Sovereignty. Well, it's hard to believe that the word holds any water anymore within the city-state confluence of border towns that are reservations within America. Harder to believe still, when state governments insist on imposing taxation on sovereign Nations from the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. One of the issues in which America came to be was taxation without representation, and ironic again, various Haudenosaunee Nations sided with the colonials in their fight against the crown as taxation without representation was one of the issues for their dissenting view toward the crown. All the history and signed (Treaty of 1748, 1789, the Trade and Intercourse Act of 1790, and the Canandaigua Treaty of 1794, also know as the Pickering Treaty and the George Washington Covenant) treaties also seem to be incapable of holding any water in New York State. It's either that or the memories of the NYS citizenry and governing bodies are the most myopic memories in history.
In late August, the Tadodaho of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, Chief Sidney Hill, sent out a letter to the President of the U.S.A. concerning the issue of taxation and the utilization of force past and possibly in the present to enforce New York state's misplaced concepts of sovereignty in imposing their laws upon the Haudenosaunee. It's a sad time when NYC Mayor Bloomberg urges NYS Governor Patterson to take a "shoot-em up stance" toward untaxed Native cigarette sales. Racism and ignorance seem to be par for the course in American politics, not just today, but everyday.
Will Native sovereignty hold? Will it be respected? Will State governments recognize the countless treaties that are considered law of the land between the Native Nations and the U.S. federal government? It's a pretty dreary day when you see state agencies imposing a rule of law upon a sovereign nation considering the historical facts behind how "America" came to be . . . but like I mentioned, government and the American citizenry seem to be myopic when it comes to history and Others.
Showing posts with label taxation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label taxation. Show all posts
8.01.2010
Where Syracuse, NY could make more revenue
As you may know I live in a college town, or city if you want to get technical. Now for the most part a college city isn't as bad as living in a college town because of the scale of the area, but that really isn't applicable here. Unfortunately in my case, I've decided to live within what is known as the "university" area, the outlying neighborhoods that surround the University, and in this particular instance it's Syracuse University. It has been my experience that one must endure the occasional college student encounter from time to time whilst living within the realm of a "university" area. I wouldn't be blogging about this if the infiltration of undergraduates within my neighborhood wasn't a blight on my neighborhood or the city itself. Since undergraduate students have been making their way further and further toward the borders of the "university" area they have increasingly been pushing more and more families out. This is a reality that I've witnessed firsthand on my block. Six years ago when I moved into my apartment, undergrads were living closer to the university and for the most part only graduate students, doctoral students, professionals and families existed within a roughly two block radius where I live.
Over the six years that I've lived where I live I have seen neighbors sell their homes and leave as if an infestation of the worst kind had occurred. And, indeed it did, undergraduate students without common sense or consideration. I admit that our youth more often than not lack common sense and possess little if any consideration outside of their perceived social niche or their own ego. But, what this mass movement has done is allowed the university neighborhoods to be overrun by youth that possess no true conscience toward anyone but their selves and their desire to drink, be loud and boisterous, invade the space that others occupy, destroy property and create a requirement for inexpensive housing, which brings me to landlords or property owners.
Property owners that rent en masse to the undergraduate student have little if any incentive to maintain their property, especially when the undergraduate students are the ones damaging the properties. I know of a phenomenon that occurs when people own property and that is if someone fixes up their property, it usually follows that their immediate neighbor in turn fixes up their property and so goes the chain (this particular phenomenon's name escapes me at the moment), unfortunately the reverse is true here.
Syracuse is a city that has suffered the physical and economical pains of industry failing. Syracuse is also a city that could, if it were wise enough, make enough money by enforcing their own codes in the neighborhoods where these undergraduates live and where the parasitic property owners prey. The winter is one of the best examples of where money could be raised by enforcing the shoveling code. In Syracuse, regardless of a renters knowledge, it is the responsibility of the renter to maintain clear and safe sidewalks through snow removal, unless otherwise specified in a lease. As a central New Yorker from birth, I grew up in neighborhoods where people shoveled first thing in the morning during and after snowfall, regardless of the amount. Now, moving throughout central NY it has been my experience as someone who walked and walks a lot that people who rent or the property management companies and/or landlords don't very often, if ever, keep their sidewalks clear. In an era of politics that is crying out for no more taxes, this particular circumstance should be exploited to its fullest in order for the city to collect revenue.
It has also been a long standing argument of upstaters that our taxes are high and we barely see where the money goes in our communities because the state is too busy spending it downstate in NYC. This may or may not be true, I think it is relatively true since our upstate communities seem to be suffering much more then our neighbors to the southeast. Upstate, central and western NY do receive their fair share of tourist dollars, but that pales in comparison to what NYC reaps annually in tourist revenue. Our communities are scattered, threatened by more industry bailing out and a standard of living that makes trailer parks winch. Poverty is rampant and the number of buildings left abandoned is staggering. I believe cities in upstate, central and western NY should more stringently enforce their codes in and around university/college areas to provide for more city revenue.
Over the six years that I've lived where I live I have seen neighbors sell their homes and leave as if an infestation of the worst kind had occurred. And, indeed it did, undergraduate students without common sense or consideration. I admit that our youth more often than not lack common sense and possess little if any consideration outside of their perceived social niche or their own ego. But, what this mass movement has done is allowed the university neighborhoods to be overrun by youth that possess no true conscience toward anyone but their selves and their desire to drink, be loud and boisterous, invade the space that others occupy, destroy property and create a requirement for inexpensive housing, which brings me to landlords or property owners.
Property owners that rent en masse to the undergraduate student have little if any incentive to maintain their property, especially when the undergraduate students are the ones damaging the properties. I know of a phenomenon that occurs when people own property and that is if someone fixes up their property, it usually follows that their immediate neighbor in turn fixes up their property and so goes the chain (this particular phenomenon's name escapes me at the moment), unfortunately the reverse is true here.
Syracuse is a city that has suffered the physical and economical pains of industry failing. Syracuse is also a city that could, if it were wise enough, make enough money by enforcing their own codes in the neighborhoods where these undergraduates live and where the parasitic property owners prey. The winter is one of the best examples of where money could be raised by enforcing the shoveling code. In Syracuse, regardless of a renters knowledge, it is the responsibility of the renter to maintain clear and safe sidewalks through snow removal, unless otherwise specified in a lease. As a central New Yorker from birth, I grew up in neighborhoods where people shoveled first thing in the morning during and after snowfall, regardless of the amount. Now, moving throughout central NY it has been my experience as someone who walked and walks a lot that people who rent or the property management companies and/or landlords don't very often, if ever, keep their sidewalks clear. In an era of politics that is crying out for no more taxes, this particular circumstance should be exploited to its fullest in order for the city to collect revenue.
It has also been a long standing argument of upstaters that our taxes are high and we barely see where the money goes in our communities because the state is too busy spending it downstate in NYC. This may or may not be true, I think it is relatively true since our upstate communities seem to be suffering much more then our neighbors to the southeast. Upstate, central and western NY do receive their fair share of tourist dollars, but that pales in comparison to what NYC reaps annually in tourist revenue. Our communities are scattered, threatened by more industry bailing out and a standard of living that makes trailer parks winch. Poverty is rampant and the number of buildings left abandoned is staggering. I believe cities in upstate, central and western NY should more stringently enforce their codes in and around university/college areas to provide for more city revenue.
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