By:  Diane Benjamin

City Manager David Hales previewed next Monday’s discussion.  See video starting at 1:15:00

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Giebelhausen will be back, along with David Bentley.  They have new plans for downtown.

Hales referred to Steve Friedman, this is his website:  http://www.sbfriedman.com/   Yeah, another consultant.

Prominently featured on the Home Page is Public-Private Partnerships.  Most of the Council loves these relationships, Normal has used them extensively to build their two Uptown hotels.

What it means is government wants something, but doesn’t want to own it.  Koos wanted hotels in his Uptown.  He talked corporations into building them because he accepted a lot the risk and kicked in funding.  Meanwhile, the Chateau in Bloomington as lost business to his hotels and therefore can’t pay Bloomington what they owe in taxes.

The plan Giebelhausen brought to the Council last time put ALL the risk on taxpayers.  This one will probably scale that back some, but understand taxpayers will be at risk.

Renner salivates at anyone wanting to develop downtown.  He doesn’t care that Public-Private Partnerships are the opposite of capitalism, or what the cost is to taxpayers.  Developers are more than happy to transfer risk to the City for their own personal profit.

Public-Private Partnerships are at best “Crony Capitalism”.

One time Italian dictator, Benito Mussolini, named this coming together of corporation and state ‘Fascism’.

Capitalism is the fairest and most equal method to transfer money.  Capitalism doesn’t care what color you are, what your gender is, or what you believe.  If you produce a product other people want – commerce begins.

Public-Private Partnerships, TIF districts, tax abatement etc all mean government decides where commerce takes place.  If it fails, oh well!  Tax payers have lots of money!

Local government is attempting to control every aspect of local commerce. It won’t work, it has never worked anywhere.  Eventually the money runs out.  The rich get richer because they aren’t playing with their money.  The rest get poorer because government IS playing with their money.

Do elections matter?

Too late, yes they do.