Dick Jones Redevelopment Befuddlement Encore
Watch Dick Jones question Redevelopment Director Rob Zur Schmiede about the availability of tax increment monies in the proposed extension area. Zur Schmiede responds that because of the merger with an existing area money would be available “immediately.” And Jones is off to the Camp Town races, perhaps not realizing that his Redevelopment director was only talking about existing funds – not new property tax increment. All he heard was “immediately.” So he sits up, pleased as punch, like he had just discovered radium. Uh–mmediately! Well, Land ‘o Goshen! You cain’t hardly beat uh-mmediate! Instant gratification – a predictable desire in a child; embarrassing in a septuagenarian.
The reality is that even if the Redevelopment extension survives a legal challenge, the depressed real estate market and property tax re-assessments will likely create a flat or even a negative increment for the near to mid-term future within the amendment area. This means that any Redevelopment funded projects here would have to dip into the also diminishing increment in the pre-existing project area. So why doesn’t Jones grasp this? Because the Redevelopment Agency has arrived upon the scene to cure all that ails us. HOT DAMN! IMMEDIATELY!
Is this really the guy we want making this decisions for us?
Point well taken. This donkey is clueless.
But Zur Schmiede and Chris Myers are not (well not completely). They want to lock in the increment level when revenue is at rock bottom! Then when property values rebound as they inevitably will everything goes into the increment kitty. True, this make take several years. Hardly “e-mmediate.”
If anyone on the staff was honest they would have clarified this point to Jones. I guess it’s easier for staff to control him if he stays in the dark.
Good point, Travis. In this case though, it’s pretty clear that they had rehearsed this point with Jones. Money! Immediately! Staff couldn’t care less what Jones believes or thinks or says – just so long as he votes yes.
Staff also has another trick that may have been part of this little play, especially if it wasn’t rehearsed after all. That is answering the question that nobody has asked. In this tactic the question that was asked is dodged through answering some other question. The answer given is true, but non-responsive. It’s amazing how many people fall for this.
BTW, this is also a tactic that our old friend Matthew Cunningham keeps using although it doesn’t appear to fool anyone in the blogosphere. It’s amazing how much more capable of critical thought bloggers are than city councilpersons!
The state budget deal just reclaimed $1.75 billion in redevelopmenr increment to balance its budget–that’s about 1/3 of all revenues.
So, any Fullerton projections must be adjusted further downward–has staff explained this?
Seems the legislature would rather fund classrooms than Costcos.
Has that been factored in by staff?
The RDA gravy train may be
O V E R ! !
Wonker, good point!
To all you Jones-bashers out there.
Is our councilman really any LESS articulate than our ex-Prez? Their accent and verbal foibles have uncanny resemblance.
Of course, we didn’t have to put up with 16 years of Bush. Don’t you Reps have anyone who can actually talk?
Oh these Texas donkeys talk up a storm. Unfortunately the clowns can’t speak worth a damn.
I kept voting for Republicans because they told me that Democrats were worse. Fooled again, shame on… me.