Metroplex should be abolished. It has created one of the worst economic droughts this City has EVER seen.
Metroplex has created a hostile economic environment for businesses by creating an unfair advantage for those businesses receiving government handouts and taxbreaks. Also, the Plex has overburdened the small percentage of property taxpayers..many middle class.
Schenectady has become dependent upon the DSS receipients and non-taxpaying for-profit businesses and the only people funding the City budget are the home owners/property owners.
The City has to step up and take pride in itself! It needs to REFUSE to allow Metroplex to give away its million dollar properties. Downtown would be worth something if the Metroplex never existed!!!!
Personally, I would like to see the laws changed so that a county (or one day the "regional government entity") would not need a separate Metroplex entity with a separate board -- but that all of the decisions would be made by the DIRECTLY ELECTED County Board or Legislature (or the board/legislature of whatever the new regional entity is).
This exists NOW! It is called the democratic liberal progressive socialists that run and own everything and everybody in the city!!! Ask the overburdened taxpayers how that is working out for them.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Personally, I would like to see the laws changed so that a county (or one day the "regional government entity") would not need a separate Metroplex entity with a separate board ....
HEY! DV! METROPLEX IS NOT NEEDED NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The PROOF that they are not needed now is the UNDISPUTABLE UNDENIABLE FACT that they have NOT done anything to improve Shenectady.
Has Metroplex increased the tax base????? Huh? Well DV???????
Has the existence of Metroplex resulted in peoples homes increasing in value? There's no metroplex in Saratoga and property vlues are many times higher with taxes many times lower.
What effect has Metroplex had on the taxes---especially in the city????? You wouldn't know what effect it has had because you don't own property, you don't pay taxes, heck, you don't even know what a property tax bill looks like. You actually had the stupidity to use your lack of knowledge about taxes to claim that the county taxes are the lowest in 50 years, but you haven't been able to explain how you arrive at that conclusion, you haven't been able to produce any evidence to support your statement.
Has the city been helped with Metroplex when it create a new fee---thus having homeonwers PAY TWICE for trash (first through their "tax" based on their assessed value and second through the "fee") and then have it increased twice in about 6 years!!!!
Has Metroplex resulted in a better quality of life for the residents of the city? is the quality of life enhanced when children have to dodge bullets when playing outside?
And then, while homeowners are struggling to pay their taxes, being forced to take out loans to fix up their own houses while paying for the new or renovated buildings of millionaire property owners downtown, and now the taxpayers will have to foot the bill for housing for kids at SCCC complete with not onnly the construction of the buildling but also paying the utility bills for the kids, providing them their own personal dishwashers (when homeowners can't afford to buy one themselves) and then paying for cable and internet for the kids in their apartments. Wow, those kids are going to get done with school expecting the government to provide for everything, they will go out into life with a rude awakening when they learn that they have to pay bills themselves. I can imagine them looking for an apartment after college saying to the landlord, "There's no dishwashing machine? You mean I have to provide my own microwave. It's not furnished? You mean my rent doesn't include heat and electric and doesn't include cable TV and internet?"
But then, obviously we know why DV doesn't live on his own.
So, DV tell us why you claim Metroplex has been a necessity but more importantly, tell us what Metroplex has done for the homeowners/taxpayers in the city?
Of course, no answer will be posted listing how Metroplex has benefited the homeowner/taxpayers
Optimists close their eyes and pretend problems are non existent. Better to have open eyes, see the truths, acknowledge the negatives, and speak up for the people rather than the politicos and their rich cronies.
Metroplex should be abolished. It has created one of the worst economic droughts this City has EVER seen. The City has to step up and take pride in itself! It needs to REFUSE to allow Metroplex to give away its million dollar properties. Downtown would be worth something if the Metroplex never existed!!!!
EXACTLY! When Metrograft was established by Farley he said it would be a model for the Nation. Ten years later NO ONE wants it. All these DEM idiots have done is give away tax exemptions as documented by MC1. Stop blaming Union College and abolish this socialism on steroids. All Downtown properties should be fully assessed and the homeowners given a break.
