow.

Time for Change?

2011-11-06T20:45:00.001-05:00

Did everyone remember to "Fall Back" an hour last night? The bigger question is will everyone "Fall Back" upon the incumbents during Tuesday's election, or strike out in a new direction?

The Utica mayoral race has grabbed attention for good reason. Five candidates and no incumbent is unprecedented. Clearly change is coming to Utica . . . but with the three most familiar candidates all tied to one political machine or the other (assuming there really are two machines) it is unlikely Utica will see significant change unless, somehow, one of the two political outsiders manages to get elected. It is local history that the same old people keep getting recycled ... after all, plenty of patronage jobs ensure loyalty to the ruling elite.

The excitement over Utica Mayor has distracted from what is probably more important to Greater Uticans: the Oneida County Executive (CE) and Legislative races. I say more important because Regional policy as determined by Oneida County and its surrogates has trumped anything that Utica and nearby governments could do for at least the last 15 years. The County exerts controls over Greater Utica that it does not exert elsewhere. Unfortunately much of the County's activities goes unnoticed because of a lazy (or complicit) newspaper.

For example, two of the most important municipal services are water and sewer and both are essentially controlled by the County in the entire Greater Utica area. The people in the Part-County Sewer District are denied the opportunity of controlling their own destiny when most of the County legislators who control the Sewer District reside outside of it. No one on the board of the Mohawk Valley Water Authority is elected. However, the crazy setup for appointments ensures that a County perspective prevails, rather than that of the people who actually reside in the water district and pay the bills. How else does one explain MVWA's attempt to send Greater Utica's limited supply of water to other parts of the County that have alternative sources available, and the CE's recent involvement in MVWA's affairs? Considering that these systems are costing us hundreds of millions of dollars, the fact that they are not controlled by the residents of Greater Utica is a major problem.

Although nominally Republican, the failure of Democrats to field their own CE candidate, and the fact that many of the legislator positions are uncontested, make clear that we are really governed by a regional ruling elite for which party label has little meaning. The elite are the successors to the Utica textile mill owners of the early 20th century, running everything in the County to favor themselves and squeeze out the competition. They can be found on the Water Authority, OCIDA, UIDA, EDGE, MV Chamber of Commerce, and even the New Hartford Planning and Library Boards. The current CE, one of a long line of CEs who have been carefully groomed for the position, is merely the latest head on this beast, because the policies have essentially been unchanged for 30 years.

Four years ago I asked whether people would take comfort with their known leaders or take a chance on new ones. In Utica voters went with the new, but in the County they went with comfort. It is interesting to reflect on the 2007 election. Many of the issues we had then are the same ones we have today.

Too much of what goes on at the County Legislature is rubber stamping what the CE wants... which is rubber stamping what the elite want. I'm not going to try to recap events like I did 4 years ago -- it takes too long -- but look through the posts on this blog, they are there. Decisions seem to be made to commit taxpayer money to projects with no weighing of costs and benefits. "Build it and they will come" is their motto, without realistic assessment of the competition. Economic development has been nothing but moving jobs from one place to another. There is constant subsidization of new developments on green-fields, requiring new supporting infrastructure, while the infrastructure in our cities goes underutilized. County officials look the other way when laws are broken to favor development ... whether it is in New Hartford or in Ravenrock. Overall, little has been accomplished other than making our property and sales tax rates among the highest in the nation, and leaving people vulnerable to things like flooding and sewage.

This year we have a choice for CE... only because Mr. Potocki took on the task himself because he did not want to see this job go uncontested. Given the experiences detailed in his book, "From the Inside," he has seen the good, bad, and the ugly in the County and both Utica and Rome. He has seen it all and offers a lot more experience than what is currently in the CE position now. . . and a lot more independence and rational thought. Here the choice is clear, more of the same or a new direction.

Some of us have choices for Legislators. Look at the records of the incumbents. Are they rubber stamps, or do they show independence and a willingness to take on the conventional wisdom? If they are rubber stamps, consider going with the new guy. They can be soon replaced if they don't produce.

Remember to Vote Tuesday, November 8th.

An ODd View Of Our Region . . .

2011-11-05T13:00:00.008-04:00

"The greatest power of the mass media is the power to ignore. The worst thing about this power is that you may not even know you're using it." --Sam Smith

A free people cannot wisely exercise their democratic voting rights without access to essential information on the issues which confront them.

Although several sources of information on local issues are available to Greater Utica, by far most people (including this blogger) depend on what is in the Observer-Dispatch to be aware of local issues and to form opinions on them. Apart from its editorials, the OD strongly influences what people talk about each day, what is considered important or unimportant to them, and what they may or may not do, merely on the basis of what information the OD chooses to publish.

As information's gatekeeper, a newspaper bears an enormous responsibility for what becomes local public policy. A newspaper must wisely choose which issues to inform upon, present all sides of the issues to allow people to make up their own minds, and leave opinions to the editorial pages. This is a difficult job because reporters, editors, and publishers are people, too, and people's opinions color what issues they consider important and unimportant, and even what they perceive to be the "side" of an issue. Issues reported upon, and how they are reported, can shape, for better or worse, the public policy that comes out of local governmental bodies. Policy on issues that are totally ignored by the press can be expected to be for the worse because it is usually uninformed.

How well has the Observer-Dispatch carried out its responsibilities lately?

The items below seem to reveal either an inability (perhaps through budget or personnel limitations) to properly cover certain issues, or an intent to advance particular policy outcomes, perhaps desired by those who may be socially connected with the newspaper's decision makers, by withholding information. You be the judge.

1) The lack of a story on the passage of Mr. Zecca's resolution on the Arterial as noted on this blog's last post. (This would seem to violate the OD's own standard of separating what is important from what is unimportant, since it previously editorialized on the issue.)

2) The lack of a story on the New Hartford Town Library Board's meeting this past week, where the subject of discussion was either separating the Library from Town government and making it part of the New Hartford School District, or forming some sort of Regional library -- as if one is needed with the Utica library only 4-5 miles away. (The OD was invited to attend this meeting but chose to stay away.)

3) The lack of a story on how New Hartford sewer users have been taxed more than is needed, "loaned" $1.5 million from their New Hartford Consolidated Sewer Fund to other town funds, and have yet to be paid back, as uncovered by a NYS audit and reported by New Hartford Online.

4) Publication of a guest editorial promoting the Utica Master Plan, but failing to publish an opposing perspective (even though one was sent by someone on the planning committee).

5) A general and fairly consistent failure to report on the activities of the Oneida County Legislature as opposed to what can be read in the Rome Sentinel. (Perhaps this explains why Oneida County's policies are often contrary to Utica's needs.)

