CNY Snakepit

And so it begins....

2010-01-20T11:19:00.000-08:00

Local businessman and philanthropist Richard Hanna has announced that he'll be running for the 24th Congressional District's seat in the 2010 election.

“I am running as an Independent minded, pragmatic American who believes that it is government’s responsibility to clear the way for individuals to solve problems, to foster all those productive economic and educational elements that create jobs and opportunity, which has allowed our nation’s citizens to enjoy the highest standard of living in the world,” Hanna continued. “We are living at a time of grave consequences as well as opportunity. How we respond is how the future and how our children will judge us.”

This is great news.

Absit Omen

2008-10-09T20:56:00.000-07:00

I've decided to take a break and defer to the highest ranked blog in the 24th.

Really, what else need be said?

Arcuri's Bailout Vote Gets Some Attention

2008-10-01T18:04:00.000-07:00

On Monday, Congressman Michael Arcuri joined a minority of the House in voting for the abysmal $700 billion dollar bailout plan. Today Mr. Arcuri was targeted by a non-partisan group opposed to the taxpayer funded bailout, No Cash For Trash.

On Friday a revised version of the bailout larded up with even more spending is scheduled to come up for a vote. It doesn't take much effort to figure out how Mr. Arcuri will be voting.

Outside The Walls of Fortress Arcuri

2008-09-30T18:09:00.000-07:00

Congressman Michael Arcuri will finally be holding a public meeting with his constituents, in conjunction with Utica Mayor David Roefaro:

October 17th: Mayor Roefaro will be having lunch at The Balkan in South Utica at 12:30, joining him will be Congressman Michael Arcuri.

Make plans to be there. It should be a memorable occasion.

Gone, But Not Forgotten

2008-09-30T18:06:00.000-07:00

Sorry about the lack of posts, but I've finally caught up on my workload. Onward!

The Blackest Of Blackouts

2008-09-20T20:46:00.000-07:00

Today's Observer-Dispatch article on Congressman Arcuri's efforts to portray himself as a political independent didn't have many surprises for anyone that's been following his career. The one thing I did find surprising was this:

Despite numerous requests, Arcuri was not made available for an interview for this story – only submitting e-mailed statements.

Up till now Mr. Arcuri's reluctance to answer questions in an interview could have been explained away, but it's beginning to look like he's actively avoiding any kind of open press availability.

Another Pin In The Map

2008-09-18T04:47:00.000-07:00

"Unknown Assailant", the most prolific and dangerous gunman in Utica, opened fire again last night:

Two people were shot Wednesday night at the intersection of Jay and Nichols streets, according to Utica police.

Police said Zeffaire Hobbs, 18, and LeShawn Thomas, 17, both of Utica, were being treated for nonlife-threatening injuries at St. Elizabeth Medical Center. Police said the pair was taken to the hospital privately. The shooting happened around 10:05 p.m., police said.

Police are investigating and no arrests have been made.

That means another pin my Crime Tracker map that keeps a record of violent crimes and arsons since the first of the year. It's till horribly undercounting incidents, since I haven't gone back and filled in many crimes from earlier in the year, but it's up to date as far as the last two months are concerned.

Red pins are violent crimes.

Red pins with dots are violent crimes where someone was actually injured or killed.

Yellow pins are arsons.

The blue pin is the home of Mayor David "See no evil, hear no evil" Roefaro.

View Larger Map

Good Morning, America. Rome? Not So Much.

2008-09-17T14:39:00.000-07:00

I know this segment about Rome from ABC's "Good Morning America" is causing a bit of a stir, but I'm not sure what the people upset about it are driving at. In essence, the video segment boils down to "This is Rome, New York. There aren't any jobs and people can't afford to live there."

I don't necessarily like the negative portrayal, but you certainly can't fault them for not telling the truth.

No Rest For The Wicked

2008-09-17T10:36:00.000-07:00

Sorry about the lack of posts, but I've had a project blow up in my face. I started taking orders for some new artwork on Sunday night and expected to get, maybe, a dozen takers. By Monday afternoon I was trying to keep up with over 40 orders and it's just gotten worse since then.

Hopefully things will slow down a little bit by tonight so I can post something useful. As much as I love you all business has to come first.

NY Times Joins Hanna On Rangel

2008-09-15T08:13:00.000-07:00

On Friday, Richard Hanna called for Congressman Michael Arcuri to join him in calling for the resignation of Rep. Charles Rangel:

Congressional candidate Richard Hanna today called on Congressman Michael Arcuri to return donations from embattled Congressman Charles Rangel, D-NY, and join him in calling for Rangel to step down as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.

Rangel is embroiled in three separate investigations by the House Ethics Committee, and has balked at calls for his resignation as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.

Hanna said he believes Mr. Rangel's errors have compromised his credibility and he should step down. He challenged Arcuri to join him in calling for Rangel's resignation.

Now the New York Times has echoed that call:

Mounting embarrassment for taxpayers and Congress makes it imperative that Representative Charles Rangel step aside as chairman of the Ways and Means Committee while his ethical problems are investigated.

This recommendation does not come easily, considering the New York Democrat’s four decades of service in Congress. But Mr. Rangel himself has felt obliged to request three separate House ethics inquiries of his behavior. While denying serious improprieties, Mr. Rangel concedes that he has not lived up to the “higher standard” expected of members of Congress.

His latest admission is that as chief of Congress’s tax-writing committee, he was “irresponsible” in failing to disclose $75,000 in rental income and pay federal and state taxes on a villa in the Dominican Republic.

Mr. Arcuri has refused to comment on the matter, much less return the thousands of dollars in political contributions he's accepted from the corrupt Rep. Rangel. Earlier this morning he was scheduled to make on appearance on WIBX's "First Look" program to answer questions on the matter, but a "scheduling conflict" prevented his appearance. Oddly enough, as the hosts of the program discovered when they attempted to carry out the interview over the phone, that "conflict" also shut down his cell phone.

Update: An anonymous emailer claims that Mr. Arcuri's "scheduling conflict" happened because he spent part of the morning shooting a political ad with either or both Sen. Clinton and former Congressman Boehlert. Take that for what it's worth.

New York In Play?

2008-09-15T05:29:00.000-07:00

Somewhere on the second level of Hell a long-ignored and lonely winter clothing salesman is raising his eyebrows. Things haven't quite frozen over, but it looks like the temperature is definitely dropping:

BOOSTED by the selection of Sarah Palin as his running mate, Republican John McCain has experienced a surge of support among women in heavily Democratic New York state - where he has closed the gap with Barack Obama, new private polls show.

The internal Republican and Democratic polls, details of which were provided to The Post, have stunned members of both parties - and produced deep worries among Democrats.

One great concern for Democrats is that the data show a continuous movement toward the McCain-Palin ticket by women, a majority of whom traditionally favor Democrats.

If these polls are accurate it's going to have a huge impact on New York as a whole and, more importantly, our local congressional election. On Saturday I posted that the state was a lock for Mr. Obama, so I should probably Google up some recipes for crow.

Hotel Utica Countdown: H+31

2008-09-13T06:10:00.000-07:00

It's now been a month since Utica Mayor David Roefaro missed his self-imposed deadline to resolve the Hotel Utica crisis.

Last month, the city's Urban and Economic Development Commissioner, Robert Sullivan, said that he and his crack staff had developed "several plans" to deal with the problem and were in the process of selecting their final solution. Supposedly, as he stated when interviewed by WKTV, we could expect a press conference "in the coming weeks".

Obviously, we're still waiting.

Mr. Roefaro's administration has continued to demonstrate, time and time again, a level of inability to handle this matter that truly boggles the mind. They've now spent months allegedly working on the problem and, despite constant talk of "getting tough" and "cracking down", have absolutely nothing to show for it. In the meantime the city has been on the hook for close to $10,000 a week covering the Hotel's debts.

That leaves us with only two possibilities for why the Roefaro administration continues to hem and haw while the city treasury hemorrhages cash: they're either incompetent or corrupt.

Given Mr. Roefaro's close ties to the owners of Hotel, and his support for the infamous "Friends and Family" plan, we should probably be praying that he's just incompetent.

The Missing Man, Part Deux

2008-09-13T04:03:00.000-07:00

Q: Why would a national political campaign ignore a chance to get some free editorial space?

Editor’s note: The O-D invited the national campaigns for presidential candidates Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain to offer commentary on how their election to office would benefit New York state. Repeated attempts to secure a contribution from Obama’s national campaign were unsuccessful.

A: Because they just don't care. Mr. Obama is almost guaranteed to carry New York thanks to the overwhelmingly powerful Democratic machine downstate. Upstate? Not even worth the bother. We just don't matter.

Let The Weekend Begin

2008-09-12T16:06:00.000-07:00

Another weekend, another shooting in Utica:

At least one person was shot in East Utica early Friday night.

The victim was being attended to on the porch of 777 Blandina St. before being taken by ambulance to a local hospital.

Utica Public Safety Commissioner Daniel LaBella confirmed at least one person was shot in the 6 p.m. incident.

Police also were believed to be involved in a foot chase with the suspect near Blandina Street but apparently eluded capture, according to police radio transmissions.

And with that, another pin gets added to the Utica Crime Tracker map.

Red is a violent crime.

Red with a dot is a crime where someone was actually injured or killed.

Yellow is an arson.

Blue is Mayor Dave "I'm cleaning up this city, one gum wrapper at a time" Roefaro's home.

View Larger Map

Blame Billy Fuccillo

2008-09-12T07:31:00.000-07:00

Over the next few weeks we're going to be inundated with political advertising on both radio and television. You might be surprised to learn that Billy Fuccillo, he of the annoying "Huuuuggggggeeeee!" car commercials, is the reason why.

Mr. Fuccillo spends an absolutely insane amount of money in the local market. In most instances he invites a sales representative from a station in to "discuss" his yearly ad buy, lays a total price and the number of paid and bonus spots he wants on the table, and then walks away. That's it.

What he manages to do using that technique, other than getting an incredible value for his money, is drop his cost per commercial down to almost nothing. In fact, there are some local radio stations where he's effectively charged less than a dollar a spot. The television and cable outlets are pulling in a little more green, but it's still a relative steal. That's why you see and hear his commercials all the time- he purchases so many that stations have to schedule them almost every hour just to meet the terms of their contract.

So why does that mean an avalanche of political ads?

Because stations are forced to sell advertising time to political campaigns at their lowest effective spot rate. At almost every local station that happens to be the price Billy Fuccillo pays, so politicians get the same bargain basement price per spot he does while spending a fraction of the money.

Out Of Bounds

2008-09-12T04:49:00.000-07:00

Strikeslip had been doing yoeman's work on the Route 840 intersection/New Hartford Business Park debacle. His latest post has some compelling documentation that the project never actually received an environmental review:

The picture on the left comes from the November, 1999, Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the New Hartford Business Park. The plan on the right was drawn last fall for "The Hartford" development.

Notice anything different between the two?

"The Hartford," the proposed hotel, and two nearby buildings appear to be located outside the "area of study" of the 1999 FEIS... located in what is identified as an "orchard." Since review of Planning Board minutes (as well as other correspondence) makes clear that the Town is relying on the 1999 FEIS to satisfy its obligations under the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA), it certainly appears that "The Hartford," which is virtually complete, has been constructed without the proper environmental review.

On the bright side, the New Hartford powers-that-be have agreed to hold public hearings on the matter. Since they've already committed to bonding for the project those hearings are just a bit of political kabuki, as with most other things in New Hartford. They could save everyone a lot of trouble by just admitting they could care less what the public thinks.

You can find even more wackiness about the project at New Hartford, N.Y. Online. Just keep scrolling down for the whole sordid story.

The Missing Man

2008-09-12T02:42:00.000-07:00

If you've been wondering why Congressman Michael Arcuri hasn't been talking about Barack Obama this might be the answer:

Tony Podesta, a senior Democratic lobbyist, said members of Congress were “a little nervous” after Mr McCain shook up the race with his choice of Sarah Palin as running mate and intensified attacks on Mr Obama.

“Republicans have been on the offensive for the past two weeks . . . You don’t win elections on the defensive.”

The campaign manager for a first-term Democratic congressman from a blue-collar district in the north-east rejected suggestions that Mr Obama had become a liability. He said his candidate would reach out to Republicans and avoid attacks on Mr McCain.

Hillary's Headquarters: Utica?

2008-09-11T04:00:00.000-07:00

It's not quite in the same category as "What if the south had won the Civil War?" or "What if Hitler had died in WW I?", but Howard Wolfson's latest column for The New Republic has a tantalizing glimpse at the alternative history that might have been:

If I had my way I would be in Utica, New York right now.

When we first discussed where to put the Clinton campaign's headquarters I half-seriously argued for Utica, on the theory that the further away from Washington, D.C. we were, the better off we would be.

Outside of the beltway there would be fewer distractions, and most importantly, less pressure to succumb to Washington, DC group-think.

The Obama campaign understood this and located in Chicago. In the end we chose to plant our flag in Arlington.

I'm no Harry Turtledove, but I would hazard a guess that the alternative "Utica HQ" timeline would have Senator Clinton knocked out of the Democratic primary even earlier. After all, we're the end-state, in every sense, of everything she represents. In particular, the first television crew to visit the city for the inevitable process story would have quickly learned how something she said seven years ago still resonates across upstate New York:

I have now spent countless hours talking to parents who tell me, with tears in their eyes, that their children had to leave upstate, leave their hometown, because there weren't jobs for them. I want to help address that, not ignore it, not put happy talk on it, and I have a plan to do that."

That was Hillary Clinton talking during a Sept. 13, 2000, debate with Rick Lazio during her first campaign for the U.S. Senate.

During that campaign, Clinton repeatedly told voters that if she was elected to the Senate, she had an economic recovery plan that would bring 200,000 new jobs to upstate New York in six years.

That was what she said. Two hundred thousand new jobs in six years.

