Sioux Falls

A Developer supporting benefits to developers – GET OUT!

l3wis September 7, 2008 0Comments

“It will create jobs” – SF Developer

Is this the standard argument for raising taxes? Dumb. I have lived in SF for 17 years, since when building roads and housing developments in cornfields ‘Created jobs?’ Sorry, there is a big difference between creating jobs, and creating careers.

Want people to live and work in Sioux Falls? Want to create economic development? Stop building new roads and start building ecomonmic development centered around green energy development.

Enough.

BTW, the best parts of this article are at the end. Costello’s quote is priceless;

For Staggers, the vote on the second penny is part of a broader topic that he hopes is an issue in 2010. The city has been on a “spending spree for several years,” he said.

“We’ll just have to wait and see how this plays out in future elections,” he said. “It’s difficult to say. But in 2010, that will probably be an issue.”

Staggers, who also opposes the fee increases, concedes that developers might not support candidates who voted against the package.

“I think there could be some kind of impact,” he said. “But at the same time, would a candidate have received their support in the first place? In many cases, no.”

Costello has met with developers to explain his position and show them the city’s budget.

Developers have been told the tax increase will be dedicated to new roads, but Costello says it’s a “shell game. It’s false security.” That’s because there’s nothing stopping a mayor or council from diverting the money to something else.