[Spam] Re: [Vision2020] Shopping Center Plans Filed
forPullman-Moscow Highway Site
Shelly
CJs at turbonet.com
Mon Jan 9 10:22:56 PST 2006
Jeff - Do you know why the US Government puts tariffs on products and farm
goods? It is so the average person can compete. Right now today, nobody, I
mean nobody can compete with Walmart. They buy things cheaper and sell
things cheaper to the public at a cheaper price than any business in Moscow
and Pullman can even buy the product for, from a vendor. So, by your
statement below, you confirm my statement that downtown Moscow and Pullman
will have their heads handed to them. Especially with their strategy of two
stores. That is to kill us off faster.
Phil
-------Original Message-------
From: Jeff Harkins
Date: 01/08/06 22:01:46
To: vision2020 at moscow.com
Subject: [Spam] Re: [Vision2020] Shopping Center Plans Filed
forPullman-Moscow Highway Site
Mark,
No, it is not a fault or flaw at all - I presume that some of the current
WalMart" traffic, potential Lowe's traffic, and other new businesses
potential traffic (located in corridor) will shop in Moscow. But given the
success of the existing Walmart, I am pretty confident that, given a 5%
comparative advantage on groceries not taxed in WA, a substantial number of
shoppers will wander across the border. I suspect Walmart knows that as
well, as does Lowe's, et al.
Rational shoppers will be guided by value and price. Loyalty is an
expensive commodity. Nothing wrong with it, but it is expensive. Those
that want to shop at "local businesses" should do so. Those that don't want
to pay higher prices, should not be denied that op.
Rational shoppers know that their most important vote is voting with their
dollars. Successful businesses know that as well.
At 09:56 AM 1/8/2006, you wrote:
Jeff,
I imagine if we try hard enough we'll eventually find something else we can
agree on as well. A fault in your argument re losing sales if Walmart or any
other business closes is the assumption that the foregone sales simply
disappear instead of being found in increased sales at another local
business.
Mark
At 9:46 AM -0800 1/8/06, Jeff Harkins wrote:
Mark,
Granted - it is a slippery slope - but the impact back to local taxpayers is
immediate - the loss in sales tax distribution for the County doesn't result
in reduced budgeted expenditures for the County - it results in an immediate
increase in the property tax burden for Latah and Moscow property owners.
Add to that - if the Moscow WalMart (or any other business) closes and is
replaced by businesses located in Whitman County (or Pullman) our tax base
is reduced and the remaining property owners pick up that loss.
Bottom line - any loss of tax revenue in Latah County will be shifted to
another tax revenue source - usually property tax.
Should we lobby for a local option sales tax - absolutely - and that is
something you and I appear to be in absolute agreement on!
Hard to believe huh!
At 08:56 AM 1/8/2006, you wrote:
Jeff,
Using the latest numbers available (FY2004), Moscow's general fund (which
does not include water, sewer, solid waste income streams) received a
whopping 3.9% of its income from sales tax distribution. Sure, pennies are
pennies and they all add up but to hold out increasing sales tax revenues as
a panacea for local government financial woes is not an argument I would
like to stand behind. Until the Legislature gives voters a local option
sales tax as a revenue source, the sales tax is a state income source with a
bone thrown to local government.
Mark
At 12:26 AM -0800 1/8/06, Jeff Harkins wrote:
Mark,
The tax code in Idaho is complicated and so it is not surprising that many
are confused about how the dollars get allocated.
Please refer to http://www3.state.id.us/cgi-bin/newidst?sctid=630360038.K
where the allocation of the state sales tax is described.
At a minimum, counties and cities receive about 14% of sales tax collected.
Distribution to specific counties and cities is usually based on the
proportion of state population and/or proportion of assessed value. While
the distribution formula should probably be based on sales generated, the
use of population and assessed value probably tracks retail sales pretty
closely.
