Page Twenty-Nine  

26 OCTOBER 2005

..............

And here we go... Rochester Ferry Corporation Progress Report issued October 26, 2005  PDF 71kb

46º | Hi 46º / Lo 34

Pas

Ferry's $4.2M quarterly loss way more than projected Brian Sharp Staff writer (October 26, 2005) — Projected to lose about $700,000 its first year, the high-speed ferry between Rochester and Toronto has, so far, lost $4.2 million, a quarterly report released today shows. The operating shortfall alone erases half of the $8 million cushion set aside for anticipated deficits in the first three years. Officials are stressing ridership numbers, however, which show a significant bounce once marketing kicked in and after a delayed, mid-season start. The report covers operations through Aug. 31. Total ridership in July, its first full month of operation, was 26,320. August ridership jumped 74 percent to 45,811. Average passengers per trip went from 239 to 402, the report shows. The city created Rochester Ferry and backed a $40 million loan, which paid for the ferry ($32 million) as well as startup costs. Rochester Ferry then hired Bay Ferries as the manager. The loan also provided a cushion for expected overages, which Ed Doherty, the city's commissioner for environmental services, has said would be higher than anticipated. Revenue totaled $2.8 million, from Feb. 28 (when the ship was purchased) through Aug. 31, while expenses were $5 million. Start-up expenses totaled another $2 million. The city had estimated monthly expenses at $1.4 million, averaged over a full year. Officials blame lower-than-anticipated ridership revenue for the shortfall. Former operator Canadian American Transportation Systems was in business roughly three months before shutting down last year, citing a $1.7 million deficit. The city resumed service June 30.

<<Yawn>>

Like this comes as some huge surprise?  Like the signs weren't there all along?

"Officials blame lower-than-anticipated ridership revenue for the shortfall."

That says it all.  That's the entire crux of the matter.  That explains why the ferry didn't work for CATS and why it won't work for the city of Rochester -- or anyone else.  There isn't enough demand for a dedicated maritime route between Toronto and Rochester... certainly not enough to support a ferry service of this magnitude for an extended period of time.  That's all I've been harping on for the past four years.

CATS bailed at $1.7 million.  The city of Rochester is already $4.2 million in the hole - and still plans to forge ahead with a 2006 season.  Why would a private company drop out at a $1.7 million loss and a public company simply shrug at a $4.2 million loss?

Yellow journalism comment.  "Ferry's $4.2M quarterly loss way more than projected" is used to lead the reader.  The headline of  "Ferry's $4.2M quarterly loss more than projected" says the same thing but without the hyperbole. "Projected to lose about $700,000 its first year" is used to make the loss appear larger than it actually is... the figure was actually $725,000.  Hey... I'm just trying to give credit where credit's due.

The Chestnut Tree gift shop in the ferry terminal announced today it will permanently close its doors this Friday.  'Personal reasons' they say; has nothing to do with today's dismal report they say.  R-I-G-H-T .  Businesspeople ALWAYS close shop when business is booming ("oh, it's not?")

The ferry terminal's California Rollin' Sushi went three hours today without a single customer.  How long can that continue before the rent outpaces the income?

Given that the ferry can carry 774 passengers, during the peak month of August it carried an average of 402 per trip.  That's 52% full... half full.... at the best.  Not enough demand, not enough people, not enough Canadians to support an undertaking of this financial magnitude.  Exactly what I've been saying all along.

OK.  Let's see how the talking heads over at WHAM-TV13 are putting on a brave face:

October 26, 2005 4:16 PM

Fast Ferry Progress Report: Mixed Results (Rochester, NY) 10/26/05-- The numbers from Rochester’s Fast Ferry's first two months of service have been released, and the results are mixed. The Rochester Ferry Corporation says the Spirit of Ontario lost $4.2 million dollars in its first eight weeks of service between western New York and Toronto. That figure includes $2 million in start-up expenses. The good news is that ridership rose steadily from an average of just over 200 passengers during the first week to more than 430 passengers by the end of August. Among the other findings, the ferry was reported to be on time 96 percent of the time, and 74 percent of passengers say they would ride the ferry again. The ferry resumed service June 30th, about two weeks later than first planned. The report released Wednesday doesn't include ridership figures for September. The ferry service was halted in September 2004 after the ship's original owner, Canadian American Transportation Systems, ran out of money. CATS accumulated $1.7 million dollars of debt over three months of service. Over the same time, Bay Ferries is reporting a debt more than 2.5 times bigger than the debt piled up by CATS. The original operating plan called for the Cat to lose $700,000 in its first year of operations. In the report it has lost six times that amount. The city of Rochester now owns the ship.

