Quoted from Smoking Bananas

way to go metroplex, another deal done well and another boost to the community, thank u metroplex.

Tell us SB, who is going to pay for this?????

And tell SB, since the taxes WILL go up because of this, what will happen to the property values in the city??????    

Hey, about 5 or 6 more days SB, and we will have another month added property value figures form the organization you endorse---GCAR.   What do you think GCAR will say about Shenectady in this next report?    

Quoted from Smoking Bananas

way to go metroplex, another deal done well and another boost to the community, thank u metroplex.

Good job Metroplex/Democrat Party/The Gazette for successfully sustaining a 10+ year propaganda campaign convincing the residents of Schenectady County that everytime these bureaucrats give hundreds of thousands of dollars in tax money and tax breaks to favored multimillion dollar companies, just to get them to stay open in Schenectady, it is presented as a win for the taxpayer. AMAZING!!  Luckly for the professional bureaucrat, Schenectady City School District churns out highly uneducated residents, so there is a good chance they can run this scam for a long time.

In non-government industries, ROI (Return On Investment) is a tremendous measure of success and one that drives if a company can survive, progress, exist, etc.  Everything I have read about the Plex indicates their historical ROI-TO-DATE is negative...so without further funding, I don't see how they can be allowed to continue.

For example, this AAA activity.  Considering what they are giving up and spending, before they should be allowed to do it, an oversight committee should be asking for the ROI.  If ROI is bad...YOU DON'T DO IT...if it's good...then go ahead.  But reality is that it seems to be a dictitorial process...if director likes the idea he does it, regardless of upside, becuase he is not held accountable and is allowed to make unilateral decisions.  Whole PLEX smells of political hack to me..IMHO!!!!

Quoted from joebxr

In non-governemtn industries, ROI (Return On Investment) is a tremendous measure of success and one that drives if a company can survive, progress, exist, etc.  Everything I have read about the Plex indicates that their historical ROI -TO-DATE is running negative...so without further funding, I don't see how they can continue.

For example, this AAA activity.  Considering what they are giving up and spending, before they should be allowed to do it, an oversight committee should be asking for the ROI.  If ROI is bad...YOU DON'T DO IT...if it's good...then go ahead.

They measure ROI based on jobs that stay in the county, not in dollars and sense.  They know that if those same 45 jobs that they claim they save suddenly moved to Saratoga County, they know damn well those 45 people would NEVER return to downtown Schenectady to spend their paychecks.  Metroplex bribes companies to stay in Schenectady to force nickle and dime economic activity out of these 45 AAA employees.  It is pathetic.

Spend their paychecks downtown...yah, right.  I doubt their spending downtown has enough economic impact to even create a blip on the radar. Oh wait....AAA is going to pay for 50 parking spaces though!!!  WOO-HOO!!!!!

Quoted from joebxr

Spend their paychecks downtown...yah, right.  I doubt their spending downtown has enough economic impact to even create a blip on the radar. Oh wait....AAA is going to pay for 50 parking spaces though!!!  WOO-HOO!!!!!

Wonder is the pay arrangement for the 50 spaces is like the deal UOC received for the lease of the new SCCC Dorms.  $6,250 per year for the opportunity to get $1.5 million in rental income.    

I am sure they are not recieving the same income from the 50 spots as they would from a citizen parking there all day.  This arrangement was probably becuase the AAA probably said we dont want to be in schenectady because our employees were getting ticketed to much.  Metroplex said oh well solve your problem.  We will rent you the spots at a subsidized rate and make it look like we are increasing income when we are really canabalizing the income potential of the parking lots.  Please someone prove me wrong.  Or DVR, do as you always do, bury this thread without answering a single question.

Quoted from CICERO

They measure ROI based on jobs that stay in the county, not in dollars and sense.  They know that if those same 45 jobs that they claim they save suddenly moved to Saratoga County, they know damn well those 45 people would NEVER return to downtown Schenectady to spend their paychecks.  Metroplex bribes companies to stay in Schenectady to force nickle and dime economic activity out of these 45 AAA employees.  It is pathetic.

AAA was not moving. Where were they looking? I totally believe that is a lie.

This was like the Addeco move into Center City - they simply moved FIVE jobs from the River Street location to Center City location. Leaving an empty office space in the City so that Metroplex can pretend that Center City is a success.

Metroplex is not an economic development authority, it's creating socialism where businesses only thrive from taxpayer support and continuing handouts. $40 per every $1,000 assessed value? That property tax money is supporting Marcella's, Proctors, Aperitivio and now AAA.  

I have one simple question here......what 'if' AAA moved out of the city? What would the 'horrible impact' be? NONE! Do their employees live in the city or even the county of schenectady?