Here is an excerpt from the State Tax Commission on the revenue sharing
program:
Tax Revenue Sharing
In fiscal year (FY) 2004, 11.50 percent of Idaho’s sales tax revenue was
distributed to local
governments based on the state’s temporary 6 percent sales tax rate. About 3
24 percent of Idaho’s
total sales tax revenue was distributed directly to cities. Half of this
amount was distributed according
to population, and the other half was based on the market value of property
within each city.
Another 3.24 percent of the sales tax revenue was distributed directly to
the counties. Each county
received a guaranteed annual amount of $30,000. The rest was distributed
according to population.
In addition, 4.13 percent of the sales tax was distributed to counties,
eligible cities, and nonschool
taxing districts according to a complex formula based on amounts received in
1999, current
population (for cities and counties), and current property taxes (for other
eligible nonschool taxing
districts). For more information on the formulas used for the distribution,
contact the Idaho State Tax
Commission.
Also, eligible taxing districts received $13.4 million annually in quarterly
distributions from state
sales tax revenues to replace property tax on agricultural equipment that
was exempted from property
tax by legislation in 2001. And, small amounts of lottery withholding and
estate tax were distributed
to eligible counties.
Distributions were made after the end of each quarter, so the FY 2003 fourth
quarter portion of these
totals was distributed in July 2004.
So - bottom line Mark - if the pie is smaller, we get less pie!
At 05:53 PM 1/7/2006, you wrote:
The day that sales tax revenues stay where they were collected you might
have an argument. But they don't.
Mark Solomon
At 1:26 PM -0800 1/7/06, Jeff Harkins wrote:
And the sales tax revenue lost????
At 12:56 PM 1/7/2006, you wrote:
Do we have ESP, or what, Tom??? *laughing*
Wal-Mart should go out there on the highway if they
insist on being here. A Wal-Mart Superstore in Idaho
is not fair to those who work there. Drive a few more
miles to Washington, For discussion sake, let's say
$2.00 more an hour minium wage. So.... $16.00 more
dollars a day. That $80.00 more a week per FTE?
$320.00 more a month, for a 40 hour employee, not bad.
Not bad at all.
Idaho residents working in Washington still pay Idaho
state taxes.
One store, in the middle of both cities, is better
than 2, ten miles apart.
The current site for a Super-store is not acceptable
to me.
Janesta Carcich
--- Tom Hansen <thansen at moscow.com> wrote:
>From today's (January 7, 2006) Moscow-Pullman Daily
News -
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------
Shopping Center Plans filed for Pullman-Moscow
Highway Site
Application includes a Lowe's home improvement store
Staff report
Tow months of rumors an speculation about the
possible development of a
shopping center on the Pullman-Moscow Highway are
confirmed with the
application from a Boise developer to build one on
the site.
Whitman County Engineer Mark Storey said Hawkins
Companies submitted an
application for a conditional-use permit and filed
an environmental
checklist required under Washington's State
Environmental Policy Act. The
application was filed Wednesday.
Speculation started in late October when a sign
appeared on the site near
the Idaho border announcing plans for development of
a shopping center. The
sign disappeared two weeks later.
The company's website displays plans for a complex
just west of the Idaho
state line. The design includes three large retail
stores, one of which has
been earmarked for a 135,000 square-foot Lowe's home
improvement center.
The plans also include space for eight smaller
retails stores ranging from
20,000 to 30,000 square feet and eight smaller "pad"
areas.
Lowe's declined to comment on a possible store in
the Pullman-Moscow area,
although a company representative did say the home
improvement chain plans
to expand throughout the United states in 2006.
Storey is reviewing the application and said it will
take between two and
two-and-a-half months for the application to move to
a public hearing before
the Board of Adjustment.
Representatives of Hawkins Companies have not
responded to requests for
interviews.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------
Anybody taking odds on how this will affect
WalMart's application for a
super center?
Take care, Moscow.
Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho
***********************************
Work like you don't need the money.
Love like you've never been hurt.
Dance like nobody's watching.
- Author Unknown
***********************************
>
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Janesta Carcich
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