tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post5426753156036345337..comments2024-03-25T20:06:39.794-05:00Comments on Grits for Breakfast: Harris jail building scheme an improper use of tax-increment financingGritsforbreakfasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10152152869466958902noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-55008996807463097852009-08-25T17:39:46.668-05:002009-08-25T17:39:46.668-05:00They need a place to put more jail inmates. They d...They need a place to put more jail inmates. They don't know what to do with the ASTRODOME. <br />Hmmmmm.........<br /><br />Not sure where the soccer stadium fits in. Maybe ICE needs a place to put more aliens.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-24848443330815544392009-08-24T18:59:24.096-05:002009-08-24T18:59:24.096-05:00TIF and TIRZ deals simply divert revenue that woul...TIF and TIRZ deals simply divert revenue that would have gone to general fund. Taxpayers, and in Harris County, homeowners in particular should be screaming bloody murder. The fiction is 'that these projects can't get done without the TIRZ'. Nonsense, if there's a need and a benefit things get done. City elections are near, the county critters are up next year...fire any and all who aren't term limited out this time.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-39258763437262031342009-08-24T17:48:48.303-05:002009-08-24T17:48:48.303-05:003:08, locking up criminals may (or in the case of ...3:08, locking up criminals may (or in the case of low-risk, pretrial defendants, may not) improve property values, but the effects are not confined to the taxing district and property values will decline in the area AROUND the new jail.<br /><br />Sugarbear, I don't oppose the city improving their inadequate facilities; that's a separate question. But a TIRZ for that purpose is unwise and unwarranted .Gritsforbreakfasthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10152152869466958902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-52736207510165140772009-08-24T15:33:19.350-05:002009-08-24T15:33:19.350-05:00What you're missing here is that the Houston C...What you're missing here is that the Houston City jail facilities, which, if I'm reading this right are the subject of the funding, are without a doubt the worst damn hellholes in the city. As someone who spent some time in the jail in my yoof as a "guest" 15 years ago and the occasional visits with my clients later, I can tell you that there are plenty of good reasons to build a better facility unless you subscribe to the notion that the next sequel to Escape From New York oughta be set in the Houston City Jail.<br /><br />-Sugabear-Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-40531411005361216372009-08-24T15:08:30.035-05:002009-08-24T15:08:30.035-05:00Locking up criminals doesn't positively impact...Locking up criminals doesn't positively impact property values? Since when?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-48078359774710559782009-08-24T13:13:51.791-05:002009-08-24T13:13:51.791-05:00According to these data, Dynamo attendance decline...<a href="http://www.mls-daily.com/2009/04/houston-dynamo-2009-home-attendance.html" rel="nofollow">According to these data</a>, Dynamo attendance declined from last year and it looks like they're only filling up about halfway the U of H stadium. So I do think it's questionable whether soccer has enough fans in Houston to support a new facility or justify tax-increment financing.<br /><br />That said, at least a soccer stadium has the imprimatur of economic development. Not so, the jail.Gritsforbreakfasthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10152152869466958902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-53935378361444447862009-08-24T12:44:04.106-05:002009-08-24T12:44:04.106-05:00Grits,
I completely understand your point of view...Grits,<br /><br />I completely understand your point of view on this article. On a much lighter note, you should ponder attending a Houston Dynamo game before concluding that soccer has no fans in Houston.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-85063727587644705152009-08-24T09:24:53.851-05:002009-08-24T09:24:53.851-05:00Sure would bnice of some of those Tea Baggers woul...Sure would bnice of some of those Tea Baggers would get outraged about a direct assault on the will of the people and taxes.Rage Judicatahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04765188025349228048noreply@blogger.com