--- [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
"In Kelly's case it's been expanding the tax base by promoting new housing, slavishly focusing on spending as little taxpayer money as possible and strengthening downtown to buttress the tax base. It's pretty hard to argue with that and he's been successful at achieving his goals." Hard to argue with that? I'm not so sure. Just how successful has Kelly been at "strengthening downtown?" With vacancy rates of close to 30%, almost no retail, downtown hardly seems strong to me. There have been a few really good restaurants opened and the continued development of loft living spaces is encouraging. However, downtown as a business center is in real trouble. I'm not saying this is all Kelly's fault but I don't see that he deserves much credit for downtown either. I don't have the figures but I very much doubt that the tax base has been buttressed by anything going on downtown. On the housing front, he definitely has added housing units. Whether the huge taxpayer subsidy for the lower landing project is justified and whether building on the floodplain and failing to use the riverfront property for public uses rather than to subsidize $300,000+ condos was wise is at least debateble. How are projects like this compatible with "spending as little taxpayer money as possible." The fact that he's borrowed the money rather than paid for it with tax dollars doesn't mean that some taxpayer, sometime isn't going to have to pay for it. If the answer is that the projects are self-funding; that is, new taxes generated by the projects will pay for the bonds, then the new projects don't really add anything positive to the tax base, they, at best, pay for themselves. City subsidized new housing might be a good idea but let's not kid ouselves that it's all positive. Then there's the mayor's failure to back the smoking ban, his failure to deal effectively, or even say very much about, GSE and his contemptuous treatment of the city council. None of this means that he would be easy to beat in an election. He has kept the tax rate down, though I suspect this has more to do with the rise in residential property values than anything else. My city tax rate has stayed the same over the past few years but my taxes have increased substantially as the value of my house has risen. And, of course, he's pleased the people who provide the money to run campaigns; the business interests and the construction trade unions. Charlie Swope Ward 1 _____________________________________________ To Join: St. Paul Issues Forum Rules Discussion Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] _____________________________________________ St. Paul Topics - This Week: Light Rail http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/stpaul-topics _____________________________________________ NEW ADDRESS FOR LIST: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe, modify subscription, or get your password - visit: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/stpaul Archive Address: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/private/stpaul/
