vision2020
Re: Alturas and the Future of Urban Renewal Business Forum
Dear Vision2020:
The original problem with Alturas was that productive farm land was used
for "urban renewal". That was a mistake. Alas, there is little to be
done about that now. And, Dave Potter is correct that a "technology
park" may be better than other uses, like used car lots.
The present problem with Alturas is that taxpayer money has been used to
create an industrial park for private enterprise: corporate welfare. So,
the answer to John's first question is, yes, businesses in the Alturas
park pay lower taxes, because Moscow taxpayers subsidized the
infrastructure costs. And, yes, Moscow taxpayers must absord the lost
tax revenue, because they have had to pay for that infrastructure. While
the scheme has the appearance of a shell game ("it's only the
incremental value that is lost"), the fact is that taxpayer money has
been spent for Alturas that could have been spent for other purposes.
There was a reason for this. The purpose of spending money in this way
was to mobilize city government resources to create a high tech
industrial park, since private enterprise could not, or would not, do it
itself. The goal was to attract high tech businesses and their high
paying jobs.
A high tech zone to attract new high tech businesses is an excellent
idea for our small, remote community. But, the problem is that the City
failed to limit uses to high tech businesses, or to offer additional
incentives to those businesses. The result has been that an established
downtown business relocated to Alturas and is speculating on the
taxpayer funded industrial park land. Presumably, this private
speculation is beyond the control of government. Thus, our citizen
taxpayer funded high tech park has become, to some extent, a subsidized
private land speculation scheme. This was never the intention.
It is encouraging that some high tech businesses have decided to locate
at Alturas. But, it is depressing that our elected representatives have
failed to watch over the deteriorating situation with much interest or
leadership.
Duncan Palmatier
Patent Law Office of Duncan Palmatier
530 South Asbury, Suite 5
Moscow, Idaho 83843
Tel: (208) 892-2962
Fax: (208) 892-3853
Email: dpalm@earthlink.net
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