I don't know this gentleman, but he makes some very interesting points.
J.
Read on.....
"Rooftop Highway Asks for Faith with No Proof
Thursday, June 2, 2011 - 1:54 pm
To the Editor:
If someone came to you with an offer to let you in on a great investment scheme on the conditions that you give him; a huge amount of money, not ask questions, take his word for everything, and be prepared to wait decades for the payoff, most prudent people would run as fast as they could in the other direction.
So I would have thought, before I started following the ongoing saga of the, “Rooftop Highway” a few years ago.
I cannot recall a time when I have seen an advertising and promotion scheme, based on next to no actual information or data, lead so many people to buying into such a far-fetched, costly and overreaching concept.
The entire foundation of this idea is based on the shared article of faith that, “... if we build it, they might come.”
To date, several highway studies have been referenced by the, “Roof-Toppers” main promoters, in support of spending what was originally said to be four billion dollars, which by today’s prices is likely to be significantly higher, (not to worry; it’s only Government money).
Coupled to this is the continuing claim that the project will create 27,000 jobs. These numbers have not been substantiated to the public, except for vague references to ‘DOT Reports,’ ‘a GAO study,’ none of which anybody seems to be able to produce or find, much less the source data that must exist to generate these kinds of reports.
There was a transportation analysis of the Rt. 11 corridor, the main corridor of commerce across the region, created and published by the Development Authority Of The North Country and The New York State Department Of Transportation in December of 2008.
That report studied every village town and county along the route. It did economic profiles, population profiles, traffic counts, traffic patterns, travel times, strategies to modernize and through-bypass ‘choke-points’ where needed.
It spoke in detail about environmental impacts and a total cost analysis of the project. The costs, incidentally, were about one-sixth of the “Roof-Top” estimates. Moreover, the report stated that these Rt. 11 upgrades were all upgrades that would be required to be done to support a full interstate highway, should growth and infrastructure needs ever indicate such an expansion.
So, it would seem that we’re supposed to build an interstate highway that completely divides towns and communities across Northern New York in half.
It takes scarce resources away from badly needed maintenance and improvements to our eroding current transportation infrastructure, which supports our local economies across the region.
Finally, it creates a third economic development corridor, based, apparently, on no hard data, for $4-8 billion of money that we don’t have. Incredibly, we are supposed to do all of this on faith and a bet. So far, that’s all that the public has been offered.
John Danis, Rensselaer Falls"
Re-Printed from NorthCountryNow.com
Most pyramid schemes start out just as described. In this case, economic payoff would be the dividends paid to investors. Give Jason Clark a top hat and a pocket watch and he is the equivalent of a modern day snake oil salesman. Step Right Up Folks ! Jason's magic elixir(asphalt and guide rails) is the cure for the north country's economic growth. Jason's approach to I-98 is not showing any real hardship from industry already doing business in Massena or in Ontario. Alcoa, Reynolds, GM and all of the land freight trucks we see traveling our roads from Canada have been doing it for decades. If we had an economic hardship where we were having a hard time getting materials and finished goods in or out of here, it would be an easier sell to the state and to the feds. There is no solid proof of anything in those "studies" associated with the project. It would be an easier sell making a committed plan to widen existing infrastructure over 10-20 years rather than pioneer new trails. Dr. Dumass (look it up) would be proud of Jason and his ability to sell something he doesn't even have and may never have in all reality. In the meantime, Massena is suffering because Jason's not exhausting all of his efforts into bringing jobs and industry to Massena. After all, he is paid a handsome salary to do so. If he really thinks he needs I-98 to accomplish this, he really needs to wake up and smell the coffee or perhaps drink some of his own snake oil which also makes a good shampoo.
ReplyDeleteWhy doesn't the board of the BDC find someone who actually cares about MASSENA and NOT I-98? If Jason wants to build the I-98 then maybe some of his cronies could find him a full time job to do so. There are lots of talented people who care about Massena who would accept his handsome salary and actually concentrate on the Business of Massena (isn't the BDC of MASSENA not the north country- just asking)
ReplyDelete"badly needed maintenance????????" Maybe you should get our towns PRIORITIES in line instead of worrying about a highway!!!!! You do NOTHING for the taxpayers and you can guarantee at election time the TAXPAYERS of this town will NOT forget how you have done NOTHING!!!!!