Lack of resources? Intentional withholding? Whichever it is, the Observer-Dispatch needs to do a better job. Look around . . . The results of poor public policy are palpable.

One Surprise -- Two Stories

2011-11-03T19:04:00.003-04:00

I woke up this morning to hear on WIBX that the Utica Common Council voted 8-0 last night to send a resolution to Governor Cuomo, asking him to halt the State's plans for the North South Arterial.

I thought I was dreaming!

To anyone sitting through the UED meeting Tuesday night where the resolution was discussed, it seemed like the resolution would go down in flames when put to the whole Council for a vote. I don't know what happened between Tuesday night and Wednesday night to sway votes. Was it concern for next week's elections and how a "no" vote could be spun? Was it the influence of the "Occupy Utica" protesters who were present? Does it really matter?

For once Utica's Common Council did the right thing for Utica's residents and small businesses.

Now that the Common Council has articulated City Policy, it is incumbent on the Mayor, the Urban and Economic Development Department, and all other segment's of the City's executive branch to support it -- to find ways to make it work in cooperation with the State, so that State's need to move traffic safely through Utica can be met while also meeting Utica's needs for maintaining existing street connections, stronger visual connections between both sides of the Arterial Replacement, a walkable neighborhood, maintenance of properties on the tax rolls, and more places for entrepreneurs to set up shop. Candidates for Mayor should be asked how they intend to carry out the Council's wishes. It also is incumbent on the City Council to monitor what becomes of its resolution and not to let it languish. This story is just beginning . . .

And then there is the OTHER story . . .

... the almost complete blackout of news coverage on the vote. Fortunately WIBX reported this -- but only on the air today and temporarily on line (the link to the audio coverage was replaced this afternoon). None of the other local news outlets have this story.

This is especially curious with regard to the OD. As previously noted, the OD edictorial board was so upset over Mr. Zecca's penning the proposal that it ran an editorial against it before the ink on the proposal was even dry. One has to wonder about the lack of interest now . . . or if there is a purpose behind it.

Perhaps it will be covered tomorrow . . . or in another editorial this weekend.

Why Invite the Public . . .

2011-11-02T06:45:00.009-04:00

... if you are not interested in what it has to say?

That sums up the impression left from last night's Urban and Economic Development committee of the Utica Common Council with reference to its discussion of the North-South Arterial remake.

Certain members of the public were asked to attend the meeting which began at 5:30 PM, but were not permitted to speak until almost 8PM . . . only after the late hour was pointed out to the councilmen, the news media had long left, and the public members insisted on speaking... and only after everyone was already exhausted from listening to the councilmen nit-pick over trivial details.

This was not a serious effort to receive input from the public and invited guests, but, rather, the proverbial "dog and pony" show.

Councilman Bucciero is specifically called out for this. He ran the meeting when it got to the subject of the arterial and kept everyone waiting. In spite of his expressions of concern at the last Council meeting over what the arterial would do to the city, it was pretty obvious that his mind was already made up to favor the State's proposal, and that the project only needed "tweaking."

One slide from DOT's repertoire succinctly summed up the issues. It was an artistic rendering of the view of the arterial looking south from the new Court Street bridge. . . It was gorgeous . . . showing a beautiful new white highway passing through a lush green countryside. Only if you looked close could you see some recognizable buildings in the distance.

Essentially, Utica is gone!

Therein lies the problem. The Council is apparently prepared to allow huge swaths of properties to be removed from what should be in private hands and have them turned over to highway use. That guarantees that they will never be the site of economically productive activities . . . never create jobs or wealth . . . and never generate a dime of tax revenue for the financially-strapped City of Utica. Instead, they will create a "green gulf" (with a bisecting wall in some places), that will forever divide West Utica from itself and prevent it from ever functioning as a neighborhood.

Councilwoman Arcuri liked what she saw, particularly the features that enhanced safety by separating pedestrians from the traffic. But for the only person who voted against the Utica Master Plan simply because it did not address Utica's precarious financial situation, her lack of interest in the financial impact of this project to the residents of the City of Utica is inconsistent. Quite simply, no one has been presented with an estimate of the property/sales tax revenue to the City and to the School District that will be lost due to the proposed takings. That should not be too hard to figure out...properties will be removed from the tax rolls and businesses will be shut down ... but where is the estimate? In addition, no attempt is made to estimate the potential revenue loss that can be expected to result from the change in traffic patterns when Sunset Ave. and Warren St. are cut off. Businesses, such as Carl's Furniture, will lose customers when they become difficult to reach and the city will lose sales tax. How can Mrs. Arcuri . . . or any council member. . . allow the project to go through without at least first knowing how it will impact Utica's tax rate?

Yes we need to move traffic through Utica . . . and we need to do it safely for pedestrians . . . but the way to accomplish these tasks is not to erase a city neighborhood and build a mini-Thruway in its place.

The State needs to seriously reconsider its 60 year old policy of rerouting traffic in cities and sending it down one or two limited access highways at high speed. Instead, look at improving the street grid to provide a variety of alternate routes which can accommodate the traffic. Streets, such as Whitesboro St., which formerly handled a lot more traffic now have their capacity wasted due to arterial reroutings. Use them. Traffic will move, businesses will have places to do businesses, their customers will be able to reach them, and the economy will improve. The State, however, will not look at alternatives at this point because they are well along in their project and the Council is not going to insist on it.

The Council, again, fails to protect the interests of Utica residents.

A Kind of Hush . . .

2011-10-28T05:00:00.003-04:00

Potocki attacks opponent’s proposed budget

Oneida County Executive candidate Rodger Potocki slammed incumbent County Executive Anthony Picente’s proposed $360 million 2012 budget at a press conference Thursday morning.
“What is Picente doing? It is obvious that he has created an election year budget of smoke and mirrors that not only fails to meet state law but uses gimmicks to cover up the failure,” Potocki said . . .

Can't wait to see these two in a debate . . .

But what debate? Perhaps the most important office in the County, but no information about a debate being scheduled. Has anyone scheduled one? If not, why not?

Is anyone ducking the possibility?

It sure is quiet around here!

A Cynical Translation . . .

2011-10-27T21:06:00.002-04:00

Economic council completes draft plan for state competition

The Mohawk Valley’s Regional Economic Development Council . . . submitted a draft summary of its strategic plan Wednesday to state officials. . . .
Once finalized, the Mohawk Valley’s plan will compete with plans from nine other regions in the state for the massive pot of economic development funds.

Although the regional plan is still under wraps, the article reveals several "strategies" which are listed below -- along with a cynical translation of what they probably really mean.

