Before delivering his happy tidings, McClure reflected on affordable housing. He said there aren't enough rental units, "so what is happening is people who can afford more apartments are renting apartments that other folks cannot afford now because the rents are rising and it's driving other people out of the market. It's exacerbating our homelessness problem."
So what does he do? He pushed for a $29 million handout to an out-of-state developer with no experience for luxury apartments that only will make housing more expensive for working people who want an apartment.
Brilliant.
49 comments:
Stop it! he's your boy. He almost sounds sincere until you get to know him. He packed all the different authorities with his syncopates. And you attack Brooks.
What a colossal waste of our tax dollars! And this guy wants to be a congressman. He lost my vote.
How’s Nate’s Palmer project coming along ?
And what do you propose Bernie? After this project was supported by Wilson, the school board, and the IDA, the County Council should vote no and Dixie should sit there and rot for 40 more years? No tax revenue, no affordable housing money for the county, no new beautiful building? You really think you control the county council and maybe you do influence the weak, and that's why you are toxic to Northampton County. Good job!
This project produces the same property tax revenue for the Borough, the School District and the County that they receive now.
Look at you Bernie, being the one that either confuses the three stooges on the Dias or you're just obfuscating the project and confusing the Republicans so that they can't possibly make a decision. In reality the county isn't losing money.
How a TIF works. 1.) Same property taxes are still paid to SD and Municipality. 2.) As the project gets finished, it gets reassessed. (Presumably the value goes up.) 3.) The increased taxes that would have been paid to the municipality go to the TIF board. 4.) That money is used to pay back the bonds that were borrowed to do the project.
McClure is truly clueless. Between the gracedale money fiasco and this he is giving RM a lot of great fodder for campaign ads.
Between McClure and Wild they could write a book on how to lose a campaign.
Big win, for tiny Wilson. They get more tax revenue right away in the for of EIT and LST.
Follow the money.
The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission has approved this project. The LVPC has said we need rental units for all income levels from the affordable to luxury.
I get the feeling that entire Dixie project will languish on for a few more years, the size and scope of it reduced . . . . but with no changes to the original taxpayer 'investment.'
Finally, and objective post on your boy McCluless- who is way past his expiration date!
Is there not visible work going on at the plant? Look at the building from Rte 22 or 25th Street.
TO ALL--- Get your act together. This project will be great for the entire community not just Wilson
I am quite aware how a TIF works. It enables this developer to use his own projected $29 million increase in value to finance the project as he develops it. Instead of doing to the municipalities, they line the developer's pockets. The municipalities get their money, but not for until many years after completion.
Its sycophants. And, Lamont appointed Bob Brooks to the Airport Authority.
I am opposed to government creating uneven playing fields with these handouts to the rich. Wilson Boro helped create the mess at Dixie by allowing the building to languish for four decades instead of actively pursuing obvious code violations like the numerous broken windows. The owner has had multiple opportunities to sell but has been too greedy and wants the government to help him maximize his profit. So now the government is supposed to step in and create an uneven playing field. This is not capitalism. This is the government creating winners and losers. And no, this exacerbates the workforce housing problem. Units that could be rented out to LV residents will instead be at prices so high that the only people that will be attracted are commuters from higher paying jobs in Jersey and NYC. The government will actually assist in the creation of more density, higher rents everywhere else and higher prices, precisely as McClure himself. The argument that more luxury housing alleviates the problem is nonsense bc it assumes a stagnant population. This will not be the case. I support the attempts at workforce housing in Forks and Easton, but this is ridiculous.
Looks like Lamont's paid shill is busy this morning. Ultimately this is a tax dollar giveaway to his organized labor campaign contributors, the developer, and Joe Riebman. Unfortunately, it will likely get County approval from Zrinski and her 8-1 Dem Council early next year.
We don’t need more apartments. We need more entry-level single-family homes, town homes, etc. Too many young couples and first-time home buyers are priced out of the housing market because of high interest rates and low inventory (particularly low inventory of smaller starter homes). These folks then move into apartments driving up apartment demand and cost and pricing out lower income renters. Building more entry-level single-family homes will lower housing costs for first time buyers and renters.
But developers make more money from building apartments than they do from smaller single-family homes. That’s why developers line the pockets of our local township and county officials to make sure they get those tax breaks, zoning and project approvals, etc.
I don’t have an issue with this particular project per say. It’s better than putting warehouse there. But if local/county officials are serious about lowering housing costs across the board they would re zone for more med level housing and push any tax breaks for those kinds of developments.
