Why no action on hydropower reform?
Lots has been made of what the state Legislature did not accomplish this recently concluded session. IDA reform. Property tax relief. Tighter restrictions on teen drivers.
Let me add to the list.
There's widespread agreement among local economic development officials that changes ought to be made in the criteria that determines which local industries get low-cost hydropower from the New York Power Authority. I did an investigation a year ago that documented the problem, and followed up with a piece that outlined solutions. Two legislative sessions later, I'm not aware of so much as a bill being introduced by anyone from our local delegation that addresses the substantive issues.
As I reported a couple of weeks ago, low-cost power earmarked for use by local industry that has begging for customers has instead been sold by the Power Authority at a big markup and used for programs that, for the most part, have little to do with Western New York. Again, there's been no legislation introduced to change this. Barely a voice raised in outrage, actually.
There's been talk for years that the state needs to rethink all its power programs geared towards promoting economic development statewide. Gov. George Pataki and the Legislature enpaneled Temporary Commission on the Future of New York State Power Programs For Economic Development to tackle the issue, and the commission issued a series of recommendations in December 2005. The governor and Legislature hasn't done anything with it.
It's not just power programs. The News and Syracuse Post-Standard have done a number of investigations into the Empire Zone program over the past five years. State pols follow by making promises to clean up the program. The talk never translates into legislation, however.
Proponents of IDA reform have gotten further - at least they've introduced legislation and gotten it approved by the Assembly. But nothing has passed the Senate, so reform remains at square one.
Upstate isn't going to dig its way out of its economic malaise through subsidy programs alone. But intelligent use of them can help.
It's a fair question to ask members of our local delegation - starting with George Maziarz, Dale Volker, Sam Hoyt and Robin Schimminger - why they have not taken up these issues. Hoyt gets a pass on IDA reform - he has tried - but on the balance, he and the others have not taken the initiative.