(1) "Leveraging existing businesses that have potential for high growth."
Cynical Translation: "Giving taxpayer money to businesses that are politically connected."

(2) "Increasing the supply of skilled workers to meet employer demands."
Cynical Translation: "Using taxpayer money to train people for businesses that are politically connected."
Alternate Cynical Translation: "Using taxpayer money to hire politically connected instructors to train people for jobs that don't exist locally."

(3) "Fostering a culture of investment and entrepreneurship."
Cynical Translation: (Ditto number one above) (If there was real interest in these things the state would lower taxes and regulate less.)

(4) "Modernizing local systems of government, possibly through consolidation."
Cynical Translation: "Remove control of local systems of government from the taxpayers that pay for them."

Sorry to be cynical, but when I read the words, their translations automatically came to mind.

Show Boat Legislation . . .

2011-10-27T20:11:00.006-04:00

Brindisi: Keep hydrofracking away from Hinckley Reservoir

“If any of the streams or rivers that run into the reservoir became contaminated, it could potentially leave thousands of homes in our region without clean tap water,” Brindisi said.

The map at left is a map of the surface geology in the vicinity of Hinckley Reservoir. The Utica Shale is shown at the lower left in brown. The Trenton Limestone is shown in diagonal blue and white lines. Although both have been associated with gas production elsewhere, these layers are too close to the surface near Hinckley to hold recoverable quantities of gas. The geology below these layers, and the geology to the northeast of Hinckley Reservoir (northeast of the diagonal line passing through Hinckley Res.), both on and below the surface, consists of Precambrian igneous and metamorphic rock. I.e. It predates the life on earth that is the origin of hydrocarbons and therefore cannot contain gas!

Hydrofracking is the "hot" issue of the day. It is easy to score points and prey upon people's fears by coming out against hydrofracking. But this proposed legislation, geologically, makes no sense.

Legislation on hydrofracking should be based on science, not emotion. While hydrofracking is an important issue in areas to the south and west of Utica, it is not an issue for Hinckley.

There are far to many real issues that affect the 116th District (like high power costs and Thruway tolls) which need to be dealt with. This is not one of them.

The Obligatory Hit Piece . . .

2011-10-27T05:00:00.002-04:00

Per the OD: Mayoral candidate Sanita runs campaign with own money, ideas.

Digging into Mr. Sanita's past, the newspaper uncovered operation of an x-rated theater at age 21, a "proposed" bar featuring nude dancers, a 1995 plea to a felony for which he received probation, alleged code violations, and owing $730 in back taxes.

ONLY $730 in back taxes? From an owner of multiple properties?

The City should be so lucky with some of its property owners.While the felony plea is a bit disconcerting, the rest seems more like a tempest in a teapot . . . stirring up the sludge to dirty a candidate just days before an election. Mr. Sanita announced his candidacy months ago. Why bring this up now?

We saw this type of hit piece before, mere days before the Utica School Board was to vote on a new superintendent. It was obviously aimed at knocking out a very well qualified candidate in favor of the locally-connected one -- who did not receive similar scrutiny in the press.

At this point in time, lets focus on the candidates' visions for Utica's future rather than on their past.

If Mr. Sanita warrants the "obligatory hit-piece," then the "powers that be" in Greater Utica must consider him a threat to the status quo.

That is a good thing.

[9PM Update:
After hearing the 5 candidates "debate" tonight on the radio, I now understand why the "hit piece" was written.]

More Nonsense from the Educrats . . .

2011-10-24T08:31:00.000-04:00

Per the OD: New "common core" standards a challenge for educators.

But anyone who was hoping for promotion of a "core knowledge" among school students will be sadly disappointed according to the description given in this article:

The new standards more or less start with what a college student needs to be able to do: study independently, glean information from complex textbooks without help and be ready to take college-level mathematics.

The standards give suggested course pairings in math to get the best use of high school courses. In reading and the other subjects, the common core suggests increasingly difficult books with speaking and writing tasks that demand students back up their arguments and answers to questions with evidence.

Short people are seldom good basketball players. Some people are not wired to be great orators. What students are able to "do" as "tasks" beyond the basics, is more often a function of maturity and genetic makeup rather than knowledge. This cannot be taught in school.

What can be taught is "knowledge" -- so that when the electronic textbooks of tomorrow are rewritten to change our history, or to change the facts of science, society will know it. But that, of course, is not the objective here.

The educrats now propose more of the same "task-oriented" -- as opposed to "knowledge oriented" -- curriculum that has resulted in the easily-misled society that we have today.

It will ensure a more docile, compliant, and manipulated society tomorrow.

The Skeptics HAVE Spoken on the Arterial . . .

2011-10-21T08:31:00.003-04:00

Better late than never, Councilman Zecca is backing up his long-time call for a Boulevard-style alternative to the North-South Arterial with a resolution for the Common Council to vote upon.

Amazingly, before the ink on the resolution is even dry (and before even writing a story about it), the OD Edictorial Board has pronounced "Time to move ahead with state plan for arterial"calling for the Council to "soundly defeat that measure."

It's no secret that the current City Hall administration has supported the State's latest concept from the beginning. Repeated efforts going back years to expressly incorporate a Boulevard as an Arterial replacement into the draft Utica Master Plan were not only ignored, they were rebuffed by city officials and their hired hands, allowing the State to respond in kind. Proponents of the State's plan, knowing that the "fix was in," largely absented themselves from discussions which prevented exploration of alternatives that would meet all the needs of the Neighborhood, the City, and the Region.

As it stands now, plans call for dead-ending Sunset Ave. and Warren St., a pedestrian-only bridge at Sunset, an extension of New Hartford's recreational Rayhill Trail into Downtown Utica, a highway interchange and bridge over Court St., replacement of existing bridges, but a stone wall in place of existing pylons to support all overhead structures.

Debate on the Arterial sounds a lot like that of 50 years ago... Only now Utica has a 50 year history to draw upon. Arterials have resulted in the loss of 100s of properties from the tax base, rerouting of countless streets with disruption of established traffic patterns, gutting of business districts destroying the "critical mass" needed to sustain economic activity, and the displacement of economic activity to the suburbs. Only suburban developers have benefitted.

West Utica is just starting to show signs of rebirth, in the Brewery District with its entertainment venues and Sculpture Space, and in the Arts District spurred by Pratt at MWPAI and the new Player's Theater. This rebirth will take time and involve a lot of trial-and-error risks (and no-doubt, losses) by individual entrepreneurs -- but it is starting and it is natural growth -- the kind that built Utica in the first place -- not instant characterless suburban-style development growth.

