2007 CPEO Brownfields List Archive

From: bobh@np.craigslist.org
Date: 18 Jul 2007 14:05:51 -0000
Reply: cpeo-brownfields
Subject: [CPEO-BIF] New York state BF incentives valuable for upstate communities
 
Press & Sun Bulletin
7/17/07

State incentives proved valuable here in the Tier
By Kenneth S. Kamlet

Greater Binghamton, NY

Jay Gallagher of your Albany Bureau is usually more skeptical of snake oil. In his
July 12th story ("State on hook for $1B in tax breaks; Johnson City site on list"),
he not only swallows a big dose of it, but tries to pawn it off on your readers.

The basic premise of the column is that the state has obligated itself (under the 3
1/2-year-old Brownfield Cleanup Program law) "to pay more than $1 billion in tax
credits to businesses that are spending only a small fraction of that to clean up
polluted sites." This is basically factual. Where the snake oil comes in is in the
implications and consequences of this. Gallagher assumes -- with prodding from
Environmental Advocates of New York -- that giving tax credits to spur economic
development by (gasp!) actually redeveloping brownfield sites, rather than just
creating a multitude of vacant but clean lots, must be a waste of taxpayers' money.
The unstated but implied remedy? As advocated in a hastily crafted and
ill-conceived June 5 proposal by Governor Spitzer's advisors: eliminate or largely
eliminate the brownfield redevelopment tax credits, instead concentrating the
credits on investigation and cleanup costs.

While there are knee-jerk environmentalists who will gleefully embrace this idea,
it would be a giant-step in the wrong direction -- especially for upstate
communities.

For the entire article, see:
http://www.pressconnects.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070717/OPINION/707170314/1005/OPINION


Bob Hersh
CPEO

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