Has anyone else who reads the Press & Sun-Bulletin noticed how John Hill, so-called reporter, simply regurgitates the Democrat Party line from Mayor Matt Ryan and the Binghamton City Council? Every article about the city that he writes is slanted to to give the Citizen Action gang (Ryan, City Council, and the hard left cabal who now runs the city) a positive spin. The latest example is this headline/article: Development interest dims in former O’Neil/Ross Building site. The subhead reads: Two local developers set their sights on other projects. Seems pretty straight forward doesn’t it? Read on for the truth.

The 120 year-old O’Neil/Ross building was torn down earlier this year after pieces of it started falling on the sidewalk. The site where the building once stood is in the very center of Binghamton, a great location. The article is supposed to explain why there has been zero interest on the part of developers in this prime downtown real estate. The article starts, instead, by praising Ryan for an unrelated bit of news–the mayor “might have” sold the city-owned Regency Hotel. The only things the Regency and the O’Neil/Ross site have in common is that they’re city-owned and real estate. Mr. Hill has to start out on the positive spin-cycle to build up ole Matt with that pesky upcoming election in November–especially after Ryan raised everyone’s taxes by more than 15% and their water rates by more than 43%.

Mr. Hill goes on to explain that the city’s economic development director, Merry Harris (who happens to be the regional director of the leftist Citizen Action of New York, and who is receiver of her job via political patronage and payback from Matt Ryan for helping him win his seat 3 1/2 years ago), was originally hopeful that the site would be quickly redeveloped because two “prominent local developers” had expressed interest. So she sent out RFPs (Request for Proposals) that invited developers near and far to submit plans for what they would do with the site. Sadly, the two local developers didn’t bite, ostensibly because they had other projects to work on, as the subhead explains.

But that’s not the real reason why they, nor anyone else (not one, single developer) has submitted a proposal. Somehow journalistic ethics must have crept back into Mr. Hill’s writing (or perhaps he just wanted to keep his job), because the last two paragraphs contain the REAL reason why no one has offered to develop that very prime piece of real estate. He tries to put it in the best light possible, but the truth still shines through:

The original proposal, which garnered no offers, called for street-level retail with upper levels of retail, office or residential space. It also asked for, but didn’t require, building design and construction that adheres to “green” environmental building standards; commitment to use local labor and services; and payment of a living or prevailing wage.

Because the city used state funds to knock down the historic building, any new construction would have to incorporate architectural elements from the original building, either salvaged or reproduced. (Press & Sun-Bulletin, Nov. 28)

Yes indeed. When you put the lefties in charge, they govern from the (surprise!) left. You want to develop that prime real estate with Matt Ryan and gang in charge? You use local workers, pay them more than they’re worth, build it “green” (translation “big bucks”), and oh, by the way, they’ll tell you how it will look and just what you can and can’t put on each floor of it. Welcome to the socialist paradise of Binghamton (and of New York, and now I fear, of the United States). Welcome to the inept failures of the left, and the real reason why anyone with a brain won’t touch that prime piece of real estate in downtown Binghamton.

Technorati Tags: Binghamton, Mayor Matt Ryan, Merry Harris, Citizen Action, Citizen Action of New York, O’Neil/Ross Building, leftists, socialists, green development