Growth in the Arts District will be to the northwest -- toward the Arterial. Growth in the Brewery District will be to the southeast -- toward the Arterial. Land uses about the Arterial are an unusual mix of residential, retail, and industrial -- with lot sizes that are generally small. This area is perfect for entrepreneurial artisans to take risks and set up studios, small manufacturing facilities, shops, and residences. But if a highway gobbles up the properties and a wall is erected between the Arts and Brewery Districts, the potential for synergy and growth -- and the potential for an artisan-oriented "destination" to develop -- will be forever lost.

Neighborhood convenience and potential is being sacrificed for shaving 2-3 minutes off the suburban commute to Downtown attractions. Is this fair? West Utica is one of the poorest areas in an already-poor city which, from a federal perspective, should raise so-called "environmental justice" concerns over the State's plans.

There are plenty of ways to address public safety and move traffic without destroying a neighborhood.

Councilman Zecca is giving the Utica Common Council its first real opportunity to officially voice its position on the Arterial project. Residents who oppose the State's plan need to turn out 6PM Wednesday if this is important to them. It will be interesting to see who supports the State's current plans, and what their rationales are. Who will place suburban interests above the needs of City residents?

Will Utica's interests be sacrificed again for an alleged "regional" good?

What is best for Utica IS what is best for the region.

The Obvious Question . . .

2011-10-19T05:15:00.005-04:00

From Utica OD: Some Utica officials not sold on Arterial Plan

James Zecca, a Second Ward councilman running for an at-large seat, and Frank Montecalvo, chairman of the one of the master plan’s subcommittees, have said the Arterial’s main purpose now is to connect the region’s suburban travelers.

They have said a multilane boulevard could spur private development and correct what they see as the original mistake: the 1960s construction of the Arterial itself.

From WIBX: Utica’s Zecca Pushes for Cheaper Energy

Now that Utica’s Master Plan is in place, 2nd District Councilman Jim Zecca plans to introduce a resolution that will create a committee to look into the feasibility of forming a low-cost public power utility service for the City of Utica.

The Obvious Question: If Mr. Zecca is prepared to introduce a resolution re municipal power, Where's the Resolution on the Arterial?

If Mr. Zecca is unwilling to introduce a resolution at the next Council meeting to stand up for what he claims would be in the best interest of his West Utica constituency, who else will? It makes one wonder how he would serve all of Utica if elected to Councilman at Large.

Municipal Power can wait for the new administration. The Arterial, which is scheduled for Federal Approval before the end of the year, cannot.

City Hall blocked every attempt to put the Boulevard in the Utica Master Plan. Only the Council can fix this.

The Pork Lawsuit . . .

2011-10-13T12:15:00.001-04:00

Arguments were presented to the Court of Appeals yesterday in what has become known as the "Pork Lawsuit." This is an extremely important case, involving the use of taxpayer money for "economic development." Some would use the term "crony capitalism" instead.

New Hartford Online Blog has very good coverage of the suit and its implications. You are urged to read their posts. See: Bordeleaux v State of New York .

Right On Cue . . .

2011-10-13T07:40:00.001-04:00

Just a few days ago, green colored the the Utica landscape; but right on cue the Autumn colors descended in time for traditional Columbus Day, October 12. Enjoy the peak color before it's gone . . .

(Click images for larger views and desktop backgrounds.)

Where's the Resolution on the Arterial?

2011-10-12T08:24:00.000-04:00

Last week the Utica Master Plan was passed 7-1 by the Common Council after a rather interesting public meeting and discussion.

Earlier in the day, Mr. Zecca had sent an e-mail with a paper touting the benefits of boulevards to advocate for passage of the Master Plan. Mr. Zecca suggested that language of the Master Plan could be used to get the State to change its design for the Arterial. As proposed now, West Utica would be split in two by the new design.

At the Council meeting, one member of the public pointed out (with page citations) that the New York State Department of Transportation in its documentation had almost verbatim lifted language out of the draft Master Plan to demonstrate that DOT's proposal complies with Utica's vision for itself.

In the ensuing discussion among the councilmen, almost everyone expressed concern over the State's plans and a desire that West Utica not be split in two. Yet, amazingly, not a single one, including Mr. Zecca, proposed that the draft Utica Master Plan be amended before its passage to call for a boulevard replacement for the Arterial.

The State has conducted many meeting on the Arterial and has heard many times that Utica residents object to the street cutoffs and the wall that will be constructed across their neighborhood. Yet the very government that supposedly represents its residents failed to take an official position on the project, although individual officials including the Mayor and head of the economic development department had expressed support for the current design in the press at various times.

Sitting there at the meeting, one could imagine such a discussion having taken place when the City decided to give up the waterworks to a regional authority. There must have been oh-so-many expressions of "concern," but in the end, they gave it away and the residents later lived to regret it.

So we stand now at the 11th hour and 59th minute to make a decision on West Utica's future. The Arterial still needs FEDERAL APPROVAL before State DOT will have the funds to build it. Does the Common Council stand up for its residents and their needs . . . or does it stand for more development in New Hartford and some alleged "regional" need?

Who represents the residents of Utica?

Where's the Common Council resolution calling for a change in the State's plans?

99%ers and the Tea Party: NOT 2 Sides of the Same Coin . . .

2011-10-10T05:00:00.010-04:00

There is a narrative out there that the Tea Party and the 99%ers (Occupy Wall St.) crowd are basically the same phenomenon. The 99%ers are now extending invitations to the Tea Party to join their protests. Certainly both movements seem to have "organically" grown out of disgust for actions that favor the "1%" at the expense of everyone else. But looks are deceiving and that is where the similarity ends.

(1) The Tea Party's objectives have always been clear: downsize government, reduce government's influence on our every day lives, cut government spending and indebtedness, and make government follow the Constitution. The 99%ers? . . . It's not clear what they stand for other than whine that the "greedy" top 1% is responsible for all of their problems.

(2) While painted by the Main Stream Media and Democrat pundits as a group of rich old white Republicans, close examination of photos of events and scrutiny of news stories reveal the Tea Party as a diverse group of adults. (Locally, some of the organizers have been Democrats). . . The 99%ers, however, have been overwhelmingly white jobless college students or recent graduates carrying huge student-loan debts that they are unable to pay off, now being joined by Labor Union members.

(3) The Tea Party works within the system, using the tools provided by our system of government to effect change. It has achieved some success by getting more conservative candidates into office. The 99%ers are working to collapse the system and have created disruption.

(4) The Tea Party targets the source of many of our problems: the elected officials who control the government -- which controls us. The 99%ers target Wall St. even though Wall St. does not make the rules.