Personally, I would like to see the laws changed so that a county (or one day the "regional government entity") would not need a separate Metroplex entity with a separate board -- but that all of the decisions would be made by the DIRECTLY ELECTED County Board or Legislature (or the board/legislature of whatever the new regional entity is).
So you would like to stream line a centrally planned economy by consolidating power into fewer hands, and give the politicians direct control over the tax dollars? That never works in centrally planned economies because the economic decisions must be made rapidly in order to respond to sudden changes in the economy. A centrally planned economy cannot wait for political deliberation and the planner cannot be held politically accountable at the ballot box for poor decision. That is why America's centrally planned economy and Schenectady County's for that matter, is controlled by unelected bureaucrats.
This is why I laugh when people blame capitalism for economic problems in America. We haven't seen capitalism in 100 years. It is economic fascism - or corporatism if that word makes people feel more comfortable.
This exists NOW! It is called the democratic liberal progressive socialists that run and own everything and everybody in the city!!! Ask the overburdened taxpayers how that is working out for them.
Actually it does not exist now. The voters don't get to elect the Metroplex Board. If they are spending our money, they should be elected by us not appointed. And since we already have an elected County Legislature, it doesn't make sense to have a separate non-elected board making decisions about how our tax dollars are spent.
George Amedore & Christian Klueg for NYS Senate 2016 Pete Vroman for State Assembly 2016[/size][/color]
"For this is what America is all about. It is the uncrossed desert and the unclimbed ridge. It is the star that is not reached and the harvest that is sleeping in the unplowed ground." Lyndon Baines Johnson
So you would like to stream line a centrally planned economy by consolidating power into fewer hands, and give the politicians direct control over the tax dollars? That never works in centrally planned economies because the economic decisions must be made rapidly in order to respond to sudden changes in the economy. A centrally planned economy cannot wait for political deliberation and the planner cannot be held politically accountable at the ballot box for poor decision. That is why America's centrally planned economy and Schenectady County's for that matter, is controlled by unelected bureaucrats.
This is why I laugh when people blame capitalism for economic problems in America. We haven't seen capitalism in 100 years. It is economic fascism - or corporatism if that word makes people feel more comfortable.
Actually, I am saying that voters should be able to elect the people who our spend tax dollars. I believe that is what the American Revolution was fought for. The Metroplex Board spends our tax dollars but not one of its members is elected by the voters. Since we already elect the County Legislature, it would be the simplest and most natural thing to do --- eliminate the separate board and have the County Legislators vote on all the matters that the Metroplex Board currently votes on. That way - the people making the decisions would be accountable DIRECTLY to the voters.
Oh -- and regional economic planning is NOT socialism or fascism or corporatism. It is just the most effective way to do economic planning and development.
George Amedore & Christian Klueg for NYS Senate 2016 Pete Vroman for State Assembly 2016[/size][/color]
"For this is what America is all about. It is the uncrossed desert and the unclimbed ridge. It is the star that is not reached and the harvest that is sleeping in the unplowed ground." Lyndon Baines Johnson
Actually, I am saying that voters should be able to elect the people who our spend tax dollars. I believe that is what the American Revolution was fought for. The Metroplex Board spends our tax dollars but not one of its members is elected by the voters. Since we already elect the County Legislature, it would be the simplest and most natural thing to do --- eliminate the separate board and have the County Legislators vote on all the matters that the Metroplex Board currently votes on. That way - the people making the decisions would be accountable DIRECTLY to the voters.
Oh -- and regional economic planning is NOT socialism or fascism or corporatism. It is just the most effective way to do economic planning and development.
Look who's talking about accountability all of a sudden. What's the matter? Are you beginning to see the truth on how YOUR DEM BUDDIES and their Metroplex people are screwing things up big time in Schenectady?
