When it comes to environmental exploitation, corporate tax giveaways, hazardous, unhealthy and controversial industrial developments along with urban renewal districts and enterprise zones, kids and schools are by far the most oft used excuse for risking public assets. School funding is used to justify clear cutting rainforests and destroying sensitive habitat and now schools and child poverty are the excuse used for rationalizing a twenty year $500 million tax break to a foreign company.
Consider that just last year the boosters were running all over the county collecting resolutions from city councils and unions trumpeting the “much needed tax revenue” Jordan Cove might bring to the county. Two of the four sponsoring taxing districts, North Bend and the Port of Coos Bay, signed identical resolutions claiming “$42 million to $52 million a year” in taxes.
WHEREAS, the Jordan Cove terminal and the Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline will generate much needed tax revenue to Coos, Douglas, Jackson and Klamath counties – $32 million a year in ad valorem taxes or payments in lieu of taxes for the first three years, and $42 million to $52 million a year thereafter;
Now these same taxing districts want to give that money up supposedly to help our schools. In truth, however, these schemes don’t even begin to patch the budget deficits caused by the economic development incentives already in place and will ultimately make the problem much worse.
James Martin, board chairman of the Coos Bay School District had this to say about giving Jordan Cove a twenty year break.
The other issue that is out there that is sort of unique to Coos Bay School District that I don’t think can be changed but I certainly want people at the foundation and CCD to be thinking about. In terms of the North Spit actually being in the CB school district, were there no special tax treatments at all, and Jordan Cove happened, we would suddenly have in Coos Bay an enormous tax base on which to pass a bond measure which would mean a much, much lower potential tax rate for the normal taxpayers if we wanted to push a facilities bond or even a local option to levy. As long as the county has an urban renewal district out there that is completely off limits to us. Until that goes away, no matter what happens we don’t have that option for the community. But I do think it is worth pointing out that under this proposed plan, the long-term enterprise zone it will be 20 years before we would be able to include that in our tax base for bond/levy purposes. That again would be only if the county does away with the urban renewal district, so… I just find it a little ironic that the two cities can cooperate to create the enterprise zone over a taxable area over which we (the school district) have the greatest interest without consulting with us… inaudible
So our schools are already hampered by the existing development schemes and now a small group wants to use that impairment as an excuse to implement a convoluted workaround rather than just do away with the urban renewal district and the enterprise zones. It is high time we had public discussions about decisions made in the name of economic development and did some serious evaluation of the schemes already in place before we gamble anymore with our kids’ future.
You can watch the school board meeting here
UPDATE: The real welfare queens
Watched the school board meeting… I know one thing we can sacrifice. We could sacrifice seeing Dawn Granger’s aging cleavage! Come on, it is a school board meeting, not a hot night out at the Blue Moon…
Hey, mr NUTS, kids read MGx too. And don’t you be talking smack about aging cleavage
The same people promoted Oregon Resources Corp out of any tax liability. Insured that ORC had a binding contract to virtually own the County Forest. Finally, they watched as ORC drove into the sunset, virtually tax free, with big smiles, promising to return one day.
Now they are promoting another foreign corporation out of any tax liability in Coos County. All that does is leave the tax problem for the local residents and local business to deal with.
I think Coos County should wake up and understand that foreign corporations, that buy you an expensive lunch, still are not your friend.
The Jordan Cove group have no choice, they have to locate on a deep water port, it’s either here, or, where?
Make Jordon Cove pay the same taxes as any established business in Coos County already pays. No special favors for Canadians.
Amen! And sure as hell, let’s not let our kids suffer so a bunch of Canadian investors can treat theirs to a nice education.