AAA doesn't really even need a store front. Most AAA applicants are done on line or through snail mail or via phone! Honestly.....we were down their once and while they claim they have 45 employees....we counted no more than FIVE!!! (these were the ones we could visibly see) Now perhaps they do have 45 employees....but where are they and exactly what is their job title/function?

just askin'

This property is still tax exempt.  Doesn't Galesi Own it?


Municipality of City of Schenectady


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SWIS: 421500 Tax ID: 39.72-2-35.111

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tax Map ID / Property Data

Status: Active Roll Section: Wholly Exem
Address: 433 State St
Property Class: 464 - Office bldg. Site Property Class: 464 - Office bldg.  
Site: Com 1 In Ag. District: No
Zoning Code: 05 -  Bldg. Style: Not Applicable
Neighborhood: 00009 -  School District: Schenectady
Legal Property Description: Legal description not given for property
Total Acreage/Size: 1.45 Equalization Rate:  ----
Land Assessment: 2011 - $122,300 Total Assessment: 2011 - $13,317,500
Full Market Value: 2011 - $13,317,500  
Deed Book: 1777 Deed Page: 219
Grid East: 641995 Grid North: 1450373

Quoted from bumblethru

I have one simple question here......what 'if' AAA moved out of the city? What would the 'horrible impact' be? NONE! Do their employees live in the city or even the county of schenectady?

AAA doesn't really even need a store front. Most AAA applicants are done on line or through snail mail or via phone! Honestly.....we were down their once and while they claim they have 45 employees....we counted no more than FIVE!!! (these were the ones we could visibly see) Now perhaps they do have 45 employees....but where are they and exactly what is their job title/function?

just askin'

The AAA office that is moving is NOT the storefront office .. that is located on Upper Union Street (where it hs been for probably close to 10 years).   The AAA office on Railroad Street is where the Emergency Call Center that operates  24 hours a day/7 days a week.    

Everything they say is a big lie. Death Ray has a national retailer coming Downtown! The Mayor Appointed says Mayor Jennings is also taking a pension! Metrograft/McCarthy/DEM morons created 5,000 new County jobs when the County lost 1,750 jobs according to the State Labor Department. AAA wanted to sell their building and no one wanted it because was over assessed 3X by the DEM morons. So Death Ray comes in with a bag of taxpayer cash. No new jobs-another Downtown property permanently off the tax rolls-AAA moved customer service years ago to Upper Union because no one wants to go Downtown. But another property for the insane Land Bank!  

Quoted from benny salami

Everything they say is a big lie. Death Ray has a national retailer coming Downtown! The Mayor Appointed says Mayor Jennings is also taking a pension! Metrograft/McCarthy/DEM morons created 5,000 new County jobs when the County lost 1,750 jobs according to the State Labor Department. AAA wanted to sell their building and no one wanted it because was over assessed 3X by the DEM morons. So Death Ray comes in with a bag of taxpayer cash. No new jobs-another Downtown property permanently off the tax rolls-AAA moved customer service years ago to Upper Union because no one wants to go Downtown. But another property for the insane Land Bank!  

So was AAA threatening to move their union street office too? The article states that it was just the downtown call center that was being moved............which does NOT equate to 45 jobs saved!!! A drummed up lie or a misprint?

This was necessary for the SCCC Dormitory project.  The $250,000 40 year lease.   This building was in the way of the project.  Interesting how that wasnt mentioned.  

Quoted from TakingItBack

This was necessary for the SCCC Dormitory project.  The $250,000 40 year lease.   This building was in the way of the project.  Interesting how that wasnt mentioned.  

It is mentioned...in a very generic way with a positive spin:

Quoted Text

In addition, next door to the site will be a new $11 million student housing complex for Schenectady County Community College students, currently under construction by United Development.
    “This is where we need to drive development in our downtown,” Gillen said at Wednesday’s board meeting. “The student housing project is a game changer down there, and this is a parcel of land right next to that, that could easily be an expansion site for them.”

Quoted from rachel72

AAA was not moving. Where were they looking? I totally believe that is a lie.

I agree...This is the first contrived lie between the business and the politician to justify stealing taxpayer money to give businesses. There is no way to verify if this ever took place or if they were ever looking.  

Wouldn't you like to live in a County where it is such a desirable county to do business, where the government doesn't have to bribe businesses and can tell the business to 'take it or leave it'?

Unfortunately since Metroplex is an unelected authority, the taxpaying resident has no repercussions for their questionable actions or ways to verify possible unethical practices.  And to boot, there is a compliant media in the Gazette pushing the governments propaganda.  No real questioning of the 'independent' authority, just cheerleading by their 'reporters'.