by Carlon Perry, former mayor, city of Manteca
Aug 13, 2009 | 688 views | 3
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EDITOR,
In the July 27 Manteca Bulletin, it was reported with banner headlines that “BLD isn’t a drag on budget” (sounds like an opinion to me), and continued with a subhead that reads, “Manteca avoids $500K in annual costs, receives $380K.” Having no clue what the reporter was trying to say, I continued to read further into the article.
Glad I did.
Upon reading the Dennis Wyatt story, it was clear to me the reporter’s attempt was to write a puff piece about how the city’s budget is not being tapped out, because the city is being paid some money by Big League Dreams, even when the residents of this city paid $35 million for the construction of Big League Dreams. According to the Bulletin, Big League Dreams pays an annual rent of approximately $380,000.
WOW! What a slant on reality. What this reporter forgets to report is that, based on that kind of fuzzy math, it will take nearly 100 years before this community breaks even for the sports park investment. I am still stunned by the fact that the organizers and Big League Dreams’ operators had the audacity to charge residents to attend the Third of July festivities.
What gives here, and why the propaganda? There is no supporting documentation to the reporter’s claims that Big League Dreams visitors shop and play in Manteca. And I am not going to buy that we should all be grateful for whatever TOT sales tax BLD may generate. Remember, Costco was just one of our sales tax saviors, and yet when I look in the shopping carts, the majority of what I see is food — which is not sales-taxable. Frankly, that does not put food on the table of our police and firemen, who were assured that Measure M sales tax would protect their jobs and our safety.
Oh yes, and let’s not forget: City Hall claims there is supposedly a huge savings because it does not have to maintain the private-operated, city-owned park. Yet, these same folks have recently taken on the responsibility of landscaping districts, because they can do it cheaper than the private sector.
I find it amazing that the Bulletin and the city would continue perpetuating such a myth.
I can't add much to these editorials or comments,
for these writings are exactly the way I feel, about the lies told by Weatherford and Dennis Wyatt, on the BLD as providing thousands for the city in income.One thing to remember is, The mayor saying $1,000,000.00 will be generated for the city in a tax base.Well it didn't happen, so the terrible two Weatherford and City Manager Pinkerton created a win , win situation.They
claim they don't have to pay any of the Redevelopment debt that they spent on the land and construction cost, because they had it in reserve.This in their opinion didn't constitute a loan.This is a barefaced lie by the two of them.
If they had millions in the RDA accounts, then why did they have to bypass the police and used their funding to spend on the BLD.Then they taxed us a 1/2 cent to make up for this loss in funding for the police.This also means they were hoarding millions from the state, that is used to fund the kids education.This is two cold blooded officials that lie to keep from paying back this funding to the state.It's easy to claim a return, if you refuse to pay back the loan.The city claims this
park is now free of debt.
If this was legal, why wasn't it conceived at the beginning, not five years later.We know the Editor of the Bulletin will always brown nose the Mayor, so he can receive privaledged information, not available to other news sources.So fuzzy math
will continue to justify the BLD. By the way has anyone counted 10k cars in the Bass Pros parking lot lately.There is another place the city inflates their profits.I used honest math in determining the profits that the Bass Pros have to achieve before the city gets anything.The amount of income that Bass Pros has to generate
before this city receives one penny is $1,777,000,000.00.You to can do the math, by dividing 35 years into 62 million dollars.There is not one firm that can generate this kind of profit within a city every year, by a population of 63k people or by transit dropping in.Lies is all this Mayor has going for him.
Fleener Richards.
Manteca.
It is clear where ever BLD shows up it is a good indication of public officials on the take.
The numbers presented to the public via their elected officials are always off from 50% to 100%.
Then the taxpayer has to pay off a debt for the construction of facilities of BLD.
Taxpayers should take a very close look at public officials that approve such a fraud on the public.
The taxpayer should be thinking of how they could accomplish the same end without a profit making machine that will siphon off millions of dolars of their money making a few local officials rich.
As far as the transit occupancy tax is concerned let the taxpaye have the city open their books and be shown what that tax has produced for the city and what the projections will be with BLD.
The projection should be made by an outside auditor from another city.
Only then can it be determined how much money will be lost for years to come.
And that loss will be in the millions.