Page Twenty-Eight  

18 OCTOBER 2005

Weather concerns on Lake Ontario??  In October??  Why... why... how's THAT possible??

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No, I'm not going to bother to dredge up the numerous entries which have appeared in this tirade which pointed to the fickle nature of Great Lakes weather past September.  "High winds"?  Yeah?  So?  Any dimwit with a scintilla of geographic knowledge knows that Lake Ontario becomes a navigational challenge within a month after the beach blankets have been stored.  We call it 'Autumn' here.  It happens every year about this time.

And listen to THIS Kreskinonian prognostication:  I hereby predict within another month, this strange meteorological phenomena called 'Snow' will present further navigational challenges.  More winds, more snow, more ice... bigger waves.

More 'returning to port'.  Best laid passengers' plans... well, you get the picture.

Say kids; are we holding our breath that the anxiously-awaited first quarterly report of the ferry operation is going to be in any way optimistic?  No?  Didn't think so.

"Busted fuel line"?  That what Clem called it?  Whatever.  Mechanical breakdowns are to be expected --  even the space shuttle has its glitches and some boat that sustains damages just sitting tied up at the dock in the (last) winter can expect some wicked wear 'n tear on a turbulent inland sea.  The ferry's going to be drydocked during January and February?  The Edmund Fitzgerald - the largest Great Lakes ore carrier of its time -- went to the bottom of Superior in November.   THERE'S a comforting thought.  The Spirit of Ontario has the potential to become the REAL 'Spirit' of Ontario.

Hmm.  Still waiting for the waves of Torontonians to descend on Marketplace Mall.  Seen many Ontario plates in the parking lot of the Strong Museum?  Big influx of Canadian dollars boosting the local economy?  Weren't those some of the predictions less than two years ago?

Well, let's just wait and see whose predictions were closer to reality.  The 'experts' or some Mohawk curmudgeon.

Tuesday   October 18, 2005

Some Ferry Employees Lose Jobs   by Seth Voorhees/Linda Loy Published Oct 18, 2005 Twenty-five to 30 workers of Rochester's fast ferry have been laid off. A spokesperson for the Rochester Ferry Company says the jobs were seasonal. The cuts took effect September 29, the day the revised ferry schedule took effect. The Rochester ferry board said it reduced the schedule to five trips a week due, in part, to the high cost of fuel and reduced seasonal ridership. Bay Ferries

So much for the 'creating jobs' aspect of the ferry operation.  To be fair, we knew all along there would be seasonal jobs which -- while paying a non-livable wage for this community -- at least kept the entry-level crowd in the latest GameBoy confection.  If THAT isn't an economic stimulus to revive a dead local economy, then what's the point of addressing silly things like horrendous crime rates?

But like most other promises made to pitch this fiasco to the public, the 'job creation' rhetoric was used yet again.  Anytime some dud of an idea comes along, the supporters toss in 'job creation' as some sort of tempting rationale... no matter how piddling the 'jobs' may be.  Tens of thousands of high-paying jobs vanish and the public's supposed to be heartened by a few hundred crappy-paying, go nowhere 'jobs'.  Anyone who buys into that slop isn't the brightest bulb on the block.

Check out the photo above.  Note the bright cheery skies.  That's the norm for the next six months... makes one just want to jump on a boat and take to the water, no?

Passenger numbers can't help but tank.  Ditto for the ferry operation.

October 18, 2005 5:47 PM

Ferry Turnaround—What Does It Mean? Jane Flasch (Rochester, NY) 10/18/05 - The fast ferry turned around Tuesday after high waters stopped one of the four massive engines. The way the damage occurred raises questions about whether the Cat is hearty enough to cross the lake in winter months.   Even before the start of Tuesday's trip, passengers were warned of the potential for rough water. About an hour and 15 minutes into the trip, the point where the ferry turns from its route parallel to the US shoreline and heads across open water, a damaged fuel line prompted the pilot to make a judgment call. The president of the ferry corporation down played the decision. Ben Douglas said that in the same way airlines must sometimes cancel flights because of bad weather, the ferry must also sometimes cancel crossings if the situation calls for it. Problem Not Brand New Bay Ferries officials said there was a problem with the same fuel line on the return trip Sunday night. It had been repaired, but against four foot waves Tuesday morning, the repair did not hold. Five miles off the shoreline of Lake Ontario, four-foot waves are common for this time of year. The question now is whether the ferry's engines can handle these conditions--or worse conditions over the next few months.  (Gee.  What a great time to be thinking about this.) A catamaran made by the same company could not handle winter service across Lake Michigan last year. The Michigan ferry now stops service November 1 each year. The city's original operating plan for the Cat is based on revenues for runs every month but January and February.  (No. The ORIGINAL plan called for year round operation.)

