oug,

Good post. A couple comments. First, T...

2009-01-13T11:17:00.000-08:00

oug,

Good post. A couple comments. First, TIF money is repaid via increases sales tax receipts. Due to the recession, sales tax revenues weren't increasing, hence the need to sell bonds, which, in my opinion, defeated the purpose of using TIF to begin with.

Second, cities should adopt the principle of the great industrialist Henry Kaiser. Kaiser refused to pay bribes to get business, period, to the point of walking away from profitable deals. He belived that once you opened that door, it would ruin your company. Instead of producing a superior product at the lowest price, Kaiser employees would try to resort to corrupt practices. Not to mention every potential customer would be looking for a kickback.

Likewise, cities should stop racing to the bottom, throwing money at developers. We should be proud of what Tucson has to offer, like the azure clear skies, the outdoors recreational opportunities, the wonderful scenery, Hispanic culture (people who visit my wife and I always exult over the authentic cuisince), etc.

Comments on Doug Martin: A time of great opportunity

oug,Good post. A couple comments. First, T...

oug,

Good post. A couple comments. First, T...