ReplyDeleteThere are no guarantees in life. Likwise, there is no guarantee that the I-98 proposal will energize the North Country economy. There is no guarantee that Mayor Hidy's proposal to seek an nuclear power plant nearby will kickstart the economy either. Like the I-98 Corridor, it will be an uphill climb. But I see no reason to give up on them. And I see no value to the partisan bickering which we have been seeing.
ReplyDeleteIf we don't have the Town Hall and the BDC working together to advance our economic (and employment) future, our chances to succeed are sharply diminished. I don't want to see the issue be about Democrat vs. Republican. I only care about how effective the person is in their capacities. When these officials don't try to work cooperatively, it tells me that the needs of our township are not their top priorities. We have reached the Y in the road. We can continue to bicker amongst ourselves, or we can unite to overcome the obstacles that stand in our way. We blew our chances to get a State Prison nearby; we lost out non the opportunitr to build a die-conditioning facility when GM downsized in 1986-87; we have sat by while Alcoa lost much of it's fabricated products to domestic and foreign competition. If we don't unite, we will continue to shrink. Who benefits from that?
I agree with most all of the sentiment expressed by Mr.Danis.We should be concentrating on good paying jobs that will help families prosper instead of what we have now with big box retail grinding all of our hard working honest workers into the ground.Mr. Clark has never seen the big picture as far as I'm concerned.I honestly believe he dreams of holding the chrome shovel at the ground breaking.Get your head out of the clouds sir!!!It's time to help us make a future for our kids instead of sending them off to someone else town or city to be prosperous.
ReplyDeleteThe board is made up of volunteers and apparently they are pleased with what he is doing. The BDC is it's own entity, yet their offices are on village property, Massena is getting "used" because the village and town of Massena are helping foot the bill for Jason's quest for I-98. Jason is collecting large amounts of cash from governments and municipalities, yet I wonder if he is using the phone at 85 Robinson road, the fax machine, office supplies, answering machine? Since Jason has the NCTG as a business seperate from the BDC, doesn't anyone see this as a conflict of interest? I know if I was employed by someone to do a specific job and I started a new business and conducted business from my current workplace, I would get fired immediately. Since the IDA and Jason are at odds, Jason wants the BDC to control the funds for his I-98 quest. Another conflict of interest in my opinion. The bottom line is he was hired to bring trade and commerce to Massena as well as invite/create jobs and industry to Massena. He uses his title as Executive Director to make himself look good on his resume and to labor leaders and politicians. His board of directors also should be replaced. The attorney who is the president did not mandate them to do yearly audits and also up until last month claimed he didn't think the BDC had local development authority and able to loan money to small business because he was "told" they didn't. The state could not see why they did not know it since it was written on the first page of their charter. The vice pres. was heavily involved in getting the Kroc Center here and that project failed. None of the other board members have ideas to bring business to Massena. If you go to a village or town board meeting, the BDC comes up on the agenda and there isn't much to be said and as soon as the next order of business comes up, Jason leaves the meeting. He uses the confidentiality clause as his excuse not to be able to talk about any perspective projects he has going on. If there comes a time where there is a new board and Exec. Director at the BDC, I would hope that they will re-write the specifics on how the BDC is expected to operate. The town and village need to have a little more control over the BDC than it does now. I do not know how, in good conscience, can the village board and town council justify handing the BDC funding when they know I-98 takes up a good portion of Jason's time. Now that the industrial park on S. Main is at near capacity, He needs to think about getting the new industrial park moving. They only have 300K in reserves and that is not much to get started. The BDC is so into getting trade and air travelers from Canada and they really are not taking care of their own first. There has not been any significant performance shown from the current BDC. I have my own economic plan for Massena and bringing business in and putting people to work comes first. Getting forward momentum by making things happen would be the only acceptable proof. I can accept criticism and use it to make me stronger and would not go back to my office and write a press release to retaliate against the people who employ me or those who I am in alliance with. I guess that happens when you give a boy a man's job. Jason seems to be favoring politics and unions. The Executive Director, as I have said before should be someone that is politically neutral and should be equal opportunity meaning both union and non union business is welcome in Massena. Now that he knows he can loan money for startup or expansion, he should be aggressive to do just that and put some people to work. Concentrate on the job at hand because I-98 is a distraction that is hindering real progress on the Economic Development forefront in Massena.
