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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Well assuming what you attest to is true, why hit
on BJ for giving you current information? </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Sue Hovey </FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<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=vision2020@moscow.com
href="mailto:vision2020@moscow.com">vision2020@moscow.com</A> ; <A
title=bjswan@moscow.com href="mailto:bjswan@moscow.com">B. J. Swanson</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, December 07, 2008 7:23
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Vision2020] Urban Renewal
Agency Impact on Taxpayers</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
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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
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
href="mailto:bjswan@moscow.com">bjswan@moscow.com</A>><BR>Subject:
[Vision2020] Urban Renewal Agency Impact on Taxpayers<BR>To: <A
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.
<DIV></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal>
<DIV></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal>Here are some other items the Moscow URA spent your
tax dollars on this year:
<DIV></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal>
<DIV></DIV>
<P class=MsoListParagraph><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Symbol"><SPAN>·<SPAN
style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'">
</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
<DIV></DIV>
<P class=MsoListParagraph><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Symbol"><SPAN>·<SPAN
style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'">
</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)
<DIV></DIV>
<P class=MsoListParagraph><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Symbol"><SPAN>·<SPAN
style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'">
</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?”
<DIV></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal>
<DIV></DIV>
<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.
<DIV></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal>
<DIV></DIV>
<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.
<DIV></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal>
<DIV></DIV>
<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.
<DIV></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal>
<DIV></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal>B. J. Swanson
<DIV></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal>
<DIV></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal>
<DIV></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><I><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: #4f81bd">From the Coeur d’Alene Press,
Sunday, December 7, 2008:</SPAN></I>
<DIV></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 13.5pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'">LCDC:
Philosophies diverge on finance</SPAN></B><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'"></SPAN>
<DIV></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><I><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'">By
TOM HASSLINGER<BR>Staff writer</SPAN></I><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'">
</SPAN>
<DIV></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'">Would
city develop without agency? How much does it really cost taxpayers?
Finding answers depends on who you ask</SPAN></B>
<DIV></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'">Editor's
note: This story is the first in a two-part series on urban renewal
and the Lake City Development Corporation. Tomorrow: Would development
blossom without LCDC?</SPAN></B>
<DIV></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'">COEUR
d'ALENE -- From the outdoor walkway at the Parkside building on Front
Avenue across from McEuen Field, one can see Lake Coeur d'Alene to the
southwest, flanked by Tubbs Hill, the softball fields covering McEuen
Field, the new public library and the brick and stone buildings lining
Lake City's downtown.</SPAN>
<DIV></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'">But
the best views from the high-rise can be seen only by those who reside
in the condos, which sit inside Lake City Development Corp.'s urban
renewal district in downtown Coeur d'Alene.</SPAN>
<DIV></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'">So
passersby strolling along the park would need keys to access the best
viewpoints, even if a portion of their property taxes went directly to
the urban renewal agency, which pledged $820,000 of taxpayer financing
to the developer for infrastructure and landscaping on the
project.</SPAN>
<DIV></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'">Proponents
say urban renewal is a recruitment tool used by a resourceful agency
whose sole purpose is to redevelop, beautify and improve a city with
enhanced aesthetics, better economy and more diversified jobs.</SPAN>
<DIV></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'">"Urban
renewal is a philosophy," said City Finance Director Troy Tymesen. "If
you like development, then you like urban renewal. If you don't like
growth, then you probably won't like it."</SPAN>
<DIV></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'">For
others, the mayor-appointed and City Council-approved agency can seem
like a quasi-government, which can spend tax dollars without voter
approval, and agrees to fund private developers for amenities the
public will never own -- like high-rise views from Parkside.</SPAN>
<DIV></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'">Ada
County Commissioner-elect Sharon Ulman called urban renewal spending
"sweetheart deals that the taxpayers are subsidizing."</SPAN>
<DIV></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'">"How
is that fair?" she said.</SPAN>
<DIV></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'">It's
a complicated equation, and it might depend on which philosophy a
person believes.</SPAN>
<DIV></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'">Urban
renewal financial agreements can sound like back-scratch deals.
