Friday, December 5, 2008

The Poll is Open! (Again)

Someone has taken issue with the fact that the poll on whether the new court facility should be built now was only up for (7) days. Actually, most of my polls have been limited to (7) days because 1) that is the default setting, and 2) most votes are cast in the first week.

Being the accommodating person that I am I have re-posted the poll and set the deadline for January 9th which is the night City Council will vote on whether to proceed with the project.

In the meantime I am preparing an OpEd on the subject that I will also post on this blog for comment. For now my initial post is below. I would also refer you to Brad Ellis’ site for his position on the court facility. http://www.fburgimpact.com/topissuescomingbeforecitycouncil This is an import issue facing the city that will have far reaching impacts on the City’s financial future. All comments and suggestions welcome.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Maybe the city should get in line for a bailout, use the money to buy a court complex and sundry other goodies that we can't or won't afford because nobody has the guts to raise taxes. Bring back Beck, etal - lots of stuff done, no tax increases!

MATT KELLY said...

Anonymous—As one of the etals I can tell you we did raise taxes to pay for the schools. We also had a good reserve, and revenue increases due to Central Park that allowed us to complete some projects without significant tax increases. Some road improvements and the parking deck were, and are, being paid for with gas tax revenues that are now in decline along the cost of gas. With the development of "Central Park II" in Stafford, and "Central Park III" in Spotsy, the days of increased revenue are gone for the time being.

While I believe the “No New Taxes” mantra flies in the face of reality at the local level I do not believe in raising taxes for the sake of proving that I have “guts.” The tax rate should be set to provide the necessary revenue for the service residents expect without becoming a burden to those same residents. Under the current economic conditions raising taxes on residents is a burden. Even Mr. Obama has backed off tax increases. Finally, do you really believe that the benefit to City residents of moving forward with the new court facility right now outweighs the cost?

By the way, on your next post would you mind identifying yourself. If you really believe in what you have posted have the "guts" to stand by it.

Anonymous said...

Hey, if I want to be anonymous that's my business, not yours. Questions and comments deserve your attention on the merits, not based on who is doing the asking. Maybe i have a good reason for being anonymous - possibly I'm shy and don't wish to be identified. If that makes me a "coward" or lacking "guts" than so be it - its just not relevant to what this blog is supposed to be about.