She said it during a visit to a steel plant outside Buffalo. She told it to a chamber of commerce meeting in Batavia. She said it in places like Niagara Falls, Amsterdam, Oneonta and Binghamton. She said it in political ads.

What voters clearly heard was a candidate promising 200,000 jobs if she was elected to the U.S. Senate.

Well, it is six years later.

Rather than gain jobs, upstate New York has fewer jobs.

Upstate has lost 32,400 jobs during the six years Clinton has been senator, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. New York state, as a whole, has lost 96,800 jobs.

The national perception that Clinton's support in New York is unassailable is based primarily on her powerbase downstate. Upstate, the bitterness over her faux campaign pledge would have been a rich source of material for her opponents. Images of the empty storefronts, derelict industrial buildings, and hundreds of abandoned homes that fill Utica are tailor made to illustrate the folly of three decades of empty political promises and failed policies.

Unfortunately, we've unintentionally become the poster children for what happens in a high tax/high government services environment: businesses both large and small flee from the crushing cost of operations while more and more of the economy becomes totally dependant on government spending. The number one employer in Oneida County is government, from the federal down to the local level, closely followed by the healthcare and social services sector. Together, they account for over 60% of the area's jobs. Even the retail sector is being reshaped by Medicaid and Medicare payments, as anyone who has noticed the incredible number of chain pharmacies popping up across the area can attest.

Given that, it's hard to see how having her headquarters here would have helped her. We're the perfect example of what the rest of the country could expect from her policies, and the results are depressingly, bitterly, brutal.

The Race Begins

2008-09-10T10:58:00.000-07:00

The first television spot of the 2008 congressional race is now on the air.

WKTV has a look at the commercial from Richard Hanna's campaign:

In the commercial, Hanna says:

"As a contractor, I've built a lot of things over the years...and put a lot of people to work. Nothing is more important than rebuilding this community. We need more jobs and better pay. That will be my number one priority. I will work to stop the wasteful spending and say no to higher taxes. Most importantly I'll say no to the party bosses in Washington. I've never run for political office before. I can't stand by any longer and watch the career politician destroy our country."

Hanna lays out his professional background as well as talking about what he feels are the most important issues to him when it comes to the area.

While, the ad doesn't call anyone out on issues in the traditional sense, it rather lays out a sort of foundation for the viewer asking the question "Who is Richard Hanna?"

That's a good summary of the ad, but they then go beyond that and do something I really like- analyze the content of the commercial and subject it to a "truth test". Since it's basically introducing Mr. Hanna to the voters, giving some of his background and motivation for running, it's not surprising they didn't find any un-supported statements or distortions.

I'm genuinely taken aback that they not only did some solid reporting on this ad, but intend to do in-depth analysis of political commercials throughout election season. That's a level of commitment that, frankly, WKTV hasn't shown in the past. The station's newsgathering and editorial standards have never been particularly high because they faced limited competition in a market that's been continually shrinking for the last 30 years. This new feature could be a sign things are finally changing for the better, and for that they deserve both credit and praise.

Update: Mr. Hanna's commercial is now available on Youtube.

Breakfast Of Champions

2008-09-10T06:16:00.000-07:00

Finally, someone is calling Congressman Mike Arcuri out for ignoring his constituents while he's selling himself to lobbyists in Washington:

Congressional candidate Richard Hanna (Republican, Independence, Conservative) today highlighted the fact that the large majority of his opponent's campaign funding comes from interests outside the 24th Congressional District.

This morning, Arcuri hosted a breakfast in Washington, D.C. where they asked $5,000 a plate. According to events listed by Arcuri's fundraising firm, at least two more similar events are planned this month.

"Big money and lobbyists have subverted the will of the majority, and Mr. Arcuri has bragged about the amount of money he's taken from interests outside this district," Hanna said. "Lobbyists and special interests are taking over our rights."

"My opponent accuses me of using my success to buy a seat in Congress, but that's not true," Hanna said. "At any rate, I'd rather be accused of buying a seat than selling it to special interests - as my opponent is busy doing today."

While the attendees at Mr. Arcuri's fundraising breakfast were able to get a face-to-face meeting with him thanks to their generous contributions, the people that he actually represents aren't quite so lucky. Even his own supporters have remarked on how difficult it is to get any help from his office, much less talk to the Congressman directly:

I voted for Mike Arcuri in the last election. BIG MISTAKE!!! He's running again - against Richard Hanna. I will be voting for Hanna. I need to find out more about Hanna..........I don't know enough about him or what he's willing to do for us. But- I do know that Mike Arcuri IS NOT IT!!

We called Arcuri's headquarters to inquire as to why our incentive check was only for $600. (According to everything we read and according to the official website, we should have gotten $1200.) Well, the young lady on the other end of the phone said they've had a lot of phone calls like ours. People are complaining, and rightfully so. Well! This was a couple of months ago, and lo and behold, we got a form letter in the mail last week from Mike Arcuri, thanking us for our concern about the price of oil/gas! What the hell is he (or his people) thinking? Maybe they're thinking we'll be impressed that he "took the time" to contact us and that we'll disregard the fact that his letter had nothing to do with our phone call. - NOT - Maybe they're just not thinking.

Unfortunately, this isn't an isolated incident. Yesterday's luxury breakfast at Johnny's Half Shell is a perfect example of how cold, hard cash gets Mr. Arcuri's attention while everyday people can't get a response no matter what they do. That indifference has been enough to alienate the bluest-of-blue Democrats, as this post at Daily Kos demonstrates:

Don't think I'll be voting for Arcuri....even though he and I are both Dems! He is our congressman now, and has been such a disappointment.

He said all the right things when I first spoke to him about our son-in-law's stop-loss status and pending third deployment to Iraq. Since then, however, neither he nor his local representative nor his Utica representatives have responded to my e-mails nor to a paper letter which I wrote to him.

I realize that our concerns aren't that important to him, even though it is a life or death matter for us, and I realize that there is only so much he can do to help us anyway, probably. However, it would have made all the difference to us if he had at least responded and even pretended to care....

On the bright side, Mr. Arcuri is offering the people he's been ignoring plenty of opportunities to meet with him this month...if they have the cash. While his pay-to-play mentality might be a bit disappointing, don't let it be said he isn't a man of the people- he's cut the price for his next meet and greet down to $500!

Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Fundraising Breakfast honoring Congressman Mike Arcuri (NY-24)
Johnny’s Half Shell
400 North Capital Street, NW
Washington, DC
Time: 8:30 – 9:30 am
Requested Contributions: $1,000 PACs; $500 Individual

If you go, be sure to try the Spinach and Gruyere Quiche with sliced, vine-ripened tomatoes. I'm told it's fabulous.

Comedy Gold At The Observer-Dispatch

2008-09-09T06:09:00.000-07:00

Andrew Donovan, son of Observer-Dispatch publisher Donna Donovan and staff reporter for the paper, escaped a DWI arrest this summer with a slap on the wrist. That makes the latest OD editorial against the evils of driving drunk a particularly ironic vein of comedy gold:

But where drunk driving arrests occur isn’t as much a concern as that they occur at all. Commendable work has been done through the years by law enforcers, educators, social agencies and even victims themselves to drive home the drunk driving message. And while these efforts have certainly resulted in lowering the numbers, the problem persists.

Get-tough prevention is a must.

Arcuri: Obama's Wrong

2008-09-08T04:00:00.001-07:00

Sunday's Observer-Dispatch article about the impact of the presidential race on the local congressional election had some interesting material, but the one thing that really leaped out at me was Congressman Arcuri's steadfast refusal to admit he was wrong about the surge in Iraq:

Democrats, including Arcuri, have long pushed for a pullout of American troops from Iraq and opposed sending more troops there in a strategic surge.

But conditions in Iraq continued to stabilize this summer in the wake of a troop surge. President Bush now has authorized a general timeline for the departure of U.S. troops, and the war has ceased to be a campaign hot-button issue. “You can see that the Democrats aren’t talking about Iraq the way they used to,” Politico’s Kraushaar said.

Nonetheless, he said, Republicans aren’t talking about it much, either.

“You have a significant number of voters who don’t think the war was the right decision in the first place,” he said.

Hanna noted that Arcuri voted for a 2007 bill that would have reduced troop presence in Iraq by April 2008.

“You can see that had that vote passed, basically it would have been an abject failure,” Hanna said.

Hanna opposed entering Iraq, but has said he wouldn’t remove U.S. troops until Iraq was clearly stabilizing.

Arcuri said he didn’t believe it was the surge that had reduced violence in Iraq, but rather shift in the allegiances of certain sheikhs, and because of other policies on the ground.

“The disaster is that we went there in the first place,” he said.

Mr. Arcuri's disconnect from the reality of the surge's success is all the more stunning considering his support for Barack Obama in this year's presidential race. After months of silence, all the more notable because of the growing consensus on the issue, even Mr. Obama has embraced reality:

Barack Obama, the Democratic presidential nominee, said on Thursday night that the troop surge in Iraq had succeeded beyond his – or anyone else’s – expectations, adding that he believed the US was fighting a war on terror...“I think that the surge has succeeded in ways that nobody anticipated,” he said. “I’ve already said it’s succeeded beyond our wildest dreams.”

If we accept that Mr. Obama is correct then what are we to think of Mr. Arcuri's obvious lack of agreement on the matter? Does he think Mr. Obama is simply too inexperienced to see the reality of the situation? That may not be very far-fetched considering Mr. Arcuri's political ties to the Hillary Clinton faction of the national party. They've provided him with extensive financial and campaign support, including the services of Howard Wolfson during his original run for office, and it was even rumored that Mr. Arcuri's oath of fealty had secured him a place in a potential Clinton administration.

Or, more realistically, is Mr. Arcuri simply wrong? More intriguingly, is his overweening pride preventing him from admitting it?

Long-time followers of the Congressman's career may remember that this facet of his character isn't something new. During his time as a District Attorney it came up more than once, most notably in the Desiree Case murder trial. In that instance Mr. Arcuri fought tooth and nail to send Joseph Smith to prison for the rest of his life despite the purely circumstantial nature of the case and Mr. Smith's continued protestations of innocence. It was only after proof surfaced that the Utica police department had been holding evidence exonorating him for months that Mr. Arcuri finally dropped the prosecution.

That same strident refusal to acknowledge error, even in the face of overwhelming evidence, seems to be something Mr. Arcuri still hasn't been able to exorcise from his personality. He knows best, and he'll continue saying so even when the man he endorses to hold the Presidency says otherwise.

While his hubris is troubling, the Congressman's statements also demonstrate a profound ignorance of military matters in general and the surge in particular. The political re-alignment of Iraqi factional leaders wasn't just some willy-nilly bolt from the blue, but an integral part of the policies adopted under the command of General David Petraeus. That would be the same Gen. Petraeus that Mr. Arcuri publicly excoriated last year after his testimony before Congress, a man that quite literally wrote the book on counter-insurgency doctrine. If you like you can can read it for yourself, Army manual FM 3-24 "Counterinsurgency", over here.

If Mr. Arcuri had bothered to read it, or even payed attention to Gen. Petraeus's testimony, he would understand that the "Anbar Awakening", and similar movements across Iraq, were the product of months of hard work by thousands of troops guided by an over-arching plan that emphasized tribal engagement, empowerment, and re-alignment. The surge wasn't just boots on the ground, as Mr. Arcuri seems to believe, but the adoption of new techniques for stabilization specifically designed to produce the results he claims had nothing to do with it.

This isn't the first time the Congressman's out-of-touch views on Iraq have come up, as Col. Joe Bolton's steadfast efforts attest, but his latest refusal to accept reality has hit a new level of denial. It's time for Mike Arcuri to agree with Barack Obama, swallow his pride, and admit he was wrong about the surge. To do otherwise is a slap in the face to the thousands of men and women that made it a success.

Hotel Utica Countdown: H+26

2008-09-08T03:22:00.000-07:00

My, how time flies.

It's now been almost a month since Utica Mayor David Roefaro failed to meet his 90-day deadline for resolving the Hotel Utica crisis. Taxpayer's are still subsidizing the lavish lifestyles of the Hotel's owners even as Mr. Roefaro reportedly negotiates some sweet deals for holding his own fundraising events there, but there's nary a peep from City Hall about when the empty promises of "getting tough" will come to pass.

This comes on the heels of the mayor's hissy-fit last week over the mounds of garbage lining Utica's street. It seems to miss his notice that the half a million dollars a year the city is paying to cover the Hotel's bad debts could be paying for multiple full-time cleanup crews to pick up trash around the city.

Arcuri Launches Massive Community Outreach

2008-09-07T00:19:00.000-07:00

In response to continuing complaints about his lack of availability to constituents, Congressman Micheal Arcuri has announced an unprecedented series of community outreach events for the month of September. Each of these intimate get-togethers will allow you to speak with the Congressman in a relaxed, one-on-one atmosphere while enjoying great food and a unique level of access. Bring your questions, bring your concerns, but most importantly, bring your checkbooks:

Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Fundraising Breakfast honoring Congressman Mike Arcuri (NY-24)
with Guest Chairman Jim Oberstar (MN-08)
Johnny’s Half Shell
400 N. Capital Street, NW
Washington, DC
Time: 8:30 am
Requested Contributions: $5,000 PAC Host, $2,500 PAC Sponsor, $1,000 Friend

Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Fundraising Breakfast honoring Congressman Mike Arcuri (NY-24)
Johnny’s Half Shell
400 North Capital Street, NW
Washington, DC
Time: 8:30 – 9:30 am
Requested Contributions: $1,000 PACs; $500 Individual

Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Fundraising Reception honoring Congressman Mike Arcuri (NY-24)
The Washington Court Hotel
525 New Jersey Avenue, NW
Washington, DC
Time: 5:30 – 7:30 pm
Requested Contributions: $5,000 PAC Host, $2,500 PAC Sponsor, $1,000 PAC Guest, $500 Individual Guest

Sadly, Mr. Arcuri's constituents outside the beltway won't even have an opportunity to buy access. According to his congressional website, not a single public forum, reception, or meeting is scheduled for either September or October.

