[Vision2020] BID OPT OUT LIST aka BAT

[Donovan Arnold]

>"2) I believe it is a state or federal mandate that all city parks provide 
>restrooms. In other words, FRIENDSHIP SQUARE? This has already been 
>budgeted in our tax dollars. At least once."-Phil R.

Hell no! I don't want a city bathroom. We have enough bathrooms downtown 
during the day. The reason so many bars don't like the idea of not having a 
bathroom in Friendship Square is because of all the people peeing and puking 
in the alleys behind the bars. I think the bars should have to deal with it, 
not the taxpayers. I think installing $250,000 bathrooms in Friendship 
Square is not worth the expense. Not to mention the of cost of paid staff to 
clean it, and the cost of maintaining and heating the equipment.

>
>"3) The city sidewalks are supposed to be maintained by the city budget. 
>Again, already pre-budgeted and paid for by our tax dollars. I shovel snow 
>on their sidewalks and salt it without pay in fear of a fine. I maintain, 
>including patch work, the sidewalks that the city owns in front of my 
>building. All of the sidewalks downtown are not so worn out to where they 
>are a liability for people to walk on. Maybe not pretty. But not a 
>liability. Sorry they are not marble."

Thank you for doing your part to keep downtown safe for the pedestrians. I 
believe it is the law that all business owners take care of the sidewalks in 
front of their own businesses. Just as home owners are suppose to take of 
the sidewalk in front of their homes. The city takes care of the roads (well 
kind of, depending on how much money they have).

>
>"5) As I have stated before which has worked in other communities (The rust 
>belt) downtown needs a tax-subsidy/tax relief so those that don't have the 
>dollars will have the dollars to beautify their buildings. Dollar for 
>dollar improvements are subsidized by your own personal property tax 
>dollars."

Corporate welfare you mean? Why should businesses downtown get a tax break 
while businesses elsewhere in Moscow don't? That is not fair. All businesses 
should be required to maintain their business to city code. If they cannot 
afford to do that, well, then they are just one of the nine of ten 
businesses that didn't make it in the capitalistic system they wished to 
have. I should not have to pay a business to take care of their own 
building. That is unjustified unless they are going to pay me back with some 
of their sales income. Is someone going to pay me to take care  of my car so 
it looks nice when it is downtown? Don't think so.
>
>"6) BID speaks of doing events that would bring people downtown. Name one 
>thing that has worked other than Farmers Market for which is a detrement to 
>me as the parking in front of my building is taken up by the merchants."

It is not YOUR parking. It is the city taxpayers', and city's parking. If 
the city wanted to use that parking for city events 24/7 they have a right 
to do so. If they are parking on your dirt lot, tow them.  If you want 
parking for your customers you need to do like every other business that 
wants parking and buy a place with parking spaces. It is not the city's and 
taxpayers' responsibility to provide you with parking. There is a reason 
Wal-Mart is not located downtown, and I will give you a clue as to why, it 
is spelled P-A-R-K-I-N-G.


>

>
>""So, I propose an "OPT OUT LIST" to those businesses who are not in favor 
>of the new BID. It should be a voluntary transaction. Not a stipulated, 
>mandatory tax."


Here Here! And I would like to propose that sales tax and income tax also be 
a voluntary taxes. Hell, let us make all taxes voluntary. Who needs, roads, 
schools, military, and a court system. We existed for thousands of years 
without them. And think of all the money we would save.


"Here is your chance to let all BID people know you are not in favor of 
their new tax. This includes your mayor, your city controller, people in 
charge of our streets and sidewalks, the city secretary, city council, 
Moscow Chamber, your congressman, your senator, your governor and all 
taxpaying citizens, as they all read this list."

I actually oppose the new tax. I think that is a horrible way to revitalize 
the downtown area. You cannot tax yourself into prosperity. I think we 
should tax all beer, alcohol, and cigarettes, and create a loan program with 
0% interest for businesses in the downtown area to repair their buildings to 
city code and attract more customers. I also think that there should be a 
percentage break down in the downtown area of non-taxpaying/taxpaying 
businesses so that the current tax burden is better distributed among more 
businesses. I also see no reason that the county cannot share in the cost  
of the revitalization of downtown because they are usually the ones that 
claim the majority of the profits during Farmer's Market. I could care less 
where you draw the lines for the downtown business area, but I think that 
taxing a few people more during a Bush administration is going to hurt many 
downtown businesses.


Take Care,

Donovan J Arnold
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