My Letter to the Editor of the Greater Baton Rouge Business Report...

Also, you keep saying that the taxes will be "redirected" from somewhere else...Two questions:

1) Doesn't TIF stand for "Tax increase financing" or something similar? A TIF isn't a redirection, but an INCREASE on top of current taxes.

2) If Taxes are being redirected like you say, where are they coming from? In redirecting taxes, something takes a hit? Where in the budget are they taking these taxes from??

 

that could be true, but taxes hurt the economy, so it would have to do well enough to offset the money the locals were forced to pay ( that they could have invested in something else of their own choosing). and if this would be so profitable for everyone, why arent private investors lined up?

exactly, many people might live in the area because it isnt too developed or commercial. and now they are forced to pay for it to become something they might not even want? thats the problem with government funding . people are forced against their will to pay for something, because the government is paternalistic and "knows what is best" for them. nobody cares about the guy who likes the quiet community because it is quiet. government involvement in business takes away freedom from individuals. if private interests build something, you cant really have a quarrel, it wasnt your money. but when the government is involved, your money was involved, and the decisions should be that of the individual, not the collective.

i would assume that many people who live in areas surrounding baton rouge live there because they like the fact that it isnt baton rouge. they dont have to deal with the traffic generated by the mall of louisiana or LSU. should these people be forced to pay to change their community?

 

TIF=Tax Incremental Financing

It annexes a specific area of real estate, redirects only taxes that would be collected in that area, and then applies them in a manner necessary to finance construction, bonds for improvements or other enticements. In this case, the TIF's contribution would be paid back, which means that the taxes-WHICH ARE NOT COLLECTED PERIOD IN THIS AREA BECAUSE ITS UNDEVELOPED LAND AT THIS POINT WITH NO DEVELOPMENT WHATSOEVER-are a temporary loan designed to help facilitate economic growth.

As for someone else's "allegation" that some residents won't like the traffic...I would submit that Denham Springs has been on the "priority list" for a 2nd interstate exit for 30 years, and has never gotten it.

When citizens found out Blanco was promising not one, but TWO to offset the traffic, Denham Springs went nuts for it...Almost a spontaneous parade. But, martin would rather opine about people he doesn't know, or situations he doesn't even fathom.

Charlie DeWitt took Denham Springs off the list to get its interestate exit to alleviate traffic twice in the five years before this development in order to put his area on the map...and as Speaker of the House, he succeeded.

This project DOUBLES what we've been struggling for in terms of traffic easements ALL AT ONCE. The studies are all complete. With even TWO exits and Bass Pro (Not the three which will exist post construction), traffic will be LESSENED overall in Denham Springs and in the affected area! Martin is ignorant of this fact, yet he still opines! He has no specific knowledge of the situation...yet he spews his ignorance!

At countless public meetings, citizens have stood up and made their wishes known. Packed public meetings set up by Rep. Richard Baker, the local, state, and federal government have given those who oppose the development ample opportunity to express it, but not ONE SINGLE SOLITARY card was filled out at those public meetings in opposition to the project.

One man disagreed, and he prolonged the inevitable.

I would submit that those who do not know what has gone on over the last 3 decades, those who don't have any idea about the specifics of thep project, etc...Just shut their yaps.

We know martin won't, because he strives at every opportunity to "get back at me" for throwing his religious beliefs in his face...But, even on this matter, he is wholly uneducated as to the specifics, and blithely blathers on...

 

hey, i thought you said you were giving me the last word!

 

I addressed DallasLSU, did I not?

 

yunno banks can loan money too, and they take the risk. why should ordinary citizens have to function as a collective bank, loaning money to businesses?

thats instance #2 of you bringing up my religious views for no reason in the thread. totally irrelevant.

 

oh, i see, my name came up twice in the post(and i was alluded to a third time, but you were discussing the issues with dallaslsu.

 

Knowing the specifics of the project doesn't mean a damn thing. I do know that, like Martin said, there are banks out here and they do something called loans.

Last time I checked it, it wasn't the job of taxpayers to loan out money to businesses without, at least, a vote...

 

Which is exactly what will happen in April...and after that, it will come to pass...

 

Nothing personal, but I would vote against this thing...

If it really is "a slam dunk," then Bass Pro would have no problem obtaining financing on their own without even needing tax money. It just seems to me that there is some other reason you are not mentioning as to why they can't do that....I'm not arguing about this anymore. TE, you're more than welcome to have the last word...

You know where I stand.