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words

2008-09-05T09:00:00.000-07:00

It's increasingly obvious that Utica Mayor David Roefaro is woefully out of touch with the state of the city. How else to explain his laughable obsession with littering just days after the city convulsed with one of the bloodiest weekends in it's history?

With that in mind I've finally launched a project I've been considering for a while- an interactive map tracking violent crimes and arsons across the city. Thanks to Google Maps it's a simple matter to mark locations where crimes occur as they happen. For the purposes of this project I'm defining violent crimes as those involving a weapon or resulting in the death or injury of a victim. I'll update the map on a daily basis with new crimes as well as go back over time to add those that happened since the first of the year.

Here's how things look as of today. Red tags with a dot denote crimes where someone was actually injured or killed. Plain red tags mark violent crimes without direct injuries. Yellow tags are arsons. Just click on the tags for more information about the incidents they represent.

View Larger Map

You can reach the map directly over here.

Update: At the suggestion of a kind emailer I've added a blue tag marking the location of the Mayor's home. As they said, it should quickly become obvious why Mr. Roefaro hasn't a clue about how dangerous his city is.

The Hartford Sez: Pay Up, Suckers

2008-09-05T08:39:00.000-07:00

The insane Route 840 intersection project continues to get even nuttier and Strikeslip, as usual, is on it:

The contents of a contract between Mr. Adler and the Ryan Cos. is irrelevant where the State and Town are concerned. Mr. Adler cannot bind the State or the Town. And Mr. Adler, Mr. Nordland, Mr. Shamma, and Mr. Reed are or should be sophisticated enough to know that mere statements from public officials are insufficient to bind the State and/or local municipalities to any particular course of action. There are processes and procedures in place that must be followed in order to take valid actions . . . not the least of which are those of the State Environmental Quality Review Act, which require that the environmental impacts of a project be studied before a binding committment can be made. Any decision without compliance with SEQR is "void ab initio." So the idea that the State and Locality have somehow committed to this intersection is just nonsense.

I think the wonderful job Town officials and DOT did with Commercial Drive's traffic patterns is a pretty strong indictment against letting them meddle with any other projects.

Friday Forum Funnies: Andy "Demolition Derby" Donovan Edition

2008-09-05T03:00:00.000-07:00

Today's Observer-Dispatch Friday Forum question is "Should we lower the drinking age?" Sadly, publisher Donna Donovan failed to pose the question to the one person many of us wanted to hear from, her son Andrew:

I keed, I keed! Despite Andy's drunken antics we all love him. Well, except for the poor guy he almost killed driving drunk. I don't think he's feelin' da luv.

Hanna Online

2008-09-04T17:48:00.001-07:00

CNY Homepage has posted the first part of it's interview with congressional candidate Richard Hanna over here. This segment deals with the NYRI powerline, and despite his lack of media experience Mr. Hanna comes across as relaxed, well informed, and extremely personable.

I'm a big supporter of what the folks behind CNY Homepage are trying to do, partly because I think the traditional media outlets of the Observer-Dispatch and WKTV are dropping the ball when it comes to news coverage. I'm not sure if that's because of the massive staff cuts both operations have undergone, or their questionable editorial priorities, but they've become, at best, second-class news sources. New media operations like CNY Homepage are the ones stepping forward to fill in the gaps.

Priorities

2008-09-04T04:00:00.000-07:00

You would think that after one of the bloodiest weekends in history, with two people dead and multiple victims in the hospital with gunshot and stab wounds, there would be some kind of official response to the soaring levels of crime in Utica. That was indeed the case at last night's Common Council meeting as Mayor Roefaro took the gloves off and imposed a policy of swift and decisive action...against littering.

Think twice before throwing that gum wrapper on the ground.

Mayor David Roefaro submitted a letter Wednesday to the Utica Common Council urging the council members to take an aggressive approach toward eliminating littering in the city.

There already are fines for littering, but the fines can be dropped or reduced by judges, Roefaro said. A minimum, mandatory fine should be instituted to make residents know they will have to pay if they litter, Roefaro said.

“We’ve got to be proactive, and we’ve got to hit them in the pocketbook because that’s the only way they’re going to stop littering,” he said.

People are being gunned down in the streets in an unprecedented wave of violence, but Mr. Roefaro's primary concern is the growing menace of food wrappers and empty soda cans.

That popping sound you just heard? That was my head exploding.

Seriously, no one can be that out of touch. It's beyond my comprehension that an elected official could be worrying about cracking down on littering without having the slightest bit of concern about the steady stream of shootings, stabbings, and arsons that fill the news on a daily basis. Sweet Jebus, even the most disconnected OCD neat freak would realize the unsightly bloodstains on the sidewalks and the empty bullet casings in the gutters trump a couple of gum wrappers.

While the city's violent crime doesn't appear to hold much interest for Mr. Roefaro, he did manage to work himself into a hissy-fit on another issue:

During a caucus meeting before the council meeting, officials discussed a parking-garage complex planned for downtown.

Councilman Frank Vescera, D-1, said he thinks some issues regarding the project could better have been addressed if the project’s environmental review was first submitted to a committee instead of directly going before the entire council.

“A big project like this should have gone through the committee,” Vescera said.

In response, Roefaro said the more than $10 million in state and federal funding allocated for the project needs to be earmarked before the end of the month or the city will lose the funding.

Roefaro stood up and said loudly that the complex was a good project.

“If you don’t want it, then throw it out the window,” Roefaro said, as he threw a stack of papers, including the meeting’s agenda, across the length of the caucus room.

Roefaro continued to express his frustration before leaving the caucus.

“I can’t stand it anymore,” Roefaro said before exiting.

He did not attend the council meeting.

I suspect Mr. Roefaro isn't the only one who can't stand how city government is being run at this point.

Update: A kind emailer suggests that the parking garage project is just another facet of the Roefaro "Friends and Family" plan designed to reward the Clark family, owners of the Adirondack Bank building. I don't think that's true, since I seem to remember this project has been in the proposal stage for years. It may well be a giveaway for the Clark family, but it's not one exlusive to Mr. Roefaro's administration.

Update: Another kind emailer sends along this link to the Governor's proposal for developing downtown Utica:

Downtown Parking, City of Utica

The City has stated the lack of available parking in downtown as the key difficulty in convincing businesses to locate or stay in the area – a fact the City says is supported by situation of the nearby Harza building. In 2005, the Federal Government committed $5 million and in 2006 the state committed $5.5 million toward the construction of a new parking garage in downtown and renovations to the Hotel Utica’s parking garage. The goal expressed by local leaders is not to have parking serve existing downtown workers (many public sector), but to meet the needs of new downtown private sector tenants.

Components of the Project:

• Construction of a new parking garage downtown in the Genesee Street corridor to serve new private sector needs

• Renovations to the Hotel Utica’s parking garage

Economic Development Potential:

• The construction of a new parking garage is expected to create more parking for area businesses

Funding:

• Total project cost is $16.5 million
• $2 million in existing State resources

Projected Date of Completion:

• 24 – 36 months

Based on the criteria set forth here it's hard to see how the Charlotte Street facility would do more than service the existing crowds from the State and County office buildings. Or is the project the governor is talking about something totally different?

Give Us An Intersection Or We Kill These Jobs

2008-09-04T00:35:00.000-07:00

The Hartford insurance company, as well as the developer of their new office complex, would like you to pay a few million dollars for the privilege of hosting their building in New Hartford. Strikeslip has more:

The insiders, self-dealers, and media-enablers are circling the wagons!

The deal that will move The Hartford insurance company to a newly built office park off Woods Highway could fall apart if an intersection near the site is not built.

That was the message Wednesday from Daniel Gilligan, the New Hartford Central School District superintendent, and Earle Reed, the town’s supervisor.

Now we citizens and taxpayers are told that the proposed 840 intersection is "key" to the plan. WE are threatened -- by a School Superintendent, no less -- that The Hartford is going to move if WE do not support a new intersection on Route 840.

Keep in mind that The Hartford is supposed to move to it's employees into the new building in just eight weeks, so they're rather handily trying to push this idea through with an artificial deadline of their own making. No matter how much opposition there is to building this nutty intersection, much less the fact that it totally negates the original purpose of Rt. 840 as an expressway, you can rest assured it's going to go through. Why? Because rich, politically connected players want it.

Update: I hate to say I told you so, but...New Hartford will be paying for a new intersection to serve a private developer:

Ryan Cos., the firm that owns the office building built for The Hartford insurance company at the New Hartford Business Park, received preliminary assurances Thursday that an intersection will be built at Route 840 and an extension to Woods Highway.

New Hartford Town Supervisor Earle Reed and Michael Shamma, state Department of Transportation Region 2 director, said they planned to move forward with plans for the intersection. The DOT is designing the intersection, and the town will have to bond to pay for it.

Hotel Utica Countdown: H+21

2008-09-03T03:00:00.000-07:00

It's now been three weeks since Utica Mayor David Roefaro and the crack staff of the city's Urban and Economic Development Department missed their self-imposed 90-day deadline for resolving the Hotel Utica crisis.

While the multi-millionare owners of the Hotel continue to enjoy the benefits of a regular flow of cash from the city things aren't quite so bright for the rest of Utica. The condition of downtown continues to worsen, as a new wave of graffiti starts covering the abandoned buildings and empty storefronts of what was once a proud city. These are exactly the kind of structures Community Development Block Grants were supposed to save, but instead of using those funds to stop urban decay the city continues to spend it's millions propping up the lavish lifestyles of a few, politically connected figures.

Reaching New Heights

2008-09-02T08:40:00.000-07:00

The Mad Max-ification of Utica continued over the long holiday weekend, as the city's already soaring crime rate hit an unprecedented level of violence. In just three days the city managed to rack up it's 30th arson fire of the year, yet another domestic stabbing, a double shooting that claimed one fatality, and capped things off with another murder on Monday night.

For the year so far that gives us 26 unsolved arsons (and the highest arson rate in the nation), 6 unsolved murders, and 16 unsolved shootings.

Update: The Roefaro administration's response to this weekend's violence? An essay contest:

Utica Mayor David Roefaro is announcing a "Why I Love Utica" essay contest. The contest is open to all Utica City School District children in the third and fourth grades.

The top ten winners will be announced the week of October 6, 2008 and invited to an award ceremony at Hanna Park, the following Saturday, October 11, 2008, where the top ten speeches will be read by the winners. Mayor Roefaro will present the winners with an award and refreshments will be served.

I think a lot more kids would love Utica if huge swathes of the city weren't no-go zones.

RoAnn Destito At The DNC

2008-09-02T03:00:00.000-07:00

New York Assemblywoman RoAnn Destito was a delegate to last week's Democratic National Convention and this photo from the Capitol Confidential blog helps demonstrate the kind of impression she made. The polyester casual wardrobe and raucous howls weren't totally out of place, but even the jaded crowd at the Pepsi Center was aghast when she literally devoured the unfortunate delegate from Astoria that was blocking her view of the stage.

RoAnn Destito: Cementing downstate's opinion of upstate one mouthful at a time. OM NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM.....

Boilermaker Roid Rage

2008-09-02T01:56:00.000-07:00

I know I'm late to the party on this, but what's up with the 2009 Boilermaker logo? Forget all the hoopla about not including Utica, I'm talking about how it...well...sucks. Let's take a closer look.

I know converging arcs give a sense of dynamism and motion, but the sloppy text layout here is just ugly and amateurish. Would it really have taken that much more time to snap the text to the defining curve of the image? That's what...two extra clicks of the mouse?

And what in the name of all that is holy has happened to that runner? His entire body is out of proportion for a baseline human, much less the lithe physique of someone competing in a 15k foot race. From the freakishly huge chest, arms, and calves the inevitable conclusion is that he's jacked up on a cocktail of steroids and human growth hormones, and it wouldn't surprise me if there was a little crystal meth and some testosterone mixed in there for good measure. That impression may be intentional considering the pharmaceutical buffet of performance-enhancing drugs offered for sale in the Varick Street area, but I never expected to see the 'roid trade so openly acknowledged in the Boilermaker's promotional materials.

Call me cynical, but this is a perfect example of the "Good enough for Utica" mentality at work.

Update: Aha! I've found the actual model used in the new Boilermaker logo:

The Long Weekend

2008-08-29T08:14:00.000-07:00

I won't be posting too much over the the long holiday weekend, other than a few of the divertimenti I usually stick up. We're having a family party on Monday and that means our house is steadily filling up with relatives while our yard and driveway is filling up with RV's and tents. Here's hoping your weekend is a good one.

Magical Utica

2008-08-28T04:03:00.000-07:00

This is a pretty damn geeky post, so if you're here for the usual political stuff you should probably just scroll down now. If you happen to be a fan of "The Dresden Files" or pen-and-paper RPGs you're going to love it.

I spent a large part of my youth, as well as a few bits of my adulthood, heavily involved in tabletop role-playing games. Unlike most of my contemporaries my first RPG wasn't "Dungeons & Dragons", but the old "Space Opera" game from FGU. After reading a glowing review of the game by the late John M. Ford I saved up my allowance for a month and sent off for a copy from a mail-order game store.

Ten minutes after I opened the box I was hooked. A week later all my friends were equally addicted.

After "Space Opera" we moved on to "Traveller" before finally hopping on-board the "Dungeons & Dragons" juggernaut, flirting with the totally whacked-out play style of "Arduin", and eventually returning to "Space Opera" to create an insanely complicated homebrew fantasy system. Those were good times, and we kept playing pretty regularly until a few years after high-school. Since then I've only played occasionally, but I did do some writing for a few published supplements in the mid to late 90's.

