Quick Takes (v52): Everybody's Talking

Quick Takes

We know, of course, that not all comments on social media are sincere; some are, certainly, but others are simply meant to anger, or to rile people up, or just to allow someone to be obnoxious.

Here in my neck of the woods, there's been a plan floated by a local businessman to paint Black Lives Matter, similar to how this has been done in DC and other cities, on a two-block section of one of the streets downtown. Currently, the plan is to paint the 'symbol of unity' on Friday, as part of the recognition of Juneteenth.  Local media pages are pushing the news, and the comments are about as one might expect.

Here's a sampling from a couple of different Facebook posts.

I love they are putting Blue Lives Matter all over everything glad (the) city is working with the police  Thank You!!!!!!

Amid COVID-19, they're still holding Juneteenth, but they take away Taste of Syracuse and other festivals because of this? Um okay.... Unfair, can anyone say that?  

 It's all about pressure, if you don't give in the the BLM they trash the place...again. 

Unfair

I don't endorse terrorist groups. 

 Will it be permanent or just part of the celebration? Many people use and prefer the term ALL LIVES MATTER so this isn't really a symbol of unity.

Only racist people use and prefer all lives matter.

Not even close to true.  A very racist and divisive statement. Please join us in the 21st century.

So, what you're saying is that ALL LIVES which includes black lives don't matter. Maybe you're racist.

I'm not 100% white and I believe all lives matter...matter of fact I come from a multicultural family... For people to continuously use the term 'white privilege' when one states their opinion and feelings that they believe every cultural background's lives are important, itself is a racist statement.

Well, until black lives matter, then all lives do not matter, unless you don't count black people as people.

Great choice, Syracuse! Absolutely the symbol of unity should be painted instead of BLM.

How equal is that pray tell as I see it it's one sided.

The media is taking all of this for a ride!!! 

How is this painting 'unity.' If it was unity it would be ALL lives matter. We all matter. One race. The human race! 

I would like to lay a couple strips of rubber across that saying.

 Proud to see this happening!

So glad to hear they will be painting the American flag.

Who's paying for this, the City?

Maybe the rest of us need to get together and pain on the roads and highways with all lives matter.

Who's symbol of unity is that? It symbolizes a further divide. 

 All lives matter regardless of color or occupation.

That's not unity. That is graffiti at best and endorsement of a terrorist group at worst.

BLM is a movement not a group.

It's nice to see this.

That needs to be paved over. 

Yup acid needs to be spilled on the street right there

Because painting the road solves all of life's problems. Ignorant!!!

Only paint what the woke want.

Sure let's bring segregation back. 

Give them paint to paint their houses!! Now there's something ambitious!

Why?

Because black lives matter just as much as white lives and cop lives.

And who is paying for this to be done? Taxpayers??

So, defacing the road is not criminal activity. I guess I'm going to paint on City Hall too. A big penis because they are allowing dick moves haha

They should use black paint.

This needs to end ASAP!!! Get the guards! 

How about a mural or painting for missing children next to it?

Does no one see this entire black lives matter  poor me movement hypocritical and racist? I guess it's do as I say and not as I do. 

But the road is already black. Blacktop matters.

Put it in front of Planned Parenthood .... that's where lots of black lives are taken

Every life matters so sick of all about black people. FYI 90% of black people. It's insane. It should be ALL Lives matter.

So ridiculous, everyone is too afraid to say this is wrong.

We better get this country back quick or it's gone. Stop pandering to the liberal Democrats. 

So, what do you think? Are these comments:

• Sincere
• Meant to rile people up
• Meant to make people angry
• Meant to be obnoxious

I'm curious; are others seeing these kinds of comments on similar posts? I'd love to know what it looks like where you are.

The Update Desk: Vending Machine Tax Breaks

On a couple of occasions, I've written about a nefarious tax break referred to as the 485-a. The first time was in this Meanwhile Back in Albany post from August of 2018, in which I noted

According to reporting by Tim Knauss of the Post-Standard and Syracuse.com, here's what vending machines have to do with anything.

Three vending machines at a Syracuse apartment building dispense candy, chips and soda. And they serve another purpose. They have helped the building owner avoid more than $3 million in property taxes. 

The vending machines are the only visible sign of commercial activity at Copper Beech Commons, a sprawling apartment complex for college students.

Here's why that matters: the property owner gets a lavish tax break that is available only to renovated buildings that have both commercial and residential space.  

That's right -  vending machines can be considered 'commercial space' under this really tasty tax break. And not only that, but vacant lots can be considered historic buildings. Honest, I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried.

A few of them, though, are brand new buildings, placed on lots where older structures were bulldozed, which is clearly (to anyone other than a lawyer or developer) not the type of projects the law was intended to help. There are others, in addition to Copper Beech Commons, that are student apartments, including the largest one, Theory Syracuse, which stands to save over $9 million over the 12 year term of the exemption.

The second time I talked about this, it was to report that the assessors in Syracuse were inspecting the properties to ensure that there really is a commercial operation in the building, or to tell the developers to get one.

For Copper Beech Commons, however, it seems the leaves have fallen, or something. In an article last week on Syracuse.com, Tim Knauss followed up on his original story and let us know that  Syracuse city assessors have been out inspecting properties claiming the 485-a tax break "where commercial operations were not readily evident from the street."

A small office at the property has been cleaned up, with new doors added, to try and entice a small business to lease the space and preserve the tax break. Why? Well, as city assessment commissioner David Clifford noted,

Vending machines are not a commercial use, especially when they're owned and operated by the building owner. As far as I'm concerned, that's just like having a washing machine in the basement.

The assessors last warned the developer that the vending machines did not count for the exemption four or five years ago, so there should have been no surprise that there could be problems once the last (and only) tenant of the space moved out in 2015.

