Improving a road would simply include paving it. $19 million...that's not improvement....that's stealing NYS taxpayers money for nothing.

If anywhere in Schenectady needs improvement, let's start with the Hill. That's a mess.

Maybe Bellevue could use some tweaking.

How about MP?

But that's only where taxpayers live...I mean Erie Blvd. has businesses like Olenders...no closed. KEM cleaner...oh, they closed too. Grossmans, Frank Gallo, the gun shop, Trustco headquarters..nope, they're all gone too. Heck, the parade even left Erie!!!!

So who are we paving for? $19 million for what? GE? The tax exempt, 1/4th of a business it once was?  

Another raping of the taxpayers brought to you by McCarthy where double dipping and pension padding are just the tip of the iceburg!

Back in the day when GE was at full capacity, before moving their operations South and overseas, there were over 40,000 people working there and Erie Blvd was able to handle all the traffic when the shifts changed. The 19 million dollars being spent is all smoke and mirrors to create the illusion of beauty and modernization for a small part of the city near Proctors. The neighborhoods and infrastructure are falling apart and all they want to do is arrange the deck chairs on the Titanic.

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

In one post, you nitwit nayboobs claim that Erie Blvd is in such horrible shape as a road,  In the next post, you attack an actual plan to rebuild and improve Erie Blvd.

The fact is that you folks have no desire to help or to see your community improve.  You folks are hell-bent on spreading your hatred, lies and deception.  

Improve the IMPORTANT things first, and save the windows dressing until that is completed.
You said yourself that the road will only be improved from GE to state street...what about the rest of the road?
My question is how much of the 14 million will be used for road rebuilding and how much will be used for turd polishing?

If you had a job and used the entire length of the road regularly, maybe you'd have a clue on how bad the road is and how the money should be properly spent.

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

In one post, you nitwit nayboobs claim that Erie Blvd is in such horrible shape as a road,  In the next post, you attack an actual plan to rebuild and improve Erie Blvd.

The fact is that you folks have no desire to help or to see your community improve.  You folks are hell-bent on spreading your hatred, lies and deception.  

Uh, NO!

Not hell bent on hatred, lies, and deception.  

The comnplaints about the "horrible shape" Erie Blvd is in as a road is because of the failure to maintain, e.g., potholes -- you know, those things that can damage a car and cost taxpayers money.

Improving Erie Blvd by narrowing it ---- to produce bottlenecks of traffic in order to give outsiders the APPEARANCE of lots of traffic ---- is a totally UNNECESSARY use of taxpayers money.    The taxpayers money NEEDS to be spent on NECESSARY SERVICES to the PEOPLE - to the TAXPAYERS -- IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS!!!!!!

Again, DV, the tens of milions of taxpayer dollars spent on downtown, you keepp saying it's improving the city.  Well tell us what are the results.  

What is the effect on the TAXABLE tax base in the city??????
What is the effect on the property values in the the city????
What has been the effect on homeowners tax BILLS??????

The effect on real estate - tell us why so many homeonwers put their houses up for sale in order to leave the city

Tell us why houses are NOT selling in the city (but they ARE selling outside the city an county)

Tell us about all those stores that are hurrying to open up downtown (the places where people can buy clothing and shoes, bedding, bath, linens and window treatments, kitchen needs, toys, hardware, lawn and garden, pet needs, party needs, craft supplies sporting needs, etc. etc.     Wherre are all these stores, DV?????    Where are the stores that are even THINKKING about opening a store downtown??????  

Over 3,000 EXISTING VACANT residential units in the city - how is that an improvement - and YOU cheer for spending more taxpyaer money to build even more vacant apartments??????    And then exempt the millioniare developer/owners from paying property taxes?    

Explain HOW it is considered an improvement to make homeonwers pay increased taxes to fund these projects while at the same time their neighborhods are going to hell?????  

Of course, just avoid answering the questions.   Just keep posting here with your lame that you will not  respond to me because I will not carry on a civil dissuion when you know CLEARLY that is not true.   A civil discussion  requires statements which contain EVIDENCE, and you avoid a discussion with me because you know dang well that what I say IS the truth and that I provide THE EVIDENCE to support my statements.  And YOU CANNOT PROVIDE even one teeny weeny shred of proof to support your statements that things are improving.

Quoted from Shadow

Back in the day when GE was at full capacity, before moving their operations South and overseas, there were over 40,000 people working there and Erie Blvd was able to handle all the traffic when the shifts changed. The 19 million dollars being spent is all smoke and mirrors to create the illusion of beauty and modernization for a small part of the city near Proctors. The neighborhoods and infrastructure are falling apart and all they want to do is arrange the deck chairs on the Titanic.

TOTALLY agree!! You know, if Schenectady had even ONE retail Downtown...or even something other than GE....but we're talking $19 million for an area that doesn't even see 1% of that in sales tax or in property/school taxes.

Why are we pouring millions of dollars into a ghost town? It makes no sense whatsoever.

Leaving the neighborhoods to go to sh*t will continue and the downtown will fail because the only taxpayers (the homeowners) will be bankrupt from the high taxes and will either abandon or foreclose because they can't sell their properties.

