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Correspondence » Letter to the D & C, April 2004
Letter to the Democrat and Chronicle, April 2004
Letter to the Democrat and Chronicle regarding
their April 9th, 2004 article, "Groups lift curtain
on arts center proposal"
(This letter does not represent the views of PFABBS, per se, and was not approved by the group, but it is worthy of mention.)
ART + ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAPHY
RICHARD MARGOLIS
250 NORTH GOODMAN STREET #4-9
ROCHESTER, NEW YORK 14607 USA
PHONE 585/473-0070 FAX 473-0127
April 9, 2004
David L. Hunke, President & Publisher
Democrat and Chronicle
55 Exchange Boulevard
Rochester, New York 14614
Dear Mr. Hunke,
I want to call your attention to, and strongly object to, the article in the Friday April 9 edition on the front page titled “Groups lift curtain on arts center proposal” by Joseph Spector.
This is one more article, one of many, that seems obviously to be promoting the plans for the controversial underground bus station. Please note that there is no source for the plan described, no alternative viewpoint, no reference or even a hint that there may be a problem or concern about the “arts center proposal”.
On March 16th several members of PFABBS, “People For A Better Bus Station”, met with Jim Lawrence and the editorial board to present our concerns about the RGRTA plan for an underground bus station and redevelopment of Main Street at Clinton. After our introductory presentation the tone of the questions and discussion was somewhere between skeptical and hostile. We left the meeting hoping for the best but doubting that we had been at all effective in communicating our concerns.
Prior to that meeting I had submitted an essay for the Speaking Out column to Mr. Lawrence at Shiela Mewborn’s request, so the group would be prepared for our meeting. Later I submitted that essay directly to Kathy Wagner because it had not been forwarded to her. Since then despite several inquiries Kathy Wagner has not even acknowledged receiving the essay.
I would like to point out, again, (we discussed this at the editorial board meeting) that the county executive’s husband is on the board of both the Rochester Broadway Theater League, the primary beneficiary of the Arts Center Plan, and by coincidence (excuse my sarcasm) Monroe Community College, that will also benefit from the plan. Isn’t that an obvious conflict of interest, a flagrant violation of public trust, an outrageous assault on the community (please consider these to be suggestions for future headlines)?
So far there has been no justification for a massive downtown bus station. There has never been any claim that it will benefit bus patrons. The plan has from the beginning been developed in secret by suburban REPUBLICANS who chose the site, Main at Clinton, because it benefits a REPUBLICAN financial contributor.
The need for a central “hub and spoke” plan has not been established. Less expensive, above ground alternatives including satellite transfer stations or the train station location have been arbitrarily dismissed by both the RGRTA and, apparently, by your newspaper, since they are never mentioned in your articles.
Our new County Executive repeatedly claims that there will be more public participation in the planning process but continues to promote plans made in secret by groups that will benefit from the hundreds of millions in public funding.
The irony of turning from the article about the arts center proposal on page 1 of Section A to the article in the same position on Page 1 of Section B, “Albany rally for city aid planned” is striking. Could that placement have been deliberate? A coalition of community organizations has mounted a grass roots effort to increase state aid to the city of Rochester. Is there no relationship between the the city deficit and the diversion of up to $240M for the Underground Bus Station and the MCC Campus and Arts Center?
Considering the mounting federal deficit, can the federal government afford to provide the millions in transportation funds to the RGRTA, and can the State of New York afford the approximately $37M - $40M that have been promised, and can the County of Monroe, that could not agree to fund school nurses , afford to divert funds from other projects, when the City of Rochester that has a $38.1M budget gap, and the Rochester School Board is threatening to close schools? How can a responsible newspaper print those two articles and not see a relationship between them?
Considering that we are going into an election season I wonder how many candidates can justify their claims to be in favor of cutting taxes and at the same time support a multi-million dollar boondoggle like this? And why is your newspaper not holding our new county executive accountable for her campaign pledge not to raise taxes while she supports this project, mostly funded with tax money. How can public officials support a project that removes property from tax roles while they propose budgets that add to the deficit, and they claim to support lowering taxes? How can your newspaper ignore these issues?
I have received, through a Freedom of Information Request, the transcript of the public meeting held by the RGRTA on November 25th, and copies of the written comments submitted in response to their Draft Environmental Assessment. Both the transcript and written statements are overwhelmingly against the RGRTA plan. I doubt that your newspaper has copies of those documents. Am I wrong?
Let me conclude by stating clearly that I feel that the Democrat and Chronicle has assigned a very weak writer to cover this issue, that the editing has been terrible, that the paper suppresses opposing viewpoints and seems determined to promote whatever the RGRTA submits, no matter how flawed.
I welcome the opportunity to discuss this with you.
Sincerely,
Richard Margolis
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