It is false that both movements are "organic." The Tea Party movement clearly is, having started with Rick Santelli's rant on the floor of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. The 99%ers, on the other hand, have been orchestrated from day one, even though most of its members don't know it. (Followers of conservative media have known for months that these demonstrations were coming.)

To "Occupy Utica": Let your voices be heard on 10/13 -- but then, please, go home. All you will accomplish by camping 24/7 at the Busy Corner is sticking Utica with the cost of policing and protecting you, and later picking up after you.

Utica has enough issues to deal with without "Occupy Utica" adding more.

If you want change, be part of a solution, not a revolution: Work within the system.

9PM Update: Freedomworks has an interesting take on the difference between the Tea Party and the Occupy crowd. . . . And Utica Uprising has a completely different take on the Occupy Utica event.

Oneida Street Castle . . . Another Architectural Victim

2011-10-09T10:30:00.011-04:00

The apartment complex planned for what is now the "Oneida Castle" building has received final federal approval. Unfortunately, the building itself will be demolished in the project.

Something does not smell right.

Back in 2003 the City of Utica installed a new main roof, rebuilt lower entry porch roofs, and boarded up windows to preserve the building. Now we are supposed to believe that it is unsalvageable?

In an OD article last December former Urban Renewal Commissioner Robert Sullivan said that the apartment complex proposal

. . . is the best possible outcome for Oneida Castle after the state Historic Preservation Office determined it was not eligible for historic status, thus meaning historic tax credits were not an option. Those tax credits are the primary mechanism for private market-rate development of a building such as the castle . . .

So in the end, it's not about salvageability . . . It's all about the money. . . Money from federal grants that will be used to knock the place down. . . Money in the form of tax credits not being available to keep the place up. Taxpayer Money.

And therein lies the problem. The availability or lack of Taxpayer Money for what should be completely private endeavors of housing and building rehabilitation is determinative of what does or does not get done in Utica. Utica sounds like it has a soviet-style planned economy -- and looks it.

Private Money should be seeking out the Oneida Castle as an opportunity to create architecturally distinctive living quarters. . . but this is not happening. Why not? This question was raised for that neighborhood here in January.

I'm going to suggest a simple answer: It's not in the city plan. You won't find that expressly stated in the Utica Master Plan, but implicitly . . . where the "strategies" to "increase the percentage of owner occupied structures" (see p. 30 latest version) is a laundry list of government handouts for people to do what responsible people should be doing anyway . . . where a "mixed income model" (p.30) will be imposed on all city neighborhoods . . . where "anti-gentrification guards" will be imposed (p.55) . . . where an oft-repeated alleged need for "affordable housing" is a euphemism for "government-subsided housing" . . . where a specific vision for each neighborhood's future is lacking. . . where future regulation is planned to be developed by citizens committees.

Private Money will not go where it has to compete with Taxpayer Money, where there are high concentrations of disadvantaged or poor people, or where future regulation is uncertain.

Utica has been a magnet for the poor and disadvantaged. This concentrates costly issues within Utica and raises taxes within Utica -- which encourage the well-heeled to leave Utica. It also makes it convenient for the County off-load some of its responsibilities on to the residents of Utica (like the MVCC proposal). Utica's status as the place for the region's poor is a money-maker and raison-d'être for many. There are simply too many that benefit from the current arrangement for it to change without intervention. The Utica Master Plan was a missed opportunity to intervene. It did not. Instead, it perpetuates the current arrangement.

There is insufficient Taxpayer Money to save our architectural heritage. Until Utica's policies are changed to encourage the inflow of Private Money, there will be more architectural victims.

No More Meltingpot . . .

2011-10-07T00:01:00.004-04:00

Cuomo: NY to translate forms into other languages

Gov. Andrew Cuomo ordered state agencies Thursday to translate documents and provide interpreters in six languages for immigrants seeking public services. . . . The project will translate documents and websites from agencies including social services and motor vehicles into Spanish, Chinese, Italian, Russian, French and French Creole. .. . .

So typical of NYS governing from a Downstate perspective. Here in Utica, Bosnian, Russian, Albanian, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Farsi, Polish, and Spanish might be the choices . . . but maybe 20 more may be needed from time to time . . .

"It's government's responsibility to figure out how to communicate with the person," Cuomo said. . . .

Government already does this to some extent, but what about the responsibility of the individuals?

"Most of us are immigrants that made this state the greatest state in the country, we're proud of it," Cuomo said, opening his news conference in Italian.

This statement sent me into orbit!

I, too, am an American of Italian descent who is proud of his heritage. My grandparents would not have dreamed of government communicating with them in Italian. If government offered, I'm pretty sure they would have refused. They came here. They wanted to be American. Being American meant speaking English.

I bet it was the same in the Cuomo household.

Like my grandparents, the immigrants who "made this state the greatest state in the country" were self-reliant. They neither expected nor wanted a hand out or an accommodation. They were discriminated against, but they persevered. They might not have achieved English fluency for themselves, but their children succeeded. Whatever their backgrounds, it was their common desire to be Americans that resulted in the blending of cultures in the great American Melting Pot that produced the strong alloy of New York and America.

Mr. Cuomo's proposal caters to those who prefer to remain separate, who prefer not to assimilate. That weakens New York and America.

Mr. Cuomo's ancestors must be rolling in their graves.

Stick it to Utica Residents Again, Oneida County?

2011-10-05T17:37:00.011-04:00

Oneida County plans to bill property taxpayers for MVCC costs

Oneida County is taking a gamble that an accounting change could enable it to stay beneath the state’s new cap on property tax increases.

The budget Picente proposed Wednesday morning stays within the 2 percent tax cap, according to Picente’s calculations.

That’s because he wants to bill property tax payers for the county’s share of the Mohawk Valley Community College budget on a different line than the rest of the cost. . . .

If Picente’s plan goes through, residents will pay a share of the cost of the college funding based on how many MVCC students live in their home municipality.

So let's see how this will work . . . Utica has the main MVCC campus. Rome has a secondary MVCC campus. Both cities are the places where students are most likely to take up residence because (1) the campuses are there and (2) both cities contain most of the region's affordable housing. The residents of both host cities already pay increased police costs because students behave like ... students.

This is like the bad old days when Oneida County billed Aid for Dependent Children to City residents because the City was the only place in the region where the poor could afford (or were allowed) to live. It was the poor being forced to support the poor.

Mr. Picente's proposal continues the terrible Oneida County record of sticking County costs on to city residents and taxpayers, especially those in Utica. Any wonder why our cities are in decline?