I'm happy to do another update on this one: The NY State Assembly has passed a law designed to reign in abuses under section 485-a, as Bill Magnarelli, one of our local Assembly members (but not mine) announced on his Facebook page. Take a look:

Property Tax §485-a Property Tax Exemption Reform

Legislation passed the NYS Assembly today to stop abuses of the §485-a Property Tax Exemption Program. Assemblyman William Magnarelli, 129th District (D- Syracuse, Van Buren, Geddes) sponsored this legislation along with Assemblyman Sean Ryan, 149th District (D-Buffalo). Both Syracuse and Buffalo have seen some of the worst abuses under this program.

§485-a of the Real Property Tax Law allows municipalities to offer a 12-year exemption on property taxes to developers that renovate old buildings that include a mixture of commercial and residential space. However, localities have been granting exemptions to projects that should not receive them under the program. Examples of abuse include: projects with minimal or no commercial or residential uses, buildings that are nearly totally demolished and rebuilt, and projects built on vacant lots. These exemptions are costing participating localities millions of dollars each year and placing a heavier burden on other property taxpayers.

As the assessors have mentioned in the past, the law was so loosely written that they had very little guidance to go on, and at times felt their hands were tied. Going forward (assuming passage in the Senate and a signature by our Sonofa Gov), things will be different, according to Magnarelli.

The abuses under this program are egregious. §485-a exemptions should not be going to projects where the only commercial uses in the building are vending machines or storage units, or where the developer essentially demolishes the underlying structure for new construction. Local governments and assessors say the current law does not give them the authority to deny these applications. This bill gives them that authority. This program was developed to help our downtowns redevelop old buildings into useful mixed use structures. The bill passed today will return the §485-a program to this purpose. I also want to thank Assemblyman Sean Ryan for working with me to get this bill done this session.

Assemblyman Ryan echoed Magnarelli's thoughts.

Unfortunately, too often we've seen large development corporations take advantage of taxpayers by exploiting this program with facilities that clearly violate the intent of the original bill. The changes we've made will be instrumental in ensuring the redevelopment of our cities can continue, while protecting taxpayers from footing the bill for large developers who willingly misuse the program.

So, what's going to be different? Generally,

• there will be limits on the commercial purposes and uses that can quality, and they must be publicly accessible;
• at least 50% of an eligible building must be for residential units, and at least 15% of the space must have a commercial use;
• no 485-a exemptions will be given on land that was vacant prior to construction;
• at least 75% of the floor area of an eligible building must be a pure-existing structure;
• requiring the commercial portion of the building to be currently used as commercial, or to be 'in good faith contemplated' which would exclude the three vending machines in a room;
• annual certification of properties to ensure the developer is in compliance; and
• revoking the tax benefits of non-compliant properties, as well as penalties if someone makes a material misstatement on their application for the tax break.

These are common-sense changes that are needed to protect property owners in our aging cities, where local government economic development agencies and departments are too quick to offer huge property tax breaks with little regard to how that impacts residents.

Particularly here in Syracuse, where nearly 50% of our property is not taxable because the owners are eds, meds, and non-profits, we need all the help - and restraint - we can get. 

Knock Knock. Who's There? Sore Winners

Sore winners who?

Sore winners who apparently take offense to people who don't toe the line.

For most of us here in NY, the election season is over. The ads are gone (and good riddance to them); the debates are over; even most of the campaign signs have been picked up and set aside perhaps for another campaign, or maybe for a bonfire.

Many folks are probably celebrating the victory of New York's Sonofa Gov, Andrew Cuomo, who won re-election by a comfortable margin over his Republican challenger, Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro.

But Cuomo's victory was not enough for some, including Dani Lever, his campaign's Communications Director. She apparently is not happy with media outlets like my local paper, The Post-Standard and its web outlet, Syracuse.com, which failed to hop on board the Third Term Express.

The Editorial Board did not to endorse Cuomo this time, for a number of reasons. Take a look:

Cuomo is polished and forceful, a builder and a doer. He's in the conversation as a presidential contender. But under his leadership, New York's progress has been uneven.

A million New Yorkers have left the state since 2010. Upstate's economic recovery from the 2009 recession has lagged behind the nation's, and Central New York's recovery has lagged behind even more. Some of those billions the state spent on economic development went to poorly planned, corrupt or underperforming projects. While property taxes haven't gone up dramatically from year to year, they certainly haven't gone down, and New York's taxation ranking against other states has barely budged. Cuomo's fight for ethics reform has been half-hearted, at best, obstructionist, at worst. He's blind to corruption right under his nose.

If Cuomo really wanted it, New York already would have comprehensive ethics reform and real property tax relief. He won't take that on. So elect someone who will. 

And (emphasis added), 

We endorsed Cuomo in 2010 to clean up Albany, and again in 2014 despite his failure to do so. Not again. Not this time. Change in Albany starts at the top.

While Cuomo has been good for New York, many New Yorkers in Upstate aren't feeling it. New York can do better. Molinaro deserves a chance to try.

You're reading that correctly: the paper endorsed the Republican gubernatorial candidate, noting among other things.

Voters have four alternatives: Republican Marc Molinaro, Green Party candidate Howie Hawkins, independent candidate Stephanie Miner and Libertarian Larry Sharpe. We endorse Molinaro to refocus state government's attention from the national stage - the Trump resistance, Puerto Rico hurricane relief -- to the places we live, work and go to school.  

