The business of business is business. Governments just don’t get it.
It shouldn’t surprise us that the Boise Urban Renewal Agency, disingenuously called Capitol City Development Corp., or CCDC, is under scrutiny for its involvement in plans to build high-rise housing on property it owns in Boise. After all, they have done so well with the “Big Hole” downtown. Governmental ventures into the world of business do not have a record of success, and taxpayers are left holding the bag for their failures.
The Land Board is charged with earning the best return possible by the Idaho Constitution. Casinos are way better investments.
Over the last years, local governments have responded to crucial needs by using taxpayers’ money for a recreation center in Nampa, a YMCA in Caldwell and the biggest money pit of all, the Idaho Center. Now, Ada County taxpayers are proud owners of storage units.
Had you owned and operated these facilities in the same manner, you would be bankrupt. Today, we continue to subsidize the Civic Center, and the Idaho Center alone will require $600,000 from you to operate in 2011.
Consider the impact these projects have on private businesses. Privately-owned storage in Boise can’t compete, gyms in Nampa struggle and some have closed. Private golf courses must compete with the safety net provided by taxpayers to city courses.
Government activities should be strictly limited to those things that are critical and that we absolutely cannot do for ourselves.
• Patty Hautzinger, Nampa
Again, has anyone else noticed that the only construction activity taking place is publicly funded ones? The new justice center in downtown Nampa, the new county health complex on Karcher road and Florida streets, Nancolas vo-tech school in Caldwell, the interstate is being redone on borrowed money, and Nampa is still got a library in the works without approval from voters. Oh yeah and Canyon county would be in the middle of a new jail that we can't afford if it weren't for voters having said enough is enough. It will only get worse once the bill for the Bujak fiasco comes in. Throw all the bastards out is the only solution!
ReplyDeleteGA says..
ReplyDeleteI keep hearing this voice in my head repeating.."OF THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE AND FOR THE PEOPLE".
These fools we put into elected office are not representing us and for the life of me I do not understand how they keep getting re-elected.
I would not allow any of them to run my checking account yet we trust them with $50-$100 million of our taxes. The only answer is people just don't care and really want more of what is going on around here.
This new year may be the depression year everyone is talking about. State budget is in the hole for $350 million, no stimulus money this year to bail out state and local budgets.
ReplyDeleteNo money for anything is waiting in the wings and will be shown to all before the legislature leaves town. The budget has to be balanced and this time around will be ugly.