Opposing the Kodak Democrats

~  Jose Peo is co-host of the Politically Correcting podcast

After the 2024 election, I was honestly stunned that Rochester voted for more of the same mess: high poverty, crime, and the ever-rising costs of living, all while the quality of life keeps dropping. The job market is weak, schools are underperforming, and opportunities are shrinking. I believe this is a direct result of the city being controlled solely by one-party-rule, whose “progressive” policies are supposed to help Black and Latino communities, but have instead led to the city’s downfall. This is my case for Rochester voters to vote differently, and bring more diverse views and ideas to our city in the next election.

Rochester’s leadership reminds me of Kodak’s fall: both refused to change, clung to the same-old tired ideas, and thought they were untouchable. Kodak had the digital camera, but it ignored the future and stuck with film. The company tried forcing people to stick with its old ways, and it eventually (and slowly) led to disaster.

Rochester’s leaders are doing the same thing; they focus on more government programs, increasing taxes, and throwing money at nonprofit organizations, all while doing little to adapt to the needs of a modern city. Don’t you find it interesting how programs designed to fix poverty and prevent violence only seem to get worse over time, but their budgets just keep growing every year?

Just like Kodak, Rochester’s leaders ignore the need for a branding pivot. They’ve failed to create a business-friendly environment, relying on outdated industries, terribly underperforming schools, and bloated government spending. The city keeps raising its budget to “fix” the issues they’ve created, all while the citizens suffer with emptied-out pockets. Our city needs to find its brand for the new generation of Rochesterians, and I for one do not want to be known for Kia Boyz and daylight homicides.

Kodak’s failure to adapt to the digital world mirrors Rochester’s failure to innovate politically and economically. Instead of creating a safe environment that is attractive to new industries (both physically and fiscally), Rochester’s leaders just push for more taxes and regulations. They are driving away businesses and residents, shrinking the city’s tax base, and speeding up the decline with its high crime rate. Meanwhile, cities like Oklahoma City and Mesa have embraced policies that have been shown to encourage business and residential growth.

Oklahoma City transformed its economy with the Metropolitan Area Projects (MAPS), a sales tax-funded initiative to revitalize their downtown area, and boost local arts and culture. This plan led to job creation, lower unemployment (3.2%), and an economy growing faster than the national average. According to Money.com, Oklahoma City is now one of the best places to live in 2024.

Mesa, Arizona, took a similar approach. It focused on building innovation hubs like aerospace and tech, and attracted tech and healthcare companies through tax incentives, infrastructure investments, and a streamlined permitting process. Their government policies attracted businesses, created jobs, and improved their economy.

The differences in outcomes are clear: cities like Oklahoma City and Mesa have seen population growth, job creation, and an increase in median household income. They focus on innovation, investment, and meeting the changing needs of their people, while Rochester has experienced stagnation or decline in all of those same areas. Leadership that adapts to change can create a thriving, diverse economy, but Rochester is stuck under the same stale policies that do not address the city’s underlying problems, and keep it from growing. If we don’t change course soon as a city, Rochester may follow Kodak’s ultimate path and be a small fraction of what it once was.

~  Jose Peo is co-host of the Politically Correcting podcast, a program he started in 2021 that aims to bring reasoned dialogue to the tumultuous political landscape and empower listeners to speak honestly. Peo is a veteran who swiftly rose to E-5 sergeant, served as an intelligence analyst in Korea, along the southern U.S. border and in South America. Combining that with his entrepreneurial spirit, he won his first foray into politics by being elected to the City Council in Rochester, N.Y. in 2019. Peo’s journey from Army sergeant to entrepreneur and community leader reflects a commitment to unity and shared values.