Enter the response from one of the sore loses affiliated with Cuomo's campaign:

To the Editor: 

Your Editorial Board was a steadfast supporter of Mayor Stephanie Miner throughout her term and supported Marc Molinaro against Gov. Andrew Cuomo. The election results for the city of Syracuse, the heart of your circulation area, had Cuomo winning with close to 67 percent, Marc Molinaro at 21.9 percent, Howie Hawkins at 5.3 percent and Stephanie Miner at 3.8 percent. There is clearly a significant disconnect between the positions of the editorial board and those of your readers, and considering these different realities, perhaps the Board needs to gain a better perspective. We believe performance matters in government and citizens value results and progress.

Dani Lever, Former Communications Director, Cuomo 2018

I'm not sure how much time Lever has spent here in my neck of the woods, but I wonder if she's aware of how things work around here?  

• There are over 287,261 registered voters in Onondaga County, but only 108,079, or around 37%, are Democrats.
• Syracuse residents opted for an Independent mayor last year, rejecting both the major parties and going our own way.
• Onondaga County has always had a Republican County Executive, and the Legislature has always had a Republican majority. 

Cuomo may have won 67% of the vote within the city limits, but he only won Onondaga County by about 8,500 votes, and he lost all of the surrounding counties save one, Tompkins County - demonstrating that the endorsement of Molinaro was pretty much in line with what the voters in the paper's subscription area felt.

Perhaps Lever (and her boss) are the ones in need of a better perspective?

Grains of Salt (v29): SOTC, Part 1

Grains of Salt

Last night, Ben Walsh, Syracuse's new mayor, gave his first State of the City (SOTC) address. Starting with this post, I'll take a look at how he outlined his priorities and his vision.

As the first mayor that I can remember while with young children, it seemed appropriate that he chose the Public Service Leadership Academy at Fowler High School as the location, and even more appropriate that he did a test-drive with some 60 students who are members of the Superintendent's Student Cabinet.  Walsh noted in his address that the kids were an impressive and inspiring group, that they "asked some of the most challenging questions" he faced while a candidate and as mayor, and

These young people are smart and passionate, and most important, I found them to be truly vested in the future of Syracuse. They want our city to succeed, so the challenge to all of us is to deliver a city that is attractive to them for the future.

After sharing several successes for the SCSD, including improving graduation rates, pre-k and career readiness programs, and outstanding teachers, he got right to the issues we face.

One of the highest hills we have to climb is the structural operating deficit that our city government faces. The financial reality we confront is precarious. Simply states, the city spends more than it takes in in revenue. None of us can live this way, and neither can the city.

He outlined the problem pretty succinctly:

• a stagnant revenue base
• no increase in state funding, called Aid and Incentive for Municipalities, since 2010, while the city's costs have gone up 12% or so in the same time frame 
• labor, health care, pension, utilities, waste and trash fees are all increasing 
• the very last Carousel Center - Destiny USA payment, over $3M, comes in March 
• eight labor contracts need to be negotiated 
• and, of course, there's the Cuomo 2% tax ceiling 

But -- boy, he's an optimist!

Everything I have told you is based on the realities that existed yesterday, not tomorrow. We can change course and put the city on a healthy fiscal path. 

That path will come, Walsh tells us, with the help of his Fiscal Summit Advisory Committee, a partnership with the Maxwell School at Syracuse University. The group will have recommendations due early this coming fall, in time for the 2019 budget. And, he says, the group is already seeing potential solutions towards solvency for the city.

What else is on his agenda for us? With 125 recommendations from this Transition Team, he's looking at stronger neighborhoods, better schools and inclusive growth, bringing the entire city along, allowing (eventually) everyone to Rise Above.  How will we get there?

Leveraging the work of the Office of Innovation (the I-team), which itself is leveraging our ideas; establishing accountability and measuring performance to continuously drive improvement; streaming Common Council meetings; leveraging the expertise of city employees who have ideas to do things better and more cost effectively and those types of things that are common in business, if less so in government.

Collaboration with other jurisdictions - including shared services with the County are also critical to our success, and Walsh advised he's already initiated these conversations at the local, state and federal level. One month in.

I-81 is going to be a huge key to our future, and our success, and Walsh seems to be looking at the big picture, not any one selfish interest.

When I hear discussions about a tunnel, or a new, wider viaduct, I fear the community is limited by thinking focused solely on moving cars. I challenge us to do our homework and place our focus on moving our community and our region forward.

I'll pick it up there next time.

Turn It Over on Tuesday - 2017 Edition

Hey New Yorkers -- don't forget to #TurnItOver on Tuesday!

Again this year, we'll have some ballot initiatives to consider when we go to the polls on Tuesday. (You did remember that it's time to vote again, right? Right?!)

Here's what's on the back of the ballot for all New Yorkers:

• Proposal 1, Constitutional Convention Question. "Shall there be a convention to revise the Constitution and amend the same?"

The New York State Constitution requires that every 20 years the people decide if a Constitutional Convention should be held to consider amendments to the State Constitution. The purpose of this Ballot Question is to allow the voters of New York State to determine whether a Constitutional Convention will be held in 2019.  

If a majority voting on this Question votes NO, there will be no Constitutional Convention 

If a majority votes YES, three delegates from each state senatorial district and 15 at-large statewide delegates will be elected in November 2018. The delegates will convene at the Capitol in April 2019. Amendments adopted by a majority of the delegates will be submitted to the voters for approval or rejection in a statewide referendum to be held at least six weeks after the Convention adjourns. The delegates will determine whether to submit proposed amendments as separate questions. Any amendments that the voters approve will go into effect on the January 1 following their approval. 

If a majority votes in favor of a Constitutional Convention, then the delegates will receive for their services the same compensation as that payable to Members of the Assembly. The delegates also will be reimbursed for actual traveling expenses while the Convention is in session, to the extent that Members of the Assembly would be entitled reimbursement during a session of the Legislature. 

