There must be a pretty good reason that the Niagara County Industrial Development Agency wants to give a $1.6 million tax break to the Seneca Nation for building a golf course in Lewiston.
I just can't imagine what it is.
The principle behind such payment-in-lieu-of-taxes deals is to lure businesses that otherwise might not come to the area, or to keep them from leaving.
Instead, the NCIDA and its chairman, Mickey Sloma, clearly believe that public money is meant to be showered on billion-dollar corporations like AES, owners of the Somerset power plant and the lucrative PILOT deal that goes with -- and, apparently, sovereign nations who happen to run highly profitable casinos.
"I'm pleased any developer has chosen to develop this property," Sloma told The Other Paper.
Not nearly as pleased as Seneca leaders must be to get such a nice bargain, in addition to the tax-free money machine the state of New York allowed them to build in downtown Niagara Falls.
In this case, taxpayers will help the Seneca Nation build a private golf course. Make that "semi-private," meaning you can still plunk down a hefty greens fee if you're not a member, but might have to wait behind one or more when you want to tee off.
Does Sloma think the Senecas aren't going to build the course if they don't get the incentive? Don't be silly -- they've been talking about building a premium course to serve their high rollers and Gaming Corp. big-shots since before the Seneca Niagara Casino opened.
And there's not much danger of the nation packing up their gambling den and moving it out of the county if they don't get their way.
The purpose of IDAs is to encourage development, rather than subsidize it. Tax breaks and incentives are meant to create and retain jobs that would otherwise end up elsewhere, not as a means of getting cozy with the already wealthy and powerful. Development should lower the burden on rank-and-file taxpayers, not add to it.
Still, the proposal sailed through the project-review committee and is expected to get full approval soon.
So the next time you wonder why your property-tax bill keeps going up, call the NCIDA and ask for Sloma. He probably won't deign to return your call, but if he does, ask him how you can get one of those PILOT deals.
As the lawsuits were brought by the Town of Somerset, the Barker School District and Niagara County over Sloma's deal with AES, activist Merrill Bender called for the county Legislature to replace the entire IDA board on his Somerset Sentinel blog (somersetsentinel.blogspot.com).
"The Niagara County IDA board members failed you when they brought this illegal AES Tax cut PILOT to the public," Bender wrote in an open letter to the legislative majority. "The IDA failed you and slapped you down when in the dead of night just prior to a crucial vote asking for the rescinding of the PILOT, the IDA Board approved the PILOT and signed it."
A package of breaks and incentives that critics estimate will cost taxpayers close to $100 million triggered the litigation, which threatens the GOP's long-held political control of county government.
Sloma's chairmanship of the IDA, of course, stems from his generosity in giving to local Republican candidates. That puts GOP leaders, who have enjoyed free rein since registering a countywide landslide in the 2003 elections, in a precarious position. If they want to keep getting Sloma's money, they're going to have to keep taking heat for his increasingly unpopular wheeling and dealing.
If you do not act to replace the IDA board then it is the majority caucus that will have lost the Public's Trust and crossed the line," Bender's letter ends. "It will then be the Majority caucus that will be replaced in November with independent Republicans, Democrats and Conservatives that will work for the voters and taxpayers and not for County Republican puppet masters."
Enough already with Mayor Vincenzo V. Anello's give-me-a-vote campaign. Maybe it would be a good idea to return to the form of government that concentrates power in the City Council and city manager's position, given Niagara Falls' dismal history under the strong-mayor system.
But there's no indication that Anello wants to strip the mayor of any of his present executive powers, like the ability to veto the City Council's budget moves and hand out patronage jobs.
Making such a fundamental change to city government should involve plenty of thought and public discussion. Instead, Anello is trying to cram it through in order to get it on the ballot in November.
Presumably, that would give him something to talk about during the mayoral campaign other than his own record, providing a much-needed distraction from grim reality.
If City Council really wants to look at making the government more functional, it should take a good look at the charter proposal prepared by the review commission appointed during Irene Elia's administration, perhaps reconvene the body to smooth out the rough spots and see if it's possible to get that before voters this fall.
As it is, the charter leaves loopholes and creates confusion that has nothing to do with who gets to vote on what. The document needs to be replaced altogether, not amended in piecemeal fashion to suit the agenda of one increasingly desperate incumbent.
Nice to see the story in Another Paper about the low-interest loan Richard Hastings expects to get to help finance renovation of several of his Main Street properties.
Of course, the Youngstown investor also got a low-interest loan intended to help renovate the former Arby's on Main. That was almost four years ago. The siding that went up then looks to be rotting now, with no discernible renovation to the interior.
Hopefully, Hastings' plan for retail, restaurant and residential spaces in the 1800 block will move along a little more quickly. He has had some successes on Main Street, as well, and that entire area can use all the renovating it can get, especially with the construction of a new courthouse on the next block expected to begin, well, someday.
| Niagara Falls Reporter | www.niagarafallsreporter.com | April 17 2007 |