That gives you a little perspective on why I thought this vision of Utica for the "Dresden Files" RPG was so cool. It's worth taking the time to read the whole writeup, but I thought their take on Varick Street was particularly clever:

The idea behind Varick Street was vaguely similar to that behind Genesee, in that we could encompass a region instead of a single location. Varick is a street of bars, lots and lots of bars, ending at the large Utica Brewery. So…it’s got a bit of a beer theme. The aspect, Love the Night Life, is meant to indicate how much of Utica’s night life is here, at Varick Street, just as much of its day life is at Genesee Street. Perhaps most importantly, though, the aspect also points to the danger of Varick Street: with so many people out there having a good time, getting drunk, Varick is a magnet for any Red Court vampires in the city. There aren’t too many in the city at the moment, but those who are here frequent the area, if only to feed.

Even if you're not a Dresden or RPG fan the description of Mayor Roefaro scores pretty high on the lulz meter.

Update: I just remembered that Utica was the setting for at least one published adventure for White Wolf's "Werewolf" setting.

Update: Aha! I was thinking of "Forgotten Lessons", the first of a three-part series detailing a monstrous evil unearthed at a Utica construction site. You can find a PDF scan of the adventure over here.

Hotel Utica Countdown: H+15

2008-08-28T04:00:00.000-07:00

It's now been over two weeks since Utica Mayor David Roefaro and the crack staff of the city's Urban and Economic Development Department missed their self-imposed 90-day deadline for resolving the Hotel Utica crisis.

The silence is, as usual, deafening.

In the meantime the city has wasted just under $20,000 keeping the Hotel Utica afloat and filling the pockets of it's multi-millionaire owners.

The Plot Thickens

2008-08-28T03:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I linked to New Hartford, N.Y. Online's video featuring Ms. Deborah Allesi begging the New Hartford Town Board to take some kind of action in regards to a stalking complaint. NHO has followed that up with two more video clips that are, at best, disturbing. It appears that the reason New Hartford police, or anyone in New Hartford government for that matter, aren't taking action is because the alleged stalker is a New Hartford police officer. You can view the followup videos here (part 2) and here (part3).

If Ms. Allesi's allegations are true both the New Hartford Police Department and the town government are complicit in protecting a dangerous stalker because he happens to wear a badge. Frankly, that defies belief, but the evidence so far isn't very encouraging.

The Inevitability Of NYRI

2008-08-27T13:51:00.000-07:00

I've said before that the NYRI power line project is unstoppable because of the one-two punch of downstate's voracious appetite for electricity and equally huge political power. Upstate's ever-dwindling population simply can't compete with the electoral might of New York City and it's environs, a problem further exacerbated by downstate's continuing refusal to take responsibility for it's own energy production needs. Worse, as this New York Times article points out, the downstate-controlled government's insistence on "green" power inevitably requires the construction of multiple powerlines across central New York:

When the builders of the Maple Ridge Wind farm spent $320 million to put nearly 200 wind turbines in upstate New York, the idea was to get paid for producing electricity. But at times, regional electric lines have been so congested that Maple Ridge has been forced to shut down even with a brisk wind blowing.

That is a symptom of a broad national problem. Expansive dreams about renewable energy, like Al Gore’s hope of replacing all fossil fuels in a decade, are bumping up against the reality of a power grid that cannot handle the new demands.

The dirty secret of clean energy is that while generating it is getting easier, moving it to market is not.

None of this would be necessary if downstate would abandon it's irrational fear of nuclear power, but you can rest assured that will never happen.

Update: NYCO has more.

Update: And, like clockwork, NYRI's long delayed application is finally approved:

New York Regional Interconnect’s power line application took a step forward Wednesday when the state Public Service Commission deemed the company’s application complete.

“The process to review NYRI’s application is now officially under way and it will be given a thorough examination by commission staff and interested parties as well as the public,” Commission spokesman Jim Denn said.

A public hearing is set for Wednesday, Oct. 22, in Utica, according to documents on the Commission’s Web site. Another hearing will take place Oct. 21 in Oneonta.

The Thin Blue Line

2008-08-27T03:55:00.000-07:00

Imagine you're a single woman that's been subjected to a pattern of harassment and stalking by a potentially violent, and armed, man. Naturally, you would go to the police, but what if they refused to even take a statement from you, much less provide you with any kind of protection? It sounds like something out of a bad movie plot, but New Hartford, N.Y. Online has posted some amazing video of a woman that seems to be in exactly that situation. Worse, it's not just the police that seem to be ignoring her:

Apparently, the resident has been stalked for the past two years and the New Hartford Police Dept. has done nothing about it; not even responding to her calls for an interview. The resident stated that she attended the July 9, 2008 on the advice of the D.A., but the town board told her that they were only laymen and she would need to talk to the Police Commission.

If what this woman is alleging is even remotely true she's not only being abused by a stalker, but by the very system that's supposed to protect her. The clip from the New Hartford Town Board meeting raises a lot of questions and New Hartford, N.Y. Online has promised to post some more background on the situation.

This Is Why We Need A Lower Drinking Age

2008-08-26T15:22:00.000-07:00

I don't think I've ever seen WKTV post an update to one of their online stories before today. Oddly enough, the story they chose to exercise this new editorial discretion with was on Andrew Donovan's DWI arrest:

**UPDATE (August 2008): Donovan appeared in New Hartford Town Court, where he pleaded down to a Driving While Ability Impaired charge, according to a court clerk. He paid a $500 fine and $80 surcharge, and all other charges were dropped, which were "to the satisfaction of the court" according to the court clerk.

So an underage drunk goes careening through the streets of Utica, narrowly avoids injuring a guy when he crashes into his car and rips the door off, and then drives off to New Hartford before he gets arrested. And the penalty? A check for $580.

If that's all we're going to do to punish DWI there's no reason not to drop the drinking age.

Update: A kind emailer suggests that we have Google to thank for the revision. The Andrew Donovan involved in the drunken hit and run incident unfortunately shares a name with the totally innocent guy that happens to work at WKTV, so anyone Googling for either of them will probably come across the story. Understandably, the Andrew Donovan that isn't an underage drunk doesn't want to be confused with the one that is.

Update: Another kind emailer has the temerity to suggest that young Andrew received preferential treatment because of Donna Donovan's position as publisher of the Observer-Dispatch. I'm shocked, simply shocked, at the mere suggestion of such an idea.

Hotel Utica Countdown: H+13

2008-08-26T03:29:00.000-07:00

It's now been nearly two weeks since Mayor David Roefaro failed to meet his self-imposed deadline for resolving the Hotel Utica. Today the Observer-Dispatch editorial board joins the growing chorus of voices saying it's time for less talk and more action:

In mid-May, Utica Mayor David Roefaro said he’d find a solution within 90 days to Hotel Utica’s chronic problems making tax and loan payments.

Those three months have come and gone, and Roefaro has failed to make good on his word. Indeed, the hotel hasn’t made a loan payment since then, and it remains behind on its city tax payments.

So much for bold promises. What the city needs to do is what it’s failed to do this entire decade — use its negotiating and legal powers to force the hotel to meet its obligations.

So far, the administration's response to calls for it to actually do something has been to lash out at anyone pointing out their epic failure. This whole sorry situation could probably have been avoided if city staffers were chosen on the basis of their expertise instead of their political and personal ties to the administration, but the Roefaro "Friends and Family Plan" has left the city of Utica with a management team that obviously isn't up to the task.

Update: Damn, I've been exposed! A conspiratorially minded emailer suggests that the OD's editorial, along with the one on the Roefaro "Friends and Family" plan from earlier this year, is proof that I am, in fact, one of the paper's editorial staff. Even more troubling is that the emailer has figured out my "hidden agenda" and plans to make a formal complaint to the FEC.

I desperately hope they aren't lying. Do you realize how much material I'd be able to milk out of that? I'm not sure how criticizing the Hotel Utica and Mr. Roefaro would earn me the ire of the FEC, but bring it on. Bwahahahahahahahaha!

Hotel Utica Countdown: H+12...Just Nine Years To Go!

2008-08-25T18:41:00.000-07:00

CNY Homepage has posted more of their interview with Utica Mayor David Roefaro on the Hotel Utica issue over here. To summarize: Despite his earlier statements to the contrary there never was a 90-day deadline and it might take nine years to resolve the problem.

Nine. Years.

Just to recap, here's what Mr. Roefaro was saying in October of 2007:

We must give the hotel the opportunity to make good on their debt. However, inevitably if the hotel can't meet their business commitments, foreclosure is the only option. We can't hold just a few businesses to policy and we can not allow tax payers money to finance private interests.

Here's what he was saying in May of 2008:

Mayor David Roefaro said in 90 days the city should have a resolution to Hotel Utica’s continuing pattern of falling behind on its tax and federal loan payments.

The CNY Homepage Link video featuring his initial repudiation of the 90-day deadline is over here.

While Mr. Roefaro continues to waffle about what he actually said, much less what his administration actually intends to do, the city continues to pay thousands of dollars a week keeping the failed Hotel Utica project alive and lining the pockets of millionaires.

By Any Other Name

2008-08-25T04:00:00.000-07:00

Normally Strikeslip handles this kind of thing, but this example of "de-Uticafication" caught my eye:

The Fireworks Over Central New York celebration was a nostalgic event for many.

After a decade-long hiatus, the event drew hundreds Saturday to the Herkimer County Fairgrounds.

They were probably even more nostalgic for the classic "Fireworks Over Utica" shows that used to draw thousands of people to the parkway back in the 80's. (Old guy mode on) I can remember when the entire Conkling Park area was filled with so many people there wasn't room to squeeze in another lawn chair. (Old guy mode off) It's too bad that the days when Utica had the population to support an event like that are long gone.

It's also a little sad what's happened to WOUR. It used to be a uniquely Utica radio station that was famous across the northeast for it's programming and personalities. Now, with the notable exception of Genesee Joe, it's essentially a Syracuse radio station trying to sound like it's in Utica. The old 'OUR was a huge part of my youth in Utica, so much so that I spent way too much money on a motherlode of insanely cool WOUR memorabilia that was on Ebay earlier this year.

No, Really, This Time We Mean It

2008-08-22T15:52:00.000-07:00

After repeatedly failing to meet their own deadlines for a solution to the Hotel Utica problem the Roefaro administration says things are going to change. And they really, really, really mean it this time:

Commissioner of Urban and Economic development Robert Sullivan says we can soon expect to hear some solutions to Hotel Utica's ongoing financial struggles.

The hotel owes more than $6 million on a loan from the U.S. Department of Housing and thousands in city taxes.

While the management for the hotel says they are working on payments, the city says it is been carrying a burden of the costs.

City officials say they will work with the owners to keep it afloat because closing up a downtown building is not a good option.

Keeping the Hotel Utica afloat isn't a solution- it's the problem. We've already spent millions of taxpayer dollars propping it up. Hopefully the planned "solution" includes finding a buyer that's willing to take it off our hands for less than it would cost us to keep subsidizing the current operation.

More Green Power For Upstate

2008-08-22T03:38:00.000-07:00

It looks like upstate will be home to yet another green power plant:

Many of those at a session with nuclear regulators Thursday made their position clear: Oswego County needs a fourth nuclear power plant at Nine Mile Point and the sooner the better.

Most of the speakers at the meeting said they supported the proposed plant because it would bring jobs to the area, including 4,000 construction jobs, and boost the local economy.

1600 megawatts of clean, zero-carbon power is nothing to sneeze at, but it's unfortunate we're not building at least a dozen third or fourth generation nuclear reactors downstate. It's foolish to waste energy transporting all that electricity hundreds of miles, not to mention that powerplants upstate pretty much demand projects like NYRI to get the power to where it's really needed.

Hotel Utica Countdown: H+9

2008-08-22T02:53:00.000-07:00

Nine days have now passed since Utica Mayor David Roefaro failed to meet his self-imposed deadline for resolving the Hotel Utica fiasco. I'll refrain from too much self-congratulation (and the inevitable blogger triumphalism) and simply point out that the Observer-Dispatch has finally covered the story:

Hotel Utica remains behind on some tax and loan payments more than three months after Mayor David Roefaro said the city expected to find a solution to the difficulties within 90 days.

City and hotel officials said they still are communicating about their options and are working on plans that would allow hotel officials to consistently pay on time.

This is exactly where we stood three months ago, so Mr. Roefaro and his staff have the dubious distinction of accomplishing absolutely nothing in the last 90 days. This despite repeated pledges to "resolve" the issue or at least "reach a consensus" on the problem. Put simply, Mr. Roefaro has been lying through his teeth.

Hotel officials paid more than $132,500 in Utica City School District taxes on July 21 and more than $40,700 in Oneida County taxes on Aug. 19, according to school and county records.

But the hotel is past due on almost $70,000 in city taxes and has missed its last four U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development loan payments to the city, according to city records.

“Some tough decisions have to be made by the ownership,” city Urban and Economic Development Commissioner Robert Sullivan said. “Because that cannot and will not continue.”

That's tough talk coming from a man that's delinquent on his own payments to the city, a situation that, amazingly, hasn't resulted in his resignation or firing. At this point the idea that anyone would take Mr. Sullivan's pronouncements seriously is beyond laughable. Could someone please order him a big rubber nose and some size 36 shoes? If the man is going to beclown himself so thoroughly it's only right that he dresses the part.

On May 15, Roefaro said a solution to the hotel’s payment difficulties was expected within 90 days.

Now, about 100 days later, Roefaro says that goal wasn’t set in stone.

“I don’t have a crystal ball,” he said.

Nor, apparently, much of a work ethic. I know the funeral and embalming business doesn't exactly run at a breakneck pace, but you would think Mr. Roefaro would have some appreciation for making an effort in order to meet a deadline. Otherwise we would be hearing from more of his funeral home customers about how bad dear old Aunt Milly smelled at her viewing.

Hotel Utica General Manager Tony Zaleski said the hotel had a strong summer with 90 percent occupancy in August and about 80 percent occupancy in July.