Note the difference in headline: "Fast Ferry Progress Report: Mixed Results" versus the D&C headline "Ferry's $4.2M quarterly loss way more than projected".  WHAM-TV13 tends to be a community cheerleader with a steady supply of rose-coloured glasses to overlook the ugliness - or at least tone it down.  Smiley, happy faces which is exactly what plays in Monroe County.  Murders, mass-layoffs and businesses closing left and right?  Oh, how DREADFUL... ("let's not think about it...").

$2.8 million in revenue; $2 million in startup costs; $5 million in operating costs.  $4.2 million in the red.  Even without startup costs, that's $2.2 million more in operating costs than in revenue (ie. paying passengers).  Operation expenses are outstripping income.  A deficit situation exists and the ferry hasn't even been back in business six months.  Do the math.  A business can't survive in this condition and we've already seen that before á la CATS.

This isn't rocket science here.  If there aren't enough people on the Canadian side who are interested in taking a ferry to Rochester, the ferry can't survive.  How difficult a concept is that?  Obviously there aren't enough compelling reasons for Toronto area residents to want to cruise to Rochester.   The numbers do not lie.  The facts have just been laid out.  Whether Rochester area residents want to admit it or not, Torontonians have -- ONCE AGAIN -- very clearly stated they're not all that interested in the glories of Rochester.  Didn't you guys understand that the FIRST time?  Why do you need to keep getting slammed in the wallet to recognize that?

Ehh.  No skin off the Toronto budget.  If Americans want to piss away tens of millions of dollars, that's certainly their prerogative.  Smart businesspeople would take one look at this second grim financial report and say, "Too much liability here; time to pull the plug".  Rochester area residents, having already blown tens of millions, still think Canadians actually care about the ferry... or their community.  It's not like they don't care, it's just that they're perfectly indifferent.

Instead of focusing on WHY the passenger numbers aren't there, the Rochester contingent is only looking at the numbers... blithely ignoring the fact Canadians aren't going to provide enough support to make the thing work no matter HOW much the estimated passenger numbers are adjusted.  Sheer stupidity.  A shockingly ignorant business manoeuvre.

Wednesday   October 26, 2005

Ferry Reports $4.2 Million Loss     by Cristina Domingues Published Oct 26, 2005 The Rochester Ferry Company reports while ridership went up, the CAT lost $4.2 million in its first quarter. In June of this year, 590 people rode the fast ferry. That's only one round trip. In July, 26,320 hopped on board. That number jumped to 45,811 in August. Those passengers helped bring in $2.8 million of revenue for the ferry. But the vessel spent $2 millon to start up again and $5 million in operating costs. That left the vessel with a $4.2 million loss. Ferry Company President Ben Douglas says part of the problem was the ferry's late start during peak season. He also blames higher than expected fuel costs and the need for American captains. "This first quarter has been a preparation if you will... has been a means by which we could make sure we have a solid service in place, we understand more about the market, we understand where we need to go financially," said Douglas. Mayor Bill Johnson said while they have had to tap into reserve funds to cover expenses no taxpayer money has been used. "Through the grace of the auction we ended up with a larger surplus, fund balance, than we had hoped. So at the current time this boat has not cost the taxpayer one, red dime." (Damn, Bill.  You actually said that in front of a news reporter?) We also learned the ferry will run through December. It will not run January and February. The CAT will resume service in March. The Ferry Company will present its 2006 budget to the City Council in December.

"So at the current time this boat has not cost the taxpayer one, red dime."

