Sympathy for the GRE

Pictured L-R (Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks, Dennis M. Mullen, President and CEO of GRE, Wayne LeChase, Chairman of GRE, Theresa Mazzullo, Chairman of COMIDA)

The Democrat & Chronicle ran a series this past week that started in their Editorial blog and ended in their editorial page on February 2nd. Essentially the D&C's message was "Hey guys, don't pick on Maggie and entities like the Greater Rochester Enterprise . . . c'mon ease up." Karen loves Maggie jokes aside, the Water Buffalo Press Oh My God I Can't Believe He Actually Said That, Just Shoot Me in The Face Now Award goes to GRE Chairman Dennis Mullen who was quoted in the D&C editorial as saying "he doesn't really get questions about setbacks like the recent closing of businesses in the High Falls District."

. . . Hold on . . . sorry, I just blacked out a little there. Now Dennis - you're dumbfounded by the existence of questions regarding the closure of a privately owned, publically subsidized entity that was receiving tax dollars to operate an establishment which was shut down by state entities for serving alcohol to minors and then pulled out of its contract with the City the very next day by email? Really? This really surprises you?

You'll have to forgive us, Ms. Magnuson and Mr. Mullen, if we don't have the utmost confidence in the entities charged with invigorating our area's economy. Let's list some of these groups: there's Mr. Mullen's Greater Rochester Enterprise, the Rochester Downtown Development Corporation, the always popular County of Monroe Industrial Development Association, the Monroe County Industrial Development Corporation, apparently the Lakefront Properties branch of the Trillium group, The Entrepeneurs Network and of course the Mayor, County Executive, City Board members and County Legislators; yet they still need to outsource a study to a third party group with little connection to Rochester to figure out what they should do with High Falls.

No one is bashing Rochester, Ms. Magnuson, we're simply trying to defend it and our tax dollars from politicians, lobbyists, misguided government, socialists and lazy media.