Building on the energies generated by our progressive allies who have led the fight against the aquarium prior to the vote, we pledge to lead the people in the effort to disrupt the aquarium project at every turn. We will not settle for empty pledges to “reinvest” in Southside housing. We demand that the $85 million be used towards the development of public housing. It is high time that the people of Onondaga County be treated with the dignity they deserve!

How can you get involved?

1. Sign this petition and tell us why you are against the county's decision to publicly fund an $85M aquarium.
2. Join us in front of the County Building on Sunday, August 14th at 4PM to collectively voice our disgust and to demand that the public funds go towards public housing -- something that would actually benefit the residents of Onondaga County.
3. Stay tuned for more details about when we will be delivering the petition to County Executive Ryan McMahon's office. Follow and/or message @cuse_psl on Instagram for more ways to get involved.

*Please note that any donations on Change.org will not reach our organization and are discouraged.*

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Official Syracuse PSL Statement

The Syracuse Party for Socialism and Liberation strongly condemns the Onondaga County Legislature’s move to construct an $85 million vanity project proposed originally by County Executive Ryan McMahon. The Legislature’s approval of the obscenely out-of-touch aquarium is a slap in the face to its constituents who languish in poverty created by decades of disinvestment from public services. 

The Syracuse PSL has spent years advocating for housing improvements throughout the county. We have seen apartments with sewage seeping through the walls. Cockroaches, bedbugs, and other pests invading tenants’ living spaces. Broken windows, toilets, and appliances that have gone months without repair. We have heard the heartbreaking impacts of families contending with lead poisoning caused by negligent landlords and an absentee Division of Code Enforcement. The very idea of spending $85 million on a tourist attraction when county residents live in such conditions is absurd.

McMahon and his cronies have shut out the voice of the people at every step of the way. Until the day of the vote, the Legislature made no attempt to hear public comment on the project. In the days leading up to the decision, the County’s social media page was so overwhelmed with negative feedback on the aquarium that it turned off commenting. On August 2nd, in spite of the fact that protestors packed the chambers, Chairman Jim Rowley limited public comment to a mere 30 minutes before pushing through the conservative-backed proposal. The back-door agreements and shuttering of public feedback make it clear: Onondaga County legislators have no intention to engage in an actual democratic process. 

But the funds that are now designated for this scheme belong to the people of Onondaga County–not nine individuals looking to make a profit. The County’s investment in an amphitheater in 2014, for example, certainly has done nothing to increase the quality of life for the working-class in Syracuse–a city which boasts a poverty rate of 30% overall and 48% for children. Just over one month ago, the County exclaimed that they were “swimming” in a $200M surplus of funds, yet made no actionable plans to address the glaring needs of working-class residents. County legislators are more concerned about providing weekend attractions for out-of-town tourists than they are with addressing the life or death needs of their own constituency.

The Syracuse PSL will build on the energies generated by our progressive allies who have led the fight against the aquarium prior to the vote. We must keep the momentum going, as we pledge to lead the people in the effort to disrupt the aquarium project at every turn. We will not settle for empty pledges to “reinvest” in Southside housing. We demand that the $85 million be used towards the development of public housing. It is high time that the people of Onondaga County be treated with the dignity they deserve!