It's really starting to crumble now.  See it happening?  The local media sees it; they're changing their tune from one of cautious optimism to guarded pessimism.  Need to change one's colours to reflect the winning side, you know, wouldn't want to be associated with the losing proposition.  A bit like a U.S. Presidential election where voters wait for the apparent winner then cast their vote accordingly.  A horse race where all that matters is selecting the winner.  That's what the local media's doing now.

The writing's on the wall.  The ferry has very little time left.

Fiscal Desperation 101 - Exhibit A:

Wednesday   October 19, 2005

COMIDA Benefits Hit Target   by Cristina Domingues/ C. Phillips Published Oct 18, 2005 Monroe County's going to help Target bring a new super outlet to the redeveloped Medley Centre. COMIDA, the County of Monroe Industrial Development Agency, approved financial incentives that'll move the $12.8 million project forward. The new Target will be a 127,000 square foot building. It will house the Target store, a Starbucks coffee shop and a Pizza Hut. The county says it's expected to create 30 full time and 130 part time jobs. COMIDA incentives go toward the purchase of land and construction of the new facilities. They also help businesses expand. The Medley Centre is in Monroe County’s Empire Zone.

Just how much these 'financial incentives' amount to is unknown -- for that matter, neither are the amount of wages and salaries of the '30 full time and 130 part time jobs' - but it's a very safe bet we're not talking about tens of millions of dollars for cashiers and shelf stockers.

Think a full time cashier is going to be approved for a $150,000 mortgage?  A $40,000 car loan?  Unlikely.  Truth be told, that cashier is going to have trouble finding housing on a cashier's wages alone.  After  health insurance premiums, utility payments and higher than average fuel costs, that cashier would be lucky to afford the merchandise they're checking out.  So where's that great ROA of the COMIDA 'financial incentives'?  Local taxes?  They just gave away the farm.  And if the business shuts it doors before the term of the incentives is over, there's a net loss... not gain.

And given the lousy past and present performance of the Irondequoit Mall/Medley Center, there's absolutely no indication this reincarnation is going to see any appreciable success.  Piddling part-time ferry jobs, go-nowhere part-time cashier jobs... "But it's creating JOBS..".  Yeah... RIGHT.

This serves as 'development plans' for the Rochester community and local 'leaders' waste no time advertising the 'jobs creation' angle.  Thirty marginal-paying jobs and 130 really lousy-paying jobs isn't something to brag about; it's a major embarrassment considering the loss of tens of thousands of high-paying jobs lost in the past year alone.  But since this area is frantically clutching at straws, local 'leaders' have to take whatever scraps are thrown their way and by extension, so do the residents.

Keep voting for the same political agenda, folks.  That's the message being sent and that's what the politicians are delivering.  No surprises there, but no growth either.

People get the government they ask for... and deserve.

21 OCTOBER 2005

Not to worry.  Those ridership numbers will be ultimately made public.  Muckracking for facts inevitably trashes careers and the Suits value their careers more than life itself.