The City needs to put money into cleaning up the neighborhoods. Audit social services, harsh sentances for drug dealers, money into community watches/groups, voiding all PILOTS and making downtown businesses pay their fair share of taxes, stop McCarthy from getting his pension and mayoral salary at the same time.....that's for starters!!!

Quoted from 55tbird

Improve the IMPORTANT things first, and save the windows dressing until that is completed.

Well stated!! One of the highest taxed in the COUNTRY, and yet........Living conditions in the city are deplorable. The city is going broke. Hamilton Hill, Bellevue, Mt.Pleasant are a mess. Crime everywhere. Existing roads and over passes in shambles. A failing school system. Pension padding. 60% on welfare. Blight and historical blight. Metroplex/Gillen tax exempt handouts creating a false sense of economic security.......and the list goes on. The illegal drug dealers are about the only ones making a huge profit!!!

And these dimwits wonder why folks aren't dancing in the streets over Erie Blvd? It really doesn't take a rocket scientist here.

Quoted from 55tbird

Improve the IMPORTANT things first, and save the windows dressing until that is completed.
You said yourself that the road will only be improved from GE to state street...what about the rest of the road?
My question is how much of the 14 million will be used for road rebuilding and how much will be used for turd polishing?

If you had a job and used the entire length of the road regularly, maybe you'd have a clue on how bad the road is and how the money should be properly spent.

Actually, I said it will be improved from I-890 to Union St.  

The fact is that I do drive on Erie Blvd several times a week.  Since the federal grant could only be spent on these specific improvements, your argument that it should be spent elsewhere is just plain stupid.  Unless, you are suggesting that the city should break the law and spend the money ILLEGALLY on another line item.

I suggest that you take your hostility and jealousy -- and use it to actually do something useful and productive for your community.

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

Actually, I said it will be improved from I-890 to Union St.  

The fact is that I do drive on Erie Blvd several times a week.  Since the federal grant could only be spent on these specific improvements, your argument that it should be spent elsewhere is just plain stupid.  Unless, you are suggesting that the city should break the law and spend the money ILLEGALLY on another line item.

I suggest that you take your hostility and jealousy -- and use it to actually do something useful and productive for your community.

You mean like shifting money from water and sewer districts using bogus formulas to pay for democrat patronage jobs, and overblown cop salaries so they can pad their retirements.  I would rather have four cops making 50k patrolling, then one pulling in almost 200k.  

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

Actually, I said it will be improved from I-890 to Union St.  

The fact is that I do drive on Erie Blvd several times a week.  Since the federal grant could only be spent on these specific improvements, your argument that it should be spent elsewhere is just plain stupid.  Unless, you are suggesting that the city should break the law and spend the money ILLEGALLY on another line item.

I suggest that you take your hostility and jealousy -- and use it to actually do something useful and productive for your community.

What was plain stupid is how the grant was applied for...someone wrote it that way, don't tell me the Feds told the city they had to stop at Union st.
Believe me, I have no jealousy of you. I do something useful... by working and paying income taxes, school and property taxes,..only to see government morons piss my money away by polishing turds like this project.
BTW, ...working and paying taxes... maybe that's something you should try..

Quoted from littlesal

You mean like shifting money from water and sewer districts using bogus formulas to pay for democrat patronage jobs, and overblown cop salaries so they can pad their retirements.  I would rather have four cops making 50k patrolling, then one pulling in almost 200k.  

littlesal, where have you been?  I think you hit the nail on the head.  Co-mingling of Funds?   This little trick to get away from the tax cap is plain wrong.  Do all the tax exempt pay the sewer water and garbage fees which cant be exempt, if not then who is footing the bill?  (I know the answer)....

Can the City Journal Entries be FOILED?

Quoted from mikechristine1

Of course, you don't pay taxes so you look forward to it. This is yet another sign of spending the taxpayers money on any place but where the taxpayers live. This is yet another sign of higher taxes which means more reduction of property values.

He also wants the multi-modal bike trail- lol. The same idiotic plans from the same overpaid so-called planners. No wonder City coffers are down to only $75,000 and ALL reserve funds have been depleted. Increase the sewer fees so we can flush twice.

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

In one post, you nitwit nayboobs claim that Erie Blvd is in such horrible shape as a road,  In the next post, you attack an actual plan to rebuild and improve Erie Blvd.

The fact is that you folks have no desire to help or to see your community improve.  You folks are hell-bent on spreading your hatred, lies and deception.  

There is no attack, only discussion on the viability of the plan put forth as oppossed to better solutions to solve the total picture...unlike you contirnute with no susbtance and add claims someone suggests diggiong it up and filling with water.

Quoted from benny salami

He also wants the multi-modal bike trail- lol. The same idiotic plans from the same overpaid so-called planners. No wonder City coffers are down to only $75,000 and ALL reserve funds have been depleted. Increase the sewer fees so we can flush twice.

isn't that the multi-modal bike trail/dog park/I-890 black bear tunnel....................

From 2002................

http://news.google.com/newspap.....&pg=3175,5393082