Where's the Accountability?

Local Leaders Question Rivera's Role

Continuing down the slippery education funding slope, which saw its grade steepened by initiatives that set hazardous precedents like the Campaign for Fiscal Equity, the 2007-08 Enacted Budget works further to take the issue out of the hands of localities and centralize the power to disburse funding in Albany - not a recipe for success in my book.

The passing of Maintenance of Effort legislation in the state budget requires the City of Rochester to give the City School District the same amount of aid as last year with no ties to accountability or performance standards.

Puzzling for a district which, despite receiving considerably more in aid than districts in other Upstate cities, has produced one of the most dismal graduation rates in the nation. According to statements from Monroe County District Attorney Mike Green on the Brother Wease program last week, he possesses data which indicates that only 25%-35% of RCSD students eventually graduate.

Why, in the midst of a conversational storm about reform and accountability standards, would this Maintenance of Effort legislation be passed? Some local leaders are questioning the role Manny Rivera, currently in a dual role as Superintendent and gubernatorial Education chief, played in its passage:

“I question why it was put in place with absolutely no language for accountability whatsoever,” [Rochester Mayor Bob] Duffy said.

Duffy has been highly critical of the district’s dismal four-year graduation rate, and wanted the option to pull funding. The city is facing a $17 million budget gap.

A month ago, the mayor sent a letter to the school district demanding information relating to spending and academic performance. In his State of the City address last week, he proposed tying school aid to results. He has not received a response from school officials.

Morelle says he was the only lawmaker to take the floor to oppose the maintenance of effort legislation. He said the law is unprecedented, and has the effect of taking away local control and accountability of school funds.

Morelle suspects Rochester’s superintendent, Dr. Manuel Rivera, played a role in getting the bill passed. Rivera has been serving as the governor’s deputy education secretary, a job he will assume full time next month.

“I certainly think there may have been undue influence by Manny as a superintendent, and while there is disclosure about that, I just think it's something we need to think about,” Morelle said. “I think he needs to question whether or not he can serve both masters at the same time.” 13WHAM asked Mayor Duffy if he believed Rivera played any role in getting the legislation passed.

“In terms of the role of the superintendent, I would say this, that's a very good ethical question and I'm going to decline comment at this time,” Duffy said.

Rivera had already counted the full $119 million in the budget he submitted to the school board last month.

Johnson's Ferry: SOLD!

An End to a Very Long, Very Strange Trip

Rochester City officials announced the sale today of the Spirit of Ontario fast ferry.

Mayor Bob Duffy said the vessel has been sold to Germany-based FRS for $30 million. According to reports the company has already paid a 10% deposit.

The purchase will leave the City with roughly $20 million in debt on the boat.

Hurry Up and Wait

No Deal Yet on Fast Ferry

Earlier this week Rochester Mayor Bob Duffy told Euroferries to finalize its purchase of the Fast Ferry or the City was going elsewhere. He was just kidding I guess?

No deal so far as Duffy has now said maybe sometime next week. Maybe.

City of Rochester legal eagle Thomas Richards will apparently travel to Europe to make sure the deal gets done.

Duffy has said there are other potential buyers, multiple, but given the ultimatum earlier that turned out to not be an ultimatum one has to wonder if these buyers actually exist.

There are rumored reports of a company that toured the vessel while it was in Nova Scotia but Duffy has said he cannot comment on these reports.

With the Ferry, and now the troubles with the tenants of the Blue Cross Arena, the Mayor has a very full plate.

RCSD: Big Staff, Big Bucks

In connection with a Freedom of Information Request, 13 WHAM makes a pointed comparison between Manny Rivera's administration and that of former sup Dr. Clifford Janney who was forced out of office in 2002. The FOIL request revealed the salaries for Rivera's staff, the largest since Janney.


The cabinet-level positions are part of the Superintendent Employee Group, a non-unionized category of workers that includes confidential secretaries and high-level officials. The superintendent negotiates their salaries, which are then approved by the school board.

Among the highest paid SEG members:

• James R. Cooney, Chief Financial Officer $162,000
• C. Michael Robinson, Chief of Operations $147,250
• Michael J. Looby Chief Legal Counsel $146,250
• Ford C. Greene, Chief Information Officer $145,750
• David S. Silver, Associate Chief of Program Management $144,500
• Joanne Giuffrida, Chief Human Resources Officer, $139,250
• Marilyn P. Grant, Chief of Small School Partnerships $135,000

Dr. Rivera earns $230,000.


There is also a great statement from Mayor Bob Duffy that sums this up as well as anything I could write:

“I don't care about programs, projects, efforts, speeches, or anything. I care about results. And the one thing I know is that half our kids graduate,” Duffy said.


Editor's Note: Frankly, Mayor Duffy, you need to hustle after throwing away $250,000. - Col. R.S., II

Globetrotting Mayors & Cured Meats

I Smell Old Antics . . . and Cheese

I like prosciutto as much as the next person but are we going to pay for this too?

From the D&C:

Mayor Robert Duffy expects to travel to Parma, Italy, with a contingent of city leaders as soon as February to get a better understanding of the "Made in Italy" project and to help cement details with proponents in that region of northern Italy.

"It's important for us to go over for everyone to see there is serious negotiation going on," the mayor said. "Part of the foundation for this (business relationship) is a sense of trust, and it has to be a two-way street."

Maybe the Mayor really likes pecorino romano, but Duffy's globetrotting seems strangely similar to our last frequent flyer: Bill Johnson. Johnson's travels were many, for instance, a jaunt to Baltimore to visit with the company who would eventually become the failed developer of the High Falls district; but this international mini-vacation for Duffy seems rather extraneous, especially if the deal falls through and the cost of the trip for taxpayers gets added to the already $250,000 tab - a total racked up when the City gave the developers that much just to keep open their option to buy the property. (It seems the developers just happened to put the building on the market at just the right time.)

I hope this project succeeds and we partner with the Italian government and Midtown is revitalized; unfortunately, this appears as another backroom political deal where the public's opinion does not matter. The current owners of stores within the mall portion of Midtown have not even been consulted about proposed plans for the property. If Duffy wants to do this deal in private then go ahead (in fact an agreement has already been signed by Duffy), but we here at the Water Buffalo Press will demand the following: if this is an idea that private entities believe can succeed then use private funding and monies to finance the project, NO COMIDA abatements, NO EMPIRE ZONE incentives, use an external revenue source to expand the area's tax base, reduce the second highest property tax burden in the nation and actually benefit Rochester instead of being another ferry or performing arts center/bus station.