The delegates will have the power to appoint the officers, employees and assistants that they deem necessary and to fix the compensation of those officers, employees and assistants. The delegates also will have the power to provide for the expenses of the Convention, including printing of its documents, journal and proceedings. The delegates will determine the rules of their proceedings, choose their officers, and be the judge of the election, returns and qualifications of their members. A vacancy in an office of district delegate will be filled by a vote of the remaining delegates representing the district in which the vacancy occurs; a vacancy in the office of a delegate-at-large will be filled by a vote of the remaining delegates-at-large.

• Proposal 2, Pension Forfeiture for Convicted Officials Amendment (2017). "The proposed amendment to section 7 of  Article 2 of the State Constitution would allow a court to reduce or revoke the public pension of a public officer who is convicted of a felony that has a direct and actual relationship to the performance of the public officer's existing duties.  Shall the proposed amendment be approved?"

New York's Constitution now provides that the benefits of a public pension or retirement system cannot be reduced or impaired. The purpose of the proposed amendment is to allow a court to reduce or revoke the public pension of a public officer who is convicted of a felony that has a direct and actual relationship to the performance of the public officer's existing duties. 

A court could determine, after notice to the public officer and a hearing, if a public officer convicted of such a felony would lose part or all of the pension. In reaching this determination, the court must consider factors including the seriousness of the public officer's crime, the proportionality of a reduction or revocation to the crime, whether forfeiture would result in undue hardship or other inequity to dependent children, spouse, or other dependents, and any other factors provided by the Legislature. The Legislature must enact law that puts this provision into effect, taking into account principles of fairness.  

The proposed amendment would define "public officer" to mean the following: an official filling an elected office within New York; a person holding an office that is filled by appointment by the New York Governor, whether or not that appointment has to be confirmed by the Senate: a county, city, town, or village administrator, manager or equivalent position; the head of any state or local government department, division, board, commission, bureau, public benefit corporation, or public authority in New York who is vested with authority, direction, and control over that entity; the chief fiscal officer or treasurer of a municipal corporation or political subdivision in New York; a judge or justice of the Unified Court System; and a legislative, executive or judicial employee who directly assists in the formulation of legislation, rules, regulations, policy, or judicial decision-making and who is designated by law as a policy-maker.

If approved, the amendment will apply only to crimes committed on or after January 1, 2018. 

• Proposal 3, Forest Preserve Land Bank Amendment (2017).  "The proposed amendment will create a land account with up to 250 acres of forest preserve land eligible for use by towns,villages and counties that have no viable alternative to using forest preserve land to address specific public health and safety concerns; as a substitute for the land removed from the forest preserve, another 250 acres of land, will be added to the forest preserve, subject to legislative approval. The proposed amendment also will allow bicycle trails and certain public utility lines to be located within the width specified highways that cross the forest preserve while minimizing removal of trees and vegetation. Shall the proposed amendment be approved?"

New York State's Constitution protects the State's forest preserve as wild forest land and generally prohibits the lease, sale, exchange or taking of any forest preserve land. The proposed amendment will create two new exceptions to this broad protection of the forest preserve to make it easier for municipalities to undertake certain health and safety projects. 

 First, the proposed amendment will create a land account of up to 250 acres of forest preserve land. A town, village or county can apply to the land account if it has no viable alternative to using forest preserve land for specified health and safety purposes. These purposes are (1) to address bridge hazards or safety on specified highways; (2) to eliminate the hazards of dangerous curves and grades on specified highways; (3) to relocate, reconstruct, and maintain highways; and (4) for water wells and necessary related accessories located within 530 feed of a specified highway, where needed to meet drinking water quality standards. The State will acquire 250 acres to add to the forest preserve to replace the land placed in the health and safety land account, subject to approval by the Legislature. 

Second, the proposed amendment will allow bicycle paths and types of public utility lines to be located within the widths of specified highways that cross forest preserve land. The work on the bicycle paths and utility lines must minimize the removal of trees and vegetation. The proposed amendment will allow a stabilization device (such as a guy wire) for an existing utility pole to be located near the width of a highway when necessary to ensure public health and safety and when no other viable option exists. The proposed amendment prohibits the construction of a new intrastate gas or oil pipeline that did not receive necessary state and local permits and approvals by June 1, 2016. 

The Ballotopedia links I've included for each of the three statewide initiatives provide e a ton of helpful information, including who has lined up in favor and opposed; how well organized the two sides are; how much money has been raised; and what the possible benefits and ramifications are if the proposals pass. I encourage you to review the information, particularly on Proposal 1, which is the most contentious of the three.

In addition, for those of us here in Onondaga County, there's one more.

• Shall there be approved in Onondaga County, Local Law No___-2017, entitled, "A Local Law Amending the Onondaga County Charter and Administrative Code Regarding the Onondaga County Department . of Correction," playing the Onondaga County Department of Corrections under the control of the Sheriff?

Why are we talking about this one?  

• Onondaga County is the only county in  New York that still has divided responsibility over pretrial and post-conviction incarceration oversight. Here, the sheriff's office has responsibility for the Justice Center Jail (where prisoners awaiting trial are held) but not the county's penitentiary, which is where convicted criminals are housed. 
• In addition to being the only one who does it goofy, we could save some money here, we're told; if the sheriff controlled all of the cells, we'd have better control over making sure we don't have empty cells in one facility but overcrowding in the other, which has caused us to pay to house them in facilities outside the county.
• And, of course, because we're looking at consolidation in government (as opposed to a takeover of the city by the county) and this one seems like a no-brainer for the county. 

Remember -- Be sure to #TurnItOver tomorrow when (not if, when) you vote!