“As with anything else, we said all the taxes would be paid by the end of the summer,” he said, “and that will be the case.”

Zaleski said he wasn’t aware the loan payments haven’t been made because owners Joseph Carucci and Charles Gaetano handle those. He said he expects the payments to be on track soon, but the hotel spent about $200,000 this summer paying off school and county taxes.

“There’s just only so much money,” he said.

If the Hotel Utica has a 90 percent occupancy rate and still can't meet it's financial obligations it's time to accept that it simply isn't a viable concern. It's doomed to failure, and having the city continue to prop it up with millions of taxpayer dollars does nothing more than prolong the inevitable. Actually, it's the worst thing the city could do- with each passing day the hotel's debt, and the city's liability for same, continues to balloon ever higher.

In July 2007, Hotel Utica was behind more than $300,000 in taxes and had missed multiple loan payments on what was originally a $5 million loan from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development that the city guaranteed during the Edward Hanna administration.

The hotel soon made the payments and renegotiated the loan deal, but then fell behind $215,000 in taxes by May.

Roefaro and Sullivan said they will continue to work with hotel officials on how they can meet the loan demands, but they stressed the need to begin making up some lost ground.

“They’ve got to start paying their money,” Roefaro said.

Roefaro said he can’t estimate when the situation will be resolved, but he has been and will continue meeting with the hotel’s owners to determine a plan as expeditiously as they can.

This is exactly where we were 90 days ago.

No, strike that. This is exactly where we were a year ago, back when Mr. Roefaro was just a candidate. He was mouthing the same "They have to pay, it's not right, something must be done" line then and he still hasn't accomplished anything.

I know the Mayor has had a busy schedule of parties, golf tournaments, and personal appearances, but is it too much to ask that he does some work that doesn't involve swinging a golf club or slurping down cannolis?

Since the crack squad at Utica City Hall can't seem to come up with a plan of action, much less carry one out, I'll offer up my own. It's not like I could do a worse job, right?

First, the city needs to determine if the Hotel Utica is actually a viable business. At this point every indication seems to be that it isn't, but a thorough audit and analysis of it's financial situation would put the question to rest once and for all. One would think the city would have already done this, but history demonstrates it's never a good idea to put any confidence in the capabilities of city workers.

Second, the city has to decide what to do based on the results of the audit. If analysis shows that the Hotel has a snowball's chance in hell of actually meeting it's obligations the city and hotel need to come to an agreement that includes a timeline of operations and regular benchmarks for success. If the audit shows the hotel's business plan won't work, or if the hotel fails to meet the terms of the agreement mentioned above, the only option is foreclosure.

Yes, that's a drastic option, but it's the only one the city has. If the hotel isn't a viable business the sooner the city forecloses, the better. Waiting just makes the process more expensive, since the city's loan liability grows with every passing day.

In the meantime the city needs to start shopping the property around and see how much it could get for it, either from another hotel chain or a business looking for some prime downtown real estate. Call me crazy, but selling off the building go at a fire sale price of one or two million dollars seems like an acceptable, if non-optimal, option. With the outstanding balance of the loan topping six million dollars the city would be in the hole for four million dollars, and that's equal to the interest the city would be paying for the next eight years anyway.

Wasted money? You bet. But we've already wasted millions more on the Hotel Utica and it's time for the fiscal hemmoraghing to stop.

Update: Here's a flashback to what Mr. Roefaro was saying back in 2007:

Hotel Utica's owners have consistently failed to meet loan repayment terms since 2001, and have fallen behind on their taxes the past two years. How should Utica address this situation?

The Hotel Utica situation is a bi-product of both the Hanna and Julian administration that lacked both the commitment to tackle real business issues and the integrity to admit when they made some serious mistakes.

We must give the hotel the opportunity to make good on their debt. However, inevitably if the hotel can't meet their business commitments, foreclosure is the only option. We can't hold just a few businesses to policy and we can not allow tax payers money to finance private interests.

Hotel Utica Countdown: H+8

2008-08-21T04:00:00.000-07:00

We're now eight days past Mayor David Roefaro's deadline for resolving...er..."reaching consensus on"...the Hotel Utica fiasco.

Servicing the Hotel's debt costs the city $1315 a day, so another $10,520 in desperately needed public funds have vanished into the ether since Mr. Roefaro's 90-day deadline was reached. That's on top of the millions of dollars the project has already consumed.

For some more background, check out Joe Kelly's interview with the Hotel Utica's General Manager over at CNYHomepage.com.

Update: This is kinda related to the "Observer-Dispatch Deathwatch" below, but a kind emailer points out that the only outlets of any kind covering Mr. Roefaro's inability to handle the Hotel Utica issue are all online. None of the traditional news outlets, be it the OD, WKTV, or what passes for news at the local radio stations, have done anything on the issue for months.

What I find particularly interesting is that CNY Homepage is produced by the broadcast group that owns WUTR, WFXV, and WPNY, none of which could realistically be described as "news" outlets. I believe the last locally produced newscast on any of those stations happened back in 2005, just before their ownership consolidated operations at the former WUTR studios on Smith Hill. It's unfortunate that the area's population collapse made that consolidation necessary, but I think it's notable that the low cost of distributing content via the internet has, to an extent, once gain made them a viable news source.

The Observer-Dispatch Deathwatch

2008-08-21T03:00:00.000-07:00

Shares of Gatehouse Media, the Observer-Dispatch's corporate parent, reached a high of 75 cents earlier this week, but they've since slipped back down to 57 cents. You can keep track of the continuing saga at Google Finance.

As to the O-D itself, the departure of award-winning reporter Renee Gamela for the campaign of Richard Hanna doesn't bode well. She was a bright spot in the paper's line-up, consistently producing well written and researched pieces that transcended the OD's normally shallow work. There are still some solid reporters in the paper's stable, but at this point I don't think anyone is setting their expectations very high. On the bright side, they haven't fallen to the pathetic level of WKTV, where they don't even bother to re-write press releases before passing them off as stories

Update: A kind emailer suggest we're going to be seeing some more departures from the OD's lineup of talent, such as it is, in the near future.

Update: A story at Editor & Publisher includes this observation:

Morningstar repeated its judgment that the GateHouse Media Inc. (NYSE: GHS) is essentially worthless, assigning it a fair value of zero. Monday morning it was trading at 69 cents, down 2 cents, or 2.82%.

Hotel Utica Countdown: H+7 And Roefaro Speaks!

2008-08-20T03:00:00.000-07:00

Utica Mayor David Roefaro has finally responded to questions about his handling of the Hotel Utica fiasco via a video at CNY Homepage. You'll find the clip over here under the title "The Link 8.19.08".

I'm assuming I'm the blogger referred to in the opening blurb, so I'd like to point out that I haven't claimed Mr. Roefaro promised to resolve the Hotel situation in his first 90 days in office. I've merely taken him at his word based on the May 15th, 2008 Observer-Dispatch article on the subject:

Mayor David Roefaro said in 90 days the city should have a resolution to Hotel Utica’s continuing pattern of falling behind on its tax and federal loan payments.

That self-imposed deadline ended last Wednesday.

As you can see from the clip, Mr. Roefaro doesn't think anyone should expect him to, you know, do what he said he would do. In fact, it appears he's now claiming that his earlier statement, or at least the version of it referenced in the OD story, didn't actually mean what it seemed to mean. He didn't promise a solution in 90 days, he just promised a "consensus" in 90 days.

Okay. I'll bite. What's the consensus?

Should the city foreclose on the Hotel Utica? Should the financing deal be renegotiated yet again? Should things just continue as they are? Amazingly, even after Mr. Roefaro lowers the bar down to reaching a "consensus" he still doesn't follow through!

Keep in mind that the city is paying $480,000 this year alone to service the Hotel's debt. That breaks down to just over $9000 a week, or around $1300 a day. In a city where significant chunks of downtown look like the post-apocalyptic ruins from a Mad Max film that money could be paying for desperately needed repairs and improvements. Instead, it's being dropped into a black hole never to be seen again.

So the Hotel Utica countdown continues. Without a resolution, without a "consensus", and without any foreseeable end. All to the tune of another $1300 in wasted tax dollars for every day that passes while Mayor Roefaro concentrates on planning parties and attending golf tournaments.

More Local Politics

2008-08-20T02:45:00.000-07:00

A hearty welcome to NepoDestito, a new blog focusing on the race for the 116th Assembly district and the wacky antics of everyone's favorite local assembly member, RoAnn Destito.

Hotel Utica Countdown: H+6

2008-08-19T04:52:00.000-07:00

We're now six days past Utica Mayor Dave Roefaro's self-imposed 90-day deadline for resolving the Hotel Utica fiasco. There's still no word from the Mayor's office about what, if any, action he's taken.

Talking Heads

2008-08-19T04:50:00.000-07:00

CNY Homepage has posted clips of both Congressman Michael Arcuri and his opponent Richard Hanna from their appearances last week on WIBX's "First Look". You can check them out over here. I'm a little suprised that both videos appear to be only the first segments of hour-long programs.

Define "Irony"

2008-08-18T09:24:00.000-07:00

Strikeslip has a great post up about Mohawk Valley EDGE's misplaced priorities:

You can have your green apple logos, go to marketing events, and *"Call Mohawk Valley Home" until the cows come home, but until we fix what is wrong with this area, we will continue to decline.

What is wrong? The cost of doing business is too high.

Local officials blaming low job production on poor image is like school officials blaming low grades on poor self-esteem. They deflect from their own responsibility.

What have these "local officials" done to bring down the high cost of doing business? Did they ever protest the out of control spending by our schools, such as for the BOCES expansion, or the "performing arts centers" in Clinton or New Hartford -- expansions while the population declines? How about all the spending to duplicate a county airport, while giving away the one we already had? How about spending to benefit particular developers or developments like the new water line in New Hartford?

What makes his criticism particularly notable is that EDGE has not only ripped off his photos for their website, but they're asserting copyright on his work.

Hotel Utica Countdown: H+5

2008-08-18T08:53:00.000-07:00

We're now five days past Utica Mayor Dave Roefaro's self-imposed 90-day deadline for resolving the Hotel Utica fiasco. While that situation might not be a priority, despite the millions of dollars it's already cost city taxpayers, don't let it be said that Mr. Roefaro has been slacking off. He's not only had had time to participate in a golf tournament, but planning is already underway for next years much-anticipated mayoral charity ball.

Weekend Video: The Killing Joke

2008-08-17T00:50:00.000-07:00

If you're not a Batman fan this probably won't be entertaining.

If you are, it's downright amazing.

This video was created with a cheap little camera and some bobblehead toys, but what really makes it stand out is the quality of the writing, a clever adaptation of the dialogue from Alan Moore's "The Killing Joke", and the incredible voiceover work.

The Observer-Dispatch Deathwatch

2008-08-15T13:12:00.000-07:00

As the threshold for permanent delisting approaches Gatehouse Media stock is still stuck at less than a buck.

Standing Down

2008-08-15T10:25:00.000-07:00

At first glance, most people probably wouldn't pay much attention to this story:

The Air Force on Monday suspended all efforts related to development of a program to become the dominant service in cyberspace, according to knowledgeable sources. Top Air Force officials put a halt to all activities related to the establishment of the Cyber Command, a provisional unit that is currently part of the 8th Air Force at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana, sources told Nextgov.

An internal Air Force e-mail obtained by Nextgov said, “Transfers of manpower and resources, including activation and reassignment of units, shall be halted.” Establishment of the Cyber Command will be delayed until new senior Air Force leaders, including Chief of Staff Norton Schwartz, sworn in today, have time to make a final decision on the scope and mission of the command.

It might not seem like much, but this is a pretty earth-shaking realignment for the Air Force as a whole and for our area in particular. Why? Here's a flashback to a story from last month that didn't get much attention at the time:

The Air Force Research Laboratory in Rome could gain more jobs during the next two years.

The U.S. Air Force’s Cyber Command is considering putting a section of its headquarters in Rome, as well as other installations across the country, said Lt. Col. Michael Convertino, who is overseeing development aspects of the new command.

A handful of personnel may come soon, he said.

“It’s a handful now, and we are not sure how much it’s likely to grow over time. As a local, I’m excited about it myself,” said Convertino, who grew up in Utica.

When it is fully functional, the command headquarters will consist of between 450 and 500 people spread across 10 locations. Some of the locations could get as many as 100 people, Convertino said.

I think the odds of the area seeing a major influx of Cyber Command personnel are now pretty slim.

Hotel Utica Countdown: H+2

2008-08-15T04:00:00.000-07:00

We're now two days past Utica Mayor Dave Roefaro's self-imposed 90-day deadline for resolving the Hotel Utica Debacle. In the private sector missing a deadline by two days is likely to get you fired, but Mr. Roefaro has obviously taken the undemanding standards of government work to heart. And why shouldn't he? It's not like being Mayor is his full-time job.

Heh.

Snarkiness aside, in the unlikely event that the mayor and his crack team of economic advisors actually do issue some kind of plan today I'm willing to bet it consists of, ultimately, doing nothing. Sure, it'll be dressed up with some happy talk about saving jobs and keeping the Hotel on the tax rolls, but in the end Mr. Roefaro will just roll over and let things continue as they are. If he's willing to ignore the fact that his own Economic Development Commissioner is an epic tax deadbeat there's no reason he should hold anyone else to a higher standard.

After all, things like deadlines and standards are what you have in the private sector. Expecting them to apply to government is just a naive fantasy.

Ups And Downs

2008-08-15T03:00:00.000-07:00

Big hits like ConMed, Canterbury Press, and A.C. Moore make headlines, but underneath those spikes is an overall downward trend in the area's employment levels :

"The region’s unemployment rate has grown a full percentage point in the past year, reflecting the economy’s importance in the upcoming election season.

