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800 New Jobs and No New Taxes..Hmmm

I was recently asked if I support Measure 1 which is an initiative to expand the Spokane Convention Center and Arena. The goal is to attract larger conventions and events to Spokane so we can compete with the big cities. The organization behind this measure is called Citizens for Jobs Now and I must say I am intrigued.

They sent me a document that outlines Measure 1 and here are a few of the highlights:

It creates more than 800 new jobs in our community
It means more than $250,000,000 in revenue for the community
It does not raise or create any new taxes
it will protect and strengthen our river system

Additionally:

It will help retain more than 2,200 new jobs in the community
It will capture $71m of lost revenue (I assume a result of attracting larger conventions)
It will be paid in large part by visitors to our community
It will create jobs without creating new taxes
It will fund $65m in improvements to the convention center and arena
It will be financed using existing tax revenue (extension)
This will become a major generator of revenue and jobs in our region

I personally like this initiative and will support it. I have also helped create and liked their Facebook Page and you can check it out here https://www.facebook.com/pages/Citizens-for-Jobs-Now/246835638723908

Seems like a lot of positive reasons to vote for Measure 1, what do you think of this proposal?

Tags: 1, Arena, Center, Convention, Measure, New, No, Taxes

3 members like this

Comment by Matthew Alverson on March 28, 2012 at 7:25pm: @Richard Hancock, I was at an INBA networking event where the directer of CVB and part of his staff presented on this Measure. They said the funds have already been set aside for these types of projects and that's why regardless of whether or not it passes it won't effect taxes as stated above. It will also allow the arena to put in 1500+ new seats so that the NCAA can continue to host games in Spokane which increases commerce in the city immensely, amongst other events that will be attracted to the area. I don't have the statistics in front of me but I do at my office and know how to get them, I spoke to my group in Small Business Banking about how this is crucial to the downtown business community. If you'd like to get together for coffee (my treat), I'd gladly give you the info so you can decide for yourself-Cheers malverson@WaTrust.com

Comment by Richard Hancock on March 29, 2012 at 2:20pm: If you navigate to http://citizensforjobsnow.com and look at the lower right block it reads: "It is financed using an extension of existing tax revenues." It is my understanding that the reason Measure 1 is on the ballot is for the purpose of asking the public to agree to the extension of existing taxes which are due to expire at some date. If this understanding is incorrect, please explain.

Also, if what you have written is correct, "the funds have already been set aside for these types of projects and that's why regardless of whether or not it passes it won't effect taxes". If this is a correct statement, then why would a ballot vote even be required?

So, off to do more research I go...... after some searching I found this: http://wei.secstate.wa.gov/spokane/Pages/OnlineVotersGuide.aspx?sor... . It reads: [The Public Facilities District proposes] to reauthorize and extend the District’s existing sales and use tax and hotel/motel tax from September 1, 2033 to September 1, 2043.

A Yes Vote for Measure 1 is a vote to add an additional TEN YEARS to an existing tax. That is 10 years of additional taxes.

I am always pleased to discover when I mis-understood a position or point. But that is clearly NOT the case in this situation.

A Yes Vote for Measure 1 is clearly a vote for 10 additional years of taxes that have not currently been approved by the public.

Please note: none of my comments indicate my support or my objection to the measure itself. I am only addressing the fact that statements in adds presented to the public are, at a minumum, misleading and perhaps could be viewed as completely false.

Obviously, it is my opinion that the statements I am pointing out are completely false.

Comment by Jimmy Gleason on March 29, 2012 at 3:37pm: Just out of curiosity, why did this need to be a special election? It seems pretty asinine and fiscally reckless to spend our tax dollars on a special election to vote on this single measure that will go into effect in two decades.

Comment by Richard Hancock on March 31, 2012 at 11:02am: In not one of my previous posts to this topic have I expressed my opinion regarding Measure 1 itself, I have only spoken to how it has been presented. I now know enough about the measure to make and share my opinion of the measure and why.

I support a NO vote on measure 1 for this reason. Measure 1 asks for a current tax that expires in 2033 to continue for 10 additional years until 2043. There are too many unknowns for anyone to be able to accurately forecast what the economy will be like in 2033. We do not have the ability to know if this tax will be a benefit or a hinderance to businesses and the local economy twenty one years in the future. The past 10 years of economic challenges for our country should demonstrate this well enough for you. Let us not be short sided and ignore real situations and the impact of incurring future debt on individual citizens. Let us vote NO on measure 1 this year and then re-evaluate in 18 years. If 18 years from now the voting public were to approve a measure like this, then it would more likely be voted on by the people it would truly impact the most. -Richard Hancock March 31, 2012

Comment by Bill Kalivas on April 1, 2012 at 7:11am: @Richard thank you for sharing your opinion regarding Measure 1. Just to be clear, I am supporting Measure 1 as an individual and not as a representative of LaunchPad. I am usually against any new taxes or even a tax extension unless I believe it is in the best interest of our community and in my opinion Measure 1 is in the best interest for our community. The Spokesman Review featured an editorial piece in support of Measure 1 which in my opinion does a great job of explaining why we should support this Measure. You can read it here.