26
Jul
2005
Here we go again! Davenport's infinitely obtuse city council is considering another colossal giveaway relative to our riverfront, only this time it involves Davenport's entire levee, not just the critical 15 acres of downtown riverfront we have compromised for the Isle of Capri to build an 11-story hotel and five-story parking garage, while other viable alternative sites have yet to be fully explored and/or negated.
But this wasn't enough of a public betrayal. The city council is now about to approve the dissolution of the Davenport Levee Commission (DLC), which has operated since 1911, and replace it with the new and hardly improved Davenport Levee Development Corporation (DLDC). This new entity's stated purpose in its "articles of incorporation" reads: "act as an agency, instrumentally, and constituted with the authority in the implementation and financing of public projects and to accomplish a public purpose on the Mississippi River riverfront of the City of Davenport ... pursuant to the RiverVision Plan adopted by the city and subsequently amended. ... The Corporation shall acquire or lease and develop properties within its jurisdiction and develop and finance all improvements there, and it may lease any property under its control under such terms as it deems favorable."
Well Davenport taxpayers have learned the hard way that "favorable terms" as defined by this council mean whatever developers want regardless of the consequences to Davenport's future. Recall the Greater Davenport Development Corporation (GDRC), whose mission is similar relative to the city-owned industrial park at Interstate 80 and Northwest Boulevard. It gives new meaning to the concepts of useless, incompetent, and financially impotent. And citizens can bet that the same tired, ineffectual business leadership that currently prevails will make up a significant portion of the "directors" of the proposed DLDC as indicated in the "articles."
Second Ward Alderman Donna Bushek, who is the liaison for the DLC and council, has obviously failed to present the DLC's May 25 proposal to the council for the future structure of the Davenport Levee Commission, since no action whatsoever has been taken. Instead, Mayor Charlie "Bully" Brooke and the council have summarily ignored the DLC and moved forward with proposed DLDC's "articles of incorporation," establishing the entity that would replace the DLC, for council consideration during a special meeting held Monday, July 25, with the council and the DLC.
According to the "articles," the DLDC will have greater authority than the DLC in making deals for riverfront development as described above. Disturbingly, it will not need council approval for any deals that do not exceed 20 years. So the handful of "directors" hand-picked by Brooke will have complete carte blanche to not only give our riverfront away, but also create deals similar to that with the Isle of Capri that include "incentives" that relegate taxpayers to the bottom of the benefit barrel under the guise of economic development.
For those who think my contempt for this strategy is liberal, think again. It is liberal-minded to give public land away for little or no consideration, spending tax dollars to ensure the project's fruition. There is little if any return on taxpayers' investment when such economic development defers taxes until the properties are depreciated, and/or after current dollars pay interest on bonds that paid for the project's infrastructure improvements.
For the years that property taxes are abated and/or deferred, current tax dollars must make up the difference, causing either decreased services or increased taxes to cover the shortfalls. I believe we pay too much in taxes already, and remain critical of any public/private business arrangement that squanders my tax dollars and potentially risks further tax assessment.
There is nothing remotely conservative in most of the recent economic-development deals made between the city and private enterprise, because they involve more government spending, not less. The benefit that should accrue with sound economic development, such as increased tax base etc., is no longer occurring as it should. Special interests are being given preferential treatment, from both liberals and conservatives, by more public spending, not less, with no commensurate gain or return on investment for taxpayers. It doesn't get more liberal than that.
That said, the current city council gave our downtown riverfront away to a casino operation knowing full well that it was a poor financial decision, costing taxpayers and imposing unprecedented financial risk. To a man and woman, each admitted being woefully uninformed about various project details, that there was no significant financial windfall to the city, that the development agreement they voted on could have been better for the city, and that many had not been given adequate information from the Isle of Capri after numerous requests. When presented with irrefutable evidence that contradicted most of the information given by the Isle of Capri, DavenportOne, and city staff, the aldermen's responses were to deliberately ignore the facts and approve the casino's expansion, regardless. This conduct is either cronyism or cowardice. There is no other rational explanation.
There are numerous examples of this council creating all kinds of obstacles for smaller developers throughout the community, dragging approval for projects over months if not years, yet this same council approved the casino's hotel facility, one of the largest development deals to ever occur in downtown Davenport, in less than two weeks. It was as irresponsible an act as ever committed by a council and hopefully the next election will express the public's outrage for those culpable.
Unfortunately, this council is again preparing to inflict further damage on Davenport's future with the establishment of the DLDC, which is clearly just another tentacle of control for the few interests whose agendas reflect a flagrant disregard for incremental economic development that actually contributes to economic growth, taxpayers, and the public process where publicly owned land is concerned. The formation of such a quasi-public corporation at the demise of the existing levee commission deserves more scrutiny and consideration prior to any fast-tracking vote its supporters are clamoring for.
