The Magic of Orange County and We Can’t Wait until the Election is Over!

Dear Nieces and Nephews

We are taking a little pre-election tour around the county and hope that you join us!

Goshen: Merlin Entertainments, (the pseudo-British developers of a proposed LEGOLAND in Goshen, an area entirely unsuited for an amusement park) is promising to give the local government, schools and community money while asking for another $6.3M in grants.

Here’s how it works. The more money in grants etc. Merlin receives from the government or the Public-Private partnerships like Mid-Hudson Economic Development Council and Empire State Development, the more money Merlin will give to the school district, local government and community.  See?

How, is it that the more these entities give to Merlin, the more Merlin promises to give the school, local govt. and community? How does this work?

Magic!

Why don’t we save ourselves the aggravation of this “give-and-take” sleight of hand? We should simply NOT develop the project and keep the taxpayer’s money! instead of passing it back and forth,

How does an amusement park, open only part of the year, create so many full-time, year-round jobs? Maybe they will have Winter Folk Dancing Demos or Reindeer Races during the winter months.

Or maybe it is:

Magic!

How does an amusement park that is meant to attract millions of people and their cars, ease the traffic burden of a road system that is already over-burdened? By providing an inadequate traffic study and:

Magic!

It seems that Merlin is aptly named.

Goshen:  We have a candidate for OC Legislature indicating that he went to Harvard in this week’s Chronicle but he forgot to put it on his linked-in resume. If Auntie or one of the team had such a great reference, we would certainly put it on our resume(s). Maybe Jimmy O’Donnell just graduated from Harvard during the campaign and did not get a chance to update his linked-in profile*. Or maybe it was some more:

Magic!

More Jimmy: Remember, James O’Donnell is the former Deputy County Executive that said (in 2012) if the legislature does not vote to sell Valley View, HE WILL CLOSE IT. http://www.recordonline.com/article/20120522/NEWS/120529922

 And now, he is not only bringing cupcakes to the residents at the facility, he is attending religious services there. Why?  Maybe he is seeking divine intervention that would burn the tongues of those of us who recall him saying that he will CLOSE Valley View. Maybe he hopes that one cupcake will make it all disappear, along with: 

Magic!

New Windsor: The Orange County Accelerator, “powered by the OC IDA” to promote manufacturing in the Hudson Valley, recently helped a new start up. This Start-up has outgrown their accelerator space and they are moving into a bigger space!!! How wonderful! The number of jobs created for Orange County? NONE! This new manufacturing business is going to Fishkill across the Hudson River!!!

How do the residents of Orange County benefit from this? We don’t! Unless you believe in Necromancy! or

Magic! 

Sidebar: This is the IDA that supported Continental Organics in New Windsor. which went bust and left the town with a bunch of dying fish and a lot of “remediation”. This is the same IDA that wanted to give tax breaks to a Chevy/Cadillac dealer in Newburgh because it was going to be a tourist destination! A tourist destination? A Regular Car Dealership, not an automotive version of Orange County Choppers, which had been supported by the IDA as well. And the Choppers property went into foreclosure!!! (BTW The car dealership IS proceeding without the PILOT incentive) 

http://www.recordonline.com/article/20151012/NEWS/151019823

http://www.recordonline.com/business/20160806/continental-organics-accused-of-fraud

http://www.ocnyida.com/ida-fully-vetted-webb-properties-proposal/

http://www.ocnyida.com/wp-content/uploads/IDA_Minutes_5-19-10.pdf  (Jimmy O”D Exec Director) Not very good business savvy for a group of "business people"...

Chester: How does the Chester Town government justify purchasing a sports complex for $3.2 million? Even if the plan was financially responsible, the rationale is a bit shaky. This is almost on the same level as the baseball stadium in Ramapo where good ol’ boy Chris St Lawrence got himself into trouble!

From the power point presentation by the Town (You know “Power Point” the tool for impressing easily-impressed folk with charts and pictures) the reasons are:

·         Add value to your homes/real estate by providing the Community with a "Gem"- to call our own

·         Increased Park & Rec ran programs for all ages

·         Save annual expenditures -now providing additional local things to do, activities, classes and community events

·         Improved Summer Camp

·         Keep Community spending local- by offering MORE in our own backyard- keeping and attracting customers to shared businesses

And this purchase also includes relocating the Parks and Rec dept. to the facility.

Sounds like an expensive way to relocate a town department  and obtain local things to do, but wait! It will pay off because the decreasing population trend in Chester of the under-12’s will increase with the influx of the only group whose population is mostly under the age of 14.  

See? Easy!

Prestidigitation! or

Magic!

County Wide: the New York Republican State Committee has produced such gems of campaign literature as “liar, liar, pants on fire” and bogeyman pictures of Democrats wanting to raise your taxes. Eek! Republican playbook: stay on message, attack opponent and don’t mention your own goals except “secure the borders” and “lower taxes”. Robocalls accusing Dems of everything but stealing ferrets and exporting them to England. Male* America great again. Again? It is still a great country. A great country because, despite this nonsense, we CAN do something about it. IF we are motivated. Auntie’s advice: Get Motivated!!!  *(Male-that was a typo but we decided to keep it.)

  

But wait, the Democrats are not so pure either. Their pearls of wisdom would have you believe that all Republicans are misogynistic haters that would like to turn back the clock to pre-1920. They would have you believe that NY’s Start Up program is the economic cure-all for the state and that Andrew Cuomo, the governor, is not involved with the ethical issues and the overwhelming need for campaign finance reform (Hello Mr $250K! Hello CPV!). It was Skelos AND Silver and dozens of Democratic Party senators/assemblymen (along with Republicans) who demonstrated unethical behavior! (The latest being Democrat Assemblyman Kevin Cahill: who weaseled and blamed his staff!!!!  Kevin, how could not know that you do not pay for something with your campaign account and then bill the state? Reimbursement is for when you spend your own money not someone else’s, such as the campaign monies donated to help you get elected, not pay for your gas. DUH!)

I guess the Team is correct. Your Auntie cannot wait until the Election is over. Good morning November 9^th 2016! The sun will rise again!!!!!!!!!!

Get out and Vote Tuesday November 8^th!!! There is NO excuse.

*See Auntie’s previous post on Jimmy: http://orangecountyoutlook.blogspot.com/2016/10/who-is-real-jimmy-o.html