April 23

There is widespread agreement that better parking and traffic flow would improve the experience of visitors of the New York State Fair. But a gondola to take people to and from the Lakeview Amphitheater on the other side of the highway? That appears to be a pet project of Gov. Andrew Cuomo. And since so many believe it to be a frivolous expense, we question how it got budgeted in the first place.

An argument can be made that $15 million for a gondola is a drop in the bucket in an overall $153 billion state budget, but it is a significant amount of money — especially for something of questionable value.

A task force charged with making recommendations for fairgrounds improvements did not have a gondola anywhere on its list, panel member Sen. John DeFrancisco said. In the end, a final report on ideas to improve things like traffic congestion never even made it to Cuomo’s desk, DeFrancisco said. So why form a panel and then fail to even consider its recommendations?

A gondola might be a great addition to the fair, and we appreciate that the state, especially under Cuomo, has made improvements rather than let the fairgrounds slip into disrepair.

But we’re sure lawmakers in other cities could come up with strong arguments why $15 million could be used to greater public benefit in other parts of the state. And this project will still need federal approval before it ever gets off the ground because the plan is to have it run over the top of a federal highway.

The biggest problem we have is the way it came to be included in the state budget. It’s just another example of something slipped into a larger bill without proper vetting or debate.

Will the gondola become a wonderful addition to the fair or a blatant example of wasteful spending? We wish those questions had been examined before this fanciful project became just another surprise expense in next year’s state spending plan.