Page Twenty-Five  

02 AUGUST 2005

We don't deserve this...

Tuesday   August 02, 2005

Bay Ferries is pleased with "The Cat" Number of Ferry Riders Grows   by Rocco Vertuccio and Matt Biondic file photo Published Aug 01, 2005 The company the City of Rochester hired to run the fast ferry says that a month into the re-launch, the operation is going well. Bay Ferries says ridership this past week was up 30 percent from the week before. The company will not release specific numbers but it says the ferry is getting great response from passengers who are spreading the word about the ferry by telling their friends and family. One outstanding issue still has not been resolved, which is the ship's flag. "The Cat" is still registered in the Bahamas. Bay Ferries says the process of getting the ship an American flag is taking awhile because the company has had a hard time finding qualified people to run the ferry. "You don't train someone to be a master of this ship in a matter of four weeks,” said Don Cormier of Bay Ferries. “It’s a task we take very seriously and something we are doing very diligently and it will take the time that it takes." Cormier says the ferry business is very specialized and that's why it's difficult finding qualified employees. With the ship still registered in the Bahamas, Bay Ferries has to pay a $1,000 a trip in so-called pilotage fees. Cormier also says even with those fees, the operation's expenditures are on budget. The Cat

Insulted yet?  I sure as hell am.  Just how stupid do these guys think we are?  Are we Common Folk viewed as being so moronic, so inept, so uneducated and so brain-dead that we're supposed to eat this stuff and still call it Shinola?

This says nothing.  If last week's ridership was a grand total of 500, that means this week there'd be 650.  We need 1,056 riders per day each and every day in order to meet the city's estimate for success.  Saying there was a '10 percent', '60 percent' or even '100 percent' increase from the week before means nothing as far as hard numbers are concerned.  A '100 percent' increase in ridership from the previous week's total of ONE equals: TWO riders this week.  But that doesn't sound nearly as impressive as a '100 percent' increase, does it?  Give us hard numbers.  That's all that matters.

How does one go about measuring 'great response'?  And how does one determine how many passengers were influenced by being told by their friends and family?  I wasn't aware of any mandatory polling on board.

People have this annoying trait of wanting to at least marginally believe the company -- for which they're uprooting their lives -- is going to be around for more than just a few weeks.  Somehow, the salary for a captain of a passenger ship of this size would allow her to live in Boca Raton rather than the Garden Spot of the Great Lakes, Rochester.  Without trying to state the obvious, the climate of this area has worked against trying to attract highly paid workers for a few decades.  With Rochester as the home port, a captain would need to be content with not only the community, but the weather as well.

Ohhhh... I get it NOW!!!  They saved the punchline for last!!  THAT'S it!

'The operation's expenditures are on budget'?  That's nice.  Are 'the operation's REVENUES on budget' as well?  HMMMM??

That's like saying 'we're spending as planned'.  Great to hear it. 

Are 'we' EARNING as planned?  WELL?  Are 'we'?

Yup.  No doubt about it.  We Huddled Masses are standing in line waiting to have I'M AN IDIOT branded on our foreheads.  Or so the ferry's management wants to think.  The media must think we're about as bright as a two-watt light bulb as well because if the above RNews piece represents journalism reaching out to an educated public, it leaves a lot to be desired.

This hastens my estimates of the ferry's demise.  When a boxer feigns and dances as furiously as this, it can only means he's getting close to a fall.  Absurd reports aimed at trying to put on a brave face while refusing to reveal the only facts which are relevant can only mean there ain't tranquility behind the cheery façade.  Gloom and doom in Mudville, but the team still thinks the ferry is going to remain afloat financially. 

Mark these words: the news of the ferry's demise is going to come suddenly.  After all the spin has spun out, there'll be no hiding behind media-crafted hype which stonewalls the public into believing All Is Well.  Presumably, since the city has the deeper pockets to handle losses, the announcement will be more along the lines of "As of Xxxx, XX, 200X, service will no longer be offered.  Reservations for cruises will be accepted until that date."  Can't imagine simply slapping up a CLOSED sign on the doors like CATS did, but jaws will drop anyway.

Give us the numbers.  Let us determine if things are going swimmingly.  We don't need 'in depth analysis' here.

Until then, we can only assume the ferry is closing in on the final act.  There would be no reason to withhold good numbers just as there's every reason to withhold bad.