Are you finally beginning to see the truths---the things that I, as a highly intelligent taxpayer have been saying all along---that Metroplex is NOT helping the city, the tax base has plummeted under Metroplex and the dems, home values have plummeted, taxes have increased, people are losing their homes. Are you finally willing to admit that.
Hey, Metroplex CAN be eliminated, let's see you go to the county legislative meetings and start callinng for an end to it! While your at it, let's hear you call for an end to all the wild spending on downtown and the expense of us taxpayers (that does NOT include you because YOU do NOT pay property taxes to the county----hell, you don't even understand taxes, you can't even tell us HOW you arrive at the conclusion that the county taxes are lower today than 50 years ago---been waiting for your explanation of that one for, what, a year now?)
And how about calling for an en to the tax exemptions on all these downtown projects.
Optimists close their eyes and pretend problems are non existent. Better to have open eyes, see the truths, acknowledge the negatives, and speak up for the people rather than the politicos and their rich cronies.
Actually, I am saying that voters should be able to elect the people who our spend tax dollars. I believe that is what the American Revolution was fought for. The Metroplex Board spends our tax dollars but not one of its members is elected by the voters. Since we already elect the County Legislature, it would be the simplest and most natural thing to do --- eliminate the separate board and have the County Legislators vote on all the matters that the Metroplex Board currently votes on. That way - the people making the decisions would be accountable DIRECTLY to the voters.
Oh -- and regional economic planning is NOT socialism or fascism or corporatism. It is just the most effective way to do economic planning and development.
OMG....YOU'RE GONNA MAKE ME SAY IT....AGAIN!!!!
YOU DUMBA$$....WE ALREADY HAVE ELECTED OFFICIALS TO LEGISLATE/COLLECT/ENFORCE/SPEND OUR TAX DOLLARS ALOT OF WHICH ARE ON CONTRACTS/COLAS....
Rotterdam has direct contact with our elected and zoning board AND a comp plan...yet the elected LEAVE OUT THE TAX PAYERS....
Going back to the original article, I love how the mayor states the city has impressive services, really? The school struggles to graduate 60%, that's a success? The police force has had decades of corruption and law breaking by the cops themselves. He considers them a success? Snow removal is the worst in the area, once again, he considers this a success? City residents pay top dollar for these services and because of decades of poor leadership they get absolute sh*t in return. This mayor is completely delusional.
Actually, I am saying that voters should be able to elect the people who our spend tax dollars. I believe that is what the American Revolution was fought for. The Metroplex Board spends our tax dollars but not one of its members is elected by the voters. Since we already elect the County Legislature, it would be the simplest and most natural thing to do --- eliminate the separate board and have the County Legislators vote on all the matters that the Metroplex Board currently votes on. That way - the people making the decisions would be accountable DIRECTLY to the voters..
Let's start ending redundancy at the town level and get rid of the planning commission.
IT ACTUALLY EXISTS AT THE FREAKING PLEASURE OF THE TAXPAYERS.....
TIME TO RAID THE FRIDGE FOLKS.....
You are the dumb a** and obviously can't read very well -- I never said Metroplex was a mandated service. And you definitely do not have your facts in order -- Metroplex does not exist at the "pleasure of the taxpayers" -- The taxpayers can not vote for its board nor can they vote to dissolve the entity.
George Amedore & Christian Klueg for NYS Senate 2016 Pete Vroman for State Assembly 2016[/size][/color]
"For this is what America is all about. It is the uncrossed desert and the unclimbed ridge. It is the star that is not reached and the harvest that is sleeping in the unplowed ground." Lyndon Baines Johnson
Logged
EXACTLY! When Metrograft was established by Farley he said it would be a model for the Nation. Ten years later NO ONE wants it. All these DEM idiots have done is give away tax exemptions as documented by MC1. Stop blaming Union College and abolish this socialism on steroids. All Downtown properties should be fully assessed and the homeowners given a break. 
