Friday, January 19, 2007

COMIDA's Numbers Don't Add Up

The County of Monroe Industrial Development Agency approved incentives for four other projects at its meeting.
They include:
HOLT ROAD INVESTORS It is proposing to construct a 9,300-square-foot child care center on the west side of North Ponds Park in Webster, creating 33 full-time jobs. The incentive package totals $126,000.
ROCHESTER LODGING ASSOCIATES The company is proposing to renovate the 98-room Best Western Rochester. It would create five full-time jobs. The incentives total $99,000. NORTH FOREST PROPERTIES It is proposing to construct a 13,764-square-foot building at 105 Canal Landing Blvd. in Greece that would create 30 full-time jobs. The incentives total $188,000.
THE BENNETT GROUP The consulting and training firm, which specializes in education, is purchasing $112,621 in mailing equipment to be used at its training facility. The incentives total $8,900. - As reported by the Democrat & Chronicle

Fresh on the heels of reports that COMIDA had to revoke incentives to certain companies for noncompliance comes the announcement of another $421,000 in tax break incentives for child care, a hotel and mailing equipment. I have a question - why does Rochester Lodging Associates receive incentives totaling $99,000 for the creation of five jobs while Holt Road Investors who is creating seven times the number of jobs only receives $27,000 more in breaks? Also, what mailing equipment costs $112,000 and why is the County helping The Bennett Group purchase this equipment? This does not strike me as an instance of giving incentives to prevent a business from relocating, rather, it appears like the public subsidization of a private entity.

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