You've GOT to be kidding me.  If the money didn't come from the taxpayer, where DID it come from?  The 'city of Rochester' BOUGHT the ferry, BUILT the ferry terminal and PAYS the bills.  Who provides the money for that?  The taxpayers via taxes.  No tax revenues?  No buying, building or paying.

Let's pretend for a moment that all the money for this project came from the state of New York coffers.  Where does that money come from?  New York State taxpayers.

Let's pretend for a moment that all the money for this project came from the U.S. coffers.  Where does THAT money come from?  U.S. taxpayers.

'At the current time' also indicates an 'out' for the ferry board to ask to borrow money from the taxpayers.  As a taxpayer, I say "No"; and since the elected political positions exist SOLELY to reflect MY (and other taxpayers') bidding, they'll do as they're told or they'll be hitting the bricks looking for another source of income come next election time.  That's a position many Americans seem to forget.

In a few days, Americans will have an opportunity to express their displeasure - or - simply vote according to who they think will win the election because they always need to be on the 'winning side'.  The gutless voter will simply toddle dutifully into the polling station, look for their preferred political party and vote accordingly.  Simple, without a lot of 'thinking' and quick, soon they'll be whining about the politicians they've just elected in a matter of weeks.

Best educated nation on Earth?  Not exactly.

Thursday   October 27, 2005

Ferry Shop Owners React to Report     by Anthony Pascale photo by Helen Moore Published Oct 26, 2005 Some Charlotte business owners at the fast ferry terminal say they're not surprised by the vessel's first quarter report. As the weather gets colder most businesses at the port have seen a drop in customers. Many businesses are operating just to pay the bills. The owners we talked to hope people in Rochester know the shops in the terminal are open even when the ferry isn't docked at the port. Most plan on staying open through the winter. “I'm sure it will be a tough go but I'm sure as in the past the community supports. The people that know we're open will be here,” said store owner Mike Manioci. One of the terminal's main tenants is closing shop. The Chestnut Tree gift shop will close for good Friday. A store employee says it was a personal decision and had nothing to do with the business’ performance.  (Riiight.)

Let's think about this.

Earlier today, it was reported that California Rollin' Sushi sat idle for three hours without any customers.  That's on a day when the ferry had regular service even with a paucity of passengers.

The service will completely shutdown for two months in January and February.  Question: If a ferry terminal business has hardly any customers when the ferry IS operating, how does one expect they'll have any more when it ISN'T?

Question:  Why would a ferry terminal store bother to set up shop... only to go out of business barely after the ferry service started up again?  Why did The Chestnut Tree open up in the first place?  What changed since the opening and now?  More importantly, what business is going to move in (or what business is foolish enough to want to?)

Guess we've seen what happens, eh Elaine?  The shop goes belly up... but let's just say it was closed for 'personal reasons'.  How dainty.  How tidy.  Just what we'd expect from a 'gift' shop.  Guess you'll just have to peddle the tschotchkes elsewhere... try Fairport Village Landing or Schoen Place in Pittsford; there always seems to be some hausfrau slogging useless cutesy crap there.

Blunt questions.  Just the type that locals don't want to hear -- too unpleasant to ponder, I guess.  There are lots of tough questions which need answers: What's an acceptable amount of money which can be lost before sanity sets in and the service is canned?  If 'not a dime' of taxpayer money has been spent so far, does that mean if the ferry's sold today nobody would lose any money?  What about the $4.2 million in the hole as reported today?  Whose money is that?  What's Rochester going to do with a highly specialized $16 million building at Charlotte when the ferry service bites the dust for the last time?

Who's going to be held accountable for the loss of tens of millions of dollars?

"Ohhh... let's not think about it."

About the 'Rochester Ferry Corporation Progress Report'; it looks like the handiwork of a student of Professor PC's PowerPoint For Idiots.  Good grief... what a sophomoric presentation.  Small wonder why Toronto is quietly snickering under its breath.  And I don't want to hear 'we're lucky we got a report at all'.... the Rochester Ferry Corporation isn't doing the public any favours by disclosing where the money's going.  If that's the attitude of the Ferry Folks, let's see how far they get when they ask the public for cash to bail them out from chronic red ink.  Get bent, boys and girls.