Rochester, New York October 21, 2005 Time: 9:51 AM Temp: 40 °F/4 °C Mostly Cloudy          News > Local News > Mum's the word on ferry ridership ... Mum's the word on ferry ridership numbers     (WROC-TV) 10/11/2005 6:00 PM (Ty Chandler, WROC-TV) Although the Spirit of Ontario has been back on the lake for nearly four months, the city of Rochester remains tight lipped about how the ship is doing. Even City Council members are in the dark.  "Curious to see what the numbers are, where we're at," said Councilman Adam McFadden.  McFadden said he will request more information at Tuesday's City Council meeting. Mayor Bill Johnson says the city doesn't have the numbers and is awaiting a report from the ferry operator. Our numerous requests for the ridership numbers have been denied, including our most recent request that was turned down Tuesday. So News 8 decided to head to the Port of Rochester to see if the ferry is living up to vendor's expectations. "Look at the terminal and you tell me if this is what I've been waiting for," Alan Accorso of Nutty Bavarian said.  "This terminal is empty all week long, with a little business on the weekend.  This is definitely not what I expected." Accorso stuck it out at the terminal last year after ferry service was suspended.  Now he says the riders he was banking on, aren't there. "The ridership isn't what it should be. I'm just going by what I see," Accorso explained.  (Gee, Al.  Ever do a reality check on the prospectus before 'banking' on the project?  No?  Caveat Emptor.) Over at California Rollin' II, a group of regulars keep the business going.  However, most of the business dried up when the ferry cutback trips this fall. "Some days you look in the parking lot and there's no one getting on the boat," said owner Tom Beamon Jr. One of his customers remains optimistic. "It hopefully will get better, but I don't think it's doing what they wanted it to," said John Weiser.  The city admitted the ferry did fall short of expectations. They attributed its shortcomings to starting two months behind schedule and high fuel costs. However, the Mayor is confident the ferry is here to stay.  "We're pleased with the trend of ridership. It was increasing," he said.  "What we need to figure out is how to adjust and plan for 2006 because there is no question, there will be a 2006 ferry season."  (Pfft.  Nothing like yet another empty promise fron Hizzoner, is there?  Bill will be sailing out of City Hall before the 2006 season even starts.  But we'll definitely use this quote once the service tanks in 2005.) The Rochester Ferry Company said it will make a report public this month. It said they have preliminary figures now, but the city does not believe they are subject to our freedom of information requests. (Why not?  It's public money; Why shouldn't the public have information on how their money is being wasted ... uhh... spent?)

Oh my, my, my.  Once again, the imperious hotshots think we Huddled Masses are dogmeat and only useful on April 15 and Election Day.  The rest of the time, we piddling constituents will behave like braindead children and do as we're told.  We're idiots.  We're lowly peasants who should genuflect on command and stare in vapid admiration of the fame and power of our elected officials.

Fat chance, nimrods.  This is one time when the fat-bottomed Suits are about to be covered in a really foul stench.  The passenger numbers say it all... and this public information will be made public by hook or by lawsuit.  Your choice.  Makes no difference to me.

Is anybody so dense as to believe the passenger figures aren't going to be  W A Y  below 'expectations'?  So low that keeping the service running is not only wasteful, but perfectly ludicrous?

Yeah.  It's going to be a tough sell trying to justify bleeding massive amounts of red ink for a project which is quickly being ignored.  The bloom is definitely off the rose and the novelty has passed as well.  "Some days you look at the parking lot and there's no one getting on the boat".  Sort of says it all, n'est pas?  While that statement may be a bit of hyperbole (or not) one thing is crystal clear:

There isn't enough demand to support a business of this magnitude for long-term viability.

The passenger numbers (or lack thereof) will scream this fact in blazing neon lights.  That's why the delay and reluctance to reveal the truth is being used to prolong the service... once the public sees the absurdity of flogging a dead horse, the proverbial fan will be taking on a very different colour.

Yanno; it's sort of like watching a financially overextended couple put on a brave face while there isn't a soul who believes the marriage is heading anywhere but the rocks.  Just the formality of filing for divorce remains.  Once the ferry passenger numbers tell the sorry tale, there'll be no turning back.

This stupidity has been going on for more than four years... a few more days isn't going to make it any less idiotic.

Sharpen the literary knives, ferry detractors.  We've got some porcine politicians to fillet.

The ever-so pragmatic Monroe County government in action:

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Yup.  Target the poor to trim the fat.  Makes sense in a mean-spirited and perverted way.  The oblivious callousness of the local 'leaders' in the Rochester area is astonishing.

Background information for the incredulous Canadian reader: Bill Carpenter (Republican, natch) is the Supervisor of suburban Pittsford... a tony enclave of the Upper Management and Ladies Who Lunch set.  The mystique of this supremely pretentious bedroom community is well known around here and you can bet the farm there aren't a helluva lot of Medicaid recipients in the town.  Bill Carpenter knows the plight of Medicaid patients about as well as he understands what receiving Social Assistance is like.  It's not a grand leap to assume he doesn't welcome Medicaid 'deadbeats' in HIS neighbourhood.

Sort of like putting the fox in charge of the henhouse.

$156 million divided by 115,000 equals $1357 a year per head... or $113 a month  ($28.25 a week).  Same number of recipients at $161.7 million equals $117 per month ($29.25 per week) per head for basic health care paid by Monroe County residents. 

