Why give up give up your best tool to go around the voters and have a never ending flow of cash?

Tam makes a good point about not necessarily needing a URA to do these things. On the other hand, I think some of these landowners would be perfectly content to sit on a trailer park slum and wait until a lucrative offer comes along to sell, then boot everyone off when it comes time to sell. A URA could, if necessary, exercise eminent domain, force the landowner to sell, and then have a developer build decent, dignified low-income housing on the land.

Here is a quote from an article on Public Authorities and I think it sums up the problems with organizations like the CCDC. “Public authorities are the Enrons of state government, New York State Attorney General Elliot Spitzer charged in a speech last year, “hiding spots, breeding grounds for inertia, incompetence and, at times, worse.”

http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/20040412/200/946

Granted, it might be necessary to build a new parking structure to serve all the additional cars that now park at Winco, on the street, etc, to avoid the Courthouse parking situation, but even that would be doable with so much extra revenue. 🙂

I’d like to see the CCDC deal with the increasing problem of trailer parks being bought out and their occupants (usually old/poor/disabled) evicted. State code allowes for urban renewal in areas considered “blighted.” Trailer parks are the closest things we have to slums around here – if anything qualifies for urban renewal TLC, it’s them.

Government money going to you I am certain would be insignificant by any measure. Far from obsessed, I care not your activities or involvements. I will maintain my credibility and reputation anonymously thanks.

Downtown Boise seems to be revitalized by the completion of projects like BODO, parking garages and new buildings galore. Is it now time for private business to take over with this foundation laid by CCDC.

EDITOR NOTE–They continue to expand with River Street and West End districts, as well as refinance the original. We see no end EVER.

In fact, one would hope that by increasing the amount of money going to pay off the urban renewal bonds, they could be paid off sooner. Then, all the monies now going to pay off the bonds would go to police, fire, schools, etc., which they never would have received if the urban renewal plan were never accomplished. People are under some impression the money goes to enrich the CCDC employees personally, when it really goes to service public infrastructure improvements (parking garages, streetscape, landscaping, etc.).

Urban renewal plans are a long-term investment in the tax base of a city. Hang in there, enjoy the nice downtown depicted in the masthead photo above, pay off the bonds, and we’ll all have a better city in a few decades.

Mr. Logic, you’re obsessed with my work (although you forget to mention I also assist neighborhood associations) and take every cheap shot you get to try and discount my standing to speak here. May I ask, what do you do for a living, or what did you do if you are now retired? No dodging, please.

The only exception was heretofor that School Districts were allowed their revenue for M and O from the tax increment. Now that School M and O has been taken FROM the property tax rolls, the URD has no one with whom they must share the booty, if you will.

For small URDs with a solid plan and a respectable shelf life this change is a real boon and will help small towns throughout the State.

For large Development Corporations with perpetual and seemingly endless lists of “projects”, it places an additional burden on those who live within the jurisdiction, but outside the URD.

TAM–Nicely said. Schools don’t lose, CCDC gains.