From WHEC TV-10's take on the matter:

"The mayor says he is planning meetings with the new mayor-elect in Albany, Toronto and Ottawa to lobby for significantly more promotional money and support for the ferry."

Uh, Bill?  The folks in Albany, Toronto and Ottawa are ALREADY aware of the ferry... splashing a few more ads in the paper and TV aren't going to do much to save the ferry service. 

'Lobbying for more support'?  Like... what did you have in mind?  Forced-marches of Albany, Toronto and Ottawa residents to the ferry terminals?  A Please-Please-Please-Take-Our-Ferry appeal to the reticent travelers?  Or maybe a Pay-No-Attention-To-Our-Staggering-Homicide-Rate Campaign will garner more support?

Or maybe you could unload the big guns and buy billboard space in Nepean with a tempting photo of Nick Tahou's Garbage Plate?  THAT ought to pack 'em in.  "Support Rochester" (even though we haven't a clue what 'Bytown' is).  "Explore Rochester" (even though we think the 'Queensway' must be some set of Royal protocol).   Why should Ottawa residents wander down here when the vast majority of Rochester residents have never set foot in Canada's Capital... and have no desire to do so?

ZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

It's getting ugly now...

42º | Hi 47º / Lo 34º

Amazing.  Simply amazing.

"We shouldn't give up quite yet," she said. "What about the port we have built and the businesses that are there?"

Convoluted logic aside, Lori Skoog needs to stop and think about this for a minute.  The ends do not justify the means; Irondequoit Mall (oh, excuse me... Medley Center) is a case in point.  Simply because a very bad idea gets built does not automatically mean it MUST be maintained.  That comes under the heading of 'Let The Chips Fall Where They May'.  If a lousy business decision sees the light of day, it's still a lousy business decision and the proponents will have to suffer the consequences of the error of their ways.  It's completely absurd to declare, "It's built, so it has to be supported".

"Absolutely continue it," said Patricia Byrns, 62, of Mendon, a retired educator. "Leave the skeptics sitting on the dock."

No, Patricia; I say leave the supporters holding the bag.  If YOU want it, YOU pay for it.  The rest of us realists understand that a world-class city is going to pretty much ignore the antics of some small-town burg across the lake.

"Ferry service should be discontinued at once," said Melville, 54, of Chili, a sales rep. "The ferry has been adequately marketed, but how do you convince people to rely on something that is not reliable?"

Hold on to your hats; here's another time when I disagree with a ferry opponent. Sort of.  Dan Melville makes a good point that the ferry HAS been marketed adequately but... all things considered... it really IS a fairly reliable service.  The on-time history isn't all that bad when compared to driving or traveling anywhere using an airline.

But Melville also raises a fundamental problem which the local Rochester residents are totally ignoring to the point of incredulity.  As I was reading Melville's comment, here's what I hoped to see:

"The ferry has been adequately marketed, but how do you convince people to use a service which has marginal appeal?"

The fact is: there aren't enough people on the Canadian side who see any point in coming to Rochester.  Pure and simple.  Face it.  Admit it.  Understand why that is.  Canadians have no REASON to come to Rochester.

That shocking revelation has been ignored since the inception of the ferry idea and with every barely-used cruise, it's being repeated over and over and over again.  Still, Rochester area residents choose to ignore that and scurry to point to the symptoms of the ferry failure instead of the root cause.

"(Philip Wehrheim) and others suggested putting the ferry's phone number on the ship's hull or maybe allowing a casino to boost ridership.

Wehrheim called the ferry "an awesome idea" but has found the management lacking. "Not a lot of people know about the ferry or how much it costs," he said."

The Dumbing Down of America continues unabated.  It's a sad commentary when people are too damn lazy - or stupid, take your pick -- to actually type in the web address of the ferry website and read.  It's happening all over; people are so 'busy' with perfectly inconsequential nonsense that they don't use the grey matter between their ears and do a modicum of research.  The facts and figures of the ferry are available to anybody who has the slightest interest.  Handholding and spoon-feeding of details is best left to pre-schoolers - not adults with enough disposable income to be able to shuttle sailboats on a ferry across the lake.

