Brown: "We should remember that in Minneapolis the TIF tap has been pretty much cut off. Gone are the days when every downtown project had a subsidy."
Heller: What about the $30 million TIF contribution to Ryan Construction and George Sherman for the Sear's site? The ink is barely dry on that one. Brown: A good part of the reason is that those responsible for The Great TIF Grab were voted out of office (remember SSB, Cherryhomes, Campbell), a couple of others took up temporary residence in a federal housing program. Heller: In addition to paying the Ex-spendaholics their puffy pensions, the Minneapolis taxpayers will pay dearly for the financial damage done by those spendaholics and Ex-cons for the next twenty years. It's not the Governor's fault that Minneapolis is broke. It's the fault of Minneapolis voters, journalists, and incompetent City employees, elected and otherwise. By the way, some spendaholic residue still sits on the City Council. Brown: The assumption that we would get $69 million were it not for TIF is flawed. Heller: It's NOT an assumption. It was exposed by the Citizen's League in September and published by the City in the Truth in Taxation budget in December 2004. Brown: Much of that development would not have taken place. Heller: True enough - because NO competent lender would finance such ridiculous projects. Brown: In some cases TIF lead to other neighboring development that added to the tax base. In no case does the city get less money because of TIF than it got before the district was established. Heller: That depends on the meaning of the word "City". The Police get less money. The Firefighters get less money. The City administrators get less money. The Public Works department gets less money. The $69 million CANNOT be used to pay for City services. It is used to pay the debts of the guys who own the multi-million dollar assets - like Steve Minn. Wouldn't we all like to get a few million dollars in cash....that the taxpayers have to pay back, plus interest? What an easy way to riches: 7 votes on the Council are all it takes. Brown: Taxpayers don't "forfeit" tax revenue in a TIF district. The reality is that they dedicate the additional revenue that comes as a result of the development to an economic development project while cities, counties, etc. continue to get the revenue they have always received from those properties. Heller: Utter nonsense! That's the backward logic that got Minneapolis into this financial mess. Of my own exorbitant property taxes, $96 goes to the City's general fund and $24,663 goes to TIF this year. Over the past 35 years, the City's general fund has indeed FORFEITED millions of dollars in just ONE of the 103 TIF districts, Cedar-Riverside. Please, Mr. Brown, will you identify some "TIF developments" in Cedar-Riverside that have added value to the City's tax base. Mr. Brown, among many others, obviously thinks it is acceptable to give public money to private enterprises. I do not. Vicky Heller North Oaks and Cedar-Riverside REMINDERS: 1. Be civil! Please read the NEW RULES at http://www.e-democracy.org/rules. If you think a member is in violation, contact the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[email protected] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
