Are Spitzer’s Promises For Upstate Too Good To Be True?
Over the past few months, the people of Upstate New York have been inundated with press conferences held by Governor Spitzer to announce various funding initiatives. In Rochester, we first heard the promise of $50 million to tear down midtown plaza to make way for Paetec to relocate from the Town of Perinton to downtown Rochester. Then there was an announcement for a promise of $50 million for a new transitional science center for the University of Rochester.
At first glance, it would seem that Upstate and our community are rightfully receiving much needed funding to help boost our lagging local economies. Unfortunately, since the Governor announced his budget, we are learning each day that these promises are already coming with a steep price.
For instance, we learned recently that Governor Spitzer is pushing more of the costs associated with funding detention centers onto County taxpayers by cutting the state’s funding responsibility from 50% to 48%. Cost to County taxpayers - $6 million.
In addition, Spitzer is cutting millions in funding for Rochester area schools, despite a four-year funding formula agreed upon by the Governor and the State Legislature. Cost to City and suburban schools - $20+ million.
Add to that the aid cuts to community colleges, the forty-six different fee increases, $500 million in cuts to hospitals and nursing homes and finally (and perhaps the most intrusive ) the elimination this year of rebate checks for middle-class property taxpayers; and it would seem that the bad definitely comes with the ‘promise’ of good.
With baited breadth, Mayor Duffy waited to see how Rochester was going to fair with the Governor’s promised increase in state funding for large cities. Senator Joe Robach held a press conference calling for an equal share of aid for Rochester, Duffy traveled to Albany to again lobby for an increase for his constituents and Assemblyman David Gantt has always pushed for more for our City (although I personally don’t agree with some of his actions on other things lately, I try to be objective).
Well, unfortunately, despite everyone’s efforts and pleas for funding fairness for Rochester, the Governor chose instead to continue to just dangle the proverbial carrot in front of us — meaning, no fair share for us. Just a little bump to keep us all in line, but not enough to really solve the problem. Bottom line, Rochester still faces a $20+ million deficit.
So what we know right now is that we have a few ‘promises’ on the table for a couple of projects, but many guarantees for funding cuts as well as aid that falls well short of the mark for our needs.
Once again, we all took the Governor at his word that he was going to come through for us and Upstate New York. In less than two weeks from his State of Upstate speech, concerns are beginning to brew here at Monroerising that we might just be getting his “Day One” speech all over again.
Let’s hope for our sake that we still get the money for Paetec and the U of R. With all the promising going on all across the state lately, we find it hard to believe that the Governor is going to be able to deliver on it all.
We had high hopes for our new Governor. Unfortunately, that familiar voice of Shirley Feeney we hear singing in the background is beginning to quickly fade away.