hahha grammie..


then u went cruising near the school right?

did u bring your buddy , the former republican election commish, with you...? hear he likes to bring star wars tapes with him when he is out looking for a date... what is your fav lure?

btw, u need balls to start with my mom and end with my wife.. they like real men.

Another report came out yesterday on channel 8 stating that an 11 year old was lured into a car on Monday as well. Not an isolated event perhaps.

Pit bulls, abductions....what's next. Never heard of this in a Renaissance.

yes, only in schenectady.. now u r drinking the kool aid

Quoted from Smoking Bananas

yes, only in schenectady.. now u r drinking the kool aid

Your disregard for the overburdened taxpayers is shameful. Schenectadians struggle daily due to the high taxes and fees with little or nothing in services in return.

You can't possibly deny the fact that county nursing homes are NOT mandated by the state nor is schenectady's lucrative welfare package.

The metroplex promised tax relief TEN YEARS ago and just the opposite has happened.

These are all facts that are hurting the working schenectadians that are left....and yet you continue to arrogantly disregard them.

I'll bet that SB doesn't have to pay them either.

what lucrative welfare package? the county;'s package is the same as anyone else's.. what is your proof it is lucrative...

the nursing home is not mandated,,,, correct . i never said i supported it..

How can u say metroplex failed when we do not even know what it was supposed to achieve? lol . when metroplex was established, no one said it had to hit these objectives by these dates..

its mandate was very open ended with no measurable goals established. that is the fault of the legislation [written by bob.hugh farley] --

so perhaps u should ask them to establish goals and then we can say it failed or not.

by my measure, it is doing well:" 4000 jobs/$400 million in investment/ a revitalized downtown,, a cleaner looking downtown,, downtown with architectural standards...

development in the industrial parks...

many derelict buildings on tax rolls,

sales tax up by more than $24 million since 2004.

etc..

these are measurable

The Metroplex is so dysfunctional that their deals are laughable by high school business majors standards. Even the Amsterdam Development Corp recently proved that it can offer a $75K grant and get 26 new jobs with a DHA's holding company meanwhile the Plex gives a $30K GRANT and $9K every year for parking for DHA's headquarters on Union St....no job creation.

Let's face it, Schenectady is the sloppy seconds for real businesses. The only businesses which move here get bribed to come and leave when the well runs dry.

That's pathetic.

yes, pathetic... especially since it landed a battery plant worth 160 million

How can u say metroplex failed when we do not even know what it was supposed to achieve? lol . when metroplex was established, no one said it had to hit these objectives by these dates..
The Metroplex not only provides the grants and loans that are the traditional tools of development agencies. We also find we can make as much headway with technical assistance, or by simply connecting people with resources and information.

The Schenectady Metroplex Development Authority  was established in 1998 to enhance the long-term economic vitality and quality of life in Schenectady County. The Schenectady Metroplex Development Authority's cooperative efforts and investments are focused within the Metroplex Corridor, with a particular emphasis on the downtown area. We are guided by the three criteria developed by the Metroplex Strategic Planning Committee:

- To expand the county's property tax base
- To expand the sales tax base
- To create and retain jobs.

Quoted from Smoking Bananas

by my measure, it is doing well:" 4000 jobs.

etc..

these are measurable

Uh, WHAT 4,000 jobs are you talking about??????     The long existing jobs that moved a few blocks or a few miles and THAT is what you call good?    

Now, tell us what the effect has been on the taxes in the city?  huh?
How about the level of city services?
Tell us about the houes that are selling
Etc ETc

Quoted from Smoking Bananas

many derelict buildings on tax rolls,

these are measurable

Uh, "on the tax rolls?"     Provide the PROOF.    Go to the city's tax roll and show us the records of the taxable properties.   Show us that the taxpayer funded properties downtown are paying full taxes.  I have stated that these properites are 100% EXEMPT, now I challenge you to provide PROOF that they ARE paying taxes, and I want you to provide proof from official government records, NOT from heresay.

A downtown with architectural standards? lol. Now flushing of $100 million from regressive sales taxes on the poorest individuals makes sense. Except its wrong. The national AIA has universally commended the architecture of Death Ray's hideous Center City and library addition. Where did Death Ray get his architecture degree? lol. Again with the 4,000 new jobs bulls**t. 40,000 jobs have fled the City since the DEMS took over.  

Quoted from Smoking Bananas

yes, pathetic... especially since it landed a battery plant worth 160 million

Read the August 6th, 2009 Metroplex press release for this:

- Metroplex GAVE $5 million to GE for this
- The State gave $15 million to GE for this
- Overall generation of 350 jobs
- PILOT agreement with GE for the $65 million dollar campus (with no mention of the PILOT amount) which is good for a decade.

GE used to be in Schenectady in the 1960's and 1970's with THOUSANDS of jobs and not one cent government grant hand outs. I do appreciate the fact that 350 jobs came, but the taxpayers paid $20 million for it.

For a $20 million dollar hand out?

Quoted from rachel72

GE used to be in Schenectady in the 1960's and 1970's with THOUSANDS of jobs .../

Wrong.

With TENS OF THOUSANDS of jobs....    

The measurement of Metroplex numbers mean NOTHING, since they cannot be measured against the numbers if it never was formed.  They say 4000 jobs were created...Even if you take their word for it, what is to say 5000 jobs wouldn't have been created if there wasn't a Metroplex?  What if the County Legislators instead addressed the problem by lowering commercial tax rates and limiting regulations across the County equally for EVERYBODY and created MORE jobs?

The debate over Metroplex statistics measuring success or failure is IMPOSSIBLE.  It's a non argument.  The only fact that is arguable is that it is a non-elected quasi government that acts as a fascist organization protecting certain industries from competition (I haven't seen a law firm, supermarket, or insurance company get metroplex funding) while lining the pockets of party donors with low or zero interest loans, tax exemptions and grants.

Let's stop arguing the success or failure of Metroplex, and let’s start talking about the crony corruption.  Metroplex is horrible for democracy AND the economy.