Maybe the occupation of Liberty Bell Corner on 10/13 should be moved to 600 Park Ave instead?

If Mr. Picente wants to get Counties from outside Oneida to kick in for their students, that's fine. But if our County leaders want to support the costs of educating MVCC students, they should pass those on to ALL Oneida County taxpayers, not shift them on to individual municipalities without the approval of the voters of each municipality.

Trees for Traffic Control!

2011-10-04T07:03:00.003-04:00

Some recent studies indicate that trees may be an effective -- and cheap -- means of traffic control according to a new article in Next American City.

Most of us like trees. These incredible organisms clean our air and water, provide valuable habitat for wildlife, increase our property values, and make us feel happier through their beauty. They also seem to make urban roads safer. Most of us don’t think of trees as infrastructure, but in an urban context they are just that. Research indicates that they can play a powerful role in traffic calming, especially through their impact on three vehicle-related risks: speeding, road rage, and pedestrian/bicyclist injury.

The article explains the evidence and how trees work to control traffic.

. . . A few well positioned trees with "traffic-calming" roadway design may be a more cost effective and less socially disruptive solution to avoid pedestrian-vehicle accidents than the blocked streets, ramps, and overhead bridges proposed by NYSDOT for the Arterial. Less can be more... at least that is what the latest research seems to suggest.

10/5/11 Update:
One of my astute readers provided me with this bit of research on this topic I thought I'd share:

Perceptual Countermeasures: Experimental Research, Godley, Fildes,
Triggs and Brown, 1999, Monash University Accident Research Center,
Melbourne, Victoria (Australia)
Thanks, Dave.

NYRI Redux?

2011-10-03T00:01:00.000-04:00

From FoxNews: Fed Plan to Consolidate Power Over Nation's Power Highway Has States Nervous .

The Obama administration is looking to consolidate control over the nation's power highway, pushing a proposal that would put one federal agency in the driver's seat when it comes to reviewing and approving power-line projects across the country. . . .

[The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission] said the plan would allow for an "expedited" process and, in the long run, "help satisfy the need for a modern and efficient transmission grid in the United States, with increased access to the most cost-effective renewable resources."

It's easy to see where this will go for us in the Greater Utica area.

A New Problem: Plundering Utica . . .

2011-10-01T20:58:00.004-04:00

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

2011-09-29T08:28:00.001-04:00

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 . . .

2011-09-28T05:00:00.003-04:00

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" . . .

2011-09-27T05:45:00.002-04:00

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!! . . .

2011-09-22T00:01:00.012-04:00

. . . 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 . . .

2011-09-21T06:31:00.002-04:00

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 . . .

2011-09-20T08:26:00.000-04:00

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?

2011-09-14T08:16:00.002-04:00

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 . . .

2011-09-12T07:46:00.000-04:00

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 ? . . . .

2011-09-09T07:51:00.001-04:00

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...

2011-09-07T19:50:00.000-04:00

High-end luxury Steuben Glass is closing . . .

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

116th: Neither of the Above . . .

2011-09-07T08:01:00.002-04:00

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.

2011-09-07T07:30:00.002-04:00

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'

2011-09-05T13:24:00.000-04:00

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

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

Clipping Wings . . .

2011-09-05T10:27:00.007-04:00

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 . . .

2011-08-30T21:16:00.003-04:00

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 . . .

2011-08-28T19:56:00.002-04:00

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?

2011-08-22T23:36:00.003-04:00

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?

2011-08-22T10:14:00.000-04:00

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 . . .

2011-08-18T07:17:00.000-04:00

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 . . .

2011-08-16T07:42:00.001-04:00

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 . . .

2011-08-11T08:31:00.000-04:00

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...

2011-08-09T21:35:00.005-04:00

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 . . .

2011-08-08T06:48:00.001-04:00

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?

2011-08-08T06:39:00.001-04:00

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?

2011-08-07T16:39:00.005-04:00

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 . . .

2011-08-02T08:07:00.001-04:00

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 . . .

2011-08-01T07:50:00.003-04:00

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. . . .

2011-07-29T05:21:00.002-04:00

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 . . .

2011-07-28T22:11:00.002-04:00

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) . . .

2011-07-27T00:43:00.002-04:00

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 . . .

2011-07-24T18:50:00.000-04:00

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 . . .

2011-07-21T07:57:00.003-04:00

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 . . .

2011-07-18T16:48:00.003-04:00

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 . . .

2011-07-16T15:11:00.007-04:00

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?

2011-07-13T18:27:00.007-04:00

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

2011-07-11T10:12:00.001-04:00

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!

2011-07-09T23:54:00.001-04:00

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!

2011-07-07T08:25:00.001-04:00

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

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.
EDGE's performance has been unsatisfactory, causing Herkimer County to dump EDGE and Whitestown Business Park (Old O.C. Airport area) tenants to complain.
EDGE is unaccountable.
EDGE is incompetent.
EDGE is lazy.
EDGE encourages sprawl.
EDGE is dishonest.

Need I say more?

Departure of a Class Act . . .

2011-07-05T21:46:00.001-04:00

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 . . .

2011-06-26T20:32:00.003-04:00

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...

2011-06-23T22:34:00.000-04:00

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

2011-06-16T08:17:00.001-04:00

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?

2011-06-15T08:02:00.000-04:00

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 . . .

2011-06-13T07:00:00.004-04:00

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!

2011-06-01T23:13:00.011-04:00

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.

A Paucity of Planning for Public Parking . . .

2011-05-21T13:43:00.004-04:00

I wondered why I heard someone complaining about finding parking when I walked past the train station yesterday. There has always been plenty of parking around the train station.Then I came upon the scene at left (click to enlarge) which was a big surprise.

The large public parking lot created at taxpayers' expense across the street from Union Station, the Children's Museum and the Oneida County DMV Office has apparently been sold to the owners of the Doyle Building and is now off limits to the public.

With the city of Utica so concerned about the availability of public parking these days, when/how did this happen?

It actually happened back in 2007 during the Julian administration . . . AND it was approved by the Utica Common Council. But did anyone from the public really understand what was going on?

Buried in a 6/21/07 article in the Utica OD "Could Park Avenue become a parking lot?" (use your library card for access) comes this tid-bit:

"UTICA COUNCIL NEWS ...
"The sale of 322-328 Main St. to Stuart A. Bannatyne for $50,000 was approved. Bannatyne plans to create additional parking for 330-334 Main St., the former Doyle Hardware building ."

The article makes it sound like Mr. Bannatyne is "creating" parking on the site, rather than purchasing existing public parking. Who would know what is on 322-328 Main? Who would know that the developer's "working with the city to address parking issues" described in an earlier 4/25/07 article involved the sale of a public parking facility?

