[Peace-discuss] News-Gazette article Boardman ART Theater

[LAURIE]

I have no disagreement with Bob's comments on the increase in the fees, as
well as with the notion that places like Chicago get those fees and even
more so it is justified in Champaign. My comments were mainly directed
toward addressing the extension of hours into the evening.  Obviously,
making downtown a place primarily for the wealthy is an objective of the
establishment and what they mean when they keep referring to the "creative
classes," which use to be called the "yuppies."  Unfortunately many of those
"creative class" members are directly and indirectly affiliated with the
University and are concerned with their own special class interests and
bourgeois desires (i.e. sidewalk cafes, bike paths and racks, trendy tapas
bars, etc.) and less with the needs of the poor members of community
(service and governmental service centers, drug stores and affordable
grocery stores - as opposed to high priced gourmet and organic groceries as
in the case of the one in the old Burnham development - reasonably priced
clothing and furniture stores as opposed to expensive bars and restaurants
that cater to the "creative class") close to where they live.

With respect to the issue that Ricky brought up, it depends on what time
period one is looking at.  There was a period in the past in and around the
1960's when landlords got tax deductions for loses from unrented rentals,
which served as incentive for them not to want to rent out space for less
than top dollar.  While the tax laws have changed, I am sure that vacancies
may still furnish some benefits to landlords - especially in the desirable
locations; otherwise, I think we would see more objections to the
development of new rental properties of the sorts we are seeing.  This
argument, of course, does not preclude the incompetence argument.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: peace-discuss-bounces at lists.chambana.net [mailto:peace-discuss-
> bounces at lists.chambana.net] On Behalf Of Bob Illyes
> Sent: Monday, July 21, 2008 3:59 PM
> To: peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net
> Subject: Re: [Peace-discuss] News-Gazette article Boardman ART Theater
> 
> Re Laurie's equity argument- my point was partly regarding equity.
> Parking
> meters cost the same for the wealthy and for the poor. It is better to
> keep
> the fees low, consequently, since as a proportion of income they may be
> unacceptable for the poor but negligible for the wealthy. Of course, if
> you
> want the downtown to be for the wealthy only, high fees are the way to
> go,
> as I tried to explain. I side with equity in this case.
> 
> Re Ricky's empty building question- one explanation would be 2nd or 3rd
> generation money in the hands of someone who was basically incompetent.
> I
> one time tried to rent an office off of someone who didn't seem to be
> playing with a full deck. He was leaving the offices empty hoping for a
> big
> tenant, he claimed, but I suspected simple incompetence.
> 
> It would be interesting to have a map of downtown with owners
> indicated, as
> well as commercial tenants.
> 
> Bob
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Peace-discuss mailing list
> Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net
> http://lists.chambana.net/cgi-bin/listinfo/peace-discuss