It’s what we want

Once again, a leading politician has issued a cost-reduction
“edict” of lost services and lost jobs while trumpeting his resolve to not
raise taxes. This time it’s Jack Doyle.

Once
again, segments of the public are up in arms, and political enemies are
maneuvering. Once again, self-righteous justifications and indignant criticisms
fill the media.

And
once again, many observers expect modifications and 11th-hour-miracle
solutions.

This
brouhaha is to be expected. After all, every organization wants to survive. But
why must we go through this cacophonous ritual over and over again?

It’s
probably because we don’t think about quality-of-life institutions much unless
they’re threatened. Then we’re up in arms. While we don’t mind paying them lip
service, we do mind paying them a lot of money.

I
don’t see Jack Doyle as the dark knight of this soap opera. It’s simplistic to
single him out as some kind of egomaniacal, insensitive fiscal bad guy. He is
merely a reflection of our prevailing values.

America
is a materialistic, pragmatic country whose culture of individualism is much
stronger than its culture of community (the big exception being in times of
catastrophe). When push comes to shove, we choose the military and industry
over the arts and the environment; we choose entertainment over education. We
glorify individual success over community support.

Our
governmental priorities reflect this. That’s why the less materialistic and
less profitable institutions (most of our quality-of-life organizations) are
always cut the smallest pieces of the tax-dollar pie. From the federal
government down to the local, this amounts to trickle-down neglect. When the
fed takes away dollars, the state, county, and towns do, too, especially in
this taxes-are-a-bad-thing era.

It’s
a food-chain thing.

Parks,
schools, libraries, public broadcasting (whose decline has rendered it
commercial-free in name only), the arts, and social and health services are
continuously forced to extend their cupped hands just to survive. Without the
additional, if erratic, generosity of corporations and individuals, some would
be close to extinction.

Ultimately,
we all have to share the blame. The lifestyle choices we make paint a vivid
portrait of who we are. We pay for what we value, whether it’s gasoline, cars,
homes, food, cable, computers, cell phones, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals,
vacations, or entertainment.

The
obscene disparity between the salaries of professional athletes and
professional teachers, between movie stars and nurses, between CEOs and
librarians makes an unambiguous commentary on American priorities.

If
politicians do anything consistently, they give the people what they want.

Rick Taddeo, Irondequoit

Where’s the outcry?

Sometimes we sit back. The government seems so powerful. We
watch Bush wreck the environment, the economy, our world status. But being
liberal, who listens? Other than, lately, the Feds. Did I mention loss of free
speech and privacy?

Then
comes Doyle, who with Republican legislators disappears the entire cigarette
rebate. What could have brought $761 million over many years is reduced to
$142.5 million so that current hands could dip into it. Now, among all the
other reductions, Doyle is proposing a reduction in the anti-smoking campaign.

Will
he try to go ahead, against great (urban) outcry, to pave over historic Seneca
Park? Will he expand the zoo for giraffes while closing Charlotte Beach to
tax-paying people? I’ve urged for years that Durand Beach should be open.
People drown there. Now Doyle is willing to let the urbans drown at two
beaches.

And
how do you close a county park during the week? Does that mean I cannot walk
through Highland? Will the conservatory close? Can I picnic in Durand? Can I
take my classes of children to Springdale Farm, part of Northampton Park? We
already have to carry our garbage out of these parks. What’s left to close?

In a
grand announcement a few weeks back, Kodak congratulated itself on a drop in
air emissions. In a small column, there was mention that water-pollution
emissions had gone up 54 percent. In the 21st century? And there was no outcry?
We’re planning to first-strike Iraq and there’s no question, much less outrage
or terror.

Stories
that should have banner headlines — the closed beaches, the asthmatic
children, the body bags to come — are slipped into an oblivion we accept,
without protest.

The
last one left on Planet Earth can turn out the light, and can have my liberal,
never valued, bumper stickers.

Sweet Grass Longhouse, Manor Parkway,
Rochester

Is the money there?

I found Ron Netsky’s article “Can We Handle
Success” (August 14) to be very interesting.

Indeed,
$300,000 in corporate funding, with some governmental money thrown in, is a small price to pay for the
continuation of the Rochester Jazz Festival.

