Since I would have to be superwoman to both support a family and keep up with all the happenings in Coos County I have paid zero attention to Coos Bay’s Boat Building Center. Today, however, an article at The World indicates that the center is somehow gaining autonomy by using $100,000 of urban renewal money to make needed renovations at its Hollering Place location in Empire. In addition to publicly funded “autonomy”, by taking “the Urban Renewal Agency’s name off the $5-a-year lease” the center can bypass the competitive bid process and avoid paying higher prevailing wages for the renovation work.
Requiring taxpayer help to become “autonomous” is kind of stretch but let’s say the center provides for a greater public good and is worth the investment. Deliberately using that taxpayer funded autonomy to deny that same public the right to bid and earn prevailing wage jobs, well that is hardly something to gloat about.
FYI. About a year ago, I overhead an argument between two lesser fortunate Coos County residents about taxes. One a property owner, the other a renter. The renter argued that he does not pay property taxes. Oh yes you do; and unlike the homeowner, you get no deduction benefit at tax time. The taxes paid by the homeowner are amortized and are a part of your rent. During the nine years that I have been here, i have been bothered by the professional politicians willingness to spend the peoples money – money that the people here don’t have. I have always been bothered by the black hole called “Urban Renewal”. So, I asked Ms. Whitty, the commissioner who, during my nine years here, I found to be most responsive to the people. I asked where does the tax money go. Summarized below is her reply. Former Assessor Mr. Main can certainly confirm these numbers. I understand that the numbers are fiscal year 2009 – 2010. However, current numbers should not be much different. Note that every taxing district in the county has a permanent rate that was established under Measure 50.
1. Money going to tax pool “ED” is South Coast ESD Region 7. Almost $1.8 million.
2. Coos Bay Urban Renewal (downtown and Empire) almost $1.4 million. (So we can pay $500,000 for the Central Dock and give it away to a private museum? Or to buy the Egyptian theatre so Benettis restaurant wont lose business when it closes? Or Boat Building centers?
3. County Urban Renewal (designated North Bay) almost $106,000.
4. Other Urban Renewal Agencies collecting your money – Bandon almost $500,000; Coquille almost $200,000; North Bend almost $600,000.
5. Additional “Special” urban renewal agency levies North Bend almost $203,000 and Coos County almost $55,000.
6. 4H monies collected almost $360,000. Got a swine or camel?
7. Coos County Library Service District almost $3 million.
8.Coos Bay school district (for those of us with a CB address almost $6.8 million.
9. SWOCC almost $2.8 million. Try to find a student there who is not on some partial or full scholarship.
10. Coos County almost $7.4 million.
11. City of Coos Bay almost $5.1 million.
12. Airport District almost $1 million.
13. Port of Coos Bay almost $1.5 million.
14. Collected for “Bonds” Coos Bay (number rounded off) $570,000; Lakeside $112.000; Myrtle Point $26,000; North Bend $42,000; Coos County $3 million; Bandon $255,000; Coquille school $312,000; North Bend school $900,000; Bandon School $160,000; Lakeside Fire $$42,000; Lakeside water $160,000
Hope that you got plenty of benefit for your tax dollars!
@RUSerious very much look forward to seeing your information
@Colandrio Your question is a good one. Once at the Port a paid consultant called the unions “militant labor”… Wow! People are frequently convinced to vote against their own best interests through a consistent release of misinformation by those who stand to gain the most.
Thanks for bringing this to the forefront. When I read the same article, I wondered about this. Why would the government want to undercut our local labor? Which brings up another question, why does organized labor consistently support the corporate agenda pushed by their local acolytes when their agenda is the destruction of organized labor?
Those of us, including your supported recently appointed county commissioner living on the western edge of Coos County, who drive by that Hollering Place every day, can see what a black hole into which the people of Empire – not downtown Coos Bay – have sent thier “urban renewal” “tax” money. The less fortunate of Empire deserve something that benefits them not a boat building center. There is a recently built large parking lot that is impossible to enter while traveling north and dangerous to enter traveling south in which you will never see a parked car. There is the being rennovated boat center. If you watch, it appears that it’s elder men volunteer labor. Speaking of Urban Renewal, later today I will post here some information obtained, in writing, from Ms. Whitty that I will wager 99.99999% of Coos County citizens have never seen that may shock you, it may make others angry. Get ready to attack the windmill. And, while at it, ask why the area needs a $100,000 / year (salary and perks) Coos Bay economic development person (as mentioned in the same bird cage liner article) and a $100,000 / year SCDC queen?