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Plenty's been said about Mayor Duffy's decision regarding the Ferry on this side of the lake. Here are some links to Canadian media sites and how they are discussing the apparent demise of the service. Check out CBC, the Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star, and CBC in Prince Edward Island.
One reader of this blog as much as predicted this decision at the end of last month. He said that it is simply bad business to invest more money to protect prior investments. Every investment, he said, needs to be evaluated independently on its chances for success and an appropriate return.
Smart man. While it would have been nice to see one Ferry untroubled season, Duffy and his team apparently have followed this logic.
One reader of this blog as much as predicted this decision at the end of last month. He said that it is simply bad business to invest more money to protect prior investments. Every investment, he said, needs to be evaluated independently on its chances for success and an appropriate return.
Smart man. While it would have been nice to see one Ferry untroubled season, Duffy and his team apparently have followed this logic.
posted by Behind The Business Page at 10:10 AM
5 Comments:
Coach,
Not sure I agree. I think in a position of public trust you have to use common sense - first - before anything else. You're shepherding the diminishing resources of 220,000 people. I understand the need to take big risks, but if you believe in your heart of hearts your project is destined to fail, then going forward is malpractice. Again, this is in the context of a public official. I know you feel he made the "popular" decision -- and you might very well be right. But if there truly is demand for this service, another private entity will come in to fill the void. Thanks for reading and writing in. - BEN
Coach,
First, I should have mentioned before: I've never generated a job in this region or elsewhere, myself. So you have to take my sideline coaching on business with a grain of salt. I'm really not focused on the cost. I am talking about Duffy's rationale - he seems to have weighed the risks against the reward, and decided the risks were too great for a municipal government to assume. You and others disagree. I'm not really commenting one way or the other, except to say that I think his thought process is what you would hope for in a public official ... a sober balancing of reality against wishful thinking. I would have liked to have seen the Ferry get one trouble-free, uninterrupted season, but, easy for me to say: I live in Irondequoit.
Duffer,
Vision, passion and commitment are important aspects of leadership. It's one of those conundrums -- IMHO, you can't be a leader without vision, passion and commitment. However, I suppose it is true that having vision, passion and commitment doesn't necessarily make one a leader. Whether any of this is relevant in connection with Duffy and the Ferry, I don't know. But since you brought it up: Where do you think the road should lead our economy?
Duff-er,
Being a history minor (but not a Civil War buff) I am interested in this discussion. Seems to me you're making my point -- unless you believe Lincoln was not a leader. He had a superior vision and that made him a great leader. That Douglas was a leader but did not have vision, I think is probably also true. But again, my point was, vision, passion and commitment are a part of leadership, not separate from it.
Is your business plan idea focused on the ferry, or on greater Rochester's economy in general?
Ben
I am all for the idea of trying to spark constructive discussions of new ways to solve our economic problems. A "Save the Ferry" business plan contest, I fear, is an idea after its time. This is just my estimate of the political winds.
A business plan contest for greater Rochester's economic future, however, might be an interesting idea. I've often wondered, for instance, why our region doesn't take more advantage of our rich business history in connection with tourism. For instance, what about a museum that highlighted the corporate histories of both Kodak and Xerox? The "Business Hall of Fame" at Strong Museum is a start but I wonder if there is some way for this to stand alone? Heck, it could also include Paychex, Wegmans, Gannett and other entrepreneurial risk takers from our past.
Just a thought.
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