Compare
this with the Syracuse Budweiser Blues Festival, which I attend each year. This
year they claimed to have a budget of $262,450.

All
events on the main stage on Saturday and Sunday were free, and the only events
with a cover charge were shows in clubs and the Friday night show at the Hotel
Syracuse. Due to this, the event is almost entirely supported by corporate and
government money.

Sponsors
include the usual suspects: Wegmans, Time-Warner, the Post-Standard, New Times,
the Dinosaur, Cricket Cellular, Continental Airlines, Borders, but also the New
York State Council on the Arts, and a grant from Senator Nancy Larraine
Hoffman. So, apparently the sort of money you are talking about is there.

My
hesitation is that while most of the Blues festival is free and open to the
public, the majority of the Rochester Jazz Festival is not. I would hate to see
money funneled away from the events like the shows in Manhattan Square Park on
Thursdays and Saturdays, which provide great, free, entertainment open to
everyone.

Gerard Guidoni, Gates

Dems in disarray

Ken Warner, in his recent letter to City, played Smithers to Mayor Johnson’s Mr. Burns (from TV’s “The
Simpsons”). Alas, the truth is, Hizzoner is not “as good as it gets.”

The
mayor’s latest tantrum involved his absurd claim of authority with respect to
who shall comprise the internal leadership of the County Legislature, based on
his steering resources to Democratic County Lej campaigns. That’s chutzpa. Even
GOP Chair Steve Minarik’s defense of Johnson (when you’re bought you should
stay bought) does not bear scrutiny.

Johnson’s
access to these campaign resources derives mainly from his office, an office he
would not hold without the support of the Democratic Party. Moreover, his
handpicked City School Board has not exactly inspired confidence in his
recommendations.

Worse
still is the vicious suggestion that respected legislators as diverse as Rowe,
Thomas, Bullard, Lee, and Wilmot based the Lej leadership decision on some kind
of racial assertion. Johnson never tells us what drove these very same people
to install Mr. Cruz in the leadership post months before they replaced him.

Following
Johnson’s logic, might we describe his gratuitous attack on the congressional
bid by Stephanie Aldersley — a rare chance to send a woman Democrat to
Washington — as sexist?

This
kind of demagoguery by the mayor and his associates trivializes and disrespects
the sacrifices of all who have fought for social justice.

Tom Brennan, Lakeview Park, Rochester

Shut out

Is anyone else having problem getting Rochester’s “non-free”
newspaper to publish their letters? Since moving back to this area, I have
renewed my practice of expressing my views in this fashion — as I have for
over 30 years, because I believe it is patriotic to do so.

At
first, I received rejection notices. Now they don’t even acknowledge receiving
my letters.

I
realize my views on the Middle East crisis are not without controversy, but
they are honest, well thought out, and based on first-hand knowledge. I feel as
if my rights have been violated by the censorship. Thank goodness City Newspaper is still around and
strong!

Carolyn Swanton, Clark Road, Conesus

Moms in playland

Frank De Blase charms me. I hear his fast observations, resonant reflections, and aha anecdotes. We must be close in age
(I just turned 38), because his nostalgic stories about favorite Rochester bars
and bands of the ’70s and ’80s mirror my memories of those years.

I’ve
lost touch with the happening scene since then; don’t go out much anymore.
(Life choices, you know.) So Frank’s articles keep me feeling somewhat
in-the-know, though I am laughably out-of-it. (Lost my tolerance for late
nights, crowds, decibels, and smoke.)

But
when I saw Frank’s article about Seabreeze (“Fountain of Youth,” Metro Ink,
July 31), I felt downright hip. We
were there two days before I saw his
article. (I’m a trendsetter again!) That water park sure is fun. Had a gas in
the wave pool pretending I was my panties in the spin cycle.

Best
of all: You should’ve seen the pearlies glimmering in my kids’ mouths. That’s
right. I have two children. And there’s no ride as riotous as seeing your babes
in playland. That’s the essence of life. Heck, that is life.

Robin Merrill Lorenzo, Rockingham Street,
Rochester

This article appears in Aug 21-27, 2002.