But this wasn't enough of a public betrayal. The city council is now about to approve the dissolution of the Davenport Levee Commission (DLC), which has operated since 1911, and replace it with the new and hardly improved Davenport Levee Development Corporation (DLDC). This new entity's stated purpose in its "articles of incorporation" reads: "act as an agency, instrumentally, and constituted with the authority in the implementation and financing of public projects and to accomplish a public purpose on the Mississippi River riverfront of the City of Davenport ... pursuant to the RiverVision Plan adopted by the city and subsequently amended. ... The Corporation shall acquire or lease and develop properties within its jurisdiction and develop and finance all improvements there, and it may lease any property under its control under such terms as it deems favorable."
Well Davenport taxpayers have learned the hard way that "favorable terms" as defined by this council mean whatever developers want regardless of the consequences to Davenport's future. Recall the Greater Davenport Development Corporation (GDRC), whose mission is similar relative to the city-owned industrial park at Interstate 80 and Northwest Boulevard. It gives new meaning to the concepts of useless, incompetent, and financially impotent. And citizens can bet that the same tired, ineffectual business leadership that currently prevails will make up a significant portion of the "directors" of the proposed DLDC as indicated in the "articles."
Second Ward Alderman Donna Bushek, who is the liaison for the DLC and council, has obviously failed to present the DLC's May 25 proposal to the council for the future structure of the Davenport Levee Commission, since no action whatsoever has been taken. Instead, Mayor Charlie "Bully" Brooke and the council have summarily ignored the DLC and moved forward with proposed DLDC's "articles of incorporation," establishing the entity that would replace the DLC, for council consideration during a special meeting held Monday, July 25, with the council and the DLC.
According to the "articles," the DLDC will have greater authority than the DLC in making deals for riverfront development as described above. Disturbingly, it will not need council approval for any deals that do not exceed 20 years. So the handful of "directors" hand-picked by Brooke will have complete carte blanche to not only give our riverfront away, but also create deals similar to that with the Isle of Capri that include "incentives" that relegate taxpayers to the bottom of the benefit barrel under the guise of economic development.
For those who think my contempt for this strategy is liberal, think again. It is liberal-minded to give public land away for little or no consideration, spending tax dollars to ensure the project's fruition. There is little if any return on taxpayers' investment when such economic development defers taxes until the properties are depreciated, and/or after current dollars pay interest on bonds that paid for the project's infrastructure improvements.
For the years that property taxes are abated and/or deferred, current tax dollars must make up the difference, causing either decreased services or increased taxes to cover the shortfalls. I believe we pay too much in taxes already, and remain critical of any public/private business arrangement that squanders my tax dollars and potentially risks further tax assessment.
There is nothing remotely conservative in most of the recent economic-development deals made between the city and private enterprise, because they involve more government spending, not less. The benefit that should accrue with sound economic development, such as increased tax base etc., is no longer occurring as it should. Special interests are being given preferential treatment, from both liberals and conservatives, by more public spending, not less, with no commensurate gain or return on investment for taxpayers. It doesn't get more liberal than that.
That said, the current city council gave our downtown riverfront away to a casino operation knowing full well that it was a poor financial decision, costing taxpayers and imposing unprecedented financial risk. To a man and woman, each admitted being woefully uninformed about various project details, that there was no significant financial windfall to the city, that the development agreement they voted on could have been better for the city, and that many had not been given adequate information from the Isle of Capri after numerous requests. When presented with irrefutable evidence that contradicted most of the information given by the Isle of Capri, DavenportOne, and city staff, the aldermen's responses were to deliberately ignore the facts and approve the casino's expansion, regardless. This conduct is either cronyism or cowardice. There is no other rational explanation.
There are numerous examples of this council creating all kinds of obstacles for smaller developers throughout the community, dragging approval for projects over months if not years, yet this same council approved the casino's hotel facility, one of the largest development deals to ever occur in downtown Davenport, in less than two weeks. It was as irresponsible an act as ever committed by a council and hopefully the next election will express the public's outrage for those culpable.
Unfortunately, this council is again preparing to inflict further damage on Davenport's future with the establishment of the DLDC, which is clearly just another tentacle of control for the few interests whose agendas reflect a flagrant disregard for incremental economic development that actually contributes to economic growth, taxpayers, and the public process where publicly owned land is concerned. The formation of such a quasi-public corporation at the demise of the existing levee commission deserves more scrutiny and consideration prior to any fast-tracking vote its supporters are clamoring for.
