Zogby on Upstate New York
The Observer-Dispatch has an thought-provoking interview with pollster John Zogby on the Rome-Utica area and the lack of vision in Upstate New York:
“I don’t think local officials are accustomed to thinking in terms of visions. I think they need to spend so much of their time micromanaging. Everything from the day-to-day issues to issues like police and fire and employee pensions to the landfill management to zoning concerns to taking citizen complaints — there seems to be very little room to think ahead.”< ... >
“A place without a vision is just a place where people live. A place without a vision is also a place where people choose not to live. You have to have some sort of sense, generation to generation, of what’s going to happen. I have a business. I care about what happens to this area 25 years from now.”
Interesting commentary. Read more at uticaod.com: “Zogby Q&A excerpts”.
December 1st, 2005 at 5:27 pm
Good stuff…. made more “good” by my obvious support for his conclusions. It can cut both ways – some would say Bob Congel has a vision (and I’d agree, if they mean his vision is bilking taxpayers) and that the Syracuse mayor and council(s) are obstructionist or “micromanaging”. I really think it’s the other way around – at least they have the guts to stand up for their city and its people when it comes to an obviously terrible idea that benefits one person above the community.
December 1st, 2005 at 6:11 pm
John Zogby on Upstate New York
The blog at ecoCNY has a link to a recent interview John Zogby did with the Utica Observer-Dispatch. It’s got some good insights on visioning, the myopia of local governments, and the possible future of government consolidation. Check it out….