The local rag's take:

73º | Hi 87º / Lo 64º |

Well, then.  That just about sorts all THAT out, doesn't it?  The ferry has mere weeks left to limp along before Bay Ferries pulls out, the city of Rochester pulls out or the public pulls out its lackluster support.   Just takes one of THOSE parties to end THIS party and when that happens, let's watch the accusations fly, shall we?

To much of Southern Ontario, Québec and the Northeastern U.S., the summer season unofficially begins either Victoria Day or Memorial Day weekends and unofficially ends on Labour Day weekend, five weekends from now.  Cottages and thoughts of lakeside activities start getting shoved to the back of the mind and while that doesn't mean people break out the goosedown and Kodiaks, the region begins its seasonal backturn to the lakes.  (Except when the Lake Effect kicks up and the seasonal whining begins.)

If the summer is the peak tourist/travelling season (True/False?) it stands to reason that ferry ridership will take a bit of a dive after the summer season.  Which we've just learned is unofficially after Labour Day.

So the public has just been told to 'Get Bent' and wait until the end of September to find out data which already exists right now.  "These things take time", my ass.  I know a snowjob when I see one...  and there's a bunch of suits who just don't want the public getting all riled up because the numbers aren't there.

Why aren't we seeing headlines like, "Ferry Ridership Exceeds Expectations"?  "Reservations Booked Solid For Next Two Months"?  "Two Additional Daily Crossings Planned To Ease Crowded Ship"?  WELL??

I pay attention to the truth, not the spin.  Simpletons grab onto whatever they're offered and accept it as truth without pausing to consider the facts.  I suppose that's another change Rochester area 'leaders' are about to find out; John and Jane Q. Public are about to yank the rug out from under a real slug of a business plan. 

"How dare those Luddites consider thinking for themselves?  See???  It's the damn naysayers who ruined the business... it's not OUR fault."

I know The Home Depot carries tar, but it may be tougher to find the feathers.

04 AUGUST 2005

What's this about laughing at Erie County?

70º | Hi 92º / Lo 68º |

Smugtown strikes again.  Local Rochester area residents have always basked in the warm knowledge of -- if not a robust -- at least a semi-moderately healthy economy compared to Buffalo and Erie County.  Those days of self-adulation are drawing to a close as the above blurb describes.

No, I'm not interested in excuses for the shortfall.  That's not my concern and if I'm supposed to do something about it, I want to be paid the same wage as the people who are REALLY supposed to be dealing with it.

Gee.  I wonder.  Could it be the number of DSS cases might be increasing due to proliferation of non-livable wage paying jobs?  Could the DSS expenditures be mounting because of the loss of decent paying jobs with benefits?  Could a local economy which is rapidly sliding into the crapper be a reason why more people are having to resort to assistance?

Yes, yes and yes.  But there's money for goodies like a fast ferry, undomed stadiums and chichi entertainment districts so the City of Rochester and Monroe County have no room to whine.  Bump taxes?  Well, yes of course.  Turn green space into tax-generating development?  Yeah, OK!!

But first, let's target the least advantaged members of the community to take up the slack.  Let THEM pay the price for irresponsible projects and initiatives.  Pathetic.

Yup.  Monroe County residents can point to Erie County and laugh mockingly, but it'll be the Buffalo area which has the last laugh here.

It's already happening.

71º | Hi 92º / Lo 68º |

Wow.  A whole 10%.  Nonreturnable, nonrefundable, nonredeemable for cash and must be purchased more then 24 hours in advance with an advance reservation IF vouchers are available.  And you get to save a whole US$ 3.70.  Will that even buy a Druxy's sandwich?  No?  Oh well.

Now why would the hometown grocery chain offer such an 'attractive' deal?  Why would the ferry operators offer such a discount?  Could it be to woo more passengers to use the ferry?  Could that be due to sluggish public response to the ferry?  Inquiring minds want to know.

Reduced rates on off-peak cruises.  Cute little bundled ferry and spa packs.  10% discount vouchers at the local feed stores.  Kids ride free.  Buy one, get the second at half price.  Why are any of these needed if the ship is packing 'em in?  Oh.  It's NOT? 

Why not?

Why do car manufacturers offer 'employee pricing', '0% percent financing' or 'rebates'?  Answer?  To stimulate sales of cars which aren't selling due to a variety of reasons.

Why would a ferry operation be offering little (and I DO mean little) perks and bennies?  Answer?  To stimulate ferry ridership which isn't happening due to a variety of reasons. 

