-----Original Message----- From: richard carney Not passing judgement, but more to the point of city-wide equity...
How much of said downtown nightlife that is proposed for extra taxation exists and has benefitted as a direct result of TIF projects that much of the rest of the city does not receive? for example, all the crap opening soon on Block E, "The Newsroom" at the end of the Target Block, etc.? [TB] We need to remember that CM Goodman was the leader of the opposition to the Target Block Tax Increment deal and the Block E project. We should also remember that those properties do pay the full property tax, the problem is that the majority of the old Council and the former Mayor were persuaded to dedicate a good portion of those taxes to paying off the bonds that support the subsidy. Many would tell us that is a good part of the reason some of those former Council members and the former Mayor no longer hold those offices. The downtown nightlife venues in the warehouse district, on the west side of Hennepin Avenue other than Block E and most of the other places downtown that have been around for ages didn't benefit from the Target Block or Block E, in fact those projects only give them more competition. Whatever your opinion of the venues that will open on Block E, they do not justify financing a business facility with a tax that singles out people who live and/or work in downtown. It didn't have valid justification when the Convention Center was built and it doesn't for the proposed sports facility. Terrell Brown Loring Park (part of the special taxing district which supports the Convention Center) terrell@terrellbrown .org _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