The public only gets an inkling of what happened after council approval of the sale from Councilman Ed Hill's statements in a 6/26/07 article "Council will look into Park Ave. plan"

Councilman Ed Hill, R-1, told the group at Wednesday night's Economic Development Committee meeting that he believes the idea to close a portion of the street [Park Avenue] was developed in secrecy.

Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente and Mayor Tim Julian, both Hill's fellow Republicans, should have first discussed the idea with the council before drawing up plans, Hill said.

"As a councilperson, it's been my experience that there's been no discussion between the mayor and myself," Hill said after the meeting. "I'm not trying to stymie progress, but I also have ideas and have talked to people."

The meeting ended following a shouting match between Hill and Julian. That occurred as Hill described what he said was a deal between city and county leaders to deed a county-owned parking lot near the former Doyle Hardware building to the city.

According to Hill, the deal was made so the city could then sell it to Stuart Bannatyne , the New York City developer who purchased the Doyle building. In return, the city would allow the closing of Park Avenue to meet the county's parking needs, Hill said.

"There's not a conspiracy on every corner, Ed," a frustrated Julian said loudly from his seat across the table. Moments later, Julian walked out.

Hill's fellow Republicans dismissed his statements and said his theory has no validity.

Even here, the article tells the public only that the parking lot is "near" the Doyle building.

The lack of transparency and odor of back-room dealing are troubling . . . but the real issue is a lack of planning that still remains even after more than $325,000 taxpayer dollars have been spent on the Utica Master Plan that is not a plan.

There may be good reasons for giving the Doyle Building its own parking area, but imagine if Doyle was in the New Hartford Shopping Center. What would it be like if the Shopping Center's vast parking lot were carved up into spaces designated for each tenant? It would become inconvenient because customers would have to drive around to find the spaces owned by the establishment they wanted to patronize. Some establishments might run out of spaces at particular times while other spaces go unoccupied. It might be such a bother that people would stay away. Does not Utica run the risk of this happening at Baggs Square?

The parking required by an area can be estimated from the kinds of activities contemplated and the square footage that will be occupied by those activities.

The answer is PLANNING for both uses and parking to ensure that there are enough spaces for all the land uses contemplated within a particular area. With sound planning a developer like Mr. Bannatyne might not feel the need to have to purchase and maintain a separate lot. That reduces the cost of doing business. With sound planning, fewer spaces might need to be built, e.g. spaces serving the DMV during the day would be free to serve the restaurant crowd at night. That increases efficiency.

Being able to do things more efficiently used to be the driver behind the rise of cities.

But Utica cannot be efficient without a REAL plan. As long as Utica remains without a real plan, development will continue to require special deals --- or the development will go to the suburbs where developers will have more room to control their own environment.

The Undoing of West Utica . . .

2011-05-18T08:21:00.002-04:00

The State DOT revealed its final design for the N-S Arterial remake last night at a meeting of the ArtsWest Alliance. . . .

It is going to be even worse than expected for West Utica!

While the bridge over Court St. and cut offs of Sunset Avenue and Warren Street are bad enough, the big surprise and disappointment was that the current single bridge over Oriskany Blvd., Lafayette and Columbia Streets will be replaced by separate bridges . . . with retaining walls holding up the Arterial in-between.

People have somewhat adapted to the current viaduct overhead. There is plenty of room under the viaduct for light, air and people to pass through, and people are using the space as covered parking. But having the openness replaced with a stone wall . . . even one designed to look like it was built of stone blocks from the Chenango Canal . . . will further detract from and distinctly divide the neighborhood.

Another disappointment is that the northern intersection of Lincoln Ave with Court Street will be eliminated. Lincoln will end at Roberts Street. This seems to negate the one good thing that is being proposed: an extension of the dead end of Lincoln Ave to a new intersection with Burrstone Road -- restoring an old access point.

What drivers gain in greater speeds on the arterial, they lose in having to go out of their way to get on the Arterial -- or to go across the Arterial.

Interestingly, state officials were unable to estimate the maximum distance someone would have to detour to drive from one side of the Arterial to the other given the proposed street closures. Nor were they able to estimate the additional time such a detour would take. Ease of access is a major consideration in locating a business. It should be clear from looking at a map that large areas of West Utica will become backwaters because they will be harder to get to and through.

State officials were also unable to estimate the loss in tax revenue to the City of Utica and the Utica City School District from the large number of property takings. How is the city expected to make up the revenue? They dismissed the question by noting that the City now owns many parcels. No one thinks how many parcels have fallen into city ownership because of the uncertainty of what the Arterial remake would create.

As disappointing as the state's presentation was, the seeming acceptance by local elected officials and community activists was even more so. They know what this project will do to West Utica because they have expressed their concerns in the past. They have the biggest stake in this issue and are looked upon to provide leadership.

They need to do so now. An alternative to this project MUST be found. Otherwise it will be the undoing of West Utica.

Aren't We Maxed Out?

2011-05-13T17:36:00.005-04:00

According to the OD yesterday, Congressman Hanna is co-sponsoring job legislation, specifically, reauthorization of two programs to, according to a news release, “offer competition-based awards to stimulate technological innovation among small private-sector businesses while providing government agencies new, cost-effective, technical and scientific solutions to meet their diverse needs, without extra federal spending.” The links in the article go to federal programs offering grants.

While small businesses are the backbone of the economy, why do they need federal programs especially created just for them? The same question goes for special programs for women and minority-owned businesses. Special federal programs have been created to favor certain "classes" defined by the government as worthy of special treatment.

How about the class of people who don't want special treatment . . . who don't want a federal handout . . . who don't want special rules created just for "them?" . . . the ones who what to achieve success through their own resources?

In all these programs, some person or company gets a government hand or hand-out while some person/company's competitor does not. This both encourages businesses to get on the government dole (and control) and discourages those who want to engage in free competition on a level playing field.

Simply put, special programs for special people are costly ... both in dollars spent and in the discouragement given to those who do NOT want to be beholden to the government in running their businesses.

The country is maxed-out . . . on its credit . . . . and on its patience with special treatment for special people, companies, and groups.

Utica in Limbo

2011-05-06T08:23:00.000-04:00

Future of downtown HSBC building in limbo.

Concerned with the condition of the former HSBC Bank building downtown, codes officials are working with the California-based owner to arrange an interior inspection.

If the owners prohibit that, codes likely will issue a court order that could lead to the building’s demolition.

This does not bode well for Downtown Utica.

