How Calif. redevelopment dies. “Thousands of city workers empty their desks. Offices go dark. Rows of deteriorated buildings may sit untouched. This is how California’s redevelopment program dies.” Aww. $5 BILLION dollars a year – just to clean up buildings left empty by companies forced out by extreme tax rates. Don’t worry! They’ll be plenty of other jobs once the tax rates go up again… right?
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Only a matter of time before the whole state of Leftfornia goes balls up. The liberals who pay nothing screech to have the taxes raised, and when they do all the business leaves, and revenue droppes even more. A viscous cycle to be sure.
I remember hearing that all the gold in California, is in a bank in the middle of Berverly Hills, in somebody else's name. But we now know that the gold is gone. The "Golden State" ain't so golden, & it's seems to be about "fools gold" these days, & for the forseeable future.
Maybe this explains what I considered an incredibly stupid comment by an incredibly stupid person, RT Rybek the mayor of Murderapolis. Of course the Vikings are whining that they need a new stadium, after all the one they have is almost 30 years old. (THey have been bitching about a new stadium for over 10 years.) Anyway, one of the proposals Rybek is promoting says that the city (who is supposedly broke) will kick in $250M and the state (who is supposedly broke) will put up $350M and that it won't cost the taxpayers anything." Huh. Whereinell does he think the $250M and $350M comes from in the first place? Typical democrat. But, maybe this is "redevelopment funds". Again, whereinell does the "redevelopment funds" come from? (I may have the numbers turned around, but he is talking about $600M of taxpayer money.) But the newspaper brainwashed idiots in MN will say, "Yep. Wont cost us a dime. I redder in da paper."
The only ones it won't cost are the folks already on the public dole.
For those poor folks who actually work for a living, they are screwed.
Navyvet, everything you said is true, & I will just say this. The Twins got a new stadium after a decade of threats & extorsion by the Pohlad's & Major League Baseball. Remember the theat of "contraction"? Also, we built a new football stadium for the Univ. of Minnesota Golden Gophers. It looks nice, I get the idea of football on campus, but we built a stadium for a team that CANNOT LEAVE THE STATE. Even MLB does'nt move teams. The Expos did move to DC, but the last moves since involved the Washington Senators moving to Minnesota in 1960, & a 2nd version of the Senators moved to Texas to become the Rangers, in 1972. Also, the Seattle Pilots became the Milwaukee Brewers in 1970, after 1 season in Seattle. Baseball clubs almost never move.
That brings me to the Vikings & the NFL. NFL clubs do move & almost at will. Considering that Los Angeles is sitting there, & it looks like a stadium is going to be built in downtown LA, sorting out the Vikings situation will happen. Yes, the Metrodome is only 30 years old, it's a piece of crap. It's crap because in true Minnesota fassion, we built it on the cheap. I do think there are ways to minimize taxpayer money going to it, & I'm all for working with the gaming industry to figure it out. There never seems to be a cashflow problem at the casinos, & slots at the horse tracks would help the stadium cause & the horse tracks. But then again, we voted down OTB, so who knows? If a stadium can be built, with most of it coming from gaming & the league, great. If not, they may pack up & join the Lakers in LA. Before that happens, understand that the 1st things we will hear is what will it take to bring the NFL back. Talk to people in Baltimore, Cleveland, St.Louis, Houston, & Oakland about what it cost. Hell, we went through that with the NHL. It is cheaper to keep a franchise then it is to get another through expansion or making another team move to your area.
Say what you want, I agree with you on many fronts, but I'm just saying what will come into play, Right or wrong. My only question is why the fairgounds has'nt been mentioned as a site. Incorperate the grandstand into a stadium plan & you could use it during the State Fair for the concerts as well. Plus there are zillions of acres to park, it's easy to get to, & it makes too much sense as a location. Just throwing my 2 cents in, & if we build one for the Vikings, it will be more.
Dany. I'm not against a new stadium, I am against bullshitting the public that it wont cost them anything and the inept bureaucrats often screw the project up (the Dome) costing more and more and more. With all the studies that have been done in the last 10 years, they could have built the damn thing with the money they spent.
I like the racetrack proposal to fund the stadium with slots at Canterbury (the racetrack) but the Indian casinos bribe er I mean make contributions to the politicians to keep that from happening. After all, who's pockets are the politicians more interested in? The taxpayers or their own?
The fairgrounds is an interesting thought. I hadnt heard about that.
Next in line. Gopher basketball and I heard that the Wolves are grumbling.
