By Mark Scheer
Niagara Gazette
NIAGARA FALLS —
There’s a commercial on television advertising a buffet restaurant. It shows a family driving around trying to decide what everybody wants for dinner.
It goes something like this: Dad says we could have this “or” that. Mom says we could have that “or” this.
Eventually the family ends up in front of the entrance to a mystical place called “The Land of And.”
A Willy Wonka-looking guy explains there’s no need for “or” when you can have “and.”
I’m not sure how effective it is as a restaurant ad, but it got me to thinking about Niagara Falls and Niagara County.
Why are we so often the “Land of Or?”
The latest example comes as state Sen. George Maziarz, R-Newfane, presents legislation seeking to take $100,000 in casino funding earmarked for the city’s Underground Railroad project and divert it to assist in the marketing of the Niagara Falls International Airport.
I could ask the obvious question: How did the Niagara Falls Transportation Authority build a $32-million airport without having sufficient marketing funds to begin with?
But, I digress.
Back to the “Land of Or.”
What we’re going to have here is another unfortunate community argument about revenue and priorities.
Think casino cash fight and you get the idea.
We’ve already been down this road so many times before.
Remember last summer when county lawmakers cried foul after Democratic Assemblywoman Francine DelMonte and state Sen. Antoine Thompson initiated legislation diverting the county’s casino share to the city for the purposes of road repair?
Well here we go again.
This time around, the Maziarz people will say $100,000 in casino money is better spent on the airport because it is an asset that benefits the entire county, not just Niagara Falls.
The Underground Railroad people will say their project is a regional asset as well, fully deserving of all the revenue it can get.
As a resident and taxpayer, I say, like the Willie Wonka guy, why can’t we ever just have both?
I know, New York is cashed strapped and all of that, but, as I’ve said many times before, there’s still a lot of money in the system. You don’t even have to look too hard for it.
The Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority, the stewards of our new terminal, had 14 employees who earned more than $100,000 last year. Another seven earned above $90,000.
We’ve got the Niagara Tourism and Convention Corp. which exists solely to promote our county as a tourist destination.
The county pays $50,000 to Buffalo Niagara Enterprise — our regional advocacy group — to drive business into our community.
State lawmakers spend millions on office space and personnel each year.
We’ve got people all over the place earning publicly funded salaries, benefits and pensions.
What are they all doing?
Is there any chance any of them might know some clever ways to market an airport?
Few would argue with the need to promote the use of a facility that cost the community $32 million.
Does it have to come at the expense of a project that could lead to the development of an Underground Railroad heritage area people from other parts of the country might want to hop on an airplane to come to see when they visit Niagara Falls and Niagara County?
I have no idea if an Underground Railroad museum will work. It may be just another Niagara Falls folly, something Maziarz can say he warned us all about years from now.
Why can’t we find a civil way to accomplish it all?
Why aren’t we focused on doing even more?
Around here it’s always the same.
The same petty politicians waging the same petty wars over the same pile of crumbs.
No big picture.
No real vision.
No sense that we’re all going in the same direction.
Niagara County “or” Niagara Falls.
Never one in the same.
It’s always Niagara County “or” Niagara Falls.
Welcome, friends, to “The Land of Or.”
How are you enjoying your stay so far?
Contact reporter Mark Scheer at 282-2311, ext. 2250.
