However, I think I am living on the wrong planet.O-D article Sunday November 25, 2018: “Downtown site scores most points” front page story.
Page A4 , 5th column (under map graphic), 2nd paragraph, it reads:
“The site must be in Utica for the project to qualify for the $300 million state grant.”
This contradicts other parts of the article outlining the reasons for including or excluding other sites in and OUTSIDE of Utica – such as St. Lukes campus. Why did they bother to evaluate other sites, OUTSIDE of Utica, if the grant was so worded????????
Utica has annexed land before (Rhoads Hospital) and could do it this time with the contested site being just across the street from Utica.
Utica became what it is (physically at present) after it annexed and/or purchased over a dozen parcels from other municipalities.
Heck, this Octogenarian could crawl that far on my hands and knees.
Question: IF THE SITE MUST BE IN Utica TO QUALITY FOR THE STATE’S STIPEND (SMALL GRANT), WHY WERE SITES OUTSIDE OF UTICA CONSIDERED?
There is more used oats in the rhetoric about this issue then the barn at Saratoga Raceway.
They should tell it like it is. There are only 3 reasons for choosing the downtown site for the hospital.
(notice I did not use the word picking – because one picks fruit, but one chooses a selection of this or that)
They are:
1. provide land that MVHS can sell and clear its indebtedness (not a bad thing)
2. help Utica rehab a poor (BUT HISTORIC) neighborhood (not a bad thing)
3. provide a county segue for building a needed parking garage for “AUD” (a much needed thing)
And, of course, there is still the Utica versus the rest of Oneida County syndrome, that Utica has a problem getting past since it was diminished in its supreme position in Oneida County and New York State during the middle 20th century.
Frankly, this “old bastard” will be dead and in Heaven before the folks in this area wake up to the fact that we must all (Oneida County) work together for each of us to thrive – or we will all survive separately. (credit Ben Franklin)
One day I will tell the story of my efforts at correcting the Oneida County WEB site. I have spent the past 6 months with emails and phone calls to just set up a meeting with the folks responsible for this one piece of our marketing.