Officials contend they are mathematical certainties designed to bring
development and economic perks to a city, which pays back developers
from the money their projects generate without any financial risk to
the taxpayer.</SPAN>
<DIV></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'">"The
city has so few tools to offer up when we're recruiting businesses,"
Tymesen said. "It's really hard to bring in a business based on what
we give away because we don't give away anything."</SPAN>
<DIV></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'">The
Riverstone development transformed a 74-acre former mill site into a
work-and-play, mixed-use development along the Spokane River, and the
Mill River development helped land the US Bank Call Center -- and
nearly 500 jobs with it.</SPAN>
<DIV></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'">Along
with those projects are ones the agency supported for aesthetic perks,
such as $12,000 for maroon banners on Parkside the public will never
own.</SPAN>
<DIV></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'">For
fiscal year 2008-09, which runs Oct. 1 to Sept. 30, LCDC expects to
receive $2.82 million in tax increment financing inside its Lake
District and $1.4 million inside its River District.</SPAN>
<DIV></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'">Those
totals are up from the 2007-08 fiscal year's estimated $3 million
total, according to David McDowell, Kootenai County finance
director.</SPAN>
<DIV></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'">During
a slumping economy, the philosophical question about urban renewal
becomes even more pointed than usual. Are urban renewal agencies at
all responsible for increased property taxes for people outside the
districts? If the agency is receiving taxes the cities and counties
aren't, are taxpayers picking up the rest of the slack?</SPAN>
<DIV></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'">•••</SPAN>
<DIV></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'">On
Oct. 19, Mary Souza wrote in her Sunday column for the Coeur d'Alene
Press that because of urban renewal, Kootenai County residents are
seeing a 4.3 percent hike in their property tax bill, while Coeur
d'Alene residents are getting a 10 percent spike.</SPAN>
<DIV></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'">Around
the same time, commercial property tax bills around the county were
growing.</SPAN>
<DIV></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'">Art
Williams, owner of the Flamingo Hotel on Sherman Avenue, was floored
by the 55 percent increase on this year's bill.</SPAN>
<DIV></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'">"When
I saw it, I went nuts," said Williams, whose hotel sits inside LCDC's
Lake District.</SPAN>
<DIV></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'">Surrounded
by LCDC-aided projects like McEuen Terrace and Sherman Lofts, Williams
felt the agency was raising his taxes even more than Souza had
written.</SPAN>
<DIV></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'">Itemized
on the assessment was the increment split LCDC was to receive: 60
percent of his total. A few blocks away soars the condo Williams
doesn't have keys to access.</SPAN>
<DIV></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'">"They're
using my money they can spend freely," he said. "They're giving it to
schools, the Kroc Center. They can do whatever they want with that
money and they haven't done anything with parking in the downtown,
which it desperately needs."</SPAN>
<DIV></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'">The
agency could spend Williams' money, but according to state, city and
county officials, it didn't raise his property taxes: The state of
Idaho did.</SPAN>
<DIV></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'">"There
are several issues that impact our taxpayers, but urban renewal is not
one of the significant players. Legislative changes routinely dwarf
other sources," said Kootenai County Assessor Mike McDowell.</SPAN>
<DIV></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'">Last
year, a change in state legislation prohibited taxing agencies like
cities from claiming new construction growth inside urban renewal
districts as their own growth, which they had done in previous
years.</SPAN>
<DIV></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'">The
decrease in new growth dollars for the city led to a decrease in what
Coeur d'Alene could calculate as its total valuation -- or overall
worth -- which affected the levy rate taxing entities like the city,
county, college and fire districts set to multiply their taxing
share.</SPAN>
<DIV></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'">It's
those levies, multiplied by the property tax assessment, which is the
property tax bill. (Urban renewal agencies cannot levy taxes.)</SPAN>
<DIV></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'">When
valuations are down, levy rates generally go up, and on a property
with equal or increased valuation, higher levy rates would mean higher
taxes.</SPAN>
<DIV></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'">But
a more direct effect on property taxes was a higher homeowner's
exemption legislators enacted at the same time: $100,938 off each
owner-occupied house's taxable valuation -- and off the city's taxable
worth.</SPAN>
<DIV></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'">That
