Comments on: More on Brighton going after COMIDA http://rochesterturning.com/2008/01/09/more-on-brighton-going-after-comida/ turning the tide upstate Thu, 04 Dec 2008 23:09:44 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: rochesterturning.com: turning the tide upstate http://rochesterturning.com/2008/01/09/more-on-brighton-going-after-comida/#comment-102735 rochesterturning.com: turning the tide upstate Sun, 13 Jan 2008 15:34:10 +0000 http://rochesterturning.com/2008/01/09/more-on-brighton-going-after-comida/#comment-102735 [...] Like a bad penny, COMIDA continues to make the news. The town of Brighton is looking to recover the tax revenue COMIDA misdirected. Metro Justice and others simply want public accountability and are packing the [...] [...] Like a bad penny, COMIDA continues to make the news. The town of Brighton is looking to recover the tax revenue COMIDA misdirected. Metro Justice and others simply want public accountability and are packing the [...]

]]> By: rochesterturning.com: turning the tide upstate http://rochesterturning.com/2008/01/09/more-on-brighton-going-after-comida/#comment-101824 rochesterturning.com: turning the tide upstate Thu, 10 Jan 2008 15:33:13 +0000 http://rochesterturning.com/2008/01/09/more-on-brighton-going-after-comida/#comment-101824 [...] You have heard or read various accounts about COMIDA on rochesterturning. Just do a search on COMIDA. Most recently the Town of Brighton’s attempts to recover COMDIA benefits the Wellsley Hotel. The Wellesly Hotel who received benefits but who failed to met the basic COMIDA requirements. [...] [...] You have heard or read various accounts about COMIDA on rochesterturning. Just do a search on COMIDA. Most recently the Town of Brighton’s attempts to recover COMDIA benefits the Wellsley Hotel. The Wellesly Hotel who received benefits but who failed to met the basic COMIDA requirements. [...]

]]> By: davesnyd http://rochesterturning.com/2008/01/09/more-on-brighton-going-after-comida/#comment-101452 davesnyd Wed, 09 Jan 2008 13:05:22 +0000 http://rochesterturning.com/2008/01/09/more-on-brighton-going-after-comida/#comment-101452 Look, the Brighton Town board-- but really, Ray Tierney, who has just fought tooth and nail on this-- are to be commended for going after the COMIDA money. But there's a bigger issue here-- why was this money ever allocated? COMIDA's <a href="http://www.growmonroe.org/about.asp" rel="nofollow">purpose</a> is supposed to be: <blockquote> the express goal to promote, encourage, attract and develop job and recreational opportunities and economically sound commerce and industry throughout Monroe County, for the purpose of preventing unemployment and economic deterioration. </blockquote> How does providing money to a <b>hotel</b> accomplish the purpose of increasing jobs in Monroe county? "Gee, Marge, Brighton NY has a great new hotel. Let's cancel the vacation to Disney World, and go there, instead!" --> Anyone who would go to that hotel would have already been visiting Monroe County. Building another hotel does not increase the job base, it only moves customers from one facility to another. Arguably, a hotel right on the County border might encourage someone who was going to stay over the line to stay in Monroe-- but that's a weak (and not applicable) argument at best (Ontario County isn't our competitor in the job game-- our competition is Iowa and India). IDA funds should not go to any business (construction, cleaning, restaurant, hotel) that is primarily providing services to people who are physically in Monroe county. Those businesses do not provide new jobs-- they only compete with other businesses in Monroe County. Maybe just the opposite-- by providing a non-level playing field in those cases, COMIDA is distorting the economic system and *hurting* Monroe County. IDA funds ought to go to businesses that are providing goods and services to customers in Texas and Argentina and China. Those are *new* jobs that would not otherwise be available to Monroe residents. So if COMIDA really cared about improving the economy of Monroe County, a hotel would never have been considered for COMIDA money. Keep in mind-- any COMIDA money that goes to an inappropriate project: (1) comes out of your and my pocket and (2) doesn't go to an appropriate one. It's only a better-than-zero-sum game if COMIDA dollars are used to improve the economic climate of Monroe by helping businesses that are providing new jobs that otherwise would be located in Colorado. I don't see how you can argue that a hotel would do that. Look, the Brighton Town board– but really, Ray Tierney, who has just fought tooth and nail on this– are to be commended for going after the COMIDA money.

But there’s a bigger issue here– why was this money ever allocated?

COMIDA’s purpose is supposed to be:

the express goal to promote, encourage, attract and develop job and recreational opportunities and economically sound commerce and industry throughout Monroe County, for the purpose of preventing unemployment and economic deterioration.

How does providing money to a hotel accomplish the purpose of increasing jobs in Monroe county?

“Gee, Marge, Brighton NY has a great new hotel. Let’s cancel the vacation to Disney World, and go there, instead!”

–> Anyone who would go to that hotel would have already been visiting Monroe County. Building another hotel does not increase the job base, it only moves customers from one facility to another. Arguably, a hotel right on the County border might encourage someone who was going to stay over the line to stay in Monroe– but that’s a weak (and not applicable) argument at best (Ontario County isn’t our competitor in the job game– our competition is Iowa and India).

IDA funds should not go to any business (construction, cleaning, restaurant, hotel) that is primarily providing services to people who are physically in Monroe county. Those businesses do not provide new jobs– they only compete with other businesses in Monroe County.

Maybe just the opposite– by providing a non-level playing field in those cases, COMIDA is distorting the economic system and *hurting* Monroe County.

IDA funds ought to go to businesses that are providing goods and services to customers in Texas and Argentina and China. Those are *new* jobs that would not otherwise be available to Monroe residents.

So if COMIDA really cared about improving the economy of Monroe County, a hotel would never have been considered for COMIDA money.

Keep in mind– any COMIDA money that goes to an inappropriate project: (1) comes out of your and my pocket and (2) doesn’t go to an appropriate one.

It’s only a better-than-zero-sum game if COMIDA dollars are used to improve the economic climate of Monroe by helping businesses that are providing new jobs that otherwise would be located in Colorado.

I don’t see how you can argue that a hotel would do that.

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