SANTA  ROSA  NEIGHBORHOOD  COALITION
  • HOME
    • Contact Us!
  • LAWSUIT AGAINST PLAN BAY AREA
    • PLAN BAY AREA
  • Watch SR Blog
  • VIDEO AND SMEAR
  • SRNC: Success
  • READ NOW
  • HUMBOLDT BIKE BLVD--FINAL
    • HUMBOLDT BIKE BLVD >
      • HUMBOLDT BIKE BLVD LETTERS
  • Green Building
    • Updates for Green Bldg Retrofit Plan
  • Sonoma County Energy Independence Boondoggle
  • Michael Allen & FPPC
    • DOCUMENTATION FOR FPPC COMPLAINT
    • Michael Allen and SCWA
    • Michael Allen: Comments
    • MICHAEL ALLEN: PLAGIARISM CHARGE
  • DELPHI
    • Delphi: What you can do
    • Santa Rosa Visions
  • Senator Wiggins Scandal
  • Juilliard Park
  • Rosa Koire & Kay Tokerud
    • Simon says Build Me A Parking Garage

Gov. Jerry Brown to end Redevelopment tax grab

1/5/2011

0 Comments

 
Watch Sonoma/Santa Rosa Press Democrat

Quote of the Week
"Jerry Brown’s decision to end the feeding frenzy of the vast redevelopment lobby is a big win for the taxpayers who usually get no benefit from redevelopment.”— Kay Tokerud
Already the redevelopment forces are lining up against newly elected Governor Jerry Brown.  But does he have the power to dismantle the powerful redevelopment agencies created by lobbyists and pressure groups?  Yes, because what the State creates the State can take away.  
Redevelopment money is used to grease the skids for new urban development to replace older supposedly blighted existing development.  Sometimes whole communities have been displaced to make way for new development.  The money used for redevelopment is siphoned away from other government agencies that normally are entitled to those funds.  Cities' general funds, Counties funds and State funds that must replace lost funds from schools, all lose money to redevelopment agencies.  Abolishing redevelopment will restore the funds to the agencies they were taken from.  Increased funding will be available for schools, the courts, road maintenance. fire and police, social services and a myriad of other services which have recently been cut.  Cutting redevelopment will be a windfall for them.

Besides restoring funds, there are other benefits to ending redevelopment in California.  The power of eminent domain that redevelopment agencies are frequently granted for private development will vanish.  Business and property owners in so-called blighted redevelopment areas will no longer live in fear that their property will be seized and turned over to someone else.  Banks will be more willing to lend money to these business owners if they have their property rights restored.  Values of property will increase because certainty will be regained about how long someone can expect to own their property.  In redevelopment areas, the agency usually has 12 years or more in which they can force owners to sell their property to them.  It's impossible to make a business plan when the property may be lost at any time. Eliminating redevelopment will actually stimulate the economy by increasing values and promoting existing businesses.


Ending redevelopment will level the playing field.  Right now, large subsidies and other freebies are offered to developers of certain projects.  Redevelopment money is used to lure businesses to their town with the hope that new sales taxes and new property taxes will be generated to offset the subsidies.  But often the plan fails and the increases do not manifest as expected.  By giving cash or other subsidies to selected businesses but not to others creates the situation of winners and losers which stifles the economic efforts of those on the losing side.  If all businesses and property owners are playing by the same set of rules without preferences, that will lift up those who feel shut out of the market.  


Some ask what will happen to all the debt the redevelopment agencies have amassed?  Those debts will need to be paid off over time but all additional funds will go back to the agencies for which they were intended.  Jerry Brown's decision to end the feeding frenzy of the vast redevelopment lobby is a big win for the taxpayers who usually get no benefit from redevelopment.  


0 Comments

Free Speech in 2011?

1/2/2011

0 Comments

 
The Santa Rosa Neighborhood Coalition Steering Committee has sent a formal letter to Mayor Olivares, the City Council, and the City Manager requesting that the Public Comments portion of the City Council meetings once again be included in the televised meetings.  Interim City Manager Wayne Goldberg decided last year (with the approval of the council) to stop televising the Public Comments portion of the meetings.  This decision also impacts the video available on the City Council website.

All citizens of Santa Rosa deserve to hear and be heard during the open comment period of the City Council meeting.  There are people who sit for hours in order to speak for three minutes, and denying the public the right to hear them is not what free speech is about. 

Several years ago Santa Rosa began using 'action minutes' in its meetings and now, as a result, the meeting transcripts are totally inadequate.  Goldberg's comment that people are entitled to free speech but not to be heard on television or the internet is a shame and embarrassment to Santa Rosa. 

The new council can reverse this insult to free speech.  We await their decision in the new year and are confident that they will make the correct one. 
0 Comments

    Eyes on Santa Rosa

    Calling it as we see it

    Archives

    May 2016
    September 2015
    July 2015
    June 2014
    May 2014
    March 2014
    November 2013
    October 2013
    August 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010

    Categories

    All
    Accountable Development Coalition
    Communitarianism
    Iclei
    Michael Allen
    Neighborhood Associations
    Neighborhood Information
    One Bay Area
    Redevelopment
    Smart Growth
    Smart Train
    Unions

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.