42º | Hi 47º / Lo 34º |

Councilman Brian Curran is on the right track.  There's no question that a lot of backroom PR massaging of the data is going on at City Hall.  At stake is the reputation of some highly visible elected officials as well as tens upon tens of millions of dollars of public money.  You better believe a whole lot of 'touching up' is being done when the most pragmatic approach would be to simply come clean and say, "We tried but failed".

The D&C is seeing a golden opportunity for some Olde Tyme Muckraking and is wasting no copy for the chance to jump on it.  Sort of what I've been doing since 2001... only they're making money off it and I'm footing the bill for this little tempest in a teapot.  Call it what you may; obvious stupidity deserves no less than undivided attention and the ferry project was obviously a stupid idea considering all the facts which have been presented.

Ben Douglas and his coffee mates are merely trying to obfuscate the reality that the ferry project is doomed and will be shutdown due to insufficient demand.  If the demand was there, we wouldn't be grousing about whether the service should be continued, now would we?

Still, maybe the ferry fiasco will show the need to explore beyond our own backyards and tune in with the mindset of different communities.  The days of the defiantly independent Rochester have long since passed; for years, the Rochester community was an entity among itself - hometown Fortune 500's providing secure great-paying jobs... its own phone, gas, electric, department store, grocery and hardware companies - and now those distinctions are rapidly disappearing.

'Change'.  A dreaded word in Rochester.  Change is unsettling, unpredictable and let's face it, a whole lotta work.  Not to mention it means modifying behaviour and attitudes and we're pleased as punch with the way things are right now thank you very much.

Evolutionary change is a lot easier than revolutionary change and had the Rochester area kept step with regional - state and provincial - change, it would have had a more realistic view of itself in relation to other communities within a day's drive.  The ferry project would have tanked before it even got off the ground.  Rochester area residents would have known from personal experience that other regional residents in Ottawa, Toronto, Kingston, Brockville - wherever - wouldn't use a highly specialized ferry service to their community.  It doesn't take a Canadian to see that either.

Since change is inevitable - whether we want it or not - and since the Rochester area didn't accept evolutionary or gradual change - that leaves it with revolutionary or rapid change.  Ouch.  That gets costly and ugly as the failed ferry service is about to show with major-sized losses and even more ill will.

It's ludicrous to put Rochester in the same league as a metropolitan area the size of Toronto, as about the only thing the two communities have in common is a lake.  With the explosion of development, growth and money in the GTA, Toronto residents are far too busy in their own frenetic community to pay attention to a troubled and aging region across the lake.  That's not a value judgement; that's just the way it is.   If more Rochester area residents would venture around the GTA and escape the confines of the downtown/lakefront sections of Toronto, they'd see for themselves what's going on.  Toronto is not just Yonge Street.  And Ontario is not just Toronto.  <stepping down from soapbox>

Why the big deal about this first ferry progress report?  Because it's all downhill from here.  Four-plus years of this little prank are finally - and I DO mean finally - drawing to a close.  The report is a first hand accounting of unrealistic self-image and the real reason the ferry failed - not enough demand to sustain long-term financial operation.

The only thing that's left is the three-ring circus finale which is about to ensue.  The clown act ought to be great as overly-fed politicians make for amusing antics.

Uses for a former ferry terminal:

• Go with the standard nautical theme and sell seagull potholders and Nantucket Lighthouse knockoffs in Barnacle Bill's Souvenir Shoppe.
• Verathane and display a half-rotted rowboat from the Genesee River and call it 'Rochester's Maritime Museum'.
• String up some nautical flags, fish nets and a few fiberglass seagulls from the ceiling with Popeye's theme song piped in and scrawl 'Port of Rochester' on a posterboard.
• Convert it into a Bingo-By-The-Lake emporium.
• Let it become an ecological sanctuary by not hosing off the tons of seagull droppings.
• Board it up, wait a few years, then tear it down to use as a write off.
• Buy a Long John Silver's Fish and Chips franchise and get the city involved in the fast food industry; open a gourmet hot dog outlet with an astonishing array of available condiments.
• Use it to host the annual 'Pirates of Penzance Festival'.
• Use the gangway to host the International Belly Flop Competition.

