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Detroit and us

Mary Anna Towler correctly equates Detroit’s bankruptcy with Rochester’s plight (“Lessons from Detroit,” Urban Journal). She’s right when she writes, “the warning signs are there.” The main reasons are stifling regulations and high taxes.

I was in the metal distribution business for 42 years. I sold to and bought from profitable businesses such as Graflex, Taylor Instrument, Ritter, Bernzomatic, and Hickock in the Rochester area. I valued their business. They now reside on the Boulevard of Broken Business.

I agree with the proposal of tax exemptions for start-up businesses in certain areas. But why stop there? A tax break should be given to all businesses in the Rochester area. And a 2 percent across-the-board tax cut should be given to all individual taxpayers.

This would be an example of less is more.

SAM PALERMO

This article appears in Aug 21-27, 2013.

4 replies on “Feedback 8/21”

  1. Sam Palermo – I’m always amazed by the fact that businesses in New York always fail because of “stifling regulations and high taxes”, and never because of poor business skills, incompetent CEOs, or just plain bad management.

  2. MJN:
    I did not see where Mr. Palermo presented any “facts” that businesses in New York always fail because of regulations and taxes. Maybe you have “facts” to back up your assertion. It’s generally accepted, however, that New York State is extremely business-unfriendly and is described as a “tax hell”. This certainly doesn’t help those trying to create jobs here. The cable business channel CNBC ranked New York 50th out of the 50 states for business friendliness. The state rated 34th in having an overall hospitable climate toward business.

    In July of last year Cuomo said that the state was running ads to address the perception that New York is unfriendly to business. “We’re not hiding that New York has had a reputation for being anti- business or problematic for businesses,” said Cuomo

    Good luck with that.

  4. “Bart – There are a lot of things you don’t see. “

    Huh? Do you honestly think the business climate in New York is wonderful? Do you believe Cuomo’s ad campaign that New York is “Open for Business”? Yikes. Step away from that Kool-Aid.

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