Grains of Salt (v22): All Hail Ride-Hailing

Just after midnight, Uber and Lyft become legal in our neck of the woods here in Central NY, across Upstate, and on Long Island.

Long a staple in New York City, it wasn't until this most recent legislative session that our State Legislators figured out a way to make it happen, and even then, they had to reduce the normal 90-day effective date to 80 days so that the services could be available for the Independence Day weekend.

A year ago this week, I published a post raising some concerns beyond the ones that had been raised by politicians and the editorial board of the paper. While many of them were concerned about things like background checks, past issues with the drivers (contractors of, not employed by the ride-sharing services), lack of accessibility for the disabled, and so on, I questioned how this would impact the existing infrastructure of taxi drivers, who are heavily regulated under the Syracuse Municipal Code.

Furthermore, Syracuse has regulated rates, from the drop charge (the initial charge that's on the meter before the taxi pulls away from the curb, currently $2.80), the per-mile price (currently $2.50), and, for airport taxis, the flat rate zone price to get from Hancock International Airport to downtown, the University, to my house here in The Valley, or anywhere else.

And, don't forget the licensing fees, renewal fees, and the limitation on the number of ground transportation licenses that can be issued in the city, currently 200 plus whatever is needed for the airport. 

Would all of the current rules and regs that apply to taxis apply to ride-hailing companies? Would the number of licenses be expanded to accommodate an unknown number of entrepreneurs, those jobs the mayor and others are looking forward to? Would the same rates, metering and other rules apply?

Last night, I checked the codes for taxis and, to no real surprise, found no changes to the regulations. Syracuse is still limited to 200 taxis outside the airport service; there are still specific fees for mileage, wait time and the meter drop charge; all of the licensing and other requirements are also still in place.

The local news was all over the new service, including letting us know that Lyft (but not yet Uber) had signed a deal with the airport to provide services, giving people a choice between the unregulated entrepreneur and the regulated existing business. And, we learned that thousands of people have signed up to be Uber drivers (Lyft has not disclosed their numbers).

In January, Uber announced that 50,000 people in Upstate New York had gone through initial steps of becoming drivers, and 10,000 of them were in Syracuse.

Pretend even a fraction of them make themselves available for pickup on Thursday -- there'll be cars everywhere!

Fares have not yet been announced, that I can find. I tried an Uber rate estimator, to get from my house to the airport, but came up empty. However, I was assured on the website that even with a 20% tip, the fare should be cheaper than calling a cab.  We'll see if that's true with the taxes that's being added on - a 4% assessment fee which goes to NY's general fund, and a 2.5% surcharge to cover workers comp insurance for the driver.

But from what I did read, there will be a similar structure as that for taxis - as noted in the link above on tipping, which looks to b boilerplate language with dropped in city names.

There is a base fare, a charge per mile and a charge per minute. It looks like the pricing structure you know well from all the miles you have logged in Syracuse,NY cabs. But Uber Fare Estimator actually uses a bit different pricing model. Uber taxis in Syracuse, NY charge riders per mile when moving, and per minute when idling. Even so, Uber rates do beat cab fares in Syracuse, NY.

In addition to regulatory differences and pricing differences, there's also a potential concern about coverage. For example, it was reported that some taxi drivers are dropping out of those ranks to become hailed ride drivers because they didn't like being dispatched to certain parts of town.  Said one driver (who may not fully understand how the new service works)

(Driving a taxi) was dangerous because sometimes the dispatcher would send us to like the real bad neighborhoods. The dispatcher would just throw you in there, to the wolves. With Uber, I will decline it if they send me to a bad neighborhood.

On the plus side, there are discussions underway with Centro, our public transportation service, to see if there are ways to serve populations of the city that rely on public transportation the most - low income folks - who are currently underserved in some locations and at particular times of day.

Much more to come on this as things move along; time will tell whether ride-sharing will take off here as it has in other areas. I hope that if it does, it's not because we failed to make it as easy for existing businesses to be successful as we're trying to make it for the new model to work, and that we end up with more accessible service to all residents, not less.

The Update Desk: The SU Bookstore

This one is the story that will never die, I'm afraid.

It was back in July of 2012 that I first wrote about the bookstore/fitness center/retail complex that was proposed by the Cameron Group LLC for a corner of the Syracuse University hill. The first post was on the question of offering a 30 year payment-in-lieu-of-taxes, or PILOT agreement. It was actually the second time that vote was being considered; the first time, it was pulled in the face of certain failure.

The second post, on the same day, was announcing the not-surprising outcome - approval of the deal by a "bitterly divided" council on a 5-4 vote. To get the approval, there were some binding attachments to the deal, including minority hiring requirements for the developer, and fitness programs for minors, to be developed by SU. If these requirements were not met, the PILOT could be revoked.

Fast forward to April 2014, when we next heard about the bookstore project - or, I should say, the lack of a bookstore project.

The Syracuse Industrial Development Agency's directors asked their lawyer last month to look into the status of the $20 million project after noticing no construction occurring at the project site at the northeast corner of University Avenue and East Adams Street.  The same agency declared the developer, Cameron Group LLC, in default of its tax deal in November because construction had not started by the August 21 deadline included in the deal.   

Say again?  The project was given only the second 30-year PILOT ever offered by the SIDA (Carousel Mall/DestinyUSA being the first) and nothing was going on at the construction sight? For the second time? Ah, but everything's OK, we were told. The developer promised to get the building completed on time, ready for opening in June of 2015, and there should be no concern, honest everything's fine.

Then, in June of 2014, SU fired Cameron Group, noting that

The developer has been unable to adequately address the University's concerns or demonstrate a credible ability to successfully complete the project as it had contractually agreed to do so.

