Where is the "Batavia Towne Center"?
I apologize for stupid question. I didn't read the earlier article. Tourist attraction, you have to be kidding. It is a plain-ole shopping plaza.
Great comments folks! They can take away our money, but they can't take away our sense of humor!!!
Ted, let's take your dog for a walk to enjoy our fabulous tourist destination! Maybe we'll see some touring pigeons and gulls lounging on the roof of the closed Lowe's. They're injecting something into our local economy all right...
I dont see how Dicks could be a tourist destination. Even if it was the biggest Dicks in the USA it would still be overshadowed by the ones in the GCEDC and County Legislature LOL
The article mentioned requiring visitors from a 50 mile radius to qualify as a tourist destination, right? Well, east and west of us in a 50 mile radius there are 8 Dick's locations. The only direction you can travel and not have a Dick's within 50 miles is pretty much due south. But I doubt the sprawling metropolis of Olean is resulting in any significant traffic to our big box cluster.
It will be a most unfunny joke if this funding goes through.
I sincerely hope that the county legislature will maintain some sense of professional dignity and refuse to participate in this folly. Has it really come to the point where we are so desperate to attract retail business to our county, that we are willing to close our eyes and pretend that a strip mall is a tourist attraction? Are we willing to dispense with common sense and rationalize our actions by pointing to a neighboring hotel with a water park while the community laughs at the absurdity of it all? When will we recognize that the only way to attract business to the county and the state is reduce the size of government and reduce tax rates for EVERYONE, not just the chosen few we are courting this week? The answer to our economic woes does not involve creating even more government through Economic Development Corporations in every county and municipality in the state. EDC's with vested interests in sustaining their own existence, salaries, bonuses and state retirement plans are part of the problem. Until we recognize that the system is the problem not the solution, I am afraid we are doomed to keep looking at strip malls as tourist attractions. Shame on us.
April 1st New York State Banned Using Tax Breaks For Retail Projects with a few exemptions (Tourist Attractions & Depressed Neighborhoods)
IDA's like GCDEC. by law get 1% of any deal they make for the county. That is why they have been taking advantage of the Retail loophole in the first place, like my Grandpa always said, 'FOLLOW THE MONEY'
With this new law, the county legislature will have very little to do with declaring a retail business a 'Tourist Attraction' because the State has reined that in and there is distinct criteria.
IDA's are specifically tasked with bringing Industrial development (Things that would otherwise not be built) to their respective counties.
This was (is) a statewide problem. States are in competition, there will ALWAYS be a need to give tax breaks to bring manufacturing and certain industries ALL states do it, even those with lower taxes.
And for those who think it is just GCDEC, In Amherst the situation is much worse.
Hey Dave, Mark and Phil......if they do declare it a tourist destination then I think on grand opening we go to the camping Dept. Pull out what we need and set up right in the aisle, start a campire in one of those castiron firepits sit back and relax. All we gotta do is figure out who is bringin the food and who brings the beer.
I know I often pack my family up and head to the Towne Center for some much needed away time. There is nothing like cruising the isles of target to get yourself together after a hard work week.
This could really turn in my favor, I can start a tour bus service, and I could ask Steve for tax breaks on the cost of the bus, the ins, and
a new paint job. I was thinking of a name for the tour, and it would definitely be called "The Dicks Tour" .
I think I could get 72 reservations if I had the bus rolling today.
I promised myself I would not comment but I just can't help myself. Have you ever seen the bus that turns into a boat and plunges into the water? They're called "Ride the Ducks" and I know they have them in Philadelphia and San Francisco and several other places. We could call ours Ride the Dicks and we can start out in the Dicks parking lot and plunge into the drainage pond at Walmart.
Beth, great comment, and after plunging into the drainage pond, we could break out fishing gear, and convince our tourists they are now on a fishing charter.
I like that idea Kyle...I would like to see the study that will be done to tell us how many tourists a year they expect...I guess we can all set up tents and campers in the parking lot...Wonder is Mr.Hyde and Ms.Hancock will be spending there vacation there...
Reading these comments is better than watching Prime Time TV Comedy. I am cracking up laughing. Beth K- "Ride the Dick" could have Steve H and Mary Pat be the narrators on the bus.
Really?! Is this even a
Really?!
Is this even a serious question, or is this Howards April fools joke?
Hey, this could be a new
Hey, this could be a new National Lampoon Vacation movie.
( the production company would want a tax break though)
Who would vote yes to
Who would vote yes to this???? No one goes on vacation to go to Target!
Where is the "Batavia Towne
Where is the "Batavia Towne Center"?
I apologize for stupid question. I didn't read the earlier article. Tourist attraction, you have to be kidding. It is a plain-ole shopping plaza.
You gotta be kidding me!
You gotta be kidding me! That must be the reason I don't shop there, cause there are just too many tourists. What will the county pull next?
I just thought of something.
I just thought of something. To the city residents it might be classified as a tourist destination since we don't have much in the city.
Great comments folks! They
Great comments folks! They can take away our money, but they can't take away our sense of humor!!!
Ted, let's take your dog for a walk to enjoy our fabulous tourist destination! Maybe we'll see some touring pigeons and gulls lounging on the roof of the closed Lowe's. They're injecting something into our local economy all right...