Why, the possibilities are as endless as they are mindless.  No doubt the enterprising city leaders will come up with something equally as insipid.

Just look what's there now.

Meanwhile, back at the City Desk:

45º | Hi 48º / Lo 33º

Never a fan of the Democrat & Chronicle, it's clear to me the hometown rag smells a rat and is out for blood.  In this case, these guys are helping out us naysayers by asking the needed questions.

Hometown papers have to offer the mundane columnists who delve unflinchingly into such pressing issues such as Maudie Mae's classic pickle recipe or the DJ who dresses up in a bee outfit to put a 'sting' on school snack machines.  To be fair, the D&C has to staff it's cubicles with whatever local journalists are available and the pool is somewhat lacking.  But I digress.

Basically, the above blurb says two things: the Ferry corporation is running out of cash (a real bombshell there) and the proposed passport requirements might turn off prospective ferry passengers.  The passport issue is of personal interest for obvious reasons (which one do I carry:  Canadian or U.S.?) but to be frank, I don't think it's going to be an issue for ferry passengers as the ferry service will have long since been defunct before the requirement comes into effect.  That's called a moot point.

A few paragraphs above I wrote the ferry service was fairly reliable.  I have no hesitation admitting when I'm wrong:

45º | Hi 48º / Lo 33º

JAY CAPERS staff photographer The fast ferry made several tight turns in Lake Ontario today after officials canceled the trip for unknown reasons. Ferry docked; buses will transport to Toronto Staff report (October 28, 2005) — Passengers who have waited to travel aboard The Cat will have to wait a little longer if they had tickets for today's journey. An issue with the ferry means it will stay docked, and charter buses have been lined up to transport passengers to and from Toronto, said Glenn Gardner, a spokesman for the ferry. It is unknown when the ferry will resume operation. Check back here for details, which we'll post as they become available.

Information, please.  What sort of 'issue' forces the ferry to stay tied up at the home port dock?  Mechanical problems?  Labour disputes?

Financial and/or legal matters?  That would raise the specter of CATS' rather untimely and undignified burn out; remember when the CATS suppliers weren't getting paid?  Might that scenario be repeated?

Don't want to speculate here, but one thing is abundantly clear.  Anyone who needs to count on arriving or departing from a destination at a particular time would do well to avoid taking the ferry.  If people wanted to take a bus to and from Toronto, they'd scoot on down to the Trailways terminal located in downtown Rochester's crotch.  The only reason ferry passengers slap down the plastic is to make a boat ride across the lake... you know, the whole 'exciting alternative to driving' thing.

Only guessing here: if the stranded passengers were offered the choice between a bus ride (with no partial fare refund) or their money back, that would be the same as grabbing a bus ticket in the first place.  Trailways charges US$ 37.50 one-way; US$ 75 return from Rochester to Toronto (link).  The ferry charges US$ 37 adult, peak one-way; US$ 74 return (link).

Every time busses show up, the Ferry Corporation shoots itself in the foot.  The ferry reservations become little more than a crap shoot to those thinking about taking the ferry and "Why bother?" becomes the question people ask themselves.  Passenger revenues drop again.

........  'Issues' defined:

Friday   October 28, 2005

Friday Ferry Trip Cancelled     by RNews Staff File Photo Published Oct 28, 2005 A problem with the Fast Ferry's propulsion system forced Bay Ferries to cancel Friday’s (Oct. 28) run between Rochester and Toronto. Bay Ferries says the problem is intermittent, but needs to be fixed before the ship is sent across Lake Ontario. Bay Ferries board of engineers says it will contact European technicians to diagnose the problem. Bay Ferries reminds its customers that since taking over control of the Cat, only one other cancellation has been made. That occurred 10 days ago when a fuel line leak cut short a promotional trip.  (Tell that to the passengers on the busses.) The ferry is expected to be back up and running as soon as Saturday. The Cat

If we were talking about some ten buck joy ride, shutting down the Scrambler might not be such a big deal.  We're not.  This is an international transportation link which has the capacity to carry close to 800 souls across one of the most fickle navigational waters in the world.  Erring on the side of caution isn't just a good idea, it's got to be a rule.

