In baseball, there's a three strikes policy.  But what about in state government?  How many times can our community be disappointed before something gives way?

In Rochester, we have worked hard and done what was asked of us.  We were told that we weren't getting our fair share from Albany because the county and city couldn't get along.  So we elected a mayor and a county executive who are able to put aside their differences for the sake of the community.

We were told that we didn't make our community priorities clear.  So we came together - republicans and democrats, business and labor, city and county - and formed the Community Coalition.  The Coalition made a list of projects that everyone supported and then got to work making it clear what our priorities were.

We were told that we weren't getting our fair share from Albany because the state's leadership was too focused on downstate, and our own delegation was dysfunctional.  So we worked hard to support a gubernatorial ticket that included Rochester's own mayor, Bob Duffy, for lieutenant governor, and supported state representatives that could come together to present one united voice.

Still the list of Rochester's grievances is endless.  The inexplicable rewriting of the state's transportation appropriation formula that took over 200 million away from Rochester.  The meager monies handed our in the state's much-touted economic development competition, despite the Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council presenting strong and necessary projects.  The loss of a $15 million federal TIGER grant that would have allowed the City to fill in the Inner Loop - funds that went instead to Syracuse.  And now a billion dollars is going to Buffalo while Governor Cuomo failed to even mention Rochester in the State of the State address.  At some point we need to begin asking ourselves why this is happening, and more importantly what we can change so the bleeding stops.

This week Governor Cuomo announced 100 million dollars for 1-390, including funding for the crucial Kendrick Road project in Rochester.  This project has been a top priority for the U of R, our region's largest employer, for years.  It is expected to create hundreds of jobs and alleviate pressure on a high-pressure traffic bottleneck.  This funding is a good start in making up for what we have lost, but does not come close to making the distribution of funding equitable.

Our community faces unique challenges, especially as Kodak now takes stock of its future.  I have no doubt that we will come together and work hard to solve our own problems of poverty, inequality, educational failure and joblessness.  We have demonstrated a unique ability through initiatives like the Community Coalition, to find common ground among an array of competing interests.  My local and the Rochester Building Trades are committed to moved forward as a community partner.

We are a strong community but we cannot do it alone.  When we do need support from the Stat - for example in moving the U.S. Renewables Group's purchase of Eastman Industrial Park - we need to know the State will be there fro us.  In this new year it is time for us to take stock as a community of who is representing our interests in Albany, and who is failing to do so.  And just like in baseball, three strikes must be followed by an "out".

David A. Young, Jr.

Busnines Manager