Unemployment in the Utica-Rome metropolitan area rose from 4.2 percent from July 2007 to 5.2 percent in this July, according to state labor statistics released Thursday. Year-over-year figures are considered useful by economists for comparisons because seasonal factors can skew month-to-month numbers."

Rising unemployment and a falling average household income is a one-two punch that doesn't bode well for the area, particularly when our state politicians are making it increasingly clear they have no intention of actually cutting New York's bloated budget.

But it wasn’t all bad news.

There were job gains made in the educational and health sector -- a jump of 400 jobs from last year to this year.

That sure is some great news...until you realize that the educational and health fields are driven almost entirely by the expenditure of public dollars. It's not a coincidence that the unions representing those sectors are the ones howling the loudest about cutting state spending. Given their political power there's not a snowball's chance in hell that New York will do anything but continue to raise taxes for the foreseeable future.

The Curious Case of the Contested Candidate

2008-08-14T10:41:00.000-07:00

When questions were raised about Congressman Mike Arcuri's relationship with the mysterious Kristian Stiles, a political fundraiser caught up in the Elliot Spitzer investigation, he explained her firing as a natural result of not having any opposition in the upcoming election.

That statement makes this story at "The Hill" seem rather odd, since they're claiming opposition research against Mr. Arcuri's "non-opponent" Richard Hanna was underway in March, and probably earlier:

According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the DCCC has issued Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests for any violations, citations or complaints against businesses associated with Louisiana candidate Chris Gorman, New York candidate Richard Hanna and Illinois candidate Marty Ozinga.

Requests looking into Gorman’s and Ozinga’s numerous businesses were still pending in late July, while the one looking into Hanna Construction was closed in March.

With all the concern over illegal immigration I certainly hope Mr. Arcuri takes a close look at the vineyard he's visiting this week. After all, it's estimated that 70% of the migrant agricultural workers in New York are here illegally. I'd hate to think he's turning a blind eye to such a heinous crime right under his nose.

Update: The WKTV story above incorrectly states that Mr. Arcuri stopped all payments to Kristian Stiles in March. His most recent FEC filing shows he continued making payments into April, with a $4000 disbursement on 4/15/2008.

Hotel Utica Countdown: H+1

2008-08-14T02:51:00.000-07:00

Utica Mayor David Roefaro's deadline to solve the Hotel Utica crisis has now come and gone with no resolution in sight.

To be fair, there's a good chance the Mayor assumes his May 15th pledge to solve the crisis comes due on August 15th, since it's not unusual for people to confuse "90 days" with "three months". Heck, the profit margins of the credit card industry *rely* on people making that mistake. Might as well give him the benefit of the doubt and wait till tomorrow to hear all the details. After all, you can't rush genius.

On a related note, there's a rumor going around that Robert Sullivan, the city's Urban and Economic Development Commissioner, is actually acting as a consultant to the owners of the Hotel Utica. This is obviously just a rumor, since the conflict of interest this kind that arrangement would represent wouldn't pass the sniff test even by the cheerfully corrupt standards of Utica.

Right?

(Sorry for the lack of posting over the last two days. A rush project fell into my lap and I simply didn't have the time to write even the usual dashed-off tripe.)

Hotel Utica Countdown: H - 2 Days

2008-08-11T10:09:00.000-07:00

Back in May it seemed as if the long-running Hotel Utica disaster would never come to a close. That's when Utica's visionary mayor Dave Roefaro pledged to resolve the mess in 90 days:

Mayor David Roefaro said in 90 days the city should have a resolution to Hotel Utica’s continuing pattern of falling behind on its tax and federal loan payments.

Roefaro and Urban and Economic Development Commissioner Robert Sullivan Thursday met with hotel co-owners Joseph R. Carucci and Charles N. Gaetano. The mayor said a few options were discussed, but he wouldn’t elaborate.

The Observer-Dispatch on Sunday reported the hotel owes more than $215,000 on its city, Oneida County and Utica City School District taxes, including $18,500 in penalties. The hotel has also missed its last two city-guaranteed payments on a federal loan that
helped the establishment reopen seven years ago.

Mr. Roefaro's 90-day deadline comes to a close on August 13th, just two days from now. With millions of taxpayer dollars on the line his plan is sure to have wide-ranging consequences for the entire city. Will he go ahead with foreclosure? Or will he opt to continue spending close to a quarter of a million dollars of economic development funds a year supporting the Hotel?

In just two days we'll find out.

The Observer-Dispatch Deathwatch

2008-08-11T10:02:00.000-07:00

While Gatehouse Media's own newspapers have been notably reticent to discuss it's decline the Wall Street Journal isn't quite so shy:

GateHouse Media Inc., a chain of newspapers about 40%-owned by Fortress Investment Group, said it will suspend its dividend and raise more funds from Fortress to avoid running afoul of its lenders.

GateHouse Friday reported a second-quarter operating loss of $429.7 million, stemming from a charge of $443.1 million to write down the company's market value.

The impairment charge reflects the steep drop in the stock price, from $18 a share at its initial public offering less than two years ago to 64 cents at 4 p.m. Friday in New York Stock Exchange composite trading; the stock fell five cents, or 7.3%, from Thursday.

As always, you can follow the stock's ups and downs at Google Finance.

Hotel Utica Countdown: H - 5 Days

2008-08-08T18:35:00.000-07:00

Almost forgot...only five days until Dave Roefaro solves the Hotel Utica problem.

Go get 'em, tiger!

The Observer-Dispatch Deathwatch: Climbing Out Of The Pit?

2008-08-08T11:04:00.000-07:00

On the Gatehouse Media front, there's good news and there's bad news. The stock is still trading at less than a buck, but it's been slowly climbing up from the disastrous 40 cent level. Google Finance has the details.

On the other hand, the bad news is pretty bad:

GateHouse, based in Fairport, N.Y., posted an operating loss of $429.7 million, or $7.77 a share, during the second quarter, compared with a loss of $1.96 million, or 5 cents a share, in the second quarter of 2007.

But revenues, the company said, grew by 16.5 percent over the prior year to $184.1 million, which it said outperformed other newspaper companies.

GateHouse recorded a second quarter non-cash impairment charge of $443.1 million in the quarter, which decreased the earnings by $7.50 a share. The impairment was largely from the precipitous drop in the company’s stock value; in the second quarter alone it fell from about $6 a share at the start of the period to below 50 cents a share a week ago.

Ironically, I believe this article is the first time a Gatehouse-owned paper has reported on the company's financial misfortunes.

Rapid Descent

2008-08-08T11:02:00.000-07:00

Strikeslip has a great post up about Oneida County's airport shenanigans:

The County's bidding process is a sham.

Our airport commissioner contacted the same firms that he contacted when he was commissioner in Plattsburg, and produced the same results: one bid [8:00]. Mr. Joseph interviewed a prospect in Syracuse, who did not submit a bid. Meanwhile the County advertised its RFP in only one trade publication on Feb 8th, and set a deadline for inquiries on February 10th [9:00]. One proposal was received in response to the RFP.

It's obvious that personal connections were counted upon to secure the vendor rather than the bidding process. Calling for inquiries within 2 days of RFP publication strongly suggests that the County already found a vendor ... that no one else need apply ... that the publication was only to make things "legal." This style of solicitation makes it appear that you have to know someone if you want to do business in Oneida County. Could that explain why so many stay away?

Read the whole thing, and weep.

On a related note, CNY Homepage once again deserves kudos for hosting a full recording of WIBX's "First Look" discussion of the issue. I think this demonstrates two things: One, an adversarial interview session is a lot more informative than WIBX's normal softball format. Two, there's a demand for this kind of thing.

Hotel Utica Countdown: H - 6 Days

2008-08-07T12:19:00.000-07:00

We're now just 6 days away from the end of the 90-day resolution period Utica Mayor David Roefaro imposed for the Hotel Utica problem.

I'm giddy with anticipation.

A Traveler's Tale, Redux

2008-08-07T04:00:00.000-07:00

Another traveler, another negative reaction to Utica. Although in this case, the writer is a former resident of the area:

I grew up in a small town outside of Utica. In the 50's it was incredibly vibrant, young, and prosperous as WWII and Korean Vets settled and raised their families. There were several GE plants (light military and household appliances), Bendix (military parts and washing machines), Bosherts (heating systems), and a lot of small manufacturer's. Everyone had 3 to 4 kids so the schools were growing. For the most part, all this is gone. Utica's once bustling downtown area is empty now. Large department stores are gone, replaced by Dollar General, Walmart, and chain drug stores in the strip malls on the outskirts. People my age left for college and didn't come back and the population aged.

Click through and read the rest of this post, as well as the followup.

Stories like this make me incredibly depressed. What other reaction can you have? No one likes to live in a place people describe with words like "dirty", "empty", "rundown", and "hardscrabble", but what makes it even worse is that things never seem to change for the better. Even projects that should improve how the city looks end up being disasters because of the pervasive "Eh. Good enough for Utica" attitude.

Case in point- the area around the Memorial Auditorium. How many millions of dollars have we spent building state-of-the-art public safety buildings down there? The new buildings themselves are beautiful, but their siting is a nightmare. Everything seems cramped and shoved together because of the lack of green space or open areas, a problem compounded by the fact that the rest of the neighborhood looks like Berlin after WW II.

Move more than a few feet beyond the new construction and you're confronted by empty, boarded up buildings surrounded by waist high weeds and shattered, pothole filled streets. Walk around the block and you'll find sidewalks in disrepair, unraked gravel parking corrals, wrecked police cars, rubble strewn empty lots, vacant industrial buildings...it's a veritable picture-book of urban decay, despite the expenditure of piles of taxpayer money.

Who approved this embarrassment? Who amongst our local leadership can look at that and say "Great job boys, you should be proud"? Why does everything in Utica, every single public works project in recent memory, have to be so shoddy and ugly?

A Tale Of Two Blog Posts

2008-08-07T03:00:00.000-07:00

The Green Conundrum - a well-written, thoughtful posting on "green" power and it's potentially deleterious effects on Oneida County.

Pure Speculation- a borderline salacious post speculating that a local man accidentally strangled himself while masturbating.

One of these postings generated 15 emails, while the other generated 0.

Based on that response, and the number of hits the post in question generated, it's probably time for me to do another well-written, thoughtful posting about Utica's thriving porn underground. Oh, and thanks to everyone who emailed. I can sleep easier knowing that even death won't stop...uh...happiness. La petite mort, indeed.

The Observer-Dispatch Deathwatch: The Final Meltdown

2008-08-06T19:06:00.000-07:00

Shares of the Observer-Dispatch's parent company Gatehouse Media soared today. Well, if you can call hitting 52 cents a share "soaring" with a straight face.

Sadly, at this point Gatehouse could probably double it's market cap by converting each share of stock into a tin of Altoid breath mints. Heck, even a Bubblicious Bubble Gum Party Pack goes for $2.74.

Gone, But Not Forgotten

2008-08-06T12:08:00.000-07:00

This doesn't sound good:

John Daniels - Oneida County Commissioner of Jurors - resigned July 31, according court officials.

Calls had been made to the County Courthouse in order to reach Daniels for several weeks, but his office would not comment on his whereabouts or the status of his returning messages.

Sources say he was the subject of a state investigation, but could not confirm why he was investigated.

Allegedly, investigators have seized at least one computer from the Commissioner's office.

I wonder if we'll ever find out why?

Hotel Utica Countdown: H - 7 Days

2008-08-06T11:26:00.000-07:00

Only a week to go before we find out how Dave Roefaro is going to solve the Hotel Utica problem.

I'm quivering in anticipation.

Pure Speculation

2008-08-06T11:25:00.000-07:00

This story sounds like a real tragedy:

The unattended death of a 37-year-old Rome man Tuesday has been ruled accidental as the result of asphyxiation, Oneida County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Brian Pfendler said.

Terry Smith of 198 Pine Haven Circle in Rome was found dead in his home at 12:45 p.m. Tuesday about one hour after he died, when family members discovered him, Pfendler said.

Oneida County forensic pathologist Michael Sikirica conducted the autopsy at 7 a.m. today and determined the cause of death to be accidental asphyxiation, Pfendler said.

How the asphyxiation occurred is not being released for the family’s sake because officials feel it wouldn’t be appropriate, Pfendler said.

Given the circumstances, and the coroner's willingness to avoid embarrassment to the family, it wouldn't take a leap of logic to assume this was an incident of autoerotic asphyxiation. It's a surprisingly common practice, with some law enforcement officers I've talked to speculating that up to half the "suicides" of young men are actually the result of an AA session gone bad.

The Green Conundrum

2008-08-06T08:16:00.000-07:00

Even more green power could be coming to upstate New York:

Federal officials will talk about how the Nuclear Regulatory Commission will handle the expected application for a fourth nuclear plant in Oswego County at 7 p.m. Aug. 21 at Sheldon Hall at the State University College at Oswego.

UniStar, a partnership including Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station owner Constellation, is expected to apply for a license next month to build and operate a new nuclear plant in Scriba.

"The Nuclear Regulatory Commission wants communities located near potential new reactor sites, such as Oswego, to know what's being proposed," David Matthews, director of the division of new reactor licensing, said in a news release.

The state's ever increasing demand for energy requires more plants like this, but it's a two-edged sword that, quite literally, will cut right through our area. Upstate is already home to a truly stunning amount of "green", or carbon-neutral, energy production- one of the largest hydroelectric facilities in the world, an ever growing number of wind installations, and the existing nuclear reactors northwest of Oneida County. The problem is that all that pure green energy needs to get to downstate, necessitating an expansion of the state's power grid with projects like NYRI.

And I think we all know how popular NYRI is.

One of the reason's I think the NYRI powerline is unstoppable is *because* of upstate's green power. Our state government has already mandated the purchase of carbon-neutral energy, but it's been amazingly lax in making sure that the plants generating that power are actually located near the centers of demand. In addition to being wasteful, requiring the construction of new power lines that just bleed off energy into the ether, that strategy places a rather undue burden on the residents of upstate. Advanced third and fourth generation nuclear reactors could meet all of downstate's power demands with only minor upgrades to the existing energy infrastructure, but the mere suggestion of siting a reactor there would trigger massive protests.