Imagine if the DC-10 has a problem with its 'propulsion system'.  Doesn't really inspire confidence, now does it?  Even though having to be towed back to port may be more embarrassing than deadly when compared to an airliner, the ferry operators are catching the same 'no-confidence' rapport with the public.  A boat costing $32 million shouldn't be having problems with its primary method of propulsion or some gas line leak.  Not after less than a year of use.

Even a Kia Spectra has a better track record.

WHAM TV-13 goes in for the kill:

(Rochester, NY) 10/28/05 - Fast ferry trips have been cancelled for today. Bay Ferries officials say there is a technical problem with the ship. Buses will be available to transport passengers today or they can get their money back. Ferry officials hope to have the ferry back in service Saturday, October 29.

Somebody scribble that one on a PostIt?  Let's not bother the viewers with such unsettling details as more bad news about the ferry; we're the Happy and Upbeat folks here.  Focus on the good news and let others cover the nastiness.

To the Toronto readers, this whole ferry fiasco looks like much ado about nothing and they would be right.  But in Rochester, it's a classic case of local bungling which is too good to resist.

45º | Hi 48º / Lo 33º |

It's Friday.  In anything-for-a-party Toronto, this weekend will have Halloween parties and other diversions which might make knocking off a day from work and making a real weekend of it not a bad plan.

The ferry supporters are fighting tooth and nail to keep the service afloat, yet on a weekend such as this, only 13% of the seats on the cruise from Rochester to Toronto are filled?  (Why... that fairly screams 'consumer demand', doesn't it?)  That shows how little Rochesterians TRULY support the ferry; so why is Mayor Bill wandering around Ontario and New York fishing for passengers if his own city doesn't even embrace the project?  Hmmm?

Hypocrisy, thy name is Rochester.

Bay Ferries plans to book parties for revenue     (WROC-TV) 10/27/2005 6:30 PM (Joylynn Whitfield, WROC-TV) Wednesday's fast ferry bombshell said the boat is operating 4.2 million dollars in the red.  Bay Ferries plans to use the boat for private parties while the boat is docked at the port. Ferry officials say they'd received several requests from individuals and businesses to hold private parties on the boat.  The fast ferry can already accommodate business meetings while traveling between Rochester and Toronto with catered meals, but they are trying to find a way to use the boat during the three days it's docked.    "People are coming in with new and different ideas about how they want to use the vessel....Is there a possibility when it's dockside.  That's a perfect opportunity we think to hold events right here in the port," said Glen Gardner of Bay Ferries. Some Rochesterians think it's a good idea, but they're concerned about the costs and what catering options are available. "My question is would I be able to bring my own caterers in.  I have friends in the restaurant business I would like to use," said Alan Accorso of Rochester. "I don't know how much it would cost, I would like to (use it) if I could afford it, yes," said Nancy Olivo of Rochester. Bay Ferries says it'll be a few weeks before specific party packages are available.  But if you're interested in booking a party you can call Bay Ferries at 428-9312.

Phewww!!!  THAT was a close one!  The ferry's saved now... a few thousand bucks here and there is going to offset the $4.2 million - and growing - debt.   WHATTA  RELIEF!!

And the locals are fussing about who's going to furnish the cocktail wieners?  Yeah.. that's about par for THIS course.  Desperate for cash... from anywhere... in any amount... Bay Ferries and the Ferry Corporation are really scraping the bottom of the barrel here.  Images of Crusty the Clown at the kiddy birthday party come to mind, but considering some of the cheesy party houses around here, it might be an improvement.

