June 27, 2007

Much as I hate to admit it...

Today's paper has a big article on a CNY technology center that's going to be built with money JP Morgan is giving to SU. This will create a new curriculum, but SU plans to go further than that, investing some of the money in local high schools to make them more high tech, and hopefully creating bunches of high tech jobs. Will someone please explain to me why it is that Nancy Cantor is doing more for the Syracuse area than Nick Pirro or Matt Driscoll?

Personally, I find the woman a little weird. There's something about that voice, her mannerisims, her overall appearance, that I can't watch her for 2 minutes without cracking up. That being said, maybe she should be running for county executive. She'd certainly get things done. I'd just have to avoid watching her speaches. Probably wouldn't want to give up her power though, and certainly not the money.

June 26, 2007

where exactly is he looking?

The Syracuse city schools have announced how they're going to make the cuts needed to balance their budget. Teachers will be leaving, long term substitutes and teacher assistants first, and programs will be cut. This was "the only way" that the city could meet its budget. I heard no mention of any cuts to administrators or their salaries.

There's been some chatter on the Syracuse.com political forum about the Dale Sweetland commercial, and having studied the issue further, I'd have to agree with the consensus. That really is a bad commercial. I have like 6 hrs of campaign training and I wouldn't run that ad. He doesn't seem to be looking at the camera or the crowd (he isn't shown at the same time as them, but since he's addressing the crowd we'd assume he'd be above them not the other way around), the crowd doesn't have any apparent reason for being there, nor are they particularly enthusiastic, and his "theme" doesn't say anything at all. "Common sense, uncommon leadership?" Tell us why you have common sense, not just that you have common sense.

Finally, there are going to be meetings on what to do with the money Syracuse got for it's soul by allowing the county to build sewer treatment plants in the city, including in Armory Square. What to do with the 6 million dollars? I suggest giant air fresheners.

June 20, 2007

Can they make biodiesel with my soy sauce?

One last short blurb before I go. If you're short on time skip to the next post down, it's more important.

Post-Standard article on how Destiny USA is now using 100% biodiesel. Two brief points.
1) This is a good thing, assuming biodiesel isn't like corn based ethanol where it uses so much corn to produce so little ethanol that we're running out of corn and driving up the cost of gas (it's true, to some degree you can blame corn for the high cost of gas, we need to start growing sugar cane for ethanol, which maybe we can do if global warming continues, so once again it all works out) (no angry posts, the global warming thing was a joke)
2) Are the bulldozers at Destiny using anything right now? I think they have to be moving first. Some see steel, I see rust.

They do exist...

Sorry about the lack of posts for a little while, had a busy father's day weekend and spent the past 2 nights going to training on how to run a campaign. All I had to be was a union member and it was free and they provided food. Yeah, I'm there. Plus, the training was really good, so I feel much better equipped to help a campaign this season. Sad to say another lapse is coming for this weekend, I'll be out of town doing some touristing. It's my blog, I get to declare that a word. In fairness, Syracuse.com hasn't posted much of local political interest the past couple of days except for further shouting on Ed Ryan's plan to return the surplus. Which brings up the following
IMPORTANT NOTE ON ED RYAN'S PLAN TO RETURN THE SURPLUS: County policy already dictates we keep 10% of revenue on hand for an emergency. I'd already noticed that from the original article. What I didn't notice until today is that 10% = about SIXTY MILLION DOLLARS (raises pinky to mouth). Pair that up with Ryan's "surplus" (doesn't the 10% count as surplus too? isn't this surplus surplus if you will?) and we get a grand total of about $76 million. This means, even if we give the entire $16 mill back to the taxpayers, that's only about 21% of the total extra we've got. Seems like we should at least be able to give say $10 million to Ed's tax cut or to Bill's suggested job development.

Additional note, if you like the blog, tell a friend, if not tell us (wow, I'm borrowing from everyone today, that's the Entenmann's slogan). Seriously, spread the word (and the joy) about the blog and the online petition at right. If there's a topic of discussion, post a comment and discuss. That's what this blog is for, to generate discussion.

Total of 3 steals in this post (that I know of). First is the title, borrowed from an M and M's commercial. I explained the 3rd to you. If you're the first to post the middle one (with explanation) in comments, receive a virtual chocholate chip cookie.