Unfortunately, the demographics of the state mean that protests downstate automatically drown out protests upstate. While upstate might be home to gigawatts of electrical capacity it's notably lacking in political power- and that's the kind of power that really matters.

Hotel Utica Countdown: H - 8 Days

2008-08-05T07:33:00.000-07:00

Just eight days to go before we discover how Utica Mayor Dave Roefaro is going to solve the Hotel Utica problem.

The excitement, it builds!

The Observer-Dispatch Deathwatch: The Final Meltdown

2008-08-04T15:41:00.000-07:00

Shares of the Observer-Dispatch's parent company, Gatehouse Media, plunged to a new low of 40 cents today before closing at 50 cents. You can watch the drama unfold at Google Finance.

Hotel Utica Countdown: H - 9 Days

2008-08-04T09:26:00.000-07:00

How time flies. It seems like just yesterday that the ongoing Hotel Utica debacle entered it's latest phase, but now we're just nine days away from discovering how Mayor Dave Roefaro and the crack team at City Hall are going to solve the whole sorry mess:

Mayor David Roefaro said in 90 days the city should have a resolution to Hotel Utica’s continuing pattern of falling behind on its tax and federal loan payments.

Roefaro and Urban and Economic Development Commissioner Robert Sullivan Thursday met with hotel co-owners Joseph R. Carucci and Charles N. Gaetano. The mayor said a few options were discussed, but he wouldn’t elaborate.

That 90-day period comes to a close on August 13th. Will Roefaro stick to his principles and refuse to continue subsidizing a private business? Or will he cave and keep the Hotel Utica's taxpayer-supported gravy train chugging along?

Update: As the suspense builds, keep in mind that the Hotel Utica *should* be one of the most successful hotels in the country based on it's own business figures. Here's a flashback to some numbers from earlier this year:

What an interesting contrast. By any objective standard the Hotel Utica is in desperate financial straits, as it's inability to make regular tax and mortgage payments would clearly demonstrate. Business must be terrible, right?

Actually, no. If the given figure of a 70% occupancy rate is true the Hotel Utica is doing some boffo business. In fact, based on numbers from the American Hotel and Lodging Association, it's occupancy rate is well above average. Here are the latest figures for the hotel industry as a whole:

At-a-Glance Statistical Figures

4,389,443 guestrooms
$133.4 billion in sales
$61.93 revenue per available room (RevPAR)
63.3% average occupancy rate

The average room rate was $97.78 in 2006—up from $90.88 in 2005.

A quick check of Travelocity shows that the weekday rate at the Hotel Utica is $99.99 while the weekend rate is $149.99.

That means both the hotel's standard room price and occupancy rate is well above the industry average, which would seem to be exactly what you want for a thriving hotel.

A Traveler's Tale

2008-08-02T10:42:00.000-07:00

Four guys from Buffalo spent last week biking across the state along the Erie Canal. Their experience riding through Utica is particularly illuminating, demonstrating an all too common reaction to the city. See it for yourself over here.

Mike Arcuri: How I Spent My Summer Vacation

2008-08-02T09:52:00.000-07:00

Congress officially kicked off it's annual five week long summer vacation yesterday. Hopefully, that means we can look forward to Congressman Arcuri using some of that time to take questions from his constituents, but you probably shouldn't get your hopes up too high since his congressional website doesn't list any upcoming appearances.

On the bright side, the Congressman has committed to an open interview on WIBX sometime during August. Unfortunately, he's still dodging a radio interview with Bill Keeler, a venue where, unlike WIBX, he probably won't be asked about the morality of wearing baseball hats inside a restaurant.

Turn Out The Lights

2008-08-02T09:47:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week I linked to the brand new SeeThroughNY website from the Empire Center. It collects thousands of pages of government documents and makes them available to the public, including records that include the salary of every public employee in the state. Predictably, the folks sucking at the public teat are horrified that taxpayers can actually see how much of that sweet, sweet milk they're slurping up:

Pushback, if not outright anger, against the Empire Center’s SeeThroughNY.net continued today on a number of fronts. At least one union was complaining that the site, which lists state employee salaries, may actually endanger some people as they can provide some idea of where people work, although addresses are not included.

And there seems to be lots of frustration about the fact that public employee salaries are public.

I got a call earlier in the day from a fellow at the State Education Department demanding that I take down any links to the dreaded site, or else I would be charged with harassment. When I replied that A) the site isn’t mine, and that b) the salaries are public information, this individual said that he and others were trying to launch a complaint campaign with Attorney General Andrew Cuomo to get the AG to look into the matter.
(Makes one wonder how much work is getting done over at the Education Department with people spending all this time filing complaints and calling to complain about the website.)

If you click through to the website you may notice it's running a little slow. That's because it's been inundated with traffic...primarily from computers owned by the state.

The Observer-Dispatch Deathwatch: The Final Meltdown

2008-08-01T14:09:00.000-07:00

Gatehouse Media, the corporate parent of the Observer-Dispatch, saw it's stock plunge to a record low of 44 cents at today's market close.

I guess investors didn't hear what they wanted to hear during this morning's conference call.

Update: Except, of course, that the Gatehouse conference call isn't until August 8th. My smugness, it fogs the brain!

Fly The Friendly Skies

2008-08-01T03:00:00.000-07:00

Strikeslip has some interesting commentary on the Oneida County airport :

I actually find myself agreeing with the County Executive on this. "Oneida County-Griffiss International Airport" is too cumbersome. "Griffiss" has historical significance and already enjoys name recognition on its own among aviators (the the market for the facility) - recognition that does not need to be diluted with "Oneida County." Lastly, "Griffiss" signifies something bigger than "Rome," bigger than "Utica-Rome" and even bigger than "Oneida & Herkimer Counties" combined, because all of these are far to small to justify such a huge airport (and, more than likely, to keep it going financially).

A few years ago, some Syracuse-area legislators actually suggested that Griffiss be used as an alternative to their own Hancock International for air cargo, in order to avoid having to make some expensive additions and impacts to their neighborhoods. It's unknown if those additions were ever made, but if they were not, there's Griffiss' market: all of Central New York, from Auburn to Canajoharie including Greater Syracuse, Greater Utica, and Rome.

I once had a conversatiion with a commercial pilot who lamented the sad state of development at the former Griffiss AFB. From what I understand the facility is one of the premiere heavy-lift capable sites in the northeast and has easy access to highway, rail, and even canal transportation facilities.

The Observer-Dispatch Deathwatch

2008-07-31T15:38:00.000-07:00

Gatehouse Media closed at a feeble 63 cents today, and it's fallen even further in after hours trading. As always, you can follow the action at Google Finance

In addition, the company will be holding a conference call before the market opens tomorrow morning. CNNMoney has the details:

GateHouse Media, Inc. (NYSE: GHS) announced today that it plans to release its second quarter 2008 financial results before the market opens on Friday, August 8, 2008. The Company has scheduled a conference call to discuss the financial results on Friday, August 8, 2008, at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time. The conference call can be accessed by dialing (877) 545-1409 (from within the U.S.) or (719) 325-4910 (from outside of the U.S.) ten minutes prior to the scheduled start and referencing the "GateHouse Media Second Quarter Earnings Call."

A webcast of the conference call will be available to the public on a listen-only basis at www.gatehousemedia.com. Please allow extra time prior to the call to visit the site and download the necessary software required to listen to the internet broadcast. A replay of the webcast will be available for three months following the call.

Still not a peep from any of the local Gatehouse newspapers, which strikes me as being particularly ironic. Traditional print newspapers are dying exactly because people can find content online that they can't get in their local paper.

Your Tax Dollars At Work

2008-07-31T15:11:00.000-07:00

A hat tip to the Albany Times-Union's Capitol Confidential blog for the heads-up about the brand new SeeThroughNY website. Why is it worth a visit?

SeeThroughNY is a web portal -- and more. It's designed to become the hub of a statewide network through which taxpayers can share, analyze and compare data from counties, cities, towns, villages, school districts and public authorities throughout New York.

The information of this website comes from official government sources, but the Empire Center cannot guarantee data accuracy or completeness.

Click the buttons below to search government payrolls, contracts, expenditures, and links to additional information and supporting material on other websites.

Transparency like this is good, but it would be even better if fast and easy access to every government record via the internet was the law.

Arcuri On The Airwaves: Part Deux

2008-07-31T13:05:00.000-07:00

The nice folks at CNY Homepage have posted a full recording of Congressman Mike Arcuri's appearance on WIBX Wednesday morning over here.

One of the things I found interesting about the Congressman's comments was his tacit acceptance of the success of the troop surge in Iraq. Mr. Arcuri was a strident opponent of the surge, going so far as to issue a press release excoriating Gen. David Petraeus, yet he admits that the primary problem in Iraq today is political and not military. That certainly sounds like the surge did what it was intended to do, which probably isn't a surprise considering Gen. Petraeus, quite literally, wrote the book on counter-insurgency operations.

As to the fractious nature of the Iraqi government, I think Mr. Arcuri should place more emphasis on his own experiences during one of his much-publicized trips to Iraq. While he spent around two days in Iraq he also managed to squeeze in a three-day stay with his wife in beautiful Rome, Italy. You know, the capital of that boot-shaped European nation that has been through over 60 different parliamentary governments since World War II? The one where yet another government collapsed earlier this year? The country where underground tribal groups infiltrate the government, assassinate law enforcement officers and peacekeepers, and target journalists for elimination? The nation where entire regions are under the control of criminal terrorist organizations?

In Italy's case the "tribal groups" are the brutally effective 'Ndrangheta, Cosa Nostra, and affiliated crime families, not Al-Qaeda, but it's still interesting that Mr. Arcuri would consider Italy a vacation spot and Iraq a "political quagmire" when the former has a far longer, and more devastating, history of governmental instability.

Go take a listen for yourself. I'm sure I'll have some more thoughts on it once I've had a chance to hear the whole thing.

Update: A kind emailer points out that while Mr. Arcuri didn't take any questions from his constituents during this appearance he did promise to do so during his next one, sometime in August. Hopefully we'll also be able to question both Mr. Arcuri and his challenger Mr. Hanna with a few townhall-style debates in the near future.

Update: Another kind emailer points out that Mr. Arcuri is still refusing interview requests from Bill Keeler. Beyond that, his press official won't even return calls from Mr. Keeler's booking agent.

Update: Yet another kind emailer claims that the softball questions tossed by Dave Andrews, the primary interviewer in the WIBX segment, are the result of Mr. Andrews long-running relationship with Mr. Arcuri. I'm aware that Mr. Andrews worked for the Oneida County D.A.R.E program until he was fired for reasons I'm still not clear on, but I'd welcome any input clarifying the nature of the relationship, if any, between Mr. Andrews and Mr. Arcuri.

Update: One of Mr. Arcuri's justifications for his opposition to more oil drilling is that it would be ten years before we actually get any oil. I believe noted energy policy expert Jay Leno has addressed that concern:

Heh.

Update: I've received some conflicting accounts about what caused Mr. Andrews firing from his position with the Oneida County D.A.R.E. program that might have a bearing on discussions about the interview. One of the problems I'm encountering with verifying the claims in those emails is that the Observer-Dispatch's archives from the Gannet years are no longer available online.

The Observer-Dispatch Deathwatch

2008-07-30T03:00:00.000-07:00

The battle for the future of Gatehouse Media continues, but the situation is looking increasingly grim:

GateHouse Media is likely to default under its credit agreement unless it can negotiate an amendment to its covenants or get a cash injection from its largest stakeholder, says Fortress Investment Group, Moody's Investor Service, in a report downgrading the community newspaper publisher's credit and probability of default ratings.

Moody's downgraded GateHouse's Corporate Family rating to Caa1 from B2. Under Moody's definition, the new rating signifies a "substantial risk" of default.

Moody's also downgraded its Probability of Default rating to Caa2 from B3.

"The downgrade reflects Moody's heightened concern that GateHouse could face a near-term default under the financial covenants of its loan agreement, absent an amendment or another equity cure from its largest owner, Fortress Investment Group LLC," Moody's Senior Analyst John Page wrote.

Still not a peep from the Observer-Dispatch, or any of the other Gatehouse-owned papers in the area, about the dire straits of their corporate parent.

Update: Thanks to Peoria Pundit for the link. They're facing much the same situation we are, with the collapse of Gatehouse likely to produce a major shift in the local media landscape.

Col. Joe Bolton On Mike Arcuri

2008-07-29T17:19:00.000-07:00

Retired Col. Joe Bolton, a 28-year Army veteran and native of New Hartford, was the featured guest on WIBX's "First Look" this morning discussing Congressman Mike Arcuri's record on military and veterans issues. I didn't even find out about his appearance until it was already over, so imagine my surprise to discover that CNY Homepage not only taped it, but has already posted the video online. You can view the full interview over here. I understand they'll also be providing a tape of Mr. Arcuri's appearance on the show tomorrow morning.

Arcuri On The Airwaves

2008-07-29T12:59:00.000-07:00

Constituents of Congressman Mike Arcuri will finally have a chance to ask him some direct questions during his appearance at 8 AM tomorrow morning on Utica radio station WIBX's "First Look" news program. If you'd like to ask a question the call-in number for the studio is 736-0186. You can listen to the interview on the radio at 950 on the AM dial or via streaming audio over here.