Yeah, sure... whatever.  Let the boys have a stag party they'll never remember while tied up at the dock.  Hold the Hatfield-McCoy wedding reception on board where bravado and drinking are the themes ("Wet cleanup... rear ballroom corner").  No wear and tear on the furnishings there.  Just make sure the life-ring stations are at the ready for kids and drunks.

Why's this new feature being considered at this point?  Is cash flow a problem or something?  I thought the city of Rochester drew up a business plan months ago which had expert details of how a city-owned ferry business would work where CATS had failed?  You mean to tell me they were... wrong?  How's that possible?  We Great Unwashed are the cognitively challenged ones, aren't we?  The elected officials are supposed to have all the answers... we just bulldoze boatloads of tax money at their feet.

A floating party barge is about to be repo'd and dragged out the St.Lawrence River.   Hey Massena and Cornwall!  You guys need a floating marché puce (flea market)??  It's had some body work and the engine's a bit of a dog, but it still shows nice.  No downpayment... just pick up the payments.

It's even got pinstriping.  A real head turner.

Notes from the files of Whatever Happened To?:

High waves and a broken fuel line forced the fast ferry to return to the Port of Rochester Tuesday morning. Ferry repaired and ready to sail, state investigation continues into former operators 10/28/05 More engine trouble kept the fast ferry tied up in Rochester Friday. Ferry officials tell NEWS 10NBC there was a technical problem with the ship's equipment that monitors and controls its propulsion systems.  Repairs were made Friday and the service is back on schedule for the weekend. "We went in and did the trouble shooting necessary and made adjustments and then after required tests on system we take it out for sea trials and we found everything is operating the way its supposed to be operating and we're ready to get back into service tomorrow morning," said Bay Ferries spokesperson Glenn Gardner.   NEWS 10NBC spoke with State Comptroller Alan Hevesi Friday.   Hevesi said his probe into the former operator of the fast ferry isn't completed yet but he expects it to be done by the end of the year.   The state is investigating whether Canadian American Transportation Systems misappropriated state money given to the ferry project.

What's that?  "Misappropriated state money"?  As in money of the taxpayers of New York State?  A PRIVATE company like CATS gets 'state money' yet the city of Rochester hasn't spent "one, red dime" of taxpayer money?  How is that possible? 

Or isn't it?

Here in New York State, we have this piece of paper called an IT-201 issued by the fine folks at the NYS Department of Taxation and Finance.  It's how the Empire State gets its pound of flesh from its residents via income tax and it brings in veritable mountains of cash into Albany.  There it's doled out to fund things like... oh, I don't know... let's say some community's 'swell idea' for a redundant way to get to the Emerald City.  Regardless of which pocket it comes from, it's still 'taxpayer money' which is being frittered away because of unrealistic expectations.  It's money which comes from somewhere. 

It's money which comes from New Yorkers, that's where.  In terms of the Big Picture, $4.2 million is chump change and nothing to get excited about but on the local level, $4.2 million can close a county's annual deficit.  $4.2 million can cover a lot of county Medicaid patients' needs.  It can provide a lot of expenses and services which go without for lack of funding. 

The loss of $4.2 million in the first quarter alone is reason enough to put the Ferry Corporation on notice.  This isn't one of those keep-at-it-until-it-works things.  If the paying public hasn't fully embraced the ferry by this point - enough to sustain the business - it's not going to happen, so cut the losses and get out.

Ferry supporters haven't said how far in debt they're willing to accept before pulling the plug on the ferry business.  That's pretty much the only question which remains as it's plainly obvious not enough Torontonians are compelled to hop on a boat to Rochester.  THAT question has been fully answered.

$30 million?  $60 million?  $100 million?  There's definitely a figure at which point the locals cry "Uncle" and the ferry closes shop for good.  For this naysayer, $4.2 million is a sufficient figure; to others, $42 million might be the magic number.

So what's it gonna be?  That needs to be determined.

As for CATS possible misappropriation of public funds, if it's determined a private company either used or abused state money, I say confiscate the personal property of the offenders and hand them a bill for the balance including the fine.  That's restitution and retribution in a way corporate-types can understand.  Hit 'em where they live.