Shortly thereafter, the university and the developer filed suits against each other; settlement negotiations began, and bike lanes remained blocked.

In August 2015, the University took steps to restore the construction site to its pre-development status, making it pretty again, opening up the bike lanes, laying sod and the like.

And now, we learn that SU is suing Bond, Shoeneck and King, their lawyers, for failing to include a clause in the contract with Cameron that would have required them to act a little more aggressively to get everything in order.  The missing clause notes that "time is of the essence" and, had it been present, SU feels they would have been able to fire the developer for lack of progress without being liable for anything.

And had time been of the essence for the developer, rather than for the Common Council who felt a special session was necessary to get this thing approved in the first place  back in 2012, we might have a thriving facility up on the Hill. Instead, we've got no development, no $64K a year in taxes, no new bookstore, no fitness programs for city kids, and so on.

We've got nothing.

Grains of Salt (v13): Wendy Long's "NY Values"

Who is this Wendy Long person, and why is she coming to Syracuse to sow the seeds of hate?

According to the slick video with it's appropriately doomy-gloomy soundtrack on her US Senate campaign website, here's her story.

I'm a wife, mother and an attorney. America has given me so much. I was blessed with great, hardworking parents, and I had a rare opportunity to learn from some of the best about what makes our country great. I clerked for one of them at the US Supreme Court (note - she's referring to Clarence Thomas).  

I believe in real New York values: individual freedom, hard work, personal responsibility, strong families, generosity to our fellow citizens, and love for our neighbors. I'm running for the United States Senate to bring those values back.

She goes on to quote the patron saint of GOP, Ronald Reagan, who I'm sure is spinning in his grave at what's become of the Republican Party.

Ronald Reagan said, "Government is supposed to be the people's servant, not its master." We have got to put government back in its place and let free people and free markets create opportunity and prosperity for all, not just the privileged few. And right now, in 2016, there's an energy I've never seen, to reclaim our freedoms and the limited self-government that our constitution gives us.

I won't hit her on the last part, but I do have to question the middle part, about hard work, personal responsibility, strong families, and particularly generosity to our fellow citizens and love for our neighbors.  Why? Because based on her tweets about Syracuse, she clearly has not watched her own video since it was filmed in her kitchen, and needs some reminding.

Here's what she posted about us.  The first tweet is a beauty, for sure:.

Welcome to Syracuse. Holy Trinity Church, beautiful church of German and Italian immigrants, is now a mosque.  

Pardon my language, but what the hell is that?

Ms. Long fails to tell her presumably avid followers that Holy Trinity had sat empty for a few years, leaving a gaping hole in the neighborhood, as the diocese of Syracuse started reconfiguring their real estate portfolio because of declining enrollment. 15 churches were closed.  It would likely still be empty today, had it not been rescued.

The North Side Learning Center is a non-profit group that teaches English to adults and children on the North Side, where immigrants - including the Germans and Italians Long mentioned -- have long found refuge and have long built a life for themselves and their families. Initially, they were interested in the school and not the church itself, but they got both for $150,000. It was then that talk turned to using the church as a mosque, and that Masjid Isa Ibn Maryam was born.

"Welcome to Syracuse" where we'll help you learn the language and allow you to practice your religion in an empty building built by people who came here and learned the language more than a century before practiced their religion. Horrible place we have here, I guess.

Here's another of the tweets from the woman who wants to replace Chuck Schumer in Washington.

Neighborhood where the mosque displaced the church. Crime prostitution money laundering. Nice Dem control of cities.

So, again, let's review the facts.  The church was empty -- so the only thing 'displaced' by the mosque was dust and cobwebs.

Next, the house with a street address of 2020 doesn't seem to put it in the neighborhood of the mosque, which is located at 501 Park Street. I'm not sure any of the streets in that neighborhood (I used to live not far from there) has numbers that go that high.

Furthermore, a search of the crime database shows a total of three reported crimes in the general area of the mosque, none of them prostitution or money-laundering. We do appreciate that you admit there's "probably not" a direct connection between the Muslims and crime, but did you share that with your Twitter followers? I doubt it.

"Welcome to Syracuse" where out-of-town politicians who know nothing about our community come to town, spew lies, and move on.  Yes, Wendy, I'm talking about you.

The last one of your tweets is the worst of all.

It's designed to inspire hatred and fear and, frankly, it says much more about you than it does about Syracuse. It says much more about you than your slick video ever could.

Crosses down, crescents up.  

That's so insightful, Wendy. Thanks for sharing.  But don't let the actual story get in the way of your hateful narrative.

Because the actual story is one of "individual freedom, hard work, personal responsibility, generosity to our fellow citizens and love for our neighbors," which you proclaim to be "real New York values" and which, I'm sure, you think you practice.

The story you missed on your visit here?  That the people running the mosque have reached out, over and over, to the neighbors and to former parishioners of Holy Trinity, and that they have invested time, money, hard work, well beyond what they ever thought they would do. That they have made the transformation from cross to crescent as respectfully as possible. That even the diocese is OK with the change.

The diocese acknowledges that changes to a former parish building may be difficult for some, however the building is once again being used to meet the needs of a growing population on the North Side, just as Holy Trinity Church did as it served the Catholic faithful.

And you know what? The whole Ronald Reagan thing? It was the free market that allowed the free people of the North Side Learning Center to create opportunity  and purchase the former church in the first place. So yeah, I'll hit you on that part too.

"Welcome to Syracuse," Wendy?  "Real New York values," Wendy? You say you talked to neighbors, but did you talk to any of the folks from the mosque? Maybe you were afraid one of those crescents was going to fall on your head?  Or maybe you were afraid that your hate and lack of knowledge would be exposed?

