The difference is that the Internal Improvements prohibition that's part of the Constitution is mainly directed at real estate improvements (not city programs and services).
Speaking of city programs and services, I hear the city now operates a Metro bus shuttle service between parking lots in the city, so car drivers don't have to walk so far from their parking spaces? Brilliant. Actually, it sounds like just another way to increase the number of people who can drive to work or do other business in the city, rather than take transit, carpool, or bicycle commute. The Comprehensive Plan calls for the city to minimize the demand for automobile parking and encourage the use of alternative transportation modes. Making it easier for automobile drivers to use city parking lots which are not currently filled to capacity is just another way to expand the capability of the city to accommodate even more motor vehicle driving. Mike Neuman On Thu, 04 Jan 2007 14:54:16 -0600 Robbie Webber <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > Interesting. Yet the City of Madison money supporting the Great > Madison > Convention and Visitor's Bureau, has an Economic Development > Commission > (complete with paid staff), and Office of Business Resources in the > Department of Planning and DEVELOPMENT, and regularly lends money to > > developers and pays for public amenities with money borrowed by the > city > and based on the new tax revenues that a project will bring. > > Granted, the first and last examples are paid for with room tax and > TIF > respectively, but the city staff and departments that deal with > economic > development are clearly financed with general revenues. I'm sure I > could > find many more line items in the City, County, and State budgets > that > deal with economic development, but I have other work to do. > > -- Robbie > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > ---------- Forwarded Message ---------- > > On Wed, 03 Jan 2007 12:28:28 -0800, Chuck Strawser said: > > > >> ...and since when is economic development not a viable reason to > >> > > spend public money? > > > > chuck > > > > Since about the year the Wisconsin became a state (1848). The > > Wisconsin Constitution prohibits the state from spending money on > > internal improvements. > > > > The internal improvements clause has been amended six times, > allowing > > the state to finance highways, airports and certain other projects > > > (including railroads). But financing just any kind of economic > > development project is not permissible. > > > > -- > Robbie Webber > Bicycle Friendly Communities Coordinator > Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin > www.bfw.org > 608-251-4456 (office) > 608-233-1390 (home) > > > > _______________________________________________ Bikies mailing list [email protected] http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/bikies
