Reva (India) Automaker selects CNY.... (New York, Clay: income, property tax, living)

[urbanplanner]

RollsRoyce - I respectfully say that I am shocked by your negative take on this annoucement. As I mentioned in my original message, Reva can work with local and state researchers and the Center of Excellence on environmental technologies. Since Syracuse has become a center of environmental technology (or is striving to be), it makes sense that Reva locate in CNY. I could understand your point if the powers that be (yikes!) focused on a traditional parts manufacuterer or some other smoke belching industry. As you pointed out (and as I have said here and on the P-S), focusing on a major manufacturer is not going to save the day for CNY, it takes a comprehensive approach. Reva can be a component of that economy, much like (if it every moves forward) CCM/Destiny can be a component. Don't dismiss Reva because it manufactures, I would focus on the what it is manufacturing. I say this all with the utmost respect.

[RollsRoyce]

Originally Posted by urbanplanner

RollsRoyce - I respectfully say that I am shocked by your negative take on this annoucement. As I mentioned in my original message, Reva can work with local and state researchers and the Center of Excellence on environmental technologies. Since Syracuse has become a center of environmental technology (or is striving to be), it makes sense that Reva locate in CNY. I could understand your point if the powers that be (yikes!) focused on a traditional parts manufacuterer or some other smoke belching industry. As you pointed out (and as I have said here and on the P-S), focusing on a major manufacturer is not going to save the day for CNY, it takes a comprehensive approach. Reva can be a component of that economy, much like (if it every moves forward) CCM/Destiny can be a component. Don't dismiss Reva because it manufactures, I would focus on the what it is manufacturing. I say this all with the utmost respect.

No offense taken. I support the project, I'm just concerned that the state is using this as their olive branch to make it "appear" that they are doing something to reverse decades of severe economic decline and stagnation. Although 125 jobs with the potential for another 125 manufacturing jobs is good for the local economy, Syracuse needs far more support at the state and federal level for more knowledge-based job creation and the cultivation of new tech firms. My other underlying concern is the ultimate viability of this project. Have you seen these cars? The negative comments on the New York Times only confirm my initial concerns. Does Syracuse want to be known as the producers of the next generation Yugo? I would be far more optimistic if the former New Venture Gear plant would be reconfigured into a solar panel manufacturing facilty as was proposed by the DeArchoff Group (sp?).

[Cleveland Park]

Rolls, if I understand you correctly, you're suggesting that the state is pandering to a sort of anti-intellectual blue-collar group that sees heavy manufacturing as the only real "economic progress" that matters?

If so, that doesn't sound too far-fetched. In the case of Reva, though, I'm hopeful that this selection (along with providing jobs to a workforce that has seen employers shut down operations on a large scale) serves to reinforce the idea that Central New York IS at the forefront of job creation in new technologies. Perhaps the introduction of Reva can achieve both of those goals (and break the union stranglehold on local heavy industry).

[RollsRoyce]

[quote=Cleveland Park;11296742]Rolls, if I understand you correctly, you're suggesting that the state is pandering to a sort of anti-intellectual blue-collar group that sees heavy manufacturing as the only real "economic progress" that matters?
quote]

That is precisely my assertion.

[Cleveland Park]

I'm inclined to agree with that assertion. Hopefully there's some collateral damage, so to speak, that casts Syracuse in a favorable light. The Times piece didn't look too bad. If other new technology start-ups (manufacturing or R&D) think of Syracuse as a welcoming place, all the better. If it's a return to the early 1990s, not so good.

Either way, state and local governments reinforcing bad habits on the part of the citizenry is not ideal. I think we're all moving in the right direction.

[urbanplanner]

RR - I could not agree more that the State and the Feds should support additional knowledge and hi-tech based capital, but to do so requires local leadership. Leadership is not one of CNY's strong-suits. However, even though I have been a critic, there seems to be strategy emerging.

I am beginning to see something gel in CNY, a truly integrated "green" based economy forming and the Reva plant is one component of that economy that will tie into other initiatives; like the City's efforts to encourage LEED certificatioin when possible:

http://www.greenupstateny.org/upload...Resolution.pdf

the Center of Excellence in Environmental and Energy Initiatives; the CNY Biotech Research Center; the County taking a "wholistic" approach to the Lake Clean-up as witnessed by Joanie Mahonneys and the sewage treatment plant near Armory Square;

Mahoney scraps plans for sewage plant in Armory Square | News from The Post-Standard -

the emphasis on biofuels at CCM and hopefully Destiny USA (we are all holding our breath ); wind-turbines popping up all over CNY, particularly in Madison County and the Tughill plateau; reseach at ESF and SU; the Connective Corridor that will service a growing downtown and university hill area population; and yes, the hopeful announcement that NPG will become a center for wind turbane manufacturing.

The wind turbane project is still pie in the sky at this point, but we do have something tangible right now with Reva. As I have said with CCM/Destiny, it is NOT the "silver bullet", but it is a component of a new "green-based" economy for CNY that may foster other investments. Other hi-tech and knowledge-based enterprises will emerge, but this may be a good start.

I have seen the cars on their web-site, I think they are quite cute. I agree, the New York Times photo was not flattering, nor were some of the comments. I would not necessarily dismiss them as "green" Yugos yet. I will say that other states like Michigan were vying for this plant, my view is better CNY than Michigan. I can just hear the naysayers, "why didn't we get this plant?" "It goes to show how CNY gets nothing, our leaders are lame, etc, etc."

I agree with you, but trying to be positive.

[acknight]

According to Channel 9, they've selected an existing vacant warehouse off of Morgan Road in the Town of Clay (near the Raymour & Flanagan and Dunk & Bright warehouses, on one of the Steelway Road spurs).

India's Reva plans NY electric car factory in Clay - NewsChannel 9 WSYR

Sen. Schumer has cautioned that the deal does hinge on one more step, a grant from the Department of Energy. Supposedly, everything else is a done deal.

[CUPlanner]

I like this project for many of the reasons urbanplanner and Cleveland Park just mentioned. There has been a lot of research done showing that major economic development in recent times is the result of "clustering" of related industries, and I think that having a production facility that utilizes a lot of the advanced technologies Syracuse is trying to become a center for is a big plus. As was discussed in the Post Standard article on the story, this facility could be a big draw for manufacturers and developers of advanced battery technologies which would further add to our "green" cluster here in CNY.

[I_Love_LI_but]

Really, if you all get too excited that this will create jobs for your area, I have to say you are very naive. The electric car plant should NOT have went to an Indian company. Keep on top of this project and how many jobs are actually created for AREA RESIDENTS, not imported Indians or outsourced to India and howl at Schumer every chance you get if you see them cheating and doing anything not to hire LOCAL AMERICANS.

See this thread from Buffalo and their experience with Indian outsourcing from projects that were supposed to create jobs for Americans:

http://www.city-data.com/forum/buffa...-any-jobs.html

[proulxfamily]

Indian immigrants are American... FYI. They *can* do more than run mini-marts or be scientists/engineers. <rolls eyes>

My family came to this continent (Ipswich, MA) in 1634 but they were still immigrants. Your ancestors were immigrants too, I suspect. Even with the Cherokee in my ancestry, I still rile up at immigrant issues. - DAR member