[Vision2020] Dispel the anti-growth myth

Mon Oct 29 20:52:12 PDT 2007

Donovan,

Because I tire of reading things that are not correct.

Here are researched facts- not suppositions. From a spokesman Review article
found at http://www.spokesmanreview.com/tools/story_pf.asp?ID=136563

2004 to 2005: Tidyman's closes a half-dozen less-profitable stores including
in Spokane; Moscow, Idaho; Lewiston; Coeur d'Alene; Missoula; and Helena.
The Argonne store is also closed.

June 2006: Tidyman's announces it's selling off its remaining stores.

Tidyman's no longer exists.

Kris Freitag

  _____  

From: vision2020-bounces at moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-bounces at moscow.com]
On Behalf Of Donovan Arnold
Sent: Monday, October 29, 2007 8:26 PM
To: Mark Solomon; Bev Bafus; Saundra Lund; vision2020 at moscow.com
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Dispel the anti-growth myth

Mark,

The City Council didn't approve the rezone when I was there. They might have
changed their mind at a later date. Tidyman's is still in business, just not
in Moscow. 

True, it was the County, not the City, that pulled the trigger on Naylor
Farms, but I bet you $100 the City would not have ruled any differently and
would have carried on the fight against them is they got approval from the
County. 

To a business, it doesn't matter if it is the actual city or county killing
their business, it is still killing their business when they try to local
here. 70% of the county is the City.

I think sales tax is the problem with the state government, especially on
food and OTC drugs and education materials. Moscow has to high of taxes
because of school levies. I am not saying education isn't worth funding
well, but there is breaking point for what many people on what they can
afford to give and the MSD has long passed it. 

Best,

Donovan

Mark Solomon <msolomon at moscow.com> wrote:

Donovan,

A few corrections: The City Council approved the rezone of the 40 acres
behind the Palouse Mall; the county rejected Naylor Farms, not the city;
Home Depot never applied for anything from the city when their internal
corporate troubles caught up to them (they were negotiating with the UI to
build on the UI land the city rezoned behind the mall, see first point);
Tidyman's went out of business.

I agree with you re property taxes. If the Idaho Legislature would do
something about the billions of dollars in tax exempt sales they've
authorized, maybe there would be enough money to fund local government and
schools without burdening the property tax payer. Or better yet, rescind
Kempthorne's corporate income tax giveaway and the timber land property tax
giveaway.

m.

At 7:04 PM -0700 10/29/07, Donovan Arnold wrote:

I think the image of Moscow being anti-business is an accurate perception.
And it isn't new, it has just gotten worse.

I am sure that many businesses have come to Moscow, even in recent years.
However, we are also losing a lot of businesses and are blocking many of
them from coming into Moscow. We also prevent businesses from expanding and
hiring more people.

I have attended few city council meetings, but many of them were about
blocking some type of business or another. I remember the city council
rejecting an entire expansion of businesses behind the Palouse Mall. Many
local businesses have been pushed out of the Palouse Mall and the city has
done nothing to protect them.

And as we all know, Moscow rejected a Wal-Mart Supercenter, Naylor Farms,
and Home Depot. Likewise it lost Toyota, Tidyman's, and several wonderful
restaurants, and a locally owned repair shop in additions to a 1/2 downtown
and in the Palouse Mall.

I do agree with Alturas as being an example of doing "The Right Thing" to
get a business in. But as I recall Aaron Ament was against the expansion of
that building, and more tax dollars were put into that building than we have
received in return.

I think the biggest anti-business incentives for Moscow are its property
taxes. Moscow's taxes make Moscow an unaffordable city that is unfriendly to
businesses.

Best,

Donovan

Bev Bafus <bevbafus at verizon.net> wrote:

Let's add a few expanding businesses. Northwest Management, where I work,
is currently doubling the size of our office. Northwest River Supplies took
over the Tidyman's building.

Any other expanding businesses?

Bev

-----Original Message-----
From: vision2020-bounces at moscow.com
[mailto:vision2020-bounces at moscow.com]On Behalf Of Saundra Lund
Sent: Monday, October 29, 2007 5:26 PM
To: vision2020 at moscow.com
Subject: [Vision2020] Dispel the anti-growth myth

The letter below appears in today's Daily News -- anyone care to add more to
Ms. Sullivan's list?

Also, do any of you GMAers care to provide a list of new businesses that
came to Moscow during any two-year period of Comstock's reign and a list of
businesses that were denied?

I think it might be interested to have a ***factual*** comparison rather
than just rumors designed to tear down the community.

Saundra Lund

"Dispel the anti-growth myth

I agree that having the "perception" of being anti-growth/anti-business is
harmful to the city of Moscow, and I was driven to find out why that
perception exists when Wayne Krauss expressed concerns and asked, "Why do we
have this perception?" at a recent forum.

Since the most recently elected council came into office in January 2006,
more than 35 new businesses have opened in Moscow, including Old Navy, Bed,
Bath and Beyond, Cramer's Furniture, Dad's Diner, Marco Polo, Nectar,
Lilliput, Sisters Brew Coffeehouse, West of Paris, Palouse Scoots, Moscow
Bagel and Deli, Anytime Fitness, San Miguels, Sure Shot Sporting Goods,
Subway, and BioTracking just to name a few. Many businesses have expanded

and moved into larger spaces during this time. Only two businesses were
denied by the city and these were both handled in the way that Walter Steed
states he would address a pig farm wanting to locate behind his property;
they were denied in the specific proposed locations in accordance with
zoning regulations. Never did city officials say they were not wanted in
Moscow.

Back to the question posed by Krauss: "Why do we have this perception?" For
the answer, I would look to recent advertisements in the Moscow-Pullman
Daily News for Krauss, Steed and Carscallen in which the headline calls the
current city leadership "anti-growth politicians." I would pay attention to
who is repeating this anti-growth message over and over.

I believe Dan Carscallen is concerned when he says, "Changing the perception
is the thing that needs to happen," and if we can all agree that this is
harmful, we should all agree to stop, to dispel this myth and to promote
Moscow.

Brandy Sullivan, Moscow"

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