What’s the beef? Not enough pork

 

Not that we think pork barrel items are always a good thing – they at times are a little too transparent and too self-serving – the reality is they exist and so, in turn, as any red-blooded New Yorker, we want our fair share.

After taking a look at the list of nearly $218 million in capital projects released last week by the state Senate under the NYS Economic Development Assistance Program, we realized the Hudson Valley region was again underserved. As we have preached in these pages, the region needs to unify and approach Albany with a single voice, much like Long Island does.

A quick tally of the 97 projects allocated money, Long Island was a big winner, garnering $55.1 million for 14 projects. They ranged from $1.5 million for the Bayshore Marina to $10 million apiece for tech projects at Broad Hollow Bioscience Park and Long Island Forum for Technology.

The Hudson Valley region’s allocation was $11 million. And we might add, zero dollars were set aside for Westchester County. Some days it pays to have a Republican senator representing your county.

But don’t feel bad, Suzi Oppenheimer and Andrea Stewart-Cousins, you were in good company; none of the projects are for Democrats’ programs. State Sen. Liz Krueger of Manhattan told the Albany Times Union the projects list came as a surprise to minority members and passed before anyone knew what hit them.

The funds are part of some $1.2 billion that is set aside for capital economic development investments in the 2008-09 state budget.

“These economic development projects will continue our successful partnership among the private sector, higher education and state government to help create new jobs and retain the highly skilled work force necessary to sustain future economic growth,” Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno said. “Making smart investments to New York’s economy and capital infrastructure is a vital component of keeping our state vibrant and competitive in the global marketplace.”

While we find the $1.2 million for the proposed walkway over the Hudson River in Poughkeepsie, the $2 million for the Putnam Community Foundation, the $2 million for the Clarkstown revitalization project and the $1.5 million for the Long Dock Beacon development most welcome, we think overall, the investments have to be fairly distributed, dear senator. The $4 million set aside for a project at your alma mater, Skidmore College, might appear to some as a little too self-serving. Add in another $6 million for a training center at Hudson Valley Community College, and well, it looks like you’re really bringing home the bacon for the 43rd Senate District.

Not that your counterpart in the Assembly, Sheldon Silver, was a slouch when his house set aside nearly $244 million a few weeks earlier. He, too, did not forget his district that includes downtown Manhattan and Staten Island.

Westchester did not get the short end of the stick from the Assembly; Yonkers High Tech Incubator was allocated $500,000 and the city’s Southwest Community Center $150,000. Also, Larchmont, Mamaroneck and the city of Rye will share $1.2 million for flood mitigation projects. Three projects in Rockland County were allocated nearly $4 million, the Kingston Migrant Daycare Center was set to receive $2.1 million and $750,000 was set aside for The Solar Energy Consortium. All tolled, it amounts to $8.6 million for the region, a far cry from the $18 million going to Buffalo for three projects or the $25 million for the University of Rochester or the $15 million allocated for the Queens Museum of Art.

Perhaps the Tappan Zee Bridge should be reconstituted as a work of art, “Hunk of Metal Crossing the Hudson.” Then maybe we can get some money to make a fix on the real needs of this state, infrastructure.

 

 

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