2004 Monroe County population (estimate): 735,177 (link).  $156 million divided by 735,177 equals $17.68 per month or $4.42 per week in taxes per capita.  $161.7 million divided by 735,177 equals $18.33 per month in taxes or $4.58 a week per capita. 

Horrors.  Asking Monroe County residents to fork over an additional SIXTEEN CENTS a week is reason enough to appoint a County Budget Czar to whack the hell out of Medicaid.  Me, my, mine.  Greedy, selfish, self-absorbed.  Alms for the poor (but only if it's deductible). 

<sarcasm> The genuine empathy is touching. </sarcasm>.

Let's see here: Know of any health insurers that offer even basic coverage for $29.25 a week?  Me neither.  I'd say any health care coverage which costs less than $30 a week is a pretty damn good bargain... not one to be whining about.  Asking Monroe County residents to do with one less Double Latté  a week in order to help out their neighbours isn't unreasonable, but then I'm a relative socialist in this conservative bastion of banality.

Canadians, let's take a look at the American value system which says citizens are entitled to decent health coverage ONLY if they can afford it.  If they CAN'T, we'll penalize and demonize the poorest and most needy for not being able to fork over housing-sized health care premiums.

But for GAWDSAKES let's not quibble about dishing out over $50 million for a useless ferry service billed as 'an exciting alternative to driving' and sails relatively empty as impending passenger figures will show.

Way to go, Maggie.  Hack away, Bill.  We have priorities to keep.

25 OCTOBER 2005

These guys have no shame.

Rochester, New York October 24, 2005 Time: 11:28 PM Temp: 44 °F/7 °C Light Rain          News > Local News > Mum's the word on ferry ridership ...   Ferry board has Q1 financial report 10/22/2005 11:00 PM (WROC-TV) The fast ferry operator, Bay Ferries, Ltd., has submitted its first quarter financial report to the Rochester Ferry Company board, according to Mayor Bill Johnson. The quarter ended September 30th, and the report is widely expected to show losses greater than the $725,000 built-in first season subsidy.  (Hmm. The first quarter of operation is expected to lose more than the entire first season's projected loss?  Now that's bad.) Johnson says although the ferry board has the financial report, it will not be released next week, making it appear unlikely the report will be made public this month. "I don't think so, but soon. I can say the ferry board is still processing that information. At the time Chairman Douglas is ready, that information will come out," Johnson said. Johnson says the report will contain "encouraging" news, and a plan for the ferry's future. (Yeah... right.  Whatever you say, Bill.) The city has repeatedly denied requests for information regarding ferry ridership and finances.

"At the time Chairman Douglas is ready, that information will come out," Johnson said."

No, that has to be a misquote; did Mayor Bill just effectively say "We'll let you know whenever we get around to it"?  Can you say "arrogance"?  I knew you could.

Ah yes... we need a little time to make the dismal news really upbeat and perky so the dimwits.. uhh, taxpayers ..won't get all nervous and jerky about losing tens of millions of dollars on some idiotic project.   "The ferry board is still processing that information.."?

Yeah, I'll BET they're 'processing' that information.  It's called 'putting a spin on it'...

'Propaganda'?  In Rochester?  An 'All-American City'?  How can THAT be?

So why would the Rochester city government drag its heels before releasing the first quarter results?  Well, a few pages back I wrote that buying time is the most likely scenario; the longer the ammunition is kept away from the naysayers, the longer the ferry can keep operation without intense criticism.  The ferry board already knows they're going to catch hell from the abysmal first quarter report... why rush the impending lousy days at the office?  There's only eight more weeks before the service shuts down for the winter break and if the board can postpone the bad news, that makes finishing 2005 a better possibility.

Six weeks of intense potshots instead of eight.  By the time the opposition reaches a peak, the season will be over and 'out of sight - out of mind' takes over.  Folks will start the annual whining about winter, forget about the big tub and the ferry furor will subside.  Or so the logic goes.

Problem is: That's only delaying the inevitable and the sooner this bomb is put to rest, the less money is going to be flushed down the crapper.   There's already tens of millions of dollars which can never be recouped even if the service were to cease operations today.  The ferry terminal alone cost $16 million and what's THAT going to be used for after the ship is sailing up the St.Lawrence for the last time?

Then there's the little matter of some Canadian pain in the butt who keeps relentlessly bashing the entire ferry project.

And HE'S not going away until the sordid tale of governmental largesse is finished and some fat Suits are hung out to dry.