Developer is going to take the money and run. Oooo, lord. Billy Joe and Bobbie Sue would approve.
That’s great. Can we all lock in our tax rates for the next X number of years at our current rates, no matter what we do to improve them?
Are you talking about the construction workers or the future residents?
The future residents, yes. But not until everything is done and the place is occupied.
The construction workers? Their EIT ultimately goes to where they live.
Vladimir: you are correct ! There is nothing in The TIF language that prevents the developer from taking the $29m and not putting a dime of it into the construction
Wilson council is desperate for any and all money and they couldn’t care less who it comes from or what the taxpayers think.
The Boro has continued to make itself less and less attractive to resident's, while desperately seeking any and all development regardless of the feasibility .
Wilson will continue to raise taxes and provide less and less to the residents until the entire Boro folds.
Elect better “leadership”.
Get Billy Mack on it.
Where is the evidence of this alleged corruption?
you are all not seeing the forest for the trees
Billy Mack makes his livin' off the people's taxes. Just like Lament! Hoo-ooo-ooo!
1:49 -- Don't bet against it, that's for sure. The only guarantee here is that Lament is getting something out of this, be it in his campaign fund or as a favor to be paid back if he wins the congressional seat.
This comment is either a complete misunderstanding of how a TIF works, or you intentionally lying.
Lets take a recent picture so the area can see the progress
No more broken windows
Vlad, I can tell you that Lamont has received nothing in the way of a campaign donation from the developer. I believe he supports this for two reasons. First, he believes that increasing the amount of luxury housing will actually increase affordable housing elsewhere. That argument presumes a stagnant population and thus is flawed. Second, the developer has agreed to use the trade unions. This will result in temporary jobs for them, but we are on the hook for the cost and when the job is done, so are the jobs. I support union labor but not if it means we have to hand out a tax break.
The pic I posted was taken at the end of July. If those windows have been fixed, it has been very recently. Send me a pic and I will post it. bohare5948@aol.com . I will not be there until later this week.
Perhaps; but do not rule out a favor to be repaid down the road if McClure is elected to congress. Any act of support or claimed benevolence by anyone running for congress who currently holds any elected office is entirely political. Saints and altruists rarely win contested elections.
Bullshitter. Show us your pic then.
Vlad, I can tell you that Lamont has received nothing in the way of a campaign donation from the developer.
Not yet., He doesn't need it until next year. The rest is your mancrush talk and BS.
Vladimir, no "perhaps." I have reviewed his campaign finance, and I specifically looked for a contribution from Bartee or Reibman or the architect behind Bartee. There has been no $, and given the controversy, I doubt very much McClure would accept it even if it were offered. Of course, he will take all the $ that trade unions can possibly give him, but that is nothing new. He has always been an ardent advocate for them. I support them, too, but draw the line at tax breaks for a developer when he promises to use union labor. Those are temp jobs.
you are a dreamer
Bernie--Off topic--When will you send out the questions to the candidates that are running for council and if you already did, any results. Also, any plans yet for a debate between Givanni and zinrinski??
I plan to send this week. As for a debate, I am looking for a venue but might also pursue a formal interview with each candidate.
Yes, I know the finance reports have been reviewed and there is no link. My "perhaps" was addressing the reasons you give for him supporting them and speculation that there may be a favor out there waiting to be called in.
This could be true about lining pockets of certain people and the developer
Take a look Maybe only eye wash for certain people
Developer is already running with the money. You will never see the Dixie done
Why even do it with the executive race??? Does Giovanni even want to win??? Doesn't say a word at meetings... Doesn't make a point or show anything about where he stands on anything. Start acting like some kind of leader to show the voters your capable of doing the job. This coming from a republican, county resident, and county employee union member.
@3:06 I never accused anyone of direct corruption. I used the phrase “developers line the pockets of our local township and county officials” A better description of this is developers fund campaigns of local, and county elected officials. This is particularly true at the city and township level. Its not “corruption” unless you can prove a quid pro quo. But there is an implied “you’ll support my development” that comes with those donations. It’s completely unethical but not illegal.
But again, the bigger point of my comment was if we want to address housing cost we need more entry-level single-family homes not more luxury apartments. And we need more local officials that will rezone for this and reserve any tax incentives for those kinds of developments. But developers make more money from building apartments so…. You can just follow the logic and the money and thats why we have a million apartment complexes going up compared to the amount of entry-level single-family homes.
Use Courtroom 1 for the debate
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