I mean, when do we start seeing the 'Free toaster with every purchase!' advertising?

<cackle>

Aug. 1, 2005. 04:49 PM Rochester ferry ridership picks up BEN DOBBIN ASSOCIATED PRESS ROCHESTER, N.Y. — A giant car-and-passenger catamaran that zips across Lake Ontario at 80 kilometres an hour has been less than half-full during its first four weeks in service but its ridership is picking up, the operator said today. (Can you say, "Sarcastic?  I knew you could.) "Over the last week, we were operating at about half-capacity'' — an improvement over the first three weeks — and crossings during the first weekend of August look likely to be sold out, said spokesman Glenn Gardner of Bay Ferries Ltd. The Spirit of Ontario, which is nicknamed "The Cat," makes two daily round-trip voyages between Rochester and Toronto except on Tuesdays when only one round-trip is scheduled. Bay Ferries won't reveal how many one-way tickets have been sold since the vessel was re-launched June 30. If the 774-passenger vessel were full every time, that number would be close to 80,000. (And if the ship has been less than half full, that figure would be less than 40,000, right?  Do we hear, "30,000"?  "20,000"?  We'll find out sooner or later... one way or another.  Count on it.) "There's certainly a steady increase in the number of travelers and we're seeing that on a weekly and daily basis," Gardner said. ``There's quite a bit to be encouraged about.'' The ferry zooms across the lake in two hours and 30 minutes. A car trip around the lake usually takes three to four hours — and far longer when there are traffic tie-ups at the border. Walk-on fares during peak sailings through Sept. 5 are $32 (U.S.), and $35 for most cars. The five-story-tall ship — almost a football field in length — can carry 220 cars, or a smaller number of cars and as many as 10 trucks and buses. The maiden run in spring 2004 was postponed for six weeks after the Australian-built ship sideswiped a pier in New York near the end of a round-the-world voyage and underwent $1 million in engine repairs. It then sailed for just 80 days — Canadian American Transportation Systems shut down last September with $1.7 million in debt. (Journalistic license here.  Why use the word 'just' unless there's a hint of skepticism? 'It then sailed for 80 days..' is far less subjective, but it's wonderful to know where the Toronto press stands on this project.) The private company blamed mainly regulatory hurdles — chiefly the failure to get approval from U.S. Customs to carry commercial vehicles, which could have injected up to $18,000 in daily revenues. That issue has now been largely resolved — trucks are allowed on board under certain restrictions. The city of Rochester bought the ferry for $32 million at an auction in February, and hired Bay Ferries to run it. The Canadian company also manages a 55-mph ferry that has hustled between Bar Harbor, Maine, and Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, since 1998. Bay Ferries expects to offer daily round-trip crossings to Toronto for 10 months each year, with a winter break in January and February. It is hoping up to 25 per cent of passengers will be regular business travelers. "We're probably going to hit a peak in the August time frame,'' Gardner said. "This weekend probably will max out because we've got the Yankees-Toronto baseball series going on.''

Wha-... whattya mean, "hit a peak in the August time frame"??  What's THAT mean?

You mean... a spokesperson for Bay Ferries admits the ferry service will see its highest ridership of the year during the summer months?  Is THAT what he means?  Does that mean ridership numbers will show a general downward trend in subsequent months?  As in, "this is as good as it gets"?

So then.  We see the ferry operators and owners trying the Blue Light Special routine, along with the equivalent of Double Green Stamps, in a pitch to lure passengers because the projected numbers just aren't there.

And if my Canadian Snarky Meter is working properly, the venerable Toronto Star just printed a story with a whiff of sarcasm to it.  Maybe I'm wrong... maybe The Star detects a wildly popular embrace of the 'fast' ferry on the northern side of the lake.  After all, isn't Loblaw's, Zehr's and NoName offering 10% discount vouchers in the GTA?

No?  Why not?  Wegmans is.  How come Wegmans is supporting the ferry service and GTA grocers aren't?  We need to find out why not, don't you think?

We need to find out why the estimated passengers numbers aren't there, don't you think?  How else are 'we' supposed to know how to change the slump if 'we' don't know why the slump's there in the first place?  'We' need some real answers, don't you think?

Instead, 'we' give out piddling discounts on tickets aimed at grabbing as much nonrefundable cash as 'we' can.  'We' churn out media reports which are more spin obfuscating the truth than facts which expose the reality.  Doesn't really matter.

