lets make a deal

Lets make a deal: the karaoke people will admit that last fridays karaoke wasnt bad at all IF the contractors will admit that they were cheerleading for the gym project because they were looking forward to lining their pockets with the 300%, 400% and more profits at the taxpayers expense. Deal?

annexation issues

There are some excellent points being made here about annexation. The DERM map is a good idea as it would allow us to visualize the extent of the pollution. Looking at ALL the issues involved SHOULD be the right and responsibility of the Council but after their dismal and disappointing lack of DUE DILIGENCE in the new gym project it looks like the CITIZENS will have to do it! The Mayor and Council have already demonstrated that if DUE DILIGENCE is in possible conflict with their own personal agendas then it WONT be done. As our representatives they are supposed to represent ALL of us, not just a dozen or score of local contractors who stand to profit handsomely at the rest of us taxpayers expense! In the theoretical process of representing ALL of us taxpayers they are supposed to look at ALL the possible alternatives to find the best one for US. That process is called DUE DILIGENCE and it is their right and responsibility to make sure it is done in EVERY case. The Council failed miserably to do DUE DILIGENCE in the case of the new gym and there is NO reason to believe they will do any differently with the annexation issue! They should be ashamed and embarrassed, but they arent because their own personal agendas were realized and that is obviously MUCH more important than doing the right thing for US.

insanity

I agree with those who are enraged when our hard-earned tax dollars are wasted. To see that you need look no further than our City officials and ANY of the projects they have attempted in the past three years plus! The School Board is laying off teachers, cutting 300 million from their budget, the state is tightening ITS belt and WE are taking on SEVERAL MILLION dollars of debt!!! How does THAT make ANY sense? Our property tax revenues are going to drop significantly for the next couple years at least, the City manager is warning of four-day City work weeks and possible tax and fee increases, even THEY KNOW WE ARE IN A RECESSION, and yet they go merrily on their way like its 1999. Thats CRAZY! EARTH to City officials: We CANT AFFORD to indulge your personal agendas anymore!! Sober up! Up your dose of Haldol, whatever it takes to bring you back into the REAL, recessionary world that the rest of us hard-working taxpayers have to live in. To believe that City officials can ontinue to dump TRUCKLOADS of our tax dollars down the drain and it will NEVER end, is a distortion of reality, a delusion, ans simply NOT TRUE. Haldol is good for delusions and other disconnections from reality. taking on significantly more debt and payments when the City and its residents are struggling to get by as it is, is SHEER INSANITY and the very definition of fiscal irresponsibility. They simply have NO common sense, or they just dont care. Your choice.

dont know Jack

Apparently Jack and his junior high school buddies have too much time on their hands. Expanding our tax base to include more businesses would be a good thing, IF the negatives dont outweigh the positives. ALL possibilities have to be scrutinized carefully, not just SOME of them, like the gym project, so as to give the appearance of, at least, that DUE DILIGENCE is REALLY being done! This is another project that will impact the citizens of this town, and their kids, for DECADES. Lets REALLY do DUE DILIGENCE this time! What a concept! to actually DO what City officials are SUPPOSED to do! It would be a welcomed change! after the new gym fiasco, however, I have SERIOUS doubts it will ever happen. Mayor Bain and his merry band of jesters will lead us FORWARD alright, right over the cliff.

devious gym ?

I am at a loss to explain how the City Manager came to the conclusion that it would be CHEAPER to borrow the money for the gym that to float a bond. Is there ANYTHING cheaper than a municipal bond? Not that I know of. It seems much more like an attempt to subvert the City charter and get around its intent. Perhaps there is a logical answer to this. If so, I would be happy to hear it. Until then, its just another devious trick to stifle the voice of the taxpaying residents.

BIG IFS

There are some BIG IFS connected to this annexation issue. I agree that IF the FEC parcel EVER becomes available MS should get it IF its not polluted or IF FEC will remediate the land. IF we can come to some kind of agreement with the other cities. IF the parties responsible for doing the pollution will agree to clean it up, IF they are even in existence now and, or can be found. Aerodex is gone. IF the County will make any kind of effort to make the polluters pay. IF the County ever decides to give up the lands we want. IF we get control over the zoning. Too many IFS for me right now, none of them inconsequential. To move blindly forward without looking seriously at ALL the pros and cons, like was done with the new gym, is another recipe for disaster. The ambitious but blindered is leading the severely visually impaired here down a polluted path, without any controls in place, to a cliff.

prudent, or not

Is it prudent to negotiate from a position of strength on properties that are POLLUTED and will cost MILLIONS to restore? Is it prudent to negotiate for land that we will have NO zoning powers over? And if the chances of ever getting that land are nine against and four in favor, why are we wasting our time and energy discussing it? Lets develop lands we have, like the 36 street corridor, which has NO zoning or pollution concerns.

Is it true that we spent HUNDREDS of THOUSANDS of dollars before on the possibility of annexation? LOTS of expensive attorney hours spent mulling over that possibility and came to the conclusion that years of pollution on those properties with NO Superfund backing and NO cooperation from the current owners is a deal-killer in itself- strike one. Add to it the fact that we are going to have NO zoning powers over that land- strike two. The final point against that happening is that NINE of the 13 County Commissioners dont want to let it go- strike three.

Next!