ReplyDeleteDroopy,
ReplyDeleteWhere do you get this notion that Jason Clark would not be receptive to non-union jobs? That notion is absurd. The unions also want jobs here, and they would never oppose these job opportunities either. They may try to organize those workforces in the future; without jobs, there is nothing to organize. I keep reading that you have a plan for development but I haven't seen one. I really wish you could be more constructive in your criticisms.
The power of observation is a great thing Bruce. I don't just sit here and spout off. This is something I hold very dear in principal. I have spoken to both Joe and Jim Hidy about my concerns and my passion for economic development. I really don't want to feed the machine only for someone else to act on my ideas. When and if the time comes where Jason's job is available, I will be first in line to interview. I would be willing to sit down with you or anyone to discuss what could be changed and how things could progress in a positive manner but at this time, the timing is bad for me to just lay my cards on the table for all to see. I hope you can respect that as being responsible.
ReplyDeleteDroopy, I would not be interested in that job in the current political climate. If you think you're the best man for the job, stick to your guns. You're claiming that he doesn't spend enough time on local job development. He says that he does. One of you must be wrong. The criticism being levelled at Clark looks too much like a partisan issue to me. I'd like to be proven wrong, but that's the way it looks to most of us who are not "insiders". I haven't been given any reason to believe that his detractors have offered much of an alternative. What we need to do is find a way to match the skills of our workforce to businesses which can utilize them. We have plentiful resources. We have electricians, plumbers, carpenters, and many of the skilled workers that other places lack. We have low-cost electricity and natural gas. We have a very low crime rate and a very competent village and town workforce. The permitting and licensing processes need to be streamlined. The opportunity to retrain has nto be made available to those who have been displaced by forces beyond their control (i.e.: Globalization). If you're the right man for the job, more power to you.
ReplyDeleteI may or may not be, but I would like the chance to bring something different to the table. Getting Canadian trade would be great, however, the dollar is stronger here so competing at par is almost out of the question. It would cost them slightly more to do business here. Canadians most often sell products in US dollars already and ship from within Canada. It would be great to capture some of those markets. Economic Development begins within the community and it's not just bringing in jobs and industry but that is a big part of it. We need to be lobbying for substance abuse facilities both the government and private sectors. FISHCAP is alive and well, we could capitalize on that. Where can you buy canoes and kayaks around here that are locally built? Where can you find work skiffs and pleasure/sport boats made specifically for the St. Lawrence ? Fishing tackle made just for the fish in our streams and rivers? Rebuild the community to be more stable and people able to save a few dollars every week instead of living paycheck to paycheck and then you have a good start. I have a lot of ideas and they are all within reason in my opinion. Make something interesting and people will be interested. More than just ideas, I have knowledge in manufacturing and sales. A lot of the skilled trade workers already here would fit in with a lot of my ideas. I can see main St. filled with quaint shops of different varieties. Helping people secure financing and making someones dreams into reality is part of that job. I do not think of politics in any of this. When I talk to Joe Gray, I am talking to Joe, not a political leader from a certain party. The same with Jim Hidy, he is Jim. People working together no matter what party or affiliations they have will get things done if they put their heads together for the common good. In this case, Massena....
ReplyDeleteI read some promising ideas; I don't know if they are being pursued now or not. I don't know why the BDC is so politicized. I'd rather see oversight by a 3 man/woman committee instead of the current situation. I don't know what makes the Mayor think he can micromanage the BDC operations. I don't see why the BDC chairman should be answerable to any one person. I didn't think that was the intent when it was established. That inevitably leads to political conflict. Maybe I'm wrong; I've been wrong before. Good luck with your initiatives.
ReplyDelete