action spared homeowners greater increases in this year's bill, but
shifted the financial burden on commercial businesses like hotel
owners.</SPAN>
<DIV></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'">The
shift in the tax exemption accounted for Coeur d'Alene's depreciation
in the last year, Tymesen said. Meanwhile, the Lake District's total
valuation rose by $80 million, while the River District increased by
$65 million.</SPAN>
<DIV></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'">But
while the districts appreciated and the city did not, one is not the
result of the other, officials contend.</SPAN>
<DIV></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'">"Urban
renewal's impact on the taxpayer is nominal," said Alan Dornfest of
the Idaho State Taxing Commission.</SPAN>
<DIV></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'">"There
are too many moving parts, too many variables to pin rising property
taxes on urban renewal," Tymesen said.</SPAN>
<DIV></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'">---------------------------------------</SPAN>
<DIV></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="BACKGROUND: #bbbbbb; LINE-HEIGHT: 140%"><B><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 140%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'">Mary
Souza</SPAN></B><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 140%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'">
wrote on </SPAN><I><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 140%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'">Dec
7, 2008 9:57 AM:</SPAN></I><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 140%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'">
</SPAN>
<DIV></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="LINE-HEIGHT: 140%"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 140%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'">"
I don't agree with Troy Tymeson's comment that "If you like
development, then you like urban renewal. If you don't like growth,
then you probably won't like it."<BR><BR>Many pro-business people are
unhappy about the way urban renewal is used here in CdA. Giving tax
money to private developers to enhance their profit levels is not
capitalism, it verges on corporate welfare and is unfairly and
unevenly distributed for seemingly arbitrary reasons.<BR><BR>This
creates not only the unnatural "bubble", as Dan described in his
comment below, it is also unfair competition for other businesses that
don't receive urban renewal money. Their taxes are still raised to pay
for subsidies to competitors.<BR><BR>I'm all for good development,
done in a smartly managed way, with developers taking both the risks
and the rewards, on their own...the old-fashioned, American way.
"</SPAN>
<DIV></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="LINE-HEIGHT: 140%"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 140%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'"></SPAN>
<DIV></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="BACKGROUND: #bbbbbb; LINE-HEIGHT: 140%"><A
rel=nofollow name=18b0a7b06d28c43e2017a1b761e6f9a0></A><B><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 140%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'">Niles</SPAN></B><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 140%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'">
wrote on </SPAN><I><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 140%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'">Dec
7, 2008 9:37 AM:</SPAN></I><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 140%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'">
</SPAN>
<DIV></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="LINE-HEIGHT: 140%"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 140%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'">"
spenman... The LCDC has taken far more than $4.2 million of our
property tax dollars. That is what they are getting just this year.
Last year it was $3.0 million. That is a 140% income growth in one
year .... and that is not unlike previous years. <BR><BR>The portion
of property tax money the LCDC gets is the increment from what
properties were paying when the LCDC started some 11 years ago and
what the property taxes are on those properties now. But all new
properties, like those in Riverstone, pay all of their property taxes
to the LCDC because they did not exist when the LCDC started. So as
all those new million dollar homes and businesses are sold the amount
of money taken by the LCDC grows ,,and it does grow dramatically. (BTW
developer John Stone doesn't pay taxes because the Mayor gave him a
$3.2 million tax break for his donating Riverstone Park to the city. I
always thought 'donate' meant 'give' not take.)<BR><BR>The Mayor and
the LCDC plan to keep the LCDC open for the longest time frame allowed
by law. They could close parts of it early but they will not even
discuss doing so. The LCDC is slated to continue until 2021. If the
growth continues as is has soon the LCDC will take in more property
tax money than the city does. Already the LCDC has taken 10's of
millions. If left alone they will end up having used 100's of millions
of our property tax money how they decided. <BR><BR>NO public vote on
the education corridor. Just some inside deals a tarnished appraisal
and poof $10 million public dollars goes into Chesrowns pocket.
