Being a Niagara Falls, NY native I try to come back to the area about once or twice a year. I have a lot of ties to the community. My parents owned the pizza shop called Jacobs, and my grandfather was Jacob A. Palillo. However, like many I left the area for Charlotte, NC. You as the reader can probably venture the guess on why I left. It is unfortunate but Niagara Falls has fell on some very hard times. A lot of empty promises are made daily, and nothing can seem to get done. Meanwhile the young people keep leaving because of the dysfunction. I am one person though that always swims against the current. I try to keep my ear to the ground on a lot of issues. I am looking to return to Niagara Falls because I am optimistic with the right leadership the area can change! It kills me every time to see a city so down in the dumps. Some people will read this and call me negative, I am sorry but it is the truth. When I look at the area I see so much potential if everyone could get out of there own agenda mindset. Every other week I read in the Gazette how either some one was shot, or the gangs that are busted. Do you think that is appealing to someone that may want move or visit an area? Also when headlines are the city is out of money what kind of message does that send? There is no prioritizing coming out of city hall. The city is currently ran on right now on the model of rush, excitement, and panic. Which in turns leads no real vision or thinking. Take a look at the recent event of the Holiday Market. The concept is great, but no event can be a success with only 6 weeks of planning. An event like that takes a year, and should never be funded by tax dollars. Sponsorships from local businesses should be donating to make the event of what it is. With that you do not have to worry if the city will make a profit, because you will not be using taxpayer dollars. You’re doing the event as a benefit for city and giving the people something to do. The problems of Niagara Falls, NY just didn’t lead to an overnight thing. It started declining when Mayor Lackey came in and tore down half of the downtown area. The story of Love Canal makes me sick. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out not to build an entire community on a toxic wasted dump. However, city officials in those days saw it as cash grab. When the factories started to leave no one ever said what could we do to make you stay so the jobs can stay? They said the industry that will take over is tourism. An industry we can never come together on because everyone is bashing their heads on and going in seven different directions. An industry that we know is needed. In the course of this when the jobs started leaving so did the people. This forced the city to raise taxes because of the with the people and jobs leaving it was less on the tax roll. It was like a domino effect and currently is. The market of the housing fell, and a lot of people are just walking away from their houses it is so bad. Over half the people are on some form of welfare and cannot afford to turn left. The crime rules the street of the city. Meanwhile we keep giving are assets away and are too afraid to stand up and say enough is enough. In 1997 a billionaire developer came in and bought up 144 acres of prime land and promised the world to the residents of the City of Niagara Falls. 15 years later that land still remains open from that date is bought. They do pay taxes but it doesn’t show for if development was on that property. My argument is your worth all that much and you can’t build one thing to help Niagara Falls, NY? Also the residents pay the most in power and electric when the company is right in your own backyard, and why is that you pay the most? All because the city contracted it out. Once you give something away like the water board, library etc. You lose your control. Once you have a contract you are stuck until renegotiation time if there is one. I can’t blame it all on city officials for the way it has been done. A lot has to do with the lack of respect from the leaders of Albany. When the Seneca’s came in to build a casino. Albany came in and took the portion that was owed to the city. I always say that New York City has been built on Niagara Falls, NY dime. Most of Albany representatives are from New York City, so where do you think their interest is? There has been some slow progress being made in the city and surrounding areas? However, there is still a lot to be done. I am one the believes that government needs to be cleaned out in the City of Niagara Falls. We need to invest in some new leaders that know what the city needs and have the drive to get it done. These people are Matt Green, Johnny Destino, Carnell Burch, Alicia Laible, Dominic Daoust, and Seth Piccirillo. Niagara Falls, NY has everything at it finger tips, there should be no reason why it should be the shape it is in. You have the history, beauty, and food to die for. You just need to lose the current direction you are headed. You need to invest in some new blood that has the vision that Niagara Falls, NY needs!
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About: Dom CianchettiBeing a Niagara Falls, NY native I try to come back to the area about once or twice a year. I have a lot of ties to the community. My parents owned the pizza shop called Jacobs, and my grandfather was Jacob A. Palillo. However, like many I left the area for Charlotte, NC. You as the reader can probably venture the guess on why I left. It is unfortunate but Niagara Falls has fell on some very hard times. A lot of empty promises are made daily, and nothing can seem to get done. Meanwhile the young people keep leaving because of the dysfunction. I am one person though that always swims against the current. I try to keep my ear to the ground on a lot of issues. I am looking to return to Niagara Falls because I am optimistic with the right leadership the area can change! |