A thought for Monday.

[WNYresident]

What do we consider "our government" versus a "business" in disguise as a government department.

Good example is something like the Amherst Pepsi Skate rink. People who work there draw a paycheck and someone draws a heafty paycheck to run the place. There are privately ran skate rinks so to me the Amherst Pepsi Center is just a business disguised as another government department. In this care the recreational department.

Think about this.. A politically connected group of people who can run "thier" business against other privately owned skate rink businesses in the area. They are at an advantage because they have not incentive to run the place as best as it should be. Plus it's a business that doesn't have to pay property taxes if i'm correct where as a real business does.

[therising]

I agree whole heartedly with where you're going on this. If I owned a skating rink, and the Town was suddenly my competitor, I'd be downright pissed.

And, of course, you are correct in that the Town does not pay teaxes, yet the privately-owned businesses do. This puts the privately owned rinks at an immdediate disadvantage.

[WNYresident]

OH and they get to draw thier pay check wether it's ran at a profit or not. How's that for a non accountable business disguised as a government department.

[WNYresident]

I agree whole heartedly with where you're going on this. If I owned a skating rink, and the Town was suddenly my competitor, I'd be downright pissed.

And, of course, you are correct in that the Town does not pay teaxes, yet the privately-owned businesses do. This puts the privately owned rinks at an immdediate disadvantage.

And just think.. Pensions, healthcare etc all covered by the tax payer while if it was privately owned the tax payer wouldn't be on the hook.

How many other examples of these type of departments can we come up with?

Isn't there a hockey rink in cheektowaga? A soccer place now in West Seneca? or is that privately owned?

I'm starting to get bord with thier excuse of "look at the services we provide for your tax dollar". Well a lot of these services a LOT of people don't use and don't need.

[crlachepinochet]

Don´t forget our county golf courses that were re-opened before our county parks... without raising fees to make them self-sustaining! They could´ve made the courses self-sustaining and I heard it would´ve still been cheaper than the fancy courses, but have fees been raised there even now?

[WNYresident]

Don´t forget our county golf courses that were re-opened before our county parks... without raising fees to make them self-sustaining! They could´ve made the courses self-sustaining and I heard it would´ve still been cheaper than the fancy courses, but have fees been raised there even now?

Wait I thought fees went up? What that just more BS from the Giambra administration?

[Northshore]

How about the poor sap who opened the first golf dome up in Niagara county. Vince something or other. Spends a load of cash on a great idea. So great that 3 municipal entities within 10 miles copied it within a year or so, driving him and his investment out of business.

[WNYresident]

How about the poor sap who opened the first golf dome up in Niagara county. Vince something or other. Spends a load of cash on a great idea. So great that 3 municipal entities within 10 miles copied it within a year or so, driving him and his investment out of business.

Poor guy got boned.