June 15, 2007

up and running

Well, I still have to do some things as far as the setup, but I've got the petition for empire zone reform up and running. Email all your friends. Empire zones are a statewide program, so anyone in NY state should consider voicing their opinion.

Meanwhile, County Exec candidate Ed Ryan spoke up about our property tax surplus. Seems we have $16 million over the proposed reserve revenue level, so Ed says we should give it back to property owners. The other County Exec candidates? Magnarelli says it would be better to have a balance between the need for property tax cuts and job development programs. Mahoney says she'll consider any proposal that returns money to the taxpayers. Sweetland accuses Ryan of reiterating the policy that he and Ryan cosponsored in 1999, and states he is working on a plan. He further states that he worries about what to do in the long term if the surplus is given back, in other words, what if we come up short next year.

They've all got points. Certainly, coming up short is something to worry about, but taxes throughout NY state are way too high and upstate is paying for it. Job development is certainly beneficial, but property taxes are driving people out of the area. As for myself, I think some of it should be given back, and I think job development is something we need to work on whether or not we've got a surplus, but we do need to keep some in case of future shortfall.

June 13, 2007

actual action being acted

I went to my first young democrats meeting tonight. There was a candidate for county legislator, a fellow criminal justice major, who I think I'll contact and help out. There was also the campaign manager for Magnarelli, so I know how to help him if I and or democrats decide to go that route. In short, I'm well on my way to practicing what I preach for this year. For this year, I mean I did help the Maffei Campaign a little last year, and I always vote, so there's that.

June 12, 2007

empire zones... Grrr

The empire zone system of tax breaks has been shown to have loopholes the size of Aunt Rita's fanny, yet the Post-standard now reports that some lawmakers want more empire zone type benefits(note to readers, I do not actually have an Aunt Rita, behold I call this, metaphor). To do so without reforming the corrupt empire zone system is to throw more money at companies with little or no promise of anything in return.

I'm not historically a huge Magnarelli fan, but here I'm throwing my hat in with his hat in the ring (or something, hey I had one working metaphor, dammit). In answer to the Post-Standard he stated "There is no way to defend the Empire Zone program as it is today." Further, he's a cosponsor (thank you fantasy congress for my vocabulary) of the bill by Richard Brodsky calling for empire zone reform. The 2 most important parts of the bill, it caps the limit of tax cuts at $10000 per hire and has recapture provisions so the state can get back $ from those who don't live up to promises. In other words, if you don't create jobs, we tell you where you can stick your tax break request. I've also heard rumor mill of an audit being proposed of current empire zone recipients. Definitely another good idea. Of course, with regard to the per hire limit, I would consider making it related to the salary of the employee, but unfortunately I'm not in the state senate. $10000 for fry cooks and for engineers doesn't seem equal.

I know I previously said something about an online petition, but this is important enough that I really mean it. Consider it my Friday night project. Who needs going out on the town anyway?

June 7, 2007

Long overdue reforms

First an article on empire zone overhaul. Why are we just getting around to this now? There needs to be more of a guarantee that the tax benefits will equal jobs. Even those investigative reporters at the Post Standard were talking about this months ago, so clearly it must be an obvious problem.

The second article is actually from May, but I'll comment on it now. The "Upstate Now" plan "is not simply the best plan to revitalize the Upstate economy, it is the only plan for Upstate to be advanced in Albany this year," Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno said. Well, I would tend to dislike that statement. I don't think the fact that it's the only plan we put together in any way implys that this is the best plan. However, I do have some positive comments on the plan proposed in the State Senate.

1) tax rebates and credits for small businesses and companies using alternative energy. Both good ideas if we can pay for it. The alternative energy benefit seems particulary time relevant as my price to fill up keeps rising.
2)Update infrastructure: Negative comments here. The bill proposes high speed trains connecting cities, and modernizing roads, bridges, and sewers. Not sure how many people use the train anymore, particularly to get to, for example, Utica. Sounds neat but in a "high speed ferry" sort of fashion. As for modernizing roads, wtf have all those construction crews been doing? I can never go anywhere without running into construction and we're proposing more?
3)A new business hotline at 511, offering advice 7 days a week. Do we really want to turn to NY state for advice on running a business?
4)"Strengthen the work force:" this section proposes more online learning and high tech high schools. This sounds like the type of training we need to attract businesses to the area. Let's ditch that business hotline and spend more on the education part of the bill.