We'll find out sooner or later... one way or another.  Count on it.

Thursday   August 04, 2005

Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks Monroe County Deficit Grows   by Dan Smith Photo by Todd Krupa Published Aug 04, 2005 Monroe County's budget problems have grown bigger than expected. The county's latest key budget indicators report projects a deficit this year of between $15.1million and $21.8 million. That projection is above one in a report from earlier this year expecting a $7million to $14 million deficit. Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks says higher than expected social services costs caused the deficit to grow. She says a budget advisory team has come up with some recommendations to close the gap. (WHY are social services costs 'higher than expected'?  You mean to tell me these amply-paid 'professionals' can't come up with a decent estimate?  I call that 'incompetency'.) "It's a little premature to talk about that publicly because internally we have to look at what's reasonable and what's not. But clearly, I think it's fair to say everything is on the table at this point with the exception of raising property taxes,” Brooks said. A recent Fitch credit rating report projected Monroe County's deficit to grow to $40 million next year. Monroe County, NY

Blame the poor and disabled.  It's their damn fault we're in this mess.

How many current DSS clients previously worked at Kodak?  Or Xerox?  Or any of the local businesses which laid off workers in the past five years?  Mags says jobs are being created -- full-time jobs (40 hours/week) -- so the unemployment figures look reasonable. 

Nevermind these new jobs barely pay the rent and utilities.  Nevermind that food and health care are the first line items to get cut when income drops.  Forget about dropping incomes which force more families to qualify for more social services... which ups the cost for social services.  Duh.

Just blame the poor and disabled.  Then whack the budget and call it 'fiscal prudence' and 'tightening the belt'.  But fer Gawdsakes don't touch the county-run golf courses or Sacred Cows like a ferry, a soccer stadium or a postcard-perfect zoo. 

And DON'T raise property taxes which would siphon money from those with the ability to pay to those without.  Haven't read of too many county homeowners evicted from their house because they weren't able to pay their taxes but to listen to these people, one would think repaving the driveway was more important than paying the taxes.  If you can afford to repave the driveway, you can afford to pay your taxes. 

(Too leftist for you?  Too bad... move to Florida or some other right-wing job and put up with THEIR headaches.  After this year's hurricane season, the South will barely be able to stand again, let alone rise again.)

Oh yeahhh.  The Rochester area has got it ALL over the Buffalo area, doesn't it?  With a credit reporting agency estimate of a $40 million deficit by next year, Monroe County sure has a LOT to brag about.  Sanctimonious blowhards...

Welcome to the Banana Republic of Lake Ontario.

Whatta bargain!  No attempt to drag passengers back here, is there? 

Another show of hands, please:  Excluding business people (they alone can't support the ferry operation) how many of you local Rochesterians have visited Toronto more than once in the past thirteen weeks?  How many of you local Rochesterians are planning on visiting Toronto more than once in the NEXT thirteen weeks?

I rest my case.  The latest sales pitch is a shameless plea for cash rather than a convenience for the consumer.  Bay Ferries knows if the passengers don't use the return discount before October 31, they've lost nothing and copped a quick 'n dirty sale in the process.  If the return discount IS used before October 31, they've just gained two sales; even if the second is at a 50% discount, it's still cash coming in just when the autumn sales doldrums start to set in.

Hey, I never said they were dumb... just unrealistic.  But since the locals are waddling into Wegmans to save a lousy $3.70 out of a trip costing a few hundred bucks a head (water and land transit, lodging, food, attractions) it stands to reason they'd jump at the Buy-One-Get-The-Second-At-Half-Price come-on.  These are the people who get all nervous and jerky at paying three cents a gallon more than the station around the corner on a ten-gallon fill-up.  The extra 30 cents they just paid to fill their $30,000 gas-guzzler must surely shove them closer to filing for bankruptcy.

The present frenzied attempts at luring cash --- excuse me -- passengers to use the ferry only points to a business in trouble.  Or a business foreseeing trouble.  Either way, I have a feeling we'll see the end of the ferry before the end of Mayor Bill's tenure.  Maybe he'll pull a Jack Doyle, where the former Monroe County Executive shafted the public mere days before his departure and skipped gleefully into obscurity.  Mayor Bill's already made the reservation for the movers, so he'll be 86-ing this burg as soon as he turns in the ID to the HR Department. 