Thanks for stopping in Syracuse, Wendy.  Don't let our real New York values hit you in the butt on your way out of town.

Grains of Salt (v12): The Great NY State Fair

The Great New York State Fair is just around the corner.  The twelve-day extravaganza of food, music, rides, games, competitions, and people-watching starts on August 25th, and as might be expected, things are moving a furious pace to get ready.

We all remember the implosion of the Grandstand, and the resulting landscape changes - sort of our version of someone coming in to pave paradise and put up a parking lot. When the Fair is not in town, that's what it looks like - a giant stone parking lot, with a few street lamps and not a whole lot else.  This helps make the midway bigger and allows for more rides, but it's hard on the eyes, and harder on the reminiscing.

Of course, had they not taken down the Grandstand, there would be no Lakeview Amphitheater, the new venue for paid Fair concerts. I think this will be an interesting test for the Fair. Will people still come and spend hours on the grounds before their concert and then head over to the Amp for a show, or will they skip the Fair and go straight to their concert?  And how will either of those scenarios impact the bottom line for Fair vendors?

Other changes that have made the news include two of the most popular attractions at the Fair.

First, there was the threat to double -- double! -- price of the 25-cent cup of milk at the Rainbow Milk Bar, a long-time Fair staple. Not only that, but we learned that the powers that be are changing the name to just the Milk Bar, since there are only two flavors now. The name change will likely go through, but there's been a reversal on the price change.

David Lassman photo/syracuse.com

Why, you ask? Because ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-changes sometimes come when politicians see an opportunity, and our Sonofa Gov is no slacker in this department. In a statement announcing that the state will kick in $90,000 for the non-profit that runs the milk bar, Governor Cuomo noted

The Great New York State Fair showcases the very best New York has to offer, which includes milk and dairy products that are second to none. This action will help ensure more visitors drawn by the Fair's $50M renovation will taste the difference for themselves.

I'd have paid the 50 cents for a cup of nice cold New York chocolate milk, one of the highlights of the Fair for me, but I admit it'll taste better at half the price.

And -- this is a big one - they're moving the baked potato booth to the empty restaurant in the Horticulture Building.

Readers not from around here might wonder what the attraction is of standing in line for a long time -- I mean, a long time -- to get a piping hot baked potato in the heat and humidity of late August or early September in Central New York, but this is a huge draw and, next to four cups of chocolate milk, it's the best dollar you can spend at the Fair.

The latest kerfuffle involves the park-and-ride spots. Centro, our public transportation company, has long offered State Fair shuttles from various locations. This year, three spots in Onondaga County are being consolidated into two, including one moved from a mall to a park somewhat off the beaten path. Centro is facing some pressure on this, as they do with every change they propose in the area's transportation schedules.

Will everything work out in the end, like the battle over the milk prices? There's less than a week to get everything squared away, so one can only hope.

Grains of Salt (v11): New Flood Maps

Quite a while back, it seems, FEMA came into Syracuse with a flood map that seemed to scare the bejeezus out of half the people in the city, who suddenly found themselves in the unenviable position of facing having to purchase flood insurance for their homes.

Among the most heavily impacted areas were poor neighborhoods along Onondaga Creek southwest of downtown; Armory Square, the hip bar, restaurant, retail and residential neighborhood downtown, and the Meadowbrook neighborhood on the East Side.

When the maps came out back in 2012, we were happy to learn that our house was spared. Our property is separated from Onondaga Creek by a soccer field owned by Faith Heritage School, three doors down from us. The creek is in a pretty deep ditch, if you will, when it runs behind the properties on our block, which is anchored by Ballantyne Ave to the north and Seneca Turnpike to the south.

The City and elected officials, including Senator Chuck Schumer, have been going back and forth with FEMA for the past several years (this article is from 2010, for example), trying to have adjustments made in the map, trying to limit the number of homeowners and businesses impacted by the sudden need for flood insurance, which for many would be prohibitive.

The 2012 maps added about 1,100 properties to the flood zone; with the updated information and the fighting back and forth between our local folks and FEMA, the numbers have shifted a bit. The latest data shows some 876 properties added and 237 removed, resulting in 1,602 properties in the final flood zone.

I checked the map again today, and was delighted to learn that we're still not in the zone. But what's mind-boggling is that Faith Heritage School (the large structure at the bottom of the Google Earth image here), the owners of that soccer field behind us?  They're in the zone.

At the other end of the block, near Ballantyne? The Syracuse Alliance Church,  the building with the red roof at the top of the image -- yeah, they're in the zone too.

And all of my neighbors, between the school and the church? Not a single one is in the zone. Not one.

I'm not one to look a gift horse in the mouth -- I'm thankful that we don't have to come up with the extra money for flood insurance, and I'm sure my neighbors feel the same way.

What's hard to imagine, though, is what happens next for folks that are in better neighborhoods and find themselves in the flood zone.  How is their property value impacted? How much of a hit will there be if they go to sell their property which wasn't in a flood zone when it was built or when the current owners purchased the house, but now is? Would they be able to fight for - and win - a reduction in their property tax assessment?

For folks who weren't topographically fortunate, like we were, seems there's more to come on all of this.

Tuesday's Number: $240,616

Tuesday is the day my local paper, The Post-Standard, publishes the weekly business section. In addition to special features, tips from stock experts, budgeting advice and the like, we get the judgment and bankruptcy listings.

This is the fourth full year I’ve been tracking these numbers – I captured part of the year in 2012 – and the third year that I’ve captured filings by hospital.  I include anything that is likely a patient debt owed to a hospital, nursing home, physician or physician group, medical supplier, and so on; I do not include filings by insurance companies, many of which are so diversified it would not be a fair assumption that the filing is related to medical care or health insurance.

