RepoMan 0 Report post Posted September 29, 2003 Is Rochester Becoming Buffalo? Is Rochester becoming Buffalo? Rochester Democrate and Chronicle Steve Orr and Todd Grady STAFF WRITERS (September 28, 2003) — To many local residents, certain truths are self-evident: Winter will always be too long, spring will always be too short, and Rochesterians will always be able to say, “At least we’re not Buffalo.” The last of those truths, however, is now under challenge in some quarters. Thomas S. Richards, a leader of the Rump Group, made up of local private- sector executives pushing for government reform, says that unless his hometown takes immediate steps, it could sink to the same depths as its neighbor. “If you’re sitting here in 1970, even 1980, Kodak was still cooking pretty good and Buffalo had already taken a few bad shots with the steel mills,” said Richards, the retired head of Rochester Gas and Electric Corp. “We would say we could never be like that. It could never happen to us. I really think it’s dangerous to say that now.” Richards asserted that Rochester and Buffalo suffer from many of the same long-term problems, such as population and job losses and shrinking property tax bases. The long-term health of the entire region is tied to the city’s fate, Richards added. “There’s no way in hell that this community can be successful if the city of Rochester is in a financial disaster.” At present, Buffalo’s circumstance is more dire. It began the current fiscal year with a $24 million budget gap when anticipated state aid didn’t show up. Instead, New York state took the draconian step of naming an independent authority to oversee city finances. Rochester began the year with a balanced budget, and its immediate prospects are good. But the city, like Buffalo, is projecting huge budget deficits that could force big tax increases or spending cuts, or both. Tom Golisano, CEO of Paychex Inc. in Penfield, said, “It’s unfortunate that municipalities like Buffalo are going through what they’re going through. “It’s quite possible Rochester could be very close to that in a short period of time,” said Golisano, a Rump Group member who owns the Buffalo Sabres hockey team. Rochester Mayor William A. Johnson Jr. said the Rump Group members are off-base. “There is no question that Buffalo got into its predicament by overwhelmingly relying on state aid to balance its budget. That has never been a practice of the city of Rochester. They hit the wall. They have a control board. We aren’t close to that.” Earlier this month, the community was buoyed by reports that local business owners believe the economy is improving, and that Rochester is a national leader in planned job growth. But Eastman Kodak Co. took the wind out of some sails Thursday by announcing a new digital emphasis that imperils 15,000 local jobs. The idea of Rochester following Buffalo’s fiscal tumble is especially discomforting locally because Rochester has long fostered a superior — some would say smug — attitude toward Buffalo. Just ask Buffalo Mayor Anthony M. Masiello: “I guess I could get my dander up about somebody saying, ‘Oh, my God, you’d better be careful, you’re going to be like Buffalo!’” “But the fact of the matter is, if you look at all of the statistical data, you’re right behind us. I mean who’s kidding who? You’re right neck-in-neck with us.” BTW Major League Championships Rochester 1 Buffalo 0 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites