American Dream News

I admit I am a novice at the details of tax increment financing (TIF). I have spent all day reading up on it online, and I am still left with many questions. Can you help me out here?
From what I gather, the average citizen has barely any knowledge of TIFs, if any at all. The effects that TIFs have on the average citizen are unclear because they are in the form of tax revenue that the city would have collected and used for general purposes, but instead the redevelopment agency (RDA) and/or the private developer gets this future money to use to pay for their project now. A bit of a “Field of Dreams” perhaps, but more circular: if we build it, the tax dollars will come, but we need money to build it, so we will use those future tax dollars now? It makes me dizzy.
I know my innovative state of California first invented TIFs in 1952, and now they permeate our state. They have been used for so many projects; there must be data on all of them somewhere. Has anyone analyzed this data? Do we know the specific dollar amounts of how much tax increment money as flowed back to RDAs and private developers? It might be good to know… In the absence of TIFs, would all of that money have gone back to the general funds of individual cities?
I also looked up the history of RDAs with one question in mind: how else (besides TIFs) are RDAs funded? Without TIFs, RDAs would have less money to spend, and perhaps that would help them focus on only the most worthy projects.
My last question is, if TIFs are here to stay, would the impact on the average citizen be less harsh if the city took into account the annual rate of inflation as part of the tax revenue it keeps in its general fund? It is slight, I know, but at least it would put part of the tax increment back into the community.

Some “serious” news stories are just too funny to let pass without comment.  New Urbanists want cities to spend roadway dollars promoting “transportation choice.”  Get out of your cars!  Take the bus!  Better yet, get off the road and ride a bike or walk.  Heck, why not rollerblade!

What happens if people do all three?

Mr. Bruce [chief bylaw officer] said his office has received a growing number of calls about altercations between the cyclists, walkers and in-line skaters who share the paths - with obnoxious cyclists at the top of the list of complaints.

This is in Calgary, Ontario, as reported by the Globe and Mail.  The city has issued 400 warnings and given away 500 bells to cyclists.  Those cyclists better straighten up and dingle those bells … or else!  According to the news article, “Bylaw officers armed with laser guns will be enforcing the 20-kilometre-an-hour speed limit.”

What?!?!  Laser Guns?!?! Like the kind Stormtroopers had in Star Wars?!?!

Maybe the editor needs to clarify that sentence, but just to be on the safe side if I’m ever in Calgary I’m going to take an automobile and stay far away from bike paths where feral cyclists and laser-toting bylawmen roam menacingly!

… as in holding on to Number One rankings.  Yet another study - A View from Corporate America - is a survey of state business climates, conducted by Development Counsellors International.

Texas comes in first place, North Carolina is second, and Georgia is third.  (The top ten list can be found on page 26 with internals on subsequent pages.)

Interestingly, the only Smart Growth state that makes the top ten is Florida.  Under state mandate, all Florida counties and cities must adopt 10-year Comprehensive Plans.  Fortunately, not all county and city leaders have drunk the Smart Growth kool-aid, so even though growth management is the law of the Sunshine State many communities have avoided the harmful impacts of Smart Growth.

Other states that are more fully Smart Growth oriented are nowhere to be found in the report.  California, Oregon, Washington, Maryland …

Of course, the report doesn’t talk specifically about Smart Growth, and why should it?  It identifies the states with the most favorable business climates and doesn’t drill down to the causes.  And most people are not well versed in the language of urban public policy.  For most people, terms like Smart Growth and New Urbanism have as much meaning as roadway terms like arterials and collectors.

For everyday Americans, growth management schemes simply translate into business UN-friendly environments, and this report does a good job of showing that. 

“State and local government spending has been rising three times as fast as revenue amid warnings from governors that their finances are nearing crisis stage.”

More here.

In these times of $4/gallon gas, pro-transit folks are trumpeting light rail as the solution. In blogs from all over the country, the debate is hot about whether or not to accept the outrageously expensive light rail projects on the local ballot. That is why it is somewhat refreshing to read two recent articles about local areas that are instead focusing first on increasing their bus rider ship.
The first article is about South Florida where the sprawling infrastructure does not lead itself easily to implementing light rail. However, they would benefit from more frequent buses and additional stops as well as an express bus route. All of these things are in the works for the next year or two. Not bad.
The second article describes the new Illinois 13 bus route that links rural communities to several important locations, including major hospitals, colleges, the airport and the mall. It was a joint effort between the Rides Mass Transit District, the Illinois DOT and three colleges. I say, good job folks, in accessing the needs of your people and responding in a fiscally responsible and practical manner.
In general, increased bus activity is preferable to a monster light rail project. The question is, how do you get people to park and use the buses? In the Illinois example, we see the route catering specifically to students who need that connection between campuses and seniors who need access to hospitals and shopping. So, how will South Florida tailor their new bus services to accommodate the riders they want?