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<DIV><SPAN class=171210706-08122008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Sam
& BJ,</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=171210706-08122008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Thank
you both for your informative posts. Public awareness - whether
oversight or a personal interest is a very good thing for Communities.
Citizen input is critical to Community function. Listening and taking
appropriate action is Critical, but the underlying consideration of Community
must guide the Process.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=171210706-08122008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=171210706-08122008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>I
would like to suggest that many of the URA Board seek-out other citizens
willing to participate in the Community Development Process (CDP), so as to
increase its demographic Diversity, minimize its concentrated Effort, and
maximize its social Benefit. Concentration of Power is Detrimental to the
Form & Function of Community. While I understand the need for
intergovenmental & inter-NGO & trans-NGO_GOV communication, substantial
Public participation is
a <STRONG><U>requirement.</U></STRONG></FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=171210706-08122008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=171210706-08122008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>I also
suggest that while Community may be a form of Socialism; and while Socialism can
be a form of Capitalism; Capitalism can also be a form of Socialism [to
wit: the "bailouts" going on in the US today], though it is too often
an accepted form of Greed. Significant focus should be on Community and
the Greater Good; to the benefit of a Majority, but with a strong compassion for
the Minority [M&M]; to look beyond Ourselves and seek to include Others
[O&O] in the equation.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=171210706-08122008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=171210706-08122008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Almost
antithesis to Wall Street, Main Street is heart & soul; Wall Street is the
calculated & intellectual. Not exactly Yin & Yang, or Black
Hole & Solar Life, but All of this is part of our Universe - a Universe
we have yet to fully understand. Most everyone can sense that in harmony
there is synergy and in dischord there is conflict & stagnation or
decay. Only narrow & specific venues allow Competition to supercede
Collaboration. An artificial social model than looks good on paper, but
eventually fails real-world.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=171210706-08122008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=171210706-08122008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2>Sincerely,</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=171210706-08122008><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2>Mark</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT size=2><SPAN
class=171210706-08122008> </SPAN><IMG alt="" hspace=0
src="cid:171210706@08122008-2a7a" border=0></FONT></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV class=MsoNormal><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Agency FB'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"><FONT
face=Arial><FONT color=#0000ff>mark.r.seman.architect<?xml:namespace prefix = o
ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"
/><o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></B></DIV>
<DIV class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Agency FB'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"><FONT
face=Arial><FONT color=#0000ff><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>i n t e g r a t i v e
s<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV class=MsoNormal><FONT color=#0000ff><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Agency FB'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"><SPAN
class=171210706-08122008> </SPAN>
</SPAN>9 2 8 . 9 2 5 . 7 6 1 7</SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Tahoma
size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B>
vision2020-bounces@moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-bounces@moscow.com]<B>On
Behalf Of </B>Sam Scripter<BR><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, December 07, 2008 8:37
PM<BR><B>Cc:</B> vision2020@moscow.com<BR><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Vision2020]
Urban Renewal Agency Impact on Taxpayers<BR><BR></FONT></DIV><FONT
size=+1><FONT face="Comic Sans MS">I wondered where I could find the
membership of the Moscow<BR>Urban Renewal Agency "Board", so I googled and
found the<BR>website. In case any readers are interested, here it
is:<BR><BR> <A class=moz-txt-link-freetext
href="http://www.moscow.id.us/URA/index.asp">http://www.moscow.id.us/URA/index.asp</A><BR><BR>Sam
Scripter<BR></FONT></FONT><BR>Donovan Arnold wrote:
<BLOCKQUOTE cite=mid:946826.21676.qm@web38108.mail.mud.yahoo.com
type="cite"><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0>
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<DIV>BJ,</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Taxpayers have been robbed consistently for
centuries, where have you been?</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Best Regards,</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Donovan<BR><BR>--- On <B>Sun, 12/7/08, B. J. Swanson <I><A
class=moz-txt-link-rfc2396E
href="mailto:bjswan@moscow.com"><bjswan@moscow.com></A></I></B>
wrote:<BR></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: rgb(16,16,255) 2px solid">From:
B. J. Swanson <A class=moz-txt-link-rfc2396E
href="mailto:bjswan@moscow.com"><bjswan@moscow.com></A><BR>Subject:
[Vision2020] Urban Renewal Agency Impact on Taxpayers<BR>To: <A
class=moz-txt-link-abbreviated
href="mailto:vision2020@moscow.com">vision2020@moscow.com</A><BR>Date:
Sunday, December 7, 2008, 11:53 AM<BR><BR>
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<DIV class=Section1>
<P class=MsoNormal>On November 6, 2008, the Moscow Urban Renewal
Agency Commissioners toured the urban renewal districts in Coeur
d’Alene that are the subject of the first of two articles in the
<SPAN>Coeur</SPAN> d’Alene Press. The first article is
below. Please note the subscriber comments following the
article.</P></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal> </P></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal>Apparently the Moscow URA Commissioners hoped to
gather inspiration from Coeur d’Alene on how to spend more of your
tax dollars. In particular, how to spend your tax
dollars to enrich private developers without a vote of the
taxpayers. </P>
<P class=MsoNormal> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal>Here are some other items the Moscow URA spent
your tax dollars on this year: </P>
<P class=MsoNormal> </P>
<P class=MsoListParagraph><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Symbol"><SPAN>·<SPAN
style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal">
</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN>Spending up to $5,000 of your tax dollars to
file a “Friend of the Court” brief for the <U>Rexburg</U> Urban
Renewal Agency </P>
<P class=MsoListParagraph><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Symbol"><SPAN>·<SPAN
style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal">
</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN>Hiring a new economic development director at a
cost of $80,000+ to be shared with the City of Moscow (tax dollars
funding both) </P>
<P class=MsoListParagraph><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Symbol"><SPAN>·<SPAN
style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal">
</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN>In addition to the economic development
director salary, paying the City of Moscow $30,000+ annually for
administrative services. This is $5,000 more than last year
because City Staff said they need more money to manage the economic
development director. Is this compound “Bureaucracy Gone
Wild?” </P>
<P class=MsoNormal> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal>The Moscow Urban Renewal Agency Commissioners
have the ability to finalize and close out the Alturas Urban Renewal
District by 2010 and return $300,000 annually as a direct reduction
on all property tax bills in Latah County. They have chosen
not to do this and instead vote to continue spending your tax
dollars on bureaucracy and to divert funds to the Legacy Crossing
Urban Renewal District, where nothing is happening. </P>
<P class=MsoNormal> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal>Perhaps the Moscow URA Commissioners should take
a field trip around Moscow to assess our economic situation.
In particular, note that the national recession is extending to
Moscow. There are layoffs and budget cuts, businesses
are not up-staffing and expanding like the URA; in fact, there have
been several business closures and will be more. </P>
<P class=MsoNormal> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal>A $300,000 refund from the Moscow URA would be a
welcome gift to property taxpayers in Moscow and all of Latah
County. </P>
<P class=MsoNormal> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal>B. J. Swanson </P>
<P class=MsoNormal> </P></BLOCKQUOTE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><PRE wrap=""> </PRE></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>