In the first three years, the overall total was $67,965,862 – a staggering amount of money for a relatively small metropolitan area that includes the city of Syracuse and her suburbs, the towns and villages of Onondaga County, and to a lesser extent, some of the even smaller neighboring towns and villages.  As I reported in the 2015 recap, we turned sharply down last year – some $7M – and the hope is that we will continue to see progress in the overall total. Of course, a better sign of health would be an increase in the number of satisfied judgments; people’s ability to pay off their debt (or their willingness, as the case may be) is something else I’m hoping to see this year. 

While the judgments weren't bad - only four, totaling $200,962 - it seems we're starting out the quarter on the wrong foot in our other two categories: no satisfied judgments and two bankruptcies, totaling $39,654.

Here’s the breakdown by hospital:

• Crouse had three of the four judgments, for $33,619
• SUNY Upstate picked up the two bankruptcies, for the $39,654 noted above.

The remaining judgment for $167,343 was for a rehab facility in Oswego.

The paper only publishes filings of $5,000 or more.

Tuesday's Number: $148,426

Tuesday is the day my local paper, The Post-Standard, publishes the weekly business section. In addition to special features, tips from stock experts, budgeting advice and the like, we get the judgment and bankruptcy listings.

This is the fourth full year I’ve been tracking these numbers – I captured part of the year in 2012 – and the third year that I’ve captured filings by hospital.  I include anything that is likely a patient debt owed to a hospital, nursing home, physician or physician group, medical supplier, and so on; I do not include filings by insurance companies, many of which are so diversified it would not be a fair assumption that the filing is related to medical care or health insurance.

In the first three years, the overall total was $67,965,862 – a staggering amount of money for a relatively small metropolitan area that includes the city of Syracuse and her suburbs, the towns and villages of Onondaga County, and to a lesser extent, some of the even smaller neighboring towns and villages.  As I reported in the 2015 recap, we turned sharply down last year – some $7M – and the hope is that we will continue to see progress in the overall total. Of course, a better sign of health would be an increase in the number of satisfied judgments; people’s ability to pay off their debt (or their willingness, as the case may be) is something else I’m hoping to see this year. 

There were nine new judgments this week, totaling $118,211; one satisfied judgment, for $5,384, and one bankruptcy, for $35,599. 

Here's the breakdown by hospital:

• Crouse had the repayment, for a net credit of $5384
• St Joe's added one, for $5,013
• SUNY picked up nine, totaling $148,797

The paper publishes only those filings of $5,000 or more. 

Tuesday's Number: $224,523

Tuesday is the day my local paper, The Post-Standard, publishes the weekly business section. In addition to special features, tips from stock experts, budgeting advice and the like, we get the judgment and bankruptcy listings.

This is the fourth full year I’ve been tracking these numbers – I captured part of the year in 2012 – and the third year that I’ve captured filings by hospital.  I include anything that is likely a patient debt owed to a hospital, nursing home, physician or physician group, medical supplier, and so on; I do not include filings by insurance companies, many of which are so diversified it would not be a fair assumption that the filing is related to medical care or health insurance.

In the first three years, the overall total was $67,965,862 – a staggering amount of money for a relatively small metropolitan area that includes the city of Syracuse and her suburbs, the towns and villages of Onondaga County, and to a lesser extent, some of the even smaller neighboring towns and villages.  As I reported in the 2015 recap, we turned sharply down last year – some $7M – and the hope is that we will continue to see progress in the overall total. Of course, a better sign of health would be an increase in the number of satisfied judgments; people’s ability to pay off their debt (or their willingness, as the case may be) is something else I’m hoping to see this year. 

There were 20 new judgments this week, totaling $260,810; there were five satisfied judgments, the first in four weeks, totaling $36,287. And again, there were no satisfied judgments; it’s been ten weeks since we had an obvious health-care related bankruptcy.

Here’s the breakdown by hospital:

• Crouse had one, for $7,040
• St. Joe’s picked up five, for $75,082
• SUNY Upstate had 14, including all of the repayments, for a net of $142,401

The paper only publishes filings of $5,000 or more.

Tuesday's Number: $308,641

Tuesday is the day my local paper, The Post-Standard, publishes the weekly business section. In addition to special features, tips from stock experts, budgeting advice and the like, we get the judgment and bankruptcy listings.

This is the fourth full year I’ve been tracking these numbers – I captured part of the year in 2012 – and the third year that I’ve captured filings by hospital.  I include anything that is likely a patient debt owed to a hospital, nursing home, physician or physician group, medical supplier, and so on; I do not include filings by insurance companies, many of which are so diversified it would not be a fair assumption that the filing is related to medical care or health insurance.

In the first three years, the overall total was $67,965,862 – a staggering amount of money for a relatively small metropolitan area that includes the city of Syracuse and her suburbs, the towns and villages of Onondaga County, and to a lesser extent, some of the even smaller neighboring towns and villages.  As I reported in the 2015 recap, we turned sharply down last year – some $7M – and the hope is that we will continue to see progress in the overall total. Of course, a better sign of health would be an increase in the number of satisfied judgments; people’s ability to pay off their debt (or their willingness, as the case may be) is something else I’m hoping to see this year. 

There were 20 new judgments this week, totaling $308,641. For the third week in a row, there were no satisfied judgments; it’s been nine weeks since we had an obvious health-care related bankruptcy.

Here’s the breakdown by hospital:

• Crouse had one, for $20,310
• SUNY Upstate had 16, totaling $269,392
• Community General, SUNY’s other campus, had one, for $6,849

 A local rehab facility had the final $12,090 judgment.  St. Joe’s had no filings reported.

The paper only publishes filings of $5,000 or more.