we will fail in upstate

[mark3274]

thats a pretty sobering assessment coming from a county exec...


turn it around? how the state is like to oppsing forces attached at the hip unless the ties to NYC are cut upstate ny will fail as predicted and buffalo and rochester will be ghost town usa

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060118/BUSINESS/601180316/1001

[rob on the job]

Cripes, they've been saying this for years and years. When I was in the newspaper, I wrote a bunch of stories on the WNY "brain drain" and "middle-class flight" topics.

It's a real problem that is exacerbated by unbelievable taxes, but the pessimists tend to ignore factors that have kept or drawn people to WNY: the low cost of housing, cheap and plentiful water service in municipalities, and -- perhaps most importantly of all -- dwindling space and jobs and mounting problems in the Sunbelt.

[mark3274]

Cripes, they've been saying this for years and years. When I was in the newspaper, I wrote a bunch of stories on the WNY "brain drain" and "middle-class flight" topics.

It's a real problem that is exacerbated by unbelievable taxes, but the pessimists tend to ignore factors that have kept or drawn people to WNY: the low cost of housing, cheap and plentiful water service in municipalities, and -- perhaps most importantly of all -- dwindling space and jobs and mounting problems in the Sunbelt.


Not all the people leaving ny head south a good portion are heading west.

what you mention is true but really if you were 20 and decided where am i going to raise a family would upstate ny come to mind.......... maybe some places in the south are crowded but there are plenty more that are not Raleigh and Charlotte NC come to mind most of our family has moved there and none has complained of being crowded and high home costs yet

they have been talking about turn around in upstate for 20 years its never going to happen. and for every person NY attracts the state loses 10 at the same time. The only reason the population has not shown a huge nosedive is the NYC area.

It does little good to have low cost in housing when there are no jobs to go along with those homes. Companies like Kodak are merger targets and once the buyout is over any corporate board with common sense is not going to pass up a low cost state for NY and its highest cost of doing business in the nation.

To turn things around in upstate would require major change as in centralized police services the end of all these every town needs it's own school district ect things that NY is not likly to do.
Goverment workers in the state would also have to take some hefty salary reductions and thats not going to happen anytime soon but you really have to wonder what the taxpayers get in exchange for those 70k salaries every member of the legislature gets. Not to mention NY voters are stuck in more of the same mode because every time there is a election they just vote for the same fool they voted for last time. Does NY even need a senate and assembly? hardly. and we definitly do not need governors who serve for 12 years. The limit should be 2 4s and good bye good or bad. Virginia has a better system the gov there can only serve one term. When you get a cuomo and pataki serving 12 years you invite nothing but problems.

http://www.forbes.com/lists/2005/1/2799.shtml

rochester is 61 and buffalo is 96 on the same list
now if you were thinking where could I do business as a CEO would 2 make more sense then 61? or 96?

[mmiller]

Take a big step back when you assess the future of Buffalo... and a big step back in time.

The fact is that Buffalo is blessed with so many positives: abundant fresh water, efficiently designed roadways, noted architecture, good and affordable housing stock, excellent universities. These assets are just to name a few.

A quick review of history will tell you that Buffalo started its decline 40 years ago, when it did not adapt with the changing needs of America: decline of railroads, onslaught of cheaper foreign steel and autos. Our elected leaders mismanaged the city.

Nothing is beyond hope. The city has far too much to offer for it to ever become a ghost town. Los Angeles and Phoenix would KILL for our fresh water. So would Vegas. I think that the revitalization has already begun... it's not going to be an instant turnaround though, and everyone needs to do their part. Go out and get involved in something that's GOOD for our great city!

[rob on the job]

Mark:

I understand your skepticism; it's something that has been ingrained in us WNYers for two generations.

But the truth is that some of the areas that have been booming since the 1970s are now dealing with the consequences of expansion. I know this because I have family members who live in North Carolina and in Florida, and I have friends scattered across the Sunbelt and the West.

There are states that are renowned for having low taxes who now find that those taxes have to be raised to pay for quality roads that former Northerners have grown to expect and to fund the federal mandates for education.

These states are beginning to learn that they can't own just two snowplow trucks and begin to cope with what (for them) is a freak winter storm that paralyzes their state for three weeks (as happened to family members in North Carolina a few years back).

These boomtowns are beginning to put the squeeze on their residents when it comes to items like water, which is a fairly nominal expense to Northerners.

Are we creating jobs hand over fist? No, but I think that will come if you develop a skilled workforce and make sure WNY is a great place to raise a family. I know a Hispanic family who moved to the Southern Tier because South Florida was no place for a kid.

[mmiller]

I can tell you from living in Charlotte for four years (in the early '80's) and going back now that its whole character has changed now... and not for the better... it's two lane country roads were paved over as multi lane boulevards with signals every 100 feet. It takes an hour to go 10 miles. And it developed so quickly that literally the whole town is one big generic chain store. It looks like every other expanding boom town: a WalMart next to a Sam's Club next to a Home Depot... on and on...

Buffalo STILL has its character.... I hope it never loses it!

[mark3274]

I hope WNY does well I just hope we have leaders with vision who are willing to take risks. The new mayor of Rochester has a huge challenge ahead of him he know has a 16 million port building with no use because he as all of us in NY tend to be take a conservative outlook. yes the region has a huge water asset but what are we doing with it? we already let one venture fail because of horrible mismanagement. I also thought that the destiny NY project was a visionary idea something that is lacking in NY if that project had gone forward the entire state would have benefited not just Syracuse. We need risk takers in NY so we have that waterfront in buffalo great do something with it instead of the lip service talk. why not build a new bills stadium? and give it a retractable roof The area can change for the better but not if we keep on the same NYC needs this and upstate needs this so as usual nothing gets done in Albany NY track of the last 20 plus years then nothing will get done. We as citizens need more than anything to let Albany know that business as usual will not be tolerated any longer. Niagra falls NY should have More than one casino why not? It is a tourist area so give people a reson to travel there. BUild another mega hotel or 2 or 3 build a huge indoor waterpark larger than anywhere else. have a hoovercraft travel the great lake ports.
Start a true high speed 80mph plus hoovercraft service accross the lake to toronto. If the water is our greatest thing we have going for us then why is not even used except to look at?

[Billsman]

I can not wait until Im back in WNY after being in Pheonix since 1985. I lived the big city life and it flat out sucks compared to the life in WNY. Talking to numerous realtors Im not alone as I've been told that time and time again. I would gladly take less money for my home we have on the market now if that would mean me being back home in the next weeks vs a month or so down the road.