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<DIV><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Vision2020] Palouse Monopoly Empire Mall; Gas/Food
prices</DIV></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Gee Donovan, what a great idea! As a former tenant
of the Palouse Empire Mall, I can speak with great confidence about the taxation
there. Let me be very clear here. <STRONG><U>IT'S NOT THE MALL THAT PAYS
THE TAXES!!!!! IT'S THE TENANTS!!!</U></STRONG> Furthermore, the "common area"
space taxes are paid through common area fees.Common areas include the
parking lot and any non retail space inside the mall, as well as any green areas
outside. It's all divided up through a convoluted formula based on store
frontage and total square footage of the store. So, no, the mall owners aren't
going to be taxed any more at all. This is a very sore subject for me, I
had months that the common are fees exceeded $2000.00 per month! That was for my
little 600 square foot store. So yeah, lets revalue the mall, increase the
taxes, chase away the remaining businesses in there so people have even
more reason to spend money in Spokane. Sheesh.</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=donovanjarnold2005@yahoo.com
href="mailto:donovanjarnold2005@yahoo.com">Donovan Arnold</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=gussie443@hotmail.com
href="mailto:gussie443@hotmail.com">Ellen Roskovich</A> ; <A
title=vision2020@moscow.com
href="mailto:vision2020@moscow.com">vision2020@moscow.com</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Saturday, April 21, 2007 1:11
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Vision2020] Palouse
Monopoly Empire Mall; Gas/Food prices</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>Food prices are only going to go up even more for several reasons;</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>1) The massive extinction of honey bees has created a void in pollination
of 1/3 of the US food supply. 60% of honey bees have died, with no cure or
solution in the near future.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>2) Increases in fuel prices increase the shipping costs of
food. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>3) Many crops were wiped out this year due in the freakish winter
storms. For example, oranges had a massive freeze.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>4) The UI and WSU student populations have decreased, the main income for
Winco. With a reduced volume in sales, Winco has to raise prices to cover
losses in volume sales.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>5) No competition. With no other discount grocery stores in the area,
like say a Super Wal-Mart, Winco can raise its prices with no consequences,
everybody has to eat.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>6) The owners of the Palouse Empire Mall are raising their rents. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I think it is obvious, Moscow needs competition in the area to curve
rising prices. It also needs to do some sting operations on gas price fixing
which obviously is going on. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Maybe, many of you guys should call Pat Vaughn and ask him to reassess
the property value of the Palouse Empire Mall, which is monopoly. Perhaps if
the mall can make such huge increases in their leases, the value of the
only active retail mall on the Palouse is much higher than what the County
Assessor has it listed as. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>If I had the time, and a personal interest at stake, like so many of you
do, I would contest the taxable value of the Palouse Empire Mall. It is clear
that it has a really high value since it is able to charge so much for
its lease spaces and has no real competition. Moscow is probably losing
$100,000s in tax revenue that could go to things like finding a new space for
the public bus to park on the west side of town, and to give property tax
breaks to locally owned businesses that are having a hard time due to the fact
no mall will let them conduct business on their property. Just a thought to
those litigious and want what's best and for our community.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Best,</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Donovan<BR><BR><B><I>Ellen Roskovich
<gussie443@hotmail.com></I></B> wrote:</DIV>
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<DIV>
<DIV class=RTE><STRONG>As the cost of gas continues to climb at the pumps,
the price of food starts to rise at the grocery stores. Has anyone
else noticed this recently?</STRONG></DIV>
<DIV class=RTE><STRONG></STRONG> </DIV>
<DIV class=RTE><STRONG>Ellen Roskovich</STRONG></DIV></DIV><BR clear=all>
<HR>
<A href="http://g.msn.com/8HMAENUS/2734??PS=47575" target=_top>MSN is giving
away a trip to Vegas to see Elton John. Enter to win today.</A>
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href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=48245/*http://autos.yahoo.com/new_cars.html;_ylc=X3oDMTE1YW1jcXJ2BF9TAzk3MTA3MDc2BHNlYwNtYWlsdGFncwRzbGsDbmV3LWNhcnM-">new
cars at Yahoo! Autos.</A>
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