"Ferry crapped out?  Sorrytohearit.Don'tforgettowrite.C-ya."

Locals will blame Johnson, Johnson will grant the obligatory interview with the Democrat & Chronicle which will run it in the Sunday edition a few months after his departure saying how he 'believed in his heart the ferry service would be a success' and in retrospect he might have done things a little differently but that's all water under the bridge and he's moved on to other things and say Hi to Marge and the kids for me will ya?

Or something like that.  Also watch for a public groundswell of "I knew all along it wouldn't work", "They should have never bought the ferry" and of course "It's the naysayers who killed the ferry".

This area's nothing if not predictable.

07 AUGUST 2005

Place yer bets.

Sunday   August 07, 2005

Baseball Fans Fill Sold Out Ferry   by Mark Schoenberger/Linda Loy Published Aug 06, 2005 It's been a busy weekend so far for the fast ferry. The ferry is crossing Lake Ontario at capacity for the first time since the city took ownership of the vessel. Both trips from Rochester to Toronto Friday were sold out. Saturday morning's crossing was sold out, too. Sunday, both trips from Toronto to Rochester will be at capacity. Ferry operators say the boat is sold out because of Yankee fans heading to the Skydome for the Bronx bombers series with the Blue Jays. (Uh, 'we' ARE aware the proper name of the facility is the Rogers Centre, aren't 'we'?  No points deducted, though.) The ferry holds up to 774 passengers. Overall, operators say ridership has increased 30% since the ferry first started service this summer. Bay Ferries

Well, crack open that champagne... now 'we' can brag we had more than one sell out.

"See?  SEE???  The demand IS there!  We KNEW it would be a success!  Yeah... yeah... what do you naysayers have to say NOW?!!"

Same thing as we've been saying all along:  "There isn't enough demand to sustain a ferry operation of this magnitude for a long term period".

So many questions, so few answers.  Like:

• If a herd of Rochesterians paddle across the lake in a sold out cruise, does it not stand to reason there'd be a herd of Rochesterians paddling BACK across the lake in ANOTHER sold out cruise?  How else would they get back home?  That doesn't point to hoards of Canadians swarming the southern shores; it's the equivalent of a maritime charter bus junket.

• Tossing aside the kid gloves for a moment, might we refer to these weekend MLB jaunts as pretty much booze cruises?  You know, a designated driver dumps the revelers off at Charlotte where they proceed to imbibe their way across the lake, then at Rogers Centre (oh, excuse me... 'Skydome') then a few toddies back across the lake where they're sopped up by the designated driver.  Mind you, not that I have anything against that sort of thing, but let's not get carried away and pretend this is a typical Day In The Life of The Cat.

• Even IF the boat was filled with Mr. & Mrs. and the kids noshing on ice cream and Cokes, are we so naïve as to believe two sell out days spells smooth sailing ahead for the ferry?  Has this weekend proven anything to even suggest that conclusion?

• May we be so bold as to speculate how much a Saturday excursion to Yankees game in Toronto might cost on average?  Let's include all costs here (all transit, admissions, food and sundries) and ask the happy travelers if they plan on (or can afford) a repeat performance four weeks from now?  It'll take more than a 'special occasion' every now and then to keep the ferry afloat financially.

• Lastly (for the moment) why does Bay Ferries keep insisting on quoting ridership numbers in terms of a percentage increase?  Shall we expect next week's ad hoc report to show a dramatic percentage DECREASE as a result of rider numbers falling back to more typical totals?  Why not?

Don't get me wrong;  hey, I can see a reason to throw a party if the sun comes up... so let the ferry supporters toss as much confetti as they'd like.  I won't rain on their parade.

It may be the only chance they get.

Tale of two cities.