I'm with you, don't BS the people, tell them up front what will will cost. Gopher hoops? I have not been been there since 1993, but if the U wanted to build something new, I would'nt complain. Williams Arena was built in 1928, & was redone in 1950 & again 1997. It's an 84 year old building, & it's like going back in time when you go there, so if they want a new arena, fine. They should look into how Mariucci Arena was built & paid for.
The Wolves & Target Center? That opened in 1990, & it's still a good arena. It has 2 problems, it's in downtown Minneapolis & many people(like me)who hate going into Minneapolis. The other problem, the Xcel Energy Center makes it look bad. It's a better arena(maybe the best in the nation)& it's in a better location. It's a much better concert facility as well. Improve it when you need to.
Here is the perfect example of how crooked politicians use Redevelopment money to pay themselves. Stockton Kalifornia, we have a 22 million dollar Marina (No gas/no security) a multi-million dollar arena that sits unused about 355 days a year, A renovated theater (22 Million) that might be used once a week, and a new city hall (32 million plus 6 million in renovations) that was purchased while the economy was going down the shitter. So what did Stockton do when the economy went south? Ah they gave administration folks a raise, reclassified lots of them, brought in a high priced city manager, and then laid off cops, firemen, and a ton of other city workers. That wasn't enough, they keep spending redevelopment money for things like ONE MILLION DOLLARS IN ARTWORK, WHILE THE HOMICIDE RATE SET A NEW RECORD. And then the city couldn't lay off enough so they imposed cuts to everyone and took away all the benefits, but the city manager got a raise!! Now redevelopment money can be used for police services in redevelopment areas. Since Stockton is a shithole of the first order, that includes most of the city, but nope they spent it elsewhere, and the police chief had a fit and retired when he found out his pay cut was 20,000 dollars a year. Hmmmm that's the same pay cut I got as a sergeant. Then the city manager rehires the "retired chief" to help out for 6 months of full salary while he is also getting his full retirement,(can you say double dipper boys and girls?) and then the city decides they can use some redevelopment money so they promote two captains to deputy chef.
Oakland is more of the same bullshit, and remember this is the city Governor Moonbean was the mayor off and all he wants is redevelopment money to pay the states bills since the courts won't let him tax property taxes from the counties anymore. These folks are all liberal and are total freakin idiots.
Redevelopment funds steal tax money so politicians can buy votes and improve their friends property (that happens a lot) It has always been a large slush fund that politicians could use anyway they see fit since the appoint the people who run the agencies, now Jerry Brown (he's a clown) knows this and knew he would just be talking money from crooked politicians to pad his coffers. The whole fucking thing is a scam.
Since you brought up Stockton, I have a question Notso: How are the waterfront business' doing? I ask only because my former employer did some mechanical (HVAC) work on the Stockton Hotel and a couple other bldgs. on the waterfront. The gangs probably have their tags on these bldgs. by now.
Well the hotel is about half full of old folks, the restaurant the city GAVE 3 million dollars to for upgrades (along with free rent for five years from the redevelopment fund) went tits up after 18 months, next one lasted less than 6 months. The theaters next door have gangsters hanging out at the other restaurants, and the theater had a shooting and a couple stabbings....nice place if your heavily armed. Oh and the old folks get their cars broken into regularly...Redevelopment sure worked well in this area didn't it? Oh and the theaters got so spooked they now hire two cops on Friday nights to protect the patrons from the gangsters, bums, and other things that go bump in the night.
That's terrible! We lived on Mather AFB, back in 69'-'72 or thereabouts. I remember driving through Stockton and thinkin it was neat and clean.
Liberalism hadn't had a chance to destroy it yet.
Interesting, Notsosiient. Since you said "we", I assume you are a resident, so this is first hand information.
Yes it is firsthand.
The California redevelopment program was mainly a jobs program for overpaid public employees and a cash cow for big contstruction companies that kicked back money to the politicians. Some people made lots of money and the taxpaying public was stuck with the bill.
But don't worry, the politicians and the bureaucrats (with their big business/union buddies) will ressurrect the program under a different name.
Let's not forget that in CA, "minority owned" companies are favored in the bidding process for public works projects. Once again, affirmative action stating clearly that minorities are inferior, and couldn't get the contract unless given special consideration. Of course, all a guy has to do is put his company in his wife's name.
"Oakland used nearly $30 million of its redevelopment funds to support salaries in almost a dozen departments, including the City Council, the mayor's office and public works. Without the money, up to 200 city workers will lose their jobs."
Funny how the "redevelopment" money ended up as a slush fund for city officials and their supporters.
Yup. $150,000 EACH.
Dammit, why can't we obstructionist Rethuglipigs just see that the answer is very simple - - RAISE TAXES!!!