An interesting and informational paper entitled "Can a Private Corporate Analysis of Public Authority Administration Lead to Democracy?" written by Jonathan Rosenbloom is available at the link below.  The
paper appeared in the New York Law School Review.

I came across this paper on the internet while researching the legality of public authorities providing
financial grants and loans to private individuals/businesses.

http://www.nyls.edu/pdfs/NLRVol50.4-407.pdf

Several excerpts (below), provide some sense of the author's assessment:

"A 2001 study estimated that public authorities issue 75% of all state debt
and 66% of all city and county debt.  They are now second only to the
federal government in the amount of debt they issue.  As illustrated in states
such as New York, where public authorities issue approximately 90% of the public
debt, there does not seem to be an end in sight.  New York is not alone.  States
are borrowing at increased rates and are now regularly borrowing to fill
budget gaps." (p. 15 (866))

"The rationale for creating public authorities is rarely admitted to be an
evasion of the referendum requirement" (p. 17 (867))

"With the board and officers, public authorities take on a quasi-public status
and are not bound by many of the restrictions applicable to typical public agencies
such as civil service, environmental, land use, and procurement laws and regulations.
They are also subjected to little oversight and have the power to determine their
own policies and budgets.  Many public authority budgets are not included in state
budgets at all or, at best, are only attached separately, as addenda.  Because they
are free from many oversight and accountability measures, public authorities are often
empowered to perform tasks other government entities would not, or could not, perform
due to various social and political pressures." (p. 17 (867))

"The analysis showed evidence that public authorities are inefficient, often resulting in
poor finances and increased taxes; and at worst, it showed that they are ripe for graft,
favors, abuse and corruption" (p. 66 (917))

Quoted from 78

"The analysis showed evidence that public authorities are inefficient, often resulting in
poor finances and increased taxes; and at worst, it showed that they are ripe for graft,
favors, abuse and corruption" (p. 66 (917))

Schenectady Metroplex exemplifies this statement.  Mr. Gillen runs around making empty claims of success while avoiding questions from any opposition.  Sure....he may write a few responses to an editorial, but he is never put on the hot seat by our local media outlets. Where's Carl Strock??  Carl should write less columns about his belief or dis-beliefs of religion, and focus on issues that actually effect his readers.  Like possible corruption in government.

I noticed in Mr. Gillens recent editorial, he avoided any hard evidence proving the success of Metroplex.  Instead he threw out a ballpark figure of 1000 jobs created.  He also referenced the recent Siena opinion poll, stating that most of the residents are in favor of Metroplex.  Mr. Gillen must subscribe to the perception is reality doctrine.  As long as the people BELIEVE it's working, then he's doing his job. The public will continue to get the smoke and mirrors about Metroplex.  That's what Mr. Gillen's is payed to do.

It's all propaganda.  The local media, county government, and local business moguls are all compliant in it.

Let's dissolve the Metroplex Authority from our failed county government.    

I found these interesting statistics on The New York Business Council website.  Some of the information is old, but I'm sure Upstate didn't cut into these numbers over the past 7 years.

Quoted Text

Sales taxes: Local sales taxes Upstate are even farther above the national norm in percentage terms, the report noted. "Local sales taxes per capita Upstate were $369 in 2001, or about 110 percent above the national average-some $1.3 billion higher than they would have been if they had matched the national average. In Ohio, by contrast, local sales tax collections per capita were less than half the national average."
Upstate's taxes are so far above average because spending is higher, especially in two key spending areas: government payroll and Medicaid.

Local government payrolls: Upstate local governments have some 93,500 more employees than they would have if they merely matched the national average ratio of local government workers to population. This excess of more than 25 percent along costs Upstate taxpayers more than $4 billion extra a year.