"</SPAN>
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rel=nofollow name=37d71a79d93a68504fc7bc320dca0f52></A><B><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 140%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'">richard</SPAN></B><SPAN
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wrote on </SPAN><I><SPAN
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7, 2008 9:32 AM:</SPAN></I><SPAN
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style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 140%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'">"
The Press asks, " Would development blossom without LCDC?" Nice
propaganda spin on the Press' fave word, development. Development
'blossoms'? How about - development distorts, blights, ruins? Depends
on whose ox is being gored, I imagine. "</SPAN>
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rel=nofollow name=11526ef67a1c7e35dad3598eb184c644></A><B><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 140%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'">spenman</SPAN></B><SPAN
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wrote on </SPAN><I><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 140%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'">Dec
7, 2008 8:55 AM:</SPAN></I><SPAN
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style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 140%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'">"
Niles, Dan G, Mary S need to run for office....again. I supported Dan
the last go around but with all the government subsidies going around
I think the time is right. I am willing to go door to door if I have
to in support of these great candidates (potential). Art, please be
willing to put signage on your property( I did ) when we go to battle
in two years if your not taxed out of business.$4.2 million of our tax
dollars for a few hundred low paying jobs....I just don't get it.
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<P class=MsoNormal style="BACKGROUND: #bbbbbb; LINE-HEIGHT: 140%"><A
rel=nofollow name=f123cbf255738c5653cf883e9fef5f68></A><B><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 140%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'">Dan
Gookin</SPAN></B><SPAN
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wrote on </SPAN><I><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 140%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'">Dec
7, 2008 8:50 AM:</SPAN></I><SPAN
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style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 140%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'">"
The LCDC is shifting its raison d'tre from "blight" to "economic
development." Technically, it's a shift from Chapter 20 to Chapter 29
in Title 50 of state code. But the "economic development" seems
limited to construction, not job opportunities. While they claim the
500 jobs at the US Bank call center, credit goes 90% to Jobs
Plus.<BR><BR>I also take issue with Tymeson's comment about growth and
urban renewal, which demonstrates false logic; being against the kind
of "urban renewal" the LCDC practices doesn't make anyone anti-growth.
Urban renewal irrationally accelerates growth by providing public
money to help developers underwrite cost. That artificially inflates
the rate of growth, which increases property values disproportionally.
In other words, it helps create a growth "bubble" that eventually
collapses. To argue that the LCDC can help this situation means than
one fails to see the big picture, i.e., the good of the
community.<BR><BR>The bottom line for me is jobs. Tymeson and other
LCDC supporters claim that urban renewal is "the only" economic
development tool available to cities. Fine. Then use it to attract
career-level jobs. Sadly, the only way I think that's going to happen
is when we replace four members of City government next year. "</SPAN>
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rel=nofollow name=518a7d6eb1f5a590bd2f1940a9ca6f3f></A><B><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 140%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'">justme</SPAN></B><SPAN
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wrote on </SPAN><I><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 140%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'">Dec
7, 2008 7:57 AM:</SPAN></I><SPAN
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I have to agree with Niles! "</SPAN>
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rel=nofollow name=38d11d157eb140e53ffbf2812d624d39></A><B><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 140%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'">Niles</SPAN></B><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 140%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'">
wrote on </SPAN><I><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 140%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'">Dec
7, 2008 7:08 AM:</SPAN></I><SPAN
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style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 140%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'">"
Okay Dan here are the numbers you asked for. The total property taxes
anticipated going to the city for 2008/2009 are just over $14 million.
This comes from the 2008/2009 budget posted on their website. The
incremental property tax income total going to the LCDC for the same
fiscal year is $4.22 million. That means the total property tax income
is around $18.22 million of which $4.22 million goes to the LCDC. The
LCDC is skimming 23% of the city property tax revenues for its private
usage.<BR><BR>23% of Coeur d"Alenes property taxes directly to the
LCDC to use without any public vote and little or no public input.
Taxation without representation. Adding insult to injury the city
raises all of our property taxes to help make up for this lost
revenue. We pay extra so that the LCDC can give out money to their
developer buddies. Chesrown is about to get handed a $10 million
sweetheart deal for property valued at the peak of the market by a
boldly biased appraisal. That is our money getting stuffed into
Chesrowns pockets.<BR><BR>Where is the blight Mayor? Close down the
LCDC. Return those tax revenues back to where they serve the citizens
who pay them and not your developer friends. Where's the blight Mayor?
Where? "</SPAN>
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