Committee for No on Measure J - Mission Statement
OUR
The Committee for No on Measure J is
a grassroots nonpartisan organization of residents and friends who share
concerns over the financial direction being taken by the City of
Committee members believe downtown
revitalization should encompass more than the relatively small segment known as
Measure J should not have been placed on the
ballot. No tax increases should be considered until a comprehensive review of
public financial needs has been undertaken and made available for public
scrutiny. We urge a No vote on Measure J and a return to the financial drawing
board.
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Categories: Politics, Desert Fashion Plaza
Tags: Desert Fashion Plaza
Those of us who oppose this 25 year long tax hike must offer a solution (or at least a better idea or starting point) to ameliorate downtown decay. It there a Free Market solution to the downtown dilemma? I think so.
What's missing in the Prop J debate is both a historical perspective and a free-market solution. Consider:
Wessman was originally shot down over the proposed height of his redevelopment vision, even though the very over-sized Hyatt Hotel right next door goes up some seven stories! Indeed, the onerous height restrictions imposed on this project by local bureaucrats are what makes this redevelopment's long term profitability so doubtful.
So what's the free-market solution to this project? Developers I've spoken to agree that going higher and adding anything from rental apartments to high-end condominiums above will add a vital revenue stream to this project. It will also be a boon to local merchants. As it is, this project relies exclusively oncommercial rents. Why not diversify by adding an additional top floor of housing to the mix? This gives a reprieve to both the taxpayer and consumer.
As a downtown business-owner, the views looking west along these three blocks are not in any way exceptional since we're actually too close to the mountains to really see them. Yet it was the purported loss of these phantom views that forced Wessman to make his project lower than originally envisioned. This was a critical mistake. No downtown housing in this redevelopment means a greater reliance on taxpayer bailouts. Is raising taxes really the wisest way to go during a recession?
Why not create a real downtown where people can live and work without having to drive? Why not make Palm Springs more energy-efficient and pedestrian-friendly by creating an urban core where people can live without the incessant need for automobiles? This is the free-market solution to the redevelopment dilemma. Housing will increase overall revenue and save local taxpayers and shoppers millions.
Why not pursue a redevelopment plan that offers less risk and requires less (or no) tax money? The solution is to go higher and add housing. It's a win-win for taxpayers, residents and consumers alike.
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