No such promise

[Jack Porter <jporter@moscow.com>]

It seems to me that Walter Steed and the Daily News editorial board are 
trying to manufacture a promise that wasn't made.   As I recall, the terms 
on which a majority of the city council approved purchasing the 1912 
building was that tax dollars would not be used to buy and renovate the 
building, period.  No such "promise" as to maintenance.

Several years ago some generous citizens donated the land for East City 
Park.  Do Steed and the Daily News think the city should impose user fees 
to pay for park maintenance?

I would also take issue with the phrasing "Moscow's City Council sold the 
1912 Center idea to the public ..."   Since private donors (and some 
grantmaking institutions) have put up all the money to buy and renovate the 
building, the city has not had to "sell" the idea to the public through a 
bond levy.  It would be more accurate to say the public sold the idea to 
the city council, by stepping forward with our voluntary donations.

Jack Porter

At 12:40 PM 9/1/2001 -0400, you wrote:

>In a message dated 9/1/01 9:05:51 AM, psalant@moscow.com writes:
>
><<August 31, 2001 was a red letter day for the 1912 Center.  The Moscow
>Pullman Daily News endorsed the project>>
>
>For those who don't read the Daily Effort, it should be noted that while
>Priscilla's quote did appear in the paper, it was one sentence in an
>editorial entitled, "City Council should follow head, not heart."  It's main
>point was that 1912 use fees should be set so they, "pay as much of the cost
>to operate the facility as possible."
>
>The piece goes on to remind the community that, "Moscow's City Council sold
>the 1912 Center idea to the public with the understanding no city tax dollars
>would go to construction and maintenance of the building.  That promise must
>be kept."
>
>Unfortunately it has already been broken with $27,000 in next year's budget
>for the building's maintenance.  It will be interesting to see how much
>additional subsidy the City will pay in the form of rent when they expand
>city offices into the building.
>
>Walter Steed