The building's bright white marble facade is replicated on another building's facade facing the little Ellen Hanna sculpture garden across Seneca Street. The public area created in between at the former southern end of Seneca Street, with its seating and stone checkerboard tables, is a place for office workers to relax and socialize during breaks. The HSBC Building and the public area together create a uniquely urban space that you won't find in the suburbs.

One would think that the pleasant public space on the Seneca Street side and the ample parking area on the west side should make the HSBC Building prime office space. . . but the building sits vacant. Why?

No one is answering that question. . . . or even seems interested in answering that question.

If the building must be demolished, the property has at least one interested developer: the city.

Urban and Economic Development Commissioner Randy Soggs said it could play into the city’s recently refocused vision for downtown parking, which now includes plans for surface lots instead of a parking garage.

“We need some more downtown parking,” he said. “If that building has to come down, there may be a way we can accomplish that at the same time as dealing with a potentially unsafe structure.”

The landmark City Center Building near by is also vacant, as is the first floor of the former Neisners Department Store next to the State Office Building. Both have had a lot of money poured into them. City Center has been given an expensive marble facade. Neisners has been given an arcaded front with unique curved display windows extending into the arcade. Why are there no tenants?

While parking may be an issue for City Center and Neisners with both being on the east side of Genesee, it is NOT an issue for HSBC which has a large parking area next door. Yet all are vacant.

The fact that city officials find an opportunity for a parking lot in a landmark facing the wrecking ball is downright scary. What happened to the Renaissance City?

Instead of seeing another opportunity for parking, city officials need to see an opportunity for introspection. They need to answer the question why prime office space having ample parking has not attracted tenants. Only then will they have a clue on what to do with Downtown Utica.

New Ghetto for West Utica!

2011-04-20T08:29:00.003-04:00

Utica considers brownstone apartments on Lincoln Ave. According to this story, the "city" wants to build a 15-20 unit residential unit building on Lincoln Avenue for sale to low to moderate income tenants.

Who speaks for the city? How did this project get so far that "The process of vetting firms to do the architectural drawings will begin in the next few weeks . . ."?

“We felt the housing would fit in the neighborhood and help with the ongoing process of revitalization,” [Urban and Econ. Dev. Commr.] Soggs said.

Does Mr. Soggs really believe that housing next to an expressway will attract buyers?

As it stands now, NYSDOT is proposing to turn the Arterial into an expressway at this location. A "sculpture trail" along the route will not make up for the noise, lights, fumes and grime that come with an expressway. Just imagine the sounds of tractor trailers changing gears as they approach the ramp to the new Court Street overpass heading north. Yes . . . the sweet sounds of trucks will rock you to sleep! Put that in the "city's" marketing brochure.

Just because someone is "low income" does not mean they are dumb. People want their investments to grow. Housing next to an expressway is not likely to appreciate in value and not likely to sell.

High density housing (contrary to some councilperson's beliefs) has an appropriate place in urban design. Successful projects (i.e., where people would want to live and invest) would be associated with a Walkable Neighborhood where people can walk to services such as grocers and drugstores, and even to work. The mix of uses, the infrastructure to support them, and the surrounding environment, however, need to be planned.

Where's the Plan?

Conspicuously absent from this story is any mention of the Utica Master Plan . . . probably because there IS NO PLAN. There is nothing in the Master Plan which identifies this location as being appropriate for high density housing. Without an overarching plan for a walkable neighborhood, this project makes no sense.

Mr. Soggs claims there is a "demand" for this housing, but, if so, why are not private developers jumping to fill this niche? The apparent competition between Utica Economic Development and the Utica MHA is a strange twist. Government distorts economic reality.

All this seems to do is enable certain people to dip into federal funds (which hopefully will be cut off soon). The project will turn into a New Washington Courts.

Utica deserves better.

Fault Lines

Buzz: In With "Density" . . .

Buzz: The Sprawl Lobby .

New Hartford Development: Urban Cancer . . .

The More Things Change, the More They Remain the Same

Common Sense . . . From California!

Bring the Money to US . . .

A Change of Perspective . . .

A New Law for a New Year?

Drama . . . On Sunset Avenue!

Recommended Reading . . .

Unsustainable. . . .

The Pledge of Allegiance . . . But Not at the New Hartford Town Library!

Win for Yorkville, Win for Utica Residents

Assaults On Utica's Streets!!!!

You-Tube: The N-S Arterial Story by the W Utica Puppet Theater

The OTHER Arterial Street Cut-Off

A Closed Club at the New Hartford Library . . .

Arterial: Regionalism and Expertise . . .

Mayor Places the City of Utica in Jeopardy . . .

More Sprawl On Tap In New Hartford . . .

No Protection From Crony Capitalism . . .

Will the Real Common Council Please Stand Up?

N-S Arterial Video - The Problem and a Solution . . .

The Rest of the Story . . .

The More They Get . . .

An Interesting Admission on the Arterial . . .

Transfer This . . .

More of the Same . . .

Bait and Switch . . .

Time for Change?

An ODd View Of Our Region . . .

One Surprise -- Two Stories

Why Invite the Public . . .

A Kind of Hush . . .

A Cynical Translation . . .

Show Boat Legislation . . .

The Obligatory Hit Piece . . .

More Nonsense from the Educrats . . .

The Skeptics HAVE Spoken on the Arterial . . .

The Obvious Question . . .

The Pork Lawsuit . . .

Right On Cue . . .

Where's the Resolution on the Arterial?

99%ers and the Tea Party: NOT 2 Sides of the Same Coin . . .

Oneida Street Castle . . . Another Architectural Victim

No More Meltingpot . . .

Stick it to Utica Residents Again, Oneida County?

Trees for Traffic Control!

NYRI Redux?

A New Problem: Plundering Utica . . .

Reading Tea Leaves

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

"Extreme" . . .

Tilt-a-Whirl!! . . .

And Then There Were Five . . .

Curious Non-Issue . . .

Does This Make Sense?

Interesting News Around the State . . .

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

Another One Bites the Dust...

116th: Neither of the Above . . .

Articles: How capital crushed labor.

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

Clipping Wings . . .

Devastation Downstream . . .

Rainy Day Reading . . .

All For Naught?

Pataki for Prez? They're Kidding, Right?

Numbering the Corporate Welfare Days . . .

Big Government in a Small City . . .

Little New Here . . .

Shake Up at MV Chamber of Commerce...

Shooting the Messenger . . .

Spilling Beans, Mr. Greenspan?

Does Anyone Buy This?

Spending Business As Usual . . .

It Pays to Have Friends in Government . . .

Giving and Taking by EDGE. . . .

Actioni contrariam semper et æqualem esse reactionem . . .