We're in a recession; gas is over $4/gal, unemployment rate over 5 percent and getting worse; the county is projecting tax increases (again) - which will be on top of the AECSD's tax increases) and now we get another kick in the teeth: The local organization of community leaders, known as “A Call to Action: A Blueprint For Our Region's Future,” have pulled on offer to front $500,000 for a proposed “first-stop” development agency that would serve the entire county.

More specifically, it was the Stardust Foundation, that “initially offered to provide these funds,” via a sinking fund, to get the county off the dime because the CCDC and others “have failed to deliver.”

And why was this half-million pulled? Because, according to the Blueprint board, “It looks at this time that the county leaders do not wish to have private sector resources committed as we envision, but want to move forward on their own.”

It's all about economic development, with the county, city and towns getting to chime in (veto) prior to any potential actual groundbreaking. So what's the problem here, anyway?

Let me see if I understand this “turf war” battle: Stardust is nice enough to kick in a half-million dollars in some startup funds for a central “economic developer.” However, the county, in its infinite wisdom, says “we don't need your stinking money; we'll fund this ourselves by increasing the county taxes for this position via our already overburdened taxpayers.”

We know that the Owasco Lake drinking water is polluted with phosphorus, etc. but we do believe it's finally starting to affect the brain cells of our county legislators.

Give us taxpayers a break, you county guys! Do a mea culpa and take the $500,000 startup money; monitor closely what this “first stop” group will be doing and move on and get some good paying jobs in Cayuga County before everyone moves out.

It's your money.

Bill Balyszak

Auburn