I dont see how Dicks could be
I dont see how Dicks could be a tourist destination. Even if it was the biggest Dicks in the USA it would still be overshadowed by the ones in the GCEDC and County Legislature LOL
Here something for all to
Here something for all to read.....
http://www.businessweek.com/small-business/dont-subsidize-big-boxes-at-…
The article mentioned
The article mentioned requiring visitors from a 50 mile radius to qualify as a tourist destination, right? Well, east and west of us in a 50 mile radius there are 8 Dick's locations. The only direction you can travel and not have a Dick's within 50 miles is pretty much due south. But I doubt the sprawling metropolis of Olean is resulting in any significant traffic to our big box cluster.
It will be a most unfunny joke if this funding goes through.
I sincerely hope that the
I sincerely hope that the county legislature will maintain some sense of professional dignity and refuse to participate in this folly. Has it really come to the point where we are so desperate to attract retail business to our county, that we are willing to close our eyes and pretend that a strip mall is a tourist attraction? Are we willing to dispense with common sense and rationalize our actions by pointing to a neighboring hotel with a water park while the community laughs at the absurdity of it all? When will we recognize that the only way to attract business to the county and the state is reduce the size of government and reduce tax rates for EVERYONE, not just the chosen few we are courting this week? The answer to our economic woes does not involve creating even more government through Economic Development Corporations in every county and municipality in the state. EDC's with vested interests in sustaining their own existence, salaries, bonuses and state retirement plans are part of the problem. Until we recognize that the system is the problem not the solution, I am afraid we are doomed to keep looking at strip malls as tourist attractions. Shame on us.
I agree Jim. it seems out of
I agree Jim. it seems out of control
Maybe the world tourist has
Maybe the world tourist has changed in our new economy...I mean....you could have a Staycation...at Dicks...
Nope, I've got nothing. It's just too sad.
I agree with Jim.
April 1st New York State
April 1st New York State Banned Using Tax Breaks For Retail Projects with a few exemptions (Tourist Attractions & Depressed Neighborhoods)
IDA's like GCDEC. by law get 1% of any deal they make for the county. That is why they have been taking advantage of the Retail loophole in the first place, like my Grandpa always said, 'FOLLOW THE MONEY'
With this new law, the county legislature will have very little to do with declaring a retail business a 'Tourist Attraction' because the State has reined that in and there is distinct criteria.
IDA's are specifically tasked with bringing Industrial development (Things that would otherwise not be built) to their respective counties.
This was (is) a statewide problem. States are in competition, there will ALWAYS be a need to give tax breaks to bring manufacturing and certain industries ALL states do it, even those with lower taxes.
And for those who think it is just GCDEC, In Amherst the situation is much worse.
See the Channel 2 report on this issue
http://www.wgrz.com/news/article/208779/37/State-Bans-Using-Tax-Breaks-…
I am finally a little optimistic in that the State Legislature finally did something positive about this
When I was growing up, my
When I was growing up, my parents would take us to Olean, NY and tell us it was Florida.
I voted YES for purely
I voted YES for purely sarcastic reasons!
Hey Dave, Mark and
Hey Dave, Mark and Phil......if they do declare it a tourist destination then I think on grand opening we go to the camping Dept. Pull out what we need and set up right in the aisle, start a campire in one of those castiron firepits sit back and relax. All we gotta do is figure out who is bringin the food and who brings the beer.
Yes to all of it.
Yes to all of it.
I'm in! On vaca I wear plaid
I'm in! On vaca I wear plaid bermuda shorts, black socks and sandals and I have one of those hats you can put 2 beer cans in.
I know I often pack my family
I know I often pack my family up and head to the Towne Center for some much needed away time. There is nothing like cruising the isles of target to get yourself together after a hard work week.
This could really turn in my
This could really turn in my favor, I can start a tour bus service, and I could ask Steve for tax breaks on the cost of the bus, the ins, and
a new paint job. I was thinking of a name for the tour, and it would definitely be called "The Dicks Tour" .
I think I could get 72 reservations if I had the bus rolling today.
Here are the tourists they
Here are the tourists they must be looking to attract.
http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view;_ylt=A2KJkPtQnVxRZ24AwyyJzbk…
I promised myself I would not
I promised myself I would not comment but I just can't help myself. Have you ever seen the bus that turns into a boat and plunges into the water? They're called "Ride the Ducks" and I know they have them in Philadelphia and San Francisco and several other places. We could call ours Ride the Dicks and we can start out in the Dicks parking lot and plunge into the drainage pond at Walmart.
http://sanfrancisco.ridetheducks.com/
Beth, great comment, and
Beth, great comment, and after plunging into the drainage pond, we could break out fishing gear, and convince our tourists they are now on a fishing charter.
Mr. Hyde must have 74
Mr. Hyde must have 74 relatives who read the Batavian.
I like that idea Kyle...I
I like that idea Kyle...I would like to see the study that will be done to tell us how many tourists a year they expect...I guess we can all set up tents and campers in the parking lot...Wonder is Mr.Hyde and Ms.Hancock will be spending there vacation there...
Reading these comments is
Reading these comments is better than watching Prime Time TV Comedy. I am cracking up laughing. Beth K- "Ride the Dick" could have Steve H and Mary Pat be the narrators on the bus.
Frank they are a bunch of
Frank they are a bunch of Dick supporters (hahaha)