	Sunday, August 7, 2005
	Partly cloudy 82°F / 28°C

Business Today Front Page > Business Today > Business News Toronto condo boom attracts Trump Three-story penthouse will cost $15 million By JOE SCHNEIDER Bloomberg News 8/7/2005 Bloomberg News A billboard and sales office is located on the site of Trump's Toronto tower.   Bloomberg News A scale model of Trump's tower is on display downtown. TORONTO - Donald Trump, building his first residential condominium in Toronto, is offering 24-hour access to chauffeured Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedans and a chef for parties as incentives to attract buyers. The New York-style amenities may help the 70-story Trump International Hotel & Tower stand out, said Barry Landsberg, marketing director for the project. "That's very unusual for Toronto," said Marisha Robinsky, a real-estate agent for Sutton-Granite Hill Realty in the city. Robinsky said developers usually offer kitchen appliances, parking spaces or access to compact cars as incentives. "The standard perks are becoming more common." Trump, 59, is taking advantage of a surge in demand for city apartments. About 50,000 to 60,000 people will move downtown this year, Toronto developer Harry Stinson said. Stinson made headlines in the Toronto Star and the National Post with plans to build the 88-story Sapphire Tower hotel and condominium a few blocks away from Trump's building. At least six Toronto properties are selling units at up to $1,000 (Canadian) or $824 (U.S.) a square foot, or about $2.2 million (Canadian) for a two-bedroom apartment, according to SimplyCondos.com real-estate agent Laurie Hanes. A year ago nothing sold for more than $500 (Canadian) a square foot, he said. The three-story penthouse in Trump's building, which will begin construction next year, is $15 million (Canadian). "We're rapidly becoming Manhattan," said Hanes, who described Trump's incentives as "smoke and mirrors." "I've got clients in upstate New York who always dreamt of retiring in Manhattan for the shows, the restaurants. Now they can in Toronto." The Four Seasons Hotels is among the companies planning hotel-condo complexes in the Yorkville section of Toronto. The area is known for upscale stores such as Tiffany's and restaurants including Bistro 990. Movie stars Catherine Zeta-Jones and Renee Zellweger have visited the neighborhood while in town filming. Real-estate agents lined up overnight in Yorkville last month to buy apartments for clients in a planned 96-unit condominium. The development, whose penthouse is priced at $6 million (Canadian), sold out in four days, said Pat Baker, president of Baker Real Estate Corp., which is handling sales at the development. Toronto condo construction will reach a five-year high of 15,000 units this year, said Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. senior analyst Jason Mercer. The vacancy rate for rental apartments has risen to 4.3 percent from less than 1 percent in the mid-1990s as more apartment dwellers look to buy, said Mercer. More people have been able to buy condos after the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp., a federal agency that insures mortgages, removed rules last year that required them to put down at least 5 percent. He also cited mortgage rates, which have fallen to 4.5 percent from 6.75 percent five years ago, according to Canadian mortgage broker Invis. "We always get apprehensive when there's so much construction," Remax agent Bette Ursini said. Cheaper financing "makes it so easy for the first-time buyer," said Ursini, who focuses on selling condos that cost as much as $500,000 (Canadian). Trump's plans for Toronto were delayed by four years as he switched financial backers and designs. The site in Toronto's financial district will round out Trump's collection of buildings, bolstered by his construction of a 92-story hotel-condominium tower in Chicago that's slated to open in 2008. The 374 units in Toronto's Trump International Hotel & Tower will include hotel rooms owners can rent to the company, as will a planned complex by Host Marriott Corp.'s Ritz Carlton chain. Those and the Four Seasons' building are slated to open in 2009, giving Toronto its first five-star hotels. "We deal with people all the time that come to Toronto and meet with us and then go to New York for two or three days," Trump's Landsberg said. "Their preference is to stay in New York because they can stay at the Trump or the Ritz." Landsberg declined to say how many units have been sold, so real-estate agents will have to wait until September, when the company has planned an announcement, to find out whether Trump's incentives are working. "For his target market - international travelers who have homes in New York, London, and other cities - those types of amenities will certainly be an attraction because they don't want to have to think about transportation or cooking," said Lauretta Stewart, 45, a real-estate agent with Royal Le Page Real Estate Services in Toronto. She primarily sells condos in the $700,000 to $4 million range. "If you're an affluent buyer who already lives in Toronto, you probably have your own chauffeur-driven car and your own cook."

"Yeah... so what's this got to do with either the ferry or Rochester?"

It's a matter of perspective and a statement of identity.  Once city is unquestionably world-class, another tries to be in the same club.

It seems a bit cocky to say being in Midtown Manhattan is like being at the centre of the world, but standing at Times Square can really make that claim feel like a reality.  Everything else is 'out there'... 'this is where all the action is'... 'anybody from anywhere in the world can be seen here'... lifestyles of the rich and famous mingling with lifestyles of the working stiffs.  Sort of like Toronto.

