The Pot and the Kettle
Dear Nieces and Nephews
Well, it is official! What Steve has thought all along is
now confirmed by Orange County Partnership’s own Maureen Halahan. http://www.midhudsonnews.com/News/2017/May/02/Neuhaus_MVP-02May17.html
Here is Steve trying to look humble:
MAUREEN SAID: “We
have more projects, in the pipeline, or recently opened over his tenure, really
than any other county executive we have known in several decades,”
Mr. JOBs, jobS, jOBs! Is a MVP! But, isn’t that like “the
pot calling the kettle black?” (Oh! look it up if you don’t know what that
means-Auntie) You see, getting a “big award” from a friend who also thinks they
are “big” is not really an award. Just show, like Steve, just like Maureen.
And why, Auntie queries, is there even an Orange County
Partnership, which Maureen states is, “strictly a marketing agency” for the
county . And even though it is a not for profit, acting as a quasi-governmental
agency, it’s books should be open to the public. http://www.recordonline.com/article/20150530/NEWS/150539972
If we have OCP why does Steve have to hire another
marketing agency for Orange County, to promote tourism and the beautiful
landscape he seeks to destroy with his jobs?
And if we have an OC Partnership why do we need an
Industrial Development Agency for the County (the one written into NYS law?)
Should make you think.
And as for Steve’s tenure, he, like Maureen is a good
cheerleader and If Auntie had known that it would pay over $200K/year, she would
have liked doing the human pyramid.
PS Considering that as recently as June 2016, Maureen
stated that there are few shovel ready sites in the county, (IDA meeting minutes,
excerpt below) just how does that correlate with her statement above?
We need an OC Partnership to promote people working in
their parent’s basement?
posted by Auntie Alibi @ 2:40 PM
14 Comments
14 Comments:
Isn't it great when the OC Partnership gives the OC Politicians an award and the OC Politicians give the OC Chamber an award and the OC Chamber gives the OC Partnership an award. And they all get to put it on their resumes!
I would give Auntie an award for investigations and expose'
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Auntie appreciates your enthusiam but asks that you use cleaner language to express it.
Having just read the article mentioned in the THR, this is a very interesting quote:
"By James Walsh / Times Herald-Record 05-30-15
GOSHEN – The Orange County Partnership has long valued secrecy.
Officials spout code names at public meetings to avoid revealing the identities of businesses looking to locate in the county. In one recent case, the secrecy was maintained even after Orange County’s Industrial Development Agency granted a litany of tax incentives to a mystery company intent on keeping a low profile".
So, the OCP uses code names to hide identities. I wonder if all the other agencies doing business in OC have secrets and code names.
Steve's code name is The Wiz
The level of cronyism is truly astounding (and that's an understatement). Is there ANY way to get ahead of this?
That's the question I keep asking. If you have an IDA what is the point of "The Partnership?" No one has explained this to me. What is the funding sources? Who has oversight? What is their powers and authority and what checks and balances under law governs it?
No one has answered these questions to my satisfaction.
I can't stand how Halahan was claiming that Amy's Kitchen would be a boon to local ag because they would be buying lots of local product. That's complete and utter nonsense and if you knew ANYTHING about local production and marketing realities for farmers in the black dirt and in this region you would know how absurd such a contention is.
You want to promote Amy's because it will bring in some low skilled factory jobs, fine (of course they will be competing with local farmers for the same dwindling labor pool) but don't pitch the snake oil that somehow it will be a great potential for local producers.
The first thing about ag marketing is that you have three main price tiers, retail at the top, wholesale in the middle and way at the bottom, processing. If you are going to go through the extended effort and expense to switch to organic production you certainly aren't then going to essentially give your product away for processing prices, while passing over the far more lucrative retail outlet.
Great job as always Auntie!
The one good thing about Kashi and other companies is that they support "transitional" farmers. (ones on their way to becoming "organic") At least they don't expect you to be poor while trying to be organic
Amy's did not move here for the produce. That's utter and complete hooey. They moved here because it is cheaper for them to assemble and manufacture their product here after shipping the raw ag supply from the west coast vs manufacturing in the west coast and shipping finished product to the east coast, where 60% of the population resides.
They don't care at all about local farmer so produce and the fact that the black dirt region happens to be partially in Goshen nearby is merely a coincidence.
Link for article:
http://www.northbaybusinessjournal.com/industrynews/6697148-181/amys-kitchen-food-manufacturing-new-york?artslide=0
Article in part states:
"Goshen, with a population of about 14,000, is an agricultural area with thousands of acres devoted to growing a variety of crops including lettuce, cabbage, onions and corn. Many of the farms are certified organic, Bloomfield said. He predicts that with the arrival of Amy’s, some of those that are not will convert to organic in the future. The area is also home to dairy farms and cheese manufacturers."
"Many of the farms?" How many Doug? And why would those certified organic farms give their product away to Amy's vs selling it at the much more lucrative retail prices found at local farmer or green markets?
There will be no large scale or even small scale conversion to organic so as to supply Amy's Kitchen with product for their Goshen plant. That is utter and complete nonsense. If they source even 1% of their product locally I will be shocked.
Article adds:
"Plans for the Amy’s property also include a 200,000-square-foot pavilion that would be used for gatherings for Science of the Soul, a spiritual-development movement based in New Delhi, India, with a study center in Petaluma."
Smh on that one. A tax dodge, plain and simple.
Chris P you have hit the nail on the head with your comments.
Well-informed, and insightful - something completely lacking in any submissions or statements from the representatives named above. I still wonder about the "why" of it all..for example Bloomfield - what's in it for him? Why is he a booster of these dead-end projects (Amy's, Legoland, etc)?
What is the real story behind Science of the Soul and why must we attach a non-religious, tax free entity to the mix. As per wiki "RSSB was established in India in 1891 and gradually began spreading to other countries in the mid 20th century. Today RSSB holds meetings in more than 90 countries worldwide. It is a registered non-profit society with no affiliation to any political or commercial organizations.[4]"
Thank you for your kind comments above. Very much appreciated.
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