I can wait.  Native People are extraordinarily patient.

26 OCTOBER 2005

Breathless anticipation.

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Oh, THIS is going to be good.  The news is going to be so bad that we need to have a 'Now-Don't-Get-Mad-But..' preface to it.

Cripes.  Just release the damn numbers.  The report hasn't even been made public and the excuses are flying.... it's a quarterly report of some little hometown project, not some worldwide manifesto determining the fate of humankind.

Yes, we know it's going to be crappy.  Yes, we know we're losing money like drunken sailors.  It's no secret Canadians are ignoring the service.  Is this going to be some profound revelation which tells us things we don't already know?

"The report attempts to address both the challenges and solutions".  Gee, that doesn't sound good does it?  Sort of sounds like there might be a few flies in the ointment here.

And all along we thought a redundant and pricey way to cross the lake was just a GREAT idea. 

Imagine our shock if the first quarterly report shows that pompous Suits and gobs of public money are a recipe for a project rooted in complete irrelevance to normal people.  $60,000 time-shares for Lear jets?  You bet!  Everybody'll want to jump on THAT one!  We'll make a BUNDLE!

Wednesday it is.  Should be fun.

Tuesday   October 25, 2005

Quarterly earnings will come Wednesday. City Set to Release Ferry Report     by Jim Aroune & Scott Fairbanks File Photo Published Oct 25, 2005 Rochester's fast ferry company will reveal Wednesday how the Cat did in its first full quarter of business. The Rochester Ferry Company will release details of its own report on ferry performance from its June launch through August. Among the trials the ship faced included a delayed restart of service between Rochester and Toronto. More engine repairs were also needed and in the late summer, fuel prices went through the roof. Still, the ferry board plans to detail why the buzz about the ferry was better than expected. It will also explain why three quarters of the ferry riders surveyed indicated they planned to ride again.

Oh.  OK.  Will it explain why girls are made of sugar and spice and everything nice as well?

Rochester, New York October 26, 2005 Time: 1:16 AM Temp: 41 °F/5 °C Rain          News > Local News > Ferry report out Wednesday   Ferry report out Wednesday   10/25/2005 11:00 PM (Rachel Barnhart, WROC-TV) For the first time in the ferry's history, Rochester residents will get a detailed accounting of how their tax dollars were spent, and whether the investment has paid off. The first quarter report will be released to the public Wednesday. The city has already said the ferry is not meeting ridership targets, and will require a larger subsidy than the $725,000 anticipated. A big question is whether the city has tapped its $40 million start-up loan. If it has, it may ask taxpayers to loan more money to the operation. At the beginning of the quarter, there was about $4 million left from the original loan. "Of course we're all interested in dinero," said City Councilwoman and ferry board member Gladys Santiago, who added she has not seen the report. "I'm looking forward to seeing that. If usage has increased, I'm looking for the bottom line to increase." "We cannot sustain a deficit over any length of time," said Councilman Bill Pritchard. (Oh, c'mon, Bill.  Of course we can.  Just look at Frontier Field.) Mayoral candidates will be scrutinizing the numbers. "Hopefully it would succeed, but not end up being any kind of drain on the tax dollars of our city," said Democrat Bob Duffy. (Too late.) "They'll put a spin on it the way they want to," said Republican John Parrinello. City officials blame financial problems on a late start, delayed marketing efforts, engine troubles, and rising fuel costs. City officials say the report will have some good news. A majority of passengers say they would take the ferry again, according to a statement released Tuesday night. In addition, the ferry ran on time 96 percent of the time. A ferry spokesman says the report shows a clear market for cross-lake service to Toronto. The report will be released in the afternoon. Stay tuned to News 8 Now at 5, 6, and 11 for in-depth analysis on the numbers.

"A big question is whether the city has tapped its $40 million start-up loan. If it has, it may ask taxpayers to loan more money to the operation. At the beginning of the quarter, there was about $4 million left from the original loan."

Right.  The city is going to 'ask' taxpayers to loan more money?  Like the city 'asked' the taxpayers if they wanted the damn thing in the first place?  Well, OK.  The answer is 'No'.  Now whattaya gonna do?

Gee.  This is like waiting to see how much Kodak lost in the past three months.  Last quarter, the ever-so progressive film dinosaur lost a cool BILLION dollars.  How much can the ferry operation lose?

We'll know tomorrow.