But not exactly descriptive of Rochester.  It's why visitors flock to Beverly Hills instead of San Bernardino, Miami Beach instead of Florida City and Toronto instead of Rochester.  It goes without saying the high flyers buying $4 million condos with chauffeured MB S-Class service aren't representative of the typical GTA resident, but the presence of Big World Class Money creates an excitement and energy which is infectious.

That's how some dusty town in the middle of the desert was transformed it into a 100˚F+ mecca of gambling called Las Vegas.  Big Money and international travelers are tourist draws in themselves.

So when local Rochester 'leaders' serve up a tourist plate of fairly interesting but unexceptional attractions set amid middle-class Upstate New York, it should come as no surprise tourists -- and Toronto residents alike -- would stick to the GTA offerings.  That doesn't bode well for a project based on drawing visitors to Rochester.

As loathe as Canadians are to admit, Toronto is a major focal point in Canada and the cash floating around a region of that prosperity is a really tempting prospect to consider... even more so to a community which is sliding into an economic hole.  Clearly, when real estate is commanding stunning prices... and selling faster than new condos can be built... it's safe to say there's a lot of disposable income available.  Drive along the Gardiner between Spadina and the Yonge/Bay exits.  Then drive Lake Avenue between Charlotte and downtown.  Which generates more excitement?

Donald Trump has big plans targeting big players.  Rochester has big plans targeting small players.

Guess which one stands the better chance of succeeding?

08 AUGUST 2005

Time to do a Happy Dance, huh?

Monday   August 08, 2005

"The Cat" leaves Rochester's port Fast Ferry Reaches Milestone     by Warren White Photo by Nate Kramer Published Aug 07, 2005 For the first time since its relaunch, Rochester's fast ferry had a sell-out this weekend and major league baseball was mainly responsible. ('Mainly' responsible?  More like 'totally' responsible.  Minus the game, there would have been no sell out.) A weekend series between the Yankees and Blue Jays brought a steady stream of New Yorkers to Toronto and many of them made the trip on the ferry called, "The Cat." A lot of baseball fans made the return trip to Rochester Sunday afternoon. "I think it was much more pleasant than we thought it would be," said Pete Palermo of Geneseo, a first-time ferry passenger. "It's faster and very comfortable." (Faster than what?  Driving?  No.  Flying?  Probably.) The ferry holds up to 774 passengers, and its weekend trips were at capacity. "It was very smooth going and coming," said Bob Martell of Wayland. "Hardly any lines. They moved very quickly. Going through customs was a breeze." Those are the kind of reviews the ship's operator, Bay Ferries, wants to hear. The crush of passengers was welcomed by businesses at the ferry's Port of Rochester terminal. "At this point, it's helping," said Kiran Patel, who owns a sandwich shop at the terminal. Definitely, the summer's good. Hopefully, we'll see at least this kind of traffic all throughout the year." (Yeah, I'll bet Kiran Patel HOPES the same number of this weekend's passengers keeps up throughout the year.  I'll also bet Patel's sandwich shop will be nothing but a memory a year from now.) The ferry's operator says overall ridership is up 30 percent since the service resumed this summer. They declined to provide specific numbers, but say they are on target and encouraged. Bay Ferries

"Lastly (for the moment) why does Bay Ferries keep insisting on quoting ridership numbers in terms of a percentage increase?  Shall we expect next week's ad hoc report to show a dramatic percentage DECREASE as a result of rider numbers falling back to more typical totals?  Why not?"

How many of today's watercooler conversations will express confidence the ferry operation will succeed as a result of this weekend's sell out cruises?  How many times are we going to be reminded of these sell out cruises in the next year... especially after the project tanks?  "But... but... we had sell out cruises on one weekend!  How can the ferry be out of business??"

Such overly shallow and simplistic reasoning should be expected.  After all, there weren't any mass public demonstrations opposing the concept from the onset... the locals pretty much sat back, took in everything that was shoved in their faces and didn't want to get a brain cramp from actually THINKING about the absurdity of the proposal. 

"They're the experts.  They know better about these things than I do.  (Phew!  That was a close one; almost had to think outside the box.)"

So I guess we're going to have to listen to this 'sold out' crap ad nauseum or until the blasted thing is out of the Port of Rochester once and for all.  Such a meaningless bit of trivia is going to be held up as the Holy Grail of 'proof' there was demand for the ferry service even though it's patently obvious one, two... even a month of weekend sell out cruises can't sustain a ferry operation of this magnitude for an extended period of time.

'Milestone'?  Yeah, OK.  Whatever floats yer boat.