Toronado3800
Gold Member
- Nov 15, 2009
- 7,608
- 560
- 140
My motivation follows:
In the local paper there was an article which revealed the city "accidentally" reported a low number for the amount of tax discounts they gave to developers under one kind of abatement. Apparently the audit was forced by the Feds.
Our metro area has over a hundred "cities". We just call them municipalities. All with mayors and/or councils. There is an over riding theme of poor subsidized development choices being made by these councils up to the county level. We build in the floodplain of the Nation's two largest rivers to the extent the Corps of Engineers was found at fault for increased flooding and may be facing legal problems. We subsidize new malls sometimes right across the highway from old malls and then watch when the old malls go out of business. We throw money at pro sports teams who leave before the building is paid for, its funny.
Its comical. Either our local representatives:
-are public officials, not business experts
-are overly impressed by getting their name on a big project and proving their worth
-are overly impressed by getting to go to lunches and fancy dinners with developers
-are idiots.
-are grasping any straw (even in the suburbs which are growing as fast as any in the country?)
So I think we'd be just as well if the Feds said, "No more individual discounts or aid for private development companies or projects. If your taxes are too high, lower them."
There would be a side benefit also, these big developments largely help large companies. I can't go to the council and woo a tax break to open a batting cage business. Some multi-million dollar business can hire the local pro-baseball coach (despite his legal and financial troubles) to help them ask for welfare for a sports complex in the flood plain though.
If taxes were lowered by a tenth of a percent across the board it would help everyone evenly.
End of rant lol.
What should I mention also or how should I modify my position when the VIP's come ask me for advice on this?
(Edit: oh, and I believe the discounts need banned on a national level so no one city or state can offer them while another can't thus creating an unfair playing field)
In the local paper there was an article which revealed the city "accidentally" reported a low number for the amount of tax discounts they gave to developers under one kind of abatement. Apparently the audit was forced by the Feds.
Our metro area has over a hundred "cities". We just call them municipalities. All with mayors and/or councils. There is an over riding theme of poor subsidized development choices being made by these councils up to the county level. We build in the floodplain of the Nation's two largest rivers to the extent the Corps of Engineers was found at fault for increased flooding and may be facing legal problems. We subsidize new malls sometimes right across the highway from old malls and then watch when the old malls go out of business. We throw money at pro sports teams who leave before the building is paid for, its funny.
Its comical. Either our local representatives:
-are public officials, not business experts
-are overly impressed by getting their name on a big project and proving their worth
-are overly impressed by getting to go to lunches and fancy dinners with developers
-are idiots.
-are grasping any straw (even in the suburbs which are growing as fast as any in the country?)
So I think we'd be just as well if the Feds said, "No more individual discounts or aid for private development companies or projects. If your taxes are too high, lower them."
There would be a side benefit also, these big developments largely help large companies. I can't go to the council and woo a tax break to open a batting cage business. Some multi-million dollar business can hire the local pro-baseball coach (despite his legal and financial troubles) to help them ask for welfare for a sports complex in the flood plain though.
If taxes were lowered by a tenth of a percent across the board it would help everyone evenly.
End of rant lol.
What should I mention also or how should I modify my position when the VIP's come ask me for advice on this?
(Edit: oh, and I believe the discounts need banned on a national level so no one city or state can offer them while another can't thus creating an unfair playing field)