That's it, that's all I got for now.

June 6, 2007

grrr, sewage, also, Mr Ryan appears... 2 weeks ago

Well, the first problem is that the plan to put a sewage treatment plant in armory square passed the last hurdle yesterday afternoon. Only in CNY would we profess that our economy needs saving and then put a sewage plant in our most attractive area. The so-called improvements to the areas around the plant do not make up for the plant itself, and I can only hope this doesn't cause the economic decay I think it will.

The last hurdle was the county legislature. If anyone knows how the 2 county exec candidates (Sweetland, and Ryan for those unaware) voted, that info would be appreciated. I would have linked you to the emails of all the legislators, but the info on the vote didn't come to my attention until it was too late to get posted in time. However, if you wish to tell them this was a bad idea after the fact, I encourage you to do so. Maybe they'll think about us more in the future. As many as have email, and all addresses, can be found online at http://www.ongov.net/Legislature/members.html

Secondly, it seems Mr. Ryan did appear at the Dunbar Center, much like his opponent Bill Magnarelli is scheduled to tomorrow. Unfortunately Ed appeared there 2 weeks ago in a large wave of no publicity. I would have liked to have gone.

June 4, 2007

The incredible disappearing Ryan

It seems to me we were supposed to have a race for County Executive this year. I remember when Stephanie Minor and our wonderful mayor were all over the news, then once they dropped out it seems like I haven't seen any faces lately on either side, including the ones that dropped out. Except when the former ones appear in anti-snitch videos. There's evidence the real candidates still out there. The endorsed candidates have the advantage, with Magnarelli appearing 6/7/07 at 7 at the Dunbar Association, 1453 S State St. for a meet and greet, and Sweetland among other endorsed candidates tomorrow night at 5 p.m. at the Corinthian Club located at 930 James Street in Syracuse. Apparently you have to make reservations for Sweetland and crew by calling Carole Marsh at 471-2020. And there are websites for Sweetland, Mahoney, and Magnarelli's state assembly site touting his accomplishments. But why aren't they in the news, and where, oh where, is my man Ed Ryan? I'd email him but he doesn't have one listed on the county website. The guy's a county legislator, shouldn't the county give us an email to talk to him through? I suppose someone could write to his address.

you can't complain if you don't sign up

The post-standard's political notebook lists due dates for registering to vote, I've posted a weblink to the right, so you've got no excuse not to do it:
8/24/07 for new voters to register for the primary
8/29/07 for change of address
9/18/07 primary day
11/6/07 election day
There's also some dates for those wishing to be candidates. Can someone please tell me why it's too late for someone to switch parties in time for the primary but if you want to register a whole new person for the primary you've got till almost the end of August? I'd like to firmly state I don't actually want anyone to tell me, I'm being rhetorical.

YOUNG DEMOCRATS MEETING at Onon. County Dem HQ 6/13/07 at 7 pm, 248 Warren St. Ages 16-36. I'm somewhere in that age group.

June 1, 2007

Vive le Revolution

Well I'd fully expected to start this blog off on the correct foot (the left one) by either suggesting we write letters suggesting some politician get off his duff and do something, or by just verbally bitch slapping some politician I wasn't happy with, but I guess that fun will have to wail till later, cause you got to give someone their props when they're due. Read the sub-standard news article "City Lets Nonprofits Buy House for $1"

For those of you too lazy to click the linkey, basically there's a new city program that lets non-profits buy unused tax-delinquent housing for a a buck. In return the non-profit has to spruce the place up by 2 years, and they put the assessed value of the house in escrow as a guarantee. It's cheaper for the non-profit, a vacant building that was probably a target for burglars and drug use gets used for good, and the city can start collecting taxes on the property again. Good for everyone. The sale has to be approved by the common council. I urge you to write to common councilors and tell them they need to not only approve this sale but encourage new sales. When I have some time I'll try and make an online petition for people to sign. "But I don't live in the city." Who cares, it's still your community, write or email them anyway.

Finally, more important news: RUN FOR POLITICAL OFFICE. Again I reference the sub-standard. They'd probably appreciate this if I was calling them by their actual name. "Parties Look to Fill Holes in Fall Ballots." There are open spots where there is no candidate. All you have to do is live in the area and get interviewed and you can run. It is my firm belief that voters should ALWAYS have a choice. No one should run unopposed, so if your eligible, look into this.