The Observer-Dispatch Deathwatch

2008-07-29T09:57:00.000-07:00

Things aren't looking very bright for Gatehouse Media, the corporate parent of the Utica Observer-Dispatch, Herkimer Telegram, Little Falls Times, and the various area Pennysaver papers. Earlier today their stock fell even further, dropping to a record low of 56 cents. Most of that plunge can be credited to the news from Moody's that the company has a good chance of defaulting on it's loans:

Moody's Investors Service said it downgraded GateHouse Media Operating, Inc.'s corporate family rating to 'Caa1' from 'B2' with a negative outlook citing concerns over near-term liquidity and the likelihood that the company will face a default under its credit agreement, absent an amendment or equity cure.

Moody's (nyse: MCO - news - people ) also said it cut the United States-based publisher's probability of default rating to 'Caa2' from 'B3' and other debt ratings to 'Caa1' from 'B2'.

Several emailers have suggested there may already be some talks underway about the disposition of Gatehouse's local assets. One of the most horrifying scenarios is that a group of investors affiliated with the Arcuri gang may be looking to finally stem the tide of bad press, while another emailer says the Matt family may be part of another buyout effort. Keep in mind that both options were sent to me by anonymous sources, so a little skepticism is probably in order.

As always, you can get the latest stock price from Google Finance.

The Observer-Dispatch Deathwatch

2008-07-28T08:59:00.001-07:00

It would appear the final meltdown of Gatehouse Media is finally underway. While I'm writing this their stock has fallen to a new low of 73 cents, setting the company on a seemingly inexorable journey to the pink sheets.

On the bright side, several kind emailers have pointed out that the liquidation of the company's assets could actually bode well for the area. More than a few employees think the sale of the OD could result in the departure of at least one questionable member of upper management, something they seem to look forward to with considerable relish.

Update: At market close Gatehouse Media had fallen to an unbelievable 66 cents a share. Google Finance has the details.

Update: Editor and Publisher has more on Gatehouse and it's cratering stock:

On another brutal day for the newspaper sector Monday, shares of four chains hit all-time lows, led by a 21% plunge in GateHouse Media Inc. shares to 66 cents a share.

Also hitting new lows were The McClatchy Co., Lee Enterprises, and Sun-Times Media Group.

There was no particular news to explain the sell-off in GateHouse, whose stock has been cratering in the past three weeks. GateHouse (NYSE: GHS) closed at 66 cents, down 18 cents, or 21.43. Floor trading in GateHouse has been suspended, and the stock faces the risk of being de-listed from the Big Board.

Is this the start of the final death spiral?

Update: Analysts seem to think Gatehouse is on it's last legs:

Shares of community newspaper publisher, Gatehouse Media, Inc. (NYSE: GHS), plunged Monday following an across the board ratings cut by Moody's who cited doubts about its ability to service debt.

Gatehouse Media shares lost over 21% of their already low value Monday, dropping to a new 52-week low of $0.66 cents that put the New York-listed community newspaper publisher on a path towards delisting from the Exchange. But somehow shares managed to rally in the aftermarket, rising 24 cents, or 36.3%, to trade at 90 cents, six cents over the day's high.

The dismal news coming out of Moody's Investor Service really came as no surprise, but in reading into the rating agency's comments on Gatehouse Media's debt, the analyst covering the Company had to bite his lip to keep him from commenting about the dividend Gatehouse paid out in the last quarter. At the time, Wachovia Capital Markets analyst John Janedis cut his rating on Gatehouse to "Market Perform" from "Outperform". Janedis issued his rating cut appropriately on Fridy the 13th, perhaps unknowingly signaling an end to the Company.

Read the whole story.

Now is probably an appropriate time to start speculating about who will be buying up Gatehouse's local papers. More importantly, is it likely we'll see a major change in editorial oversight when the buyout happens?

The Firm Hand Steering The Ship Of State

2008-07-28T08:59:00.000-07:00

Dave Roefaro once again demonstrated his masterful grasp of city government over the weekend:

Utica Mayor David Roefaro said during an interview Wednesday that his opinion “doesn’t even make a difference” as far as giving medical coverage to part-time employees. It was in practice long before he took office, the mayor said.

“They’re all covered by union,” Roefaro said. “There’s no at-will employees who are getting benefits.”

But, according to the city Comptroller’s Office, there is one part-time attorney who receives medical benefits and retirement. Two additional part-time attorneys also are enrolled in the retirement program. All three are considered “at-will” or nonunion employees.

Roefaro, interviewed again on the subject one day later, said he believes the part-time employee policy could be reviewed.

“Everything deserves to be looked at,” he said Thursday.

Part-time city employees getting sweetheart deals on Mayor Roefaro's watch? Say it ain't so!

The Observer-Dispatch Deathwatch

2008-07-25T03:12:00.000-07:00

After climbing above the $1 mark on Wednesday the stock price of Gatehouse Media, the OD's corporate parent, has once again fallen below a dollar. You can track the stock for yourself at Google Finance.

Update: Friday's close was 84 cents. Ouch.

Another One Bites The Dust: Part Deux

2008-07-24T10:48:00.000-07:00

I'm happy to report that the crew at Uticasux won't be departing the area after all. Well, at least not for a few months. You can get the full story here.

While you're over there you might want to check out Bill Keeler's radio interview with Republican congressional candidate Richard Hanna. I'm not a fan of Mr. Keeler's, but his line of questioning does give me some hope that Mr. Hanna has an appreciation for libertarian values. It's worth noting that Congressman Arcuri turned down multiple requests from Mr. Keeler for an interview.

Mohawk River Magic: The Fecal Follies Continue

2008-07-24T03:00:00.000-07:00

You might think that the human feces floating in the Mohawk River would be a major roadblock to developing it's tourist potential, but you would be wrong. The same folks responsible for dumping billions of gallons of raw sewage into the mighty Mohawk are now planning to spend an undisclosed amount of money selling it as a "Greenway":

Residents tonight can suggest options for developing and marketing a 35-mile stretch along the Mohawk River and Erie Canal in Oneida County.

Officials are creating a Comprehensive Greenway Plan for the Mohawk River Corridor, which would be from Utica to Sylvan Beach.

“We’re going for a unified plan, so everybody starts thinking bigger than their own particular projects,” said Jessica Breiten, chief planner of the Oneida County Planning Department.

If they're looking for suggestions I've got one that should really help- STOP DUMPING MEGATONS OF FECES INTO THE RIVER.

I'm simply aghast that this tourism proposal is even being considered by Oneida County. Keep in mind, these are the same government officials that have postponed fixing the sewage overflow problem from the Sauquoit Creek station for at least another five years. That means the County, and New Hartford in particular, will continue to let billions of gallons of raw sewage spurt from the inadequate pipelines in the commercial district while at the same time they try and convince people that the Mohawk River is a valuable natural resource.

Just click on the "Fecal Follies" label over there on the left to get an idea of just how inane and hypocritical this Greenway proposal is. I'm absolutely stunned at the sheer chutzpah of these people.

Update: A kind emailer points out that this could turn into a PR disaster of epic proportions. That's something we simply can't afford, since the Utica metro area already suffers from a dismal image around the globe. Don't believe me? Go to Google News and do a search for "utica shotgun stroller" and you'll find roughly two hundred stories from around the world about the Stephanie Wilson case- and those are just the outlets that reprinted the story on the internet. Pardon my bluntness, but you can just imagine the reaction when it comes out we were marketing a river filled with our own shit as a tourist destination.

Update: A commenter on the Observer-Dispatch story used part of my rant against this goofy idea, but his comment has since been removed.

Update: A very helpful source claims that Oneida County officials are well aware of the extensive sewage problem, but plan to ignore it. Allegedly, there are more than a few folks that view the Greenway plan as a gravy train that will be running for years.

Oh, and RoAnne Destito is a big supporter. Please notice that this claim is in a totally seperate paragraph from the claim that some officials view the Greenway plan as a gravy train, because I'd hate people to think I was suggesting anything. Because we all know that RoAnne would never try to personally profit from her elected office, and to imply otherwise would be legally actionable.

Update: A helpful emailer points out that the Oneida County Planning Department's own writeup of the initial Greenway proposal meeting includes multiple comments on the River's sewage and pollution issues, including this gem:

One car-top boat (canoe/kayak) access point is better than none but several would make it more accessible to those with less physical ability. Most important is the safety of having proximity to each other. Also of great importance is the pollution (sewage) in the water. This is to be a greenway, not a brownway.

You can browse the PDF for yourself over here.

Another One Bites The Dust

2008-07-23T11:12:00.000-07:00

Stop me if you've heard this story before: local blogger finally gets fed up with the ever worsening death spiral of central New York and decides to move on.

This time, it's the guys behind Uticasux.com that are heading off to greener pastures.

Maybe I'm self-indulgent, but it's not a good sign when so many of the people discussing the area's issues end up moving out of state.

Once More, With Feeling

2008-07-23T10:49:00.000-07:00

There doesn't seem to be a copy available online, but R. A. Dudrack, "The Window King", has purchased a new flight of television and radio commercials calling Congressman Mike Arcuri to task for his opposition to domestic oil drilling. Since Dudrack's last flight of spots Arcuri has pivoted his position a bit, so it would appear they're having an impact.

Update: Meanwhile, Mr. Arcuri would like you to join him for another serving of thousand dollar pancakes:

Thursday, July 31, 2008
Reception honoring Congressman Mike Arcuri (NY-24)
The National Democratic Club Townhouse
40 Ivy Street, SE
Washington, DC
Time: 8:30 AM
Requested Contributions: $5,000 PAC Host, $2,500 PAC Sponsor and $1,000 Friend

DNC Checks Out Julian

2008-07-22T05:35:00.000-07:00

It would appear Bob Julian is drawing some attention from the DNC:

IP Address 192.43.248.# (Democratic National Headquarters)
ISP Democratic National Headquarters
Location Continent : North America
Country : United States (Facts)
State : District of Columbia
City : Washington
Lat/Long : 38.9097, -77.0231 (Map)
Time of Visit Jul 21 2008 5:14:27 pm
Last Page View Jul 21 2008 5:16:26 pm
Visit Length 1 minute 59 seconds
Page Views 4
Referring URL http://www.google.co...hartford&btnG=Search
Search Engine google.com
Search Words "robert julian" attorney new hartford
Visit Entry Page http://cnysnakepitli...th-apologies-to.html
Visit Exit Page http://64.233.167.10...=us&client=firefox-a

Curious, that.

Update: They seem to be awfully interested in Frank Giotto at Fiber Instrument Sales as well:

Domain Name (Unknown)
IP Address 192.43.248.# (Democratic National Headquarters)
ISP Democratic National Headquarters
Location Continent : North America
Country : United States (Facts)
State : District of Columbia
City : Washington
Lat/Long : 38.9097, -77.0231 (Map)
Time of Visit Jul 21 2008 3:11:05 pm
Last Page View Jul 21 2008 3:11:05 pm
Visit Length 0 seconds
Page Views 1
Referring URL http://www.google.co...official&hs=rzf&sa=2
Search Engine google.com
Search Words "frank giotto"
Visit Entry Page http://64.233.167.10...=us&client=firefox-a
Visit Exit Page http://64.233.167.10...=us&client=firefox-a

I'd noticed a few other searches for Giotto earlier this week from someone using an anonymous proxy server and a Mac, but didn't think anything of it at the time.

The Observer-Dispatch Deathwatch

2008-07-21T09:26:00.000-07:00

Google Finance has Gatehouse Media, the O-D's corporate parent, trading at just 95 cents as of 12:20 EDT.

Update: How likely is it that Gatehouse will be forced to liquidate it's assets, including the Utica "Observer-Dispatch, Herkimer "Telegram", Little Falls "Times", and the various local Pennysaver publications? One of the major investors in the company, holding 40% of the available shares, is Fortress Investment Group. According to this story, which has an interactive organization chart that takes forever to load, Fortress has seen it's own shares go into the tank over the last year because of bad investments in the mortgage industry.

These are tough times for Fortress, one of the few publicly traded hedge fund and investment management firms.

Since that earnings announcement, Fortress abandoned its effort to buy Penn National Gaming, the value of its new mortgage-backed securities fund is down 30 percent, and the stock of one its major investments — GateHouse Media — “could be worthless,” according to one analyst. Fortress owns about 40 percent of GateHouse.

The price of Fortress Investment Group’s own stock continues to fall. It closed at just over $10 last week, down from $31 when the company went public in early 2007.

It's possible that their desire for a quick influx of cash could help push the liquidation process along.

Update: The O-D still hasn't reported on the free-fall of Gatehouse Media stock.

From The Inside

2008-07-18T11:41:00.000-07:00

Here's what the meltdown of Gatehouse Media, the Observer-Dispatch's parent company, looks like from the inside:

What’s scary to me is that I don’t know what this means for my paper and my job. If the company goes into debt, it could face liquidation. I can’t honestly believe there won’t be local town papers, but that could be the future. I’d hope a private company would pick up some of the papers but Boston suburbs might be doomed to only have the Boston Globe for news. And with the way the Globe is doing, who knows how long that will be going for.

All I know is that no local papers mean residents won’t get news about where they live in as in-depth of a manner as they do now. While some people might not open up the paper, choosing to simply drive over the one in their driveway, many other people do care and read the papers. I hope they’d miss it if that happened.

Here's another look:

GateHouse Media, the corporate parent of my newspaper, just got another ding. The New York Stock Exchange won't let the penny stock trade on the floor any more unless it can stay above $1.10 for an entire day. That's looking unlikely, so it's possible the stock could be delisted.
What a ride it's been -- from a $20 IPO just three years ago to getting thrown out of the NYSE. Sweet.

I imagine the staff at the Observer-Dispatch is feeling much the same. I'm sure the upper management of the paper will survive a liquidation just fine, but I doubt that many of the actual content and production workers will get deals anything close to what they deserve. Even under a buyout scenario, the only option that would allow them to keep their jobs, they're facing yet more uncertainties just over a year since the Gannet/Gatehouse takeover.

Update: Google Finance is reporting that Gatehouse Media closed at 97 cents today, giving it a market cap of $56.4 million dollars. The company has over a billion dollars in debt.