Oswego, NY -- Gov. David Paterson again has vetoed the creation of a commission to promote the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812. This is a blow to Oswego County, which has been working on plans for about two years for events to commemorate the role of Oswego County and Fort Ontario during the war. “We’re very disappointed that...
Oswego, NY -- Gov. David Paterson again has vetoed the creation of a commission to promote the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812.
This is a blow to Oswego County, which has been working on plans for about two years for events to commemorate the role of Oswego County and Fort Ontario during the war.
“We’re very disappointed that the governor has failed to recognize the significance of the role of hundreds or thousands of New Yorkers in this war,” said David Turner, director of Oswego County’s office of planning, community development and tourism.
“In the absence of any funding, it will be difficult to try to put on a commemoration,” Turner said.
The veto means the state would not be actively involved in promotion of War of 1812 anniversary commemorations. Local places like Oswego and Fort Ontario still can have their own events, but they would have to promote them too, which could make it difficult to draw visitors from outside New York and the United States.
“What’s really disappointing is the Canadian government has been putting millions into its plans for the War of 1812,” Turner said. He finds it discouraging that people out looking for cultural heritage vacations will be “spending their money in Canada.”
Jessica Barrett, speaking for the governor, said Paterson vetoed all bills that came across his desk that did not include money for the bill in the budget.
"If this was important, then funding for the bill should have been included in the budget process by the sponsors," she said.
The bill Paterson vetoed would have established the New York State War of 1812 200th anniversary commemoration commission to promote the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812.
The bill called for the commission to have 24 members and coordinate the commemoration of the 200th anniversary now through 2015, plan and execute a series of reenactment tourism events, highlight seven key historic sites (including Fort Ontario and Sackets Harbor) within the state and promote War of 1812 educational studies in elementary and secondary schools.
Paterson vetoed this bill last year because Paterson thought all of these “objectives could be served without convening a costly commission.”
The bill sponsors made several changes to the bill to reduce its fiscal impact, Paterson said in his veto message. “Unfortunately, the bill is still expected to have a cost, particularly as it permits the commission to request and receive assistance form state agencies,” he said.
Janet Clerkin, Oswego County tourism coordinator, said the county is working with regional and local partners in hopes of commemorating the 200th anniversary of the war and Oswego County’s place in it.
She said Greg Monett, of Oswego, is researching local War of 1812 veterans, where they are buried and what they did during the war. Some of this information already is posted on the county website at http://www.visitoswegocounty.com/tn/HistoricalSites/Warof1812.aspx
She said Oswego County officials will continue working on local commemorations. “We will promote any events we can,” she said.
Assemblyman Will Barclay, of Pulaski, also was upset with the governor's veto.
“I’m disappointed to see the governor veto this legislation that would have had a direct positive impact on the local economy," he said. "My office and I fought hard to include Fort Ontario in the bill, when it was originally excluded so our area could benefit from the commission. Organizers have been working steadily to see that Oswego hosts a class-act War of 1812 commemoration event and without the state’s backing, they will be hard pressed to draw in tourists from around the nation and even Canada as they had hoped."
"State park use is up this summer. The people of this state are already using these resources, so why not invest in an event which would have a positive economic impact and had many educational benefits as well," Barclay said.
Fort Ontario fell to the British in 1814 during the war. Many locals fought for the new United States during the conflict, Clerkin said.