Comments on: Cities’ Recession Deficits: Belated Blow to U.S. Economy?

By: Stu Holmes

Stu Holmes — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 14:16:09 +0000

I would not call property taxes “the revenue mainstay for most cities.” In fact it varies state to state. Here in Ohio, property taxes are the revenue mainstay for school districts, not cities. Cities depend on income taxes – which are also at dire lows due to layoffs and unemployment.

My point is, it doesn’t matter what the causes are – the rest of the article is what is important. Still, not much that is said here is new. Maybe a more in-depth historical comparison of federal funding to cities and links to interdependency – that seems like a big statement, with little supporting argument.

By: Lawrence Gulotta

Lawrence Gulotta — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 18:29:40 +0000

National Public Radio (NPR) recently carried a story (12/07/09) concerning the President’s new agency “Office of Urban Affairs (OUA).” The new chief of OUA is Adolfo Carrion, formerly Borough President of the Bronx, NY and NYC Mayoral hopeful. The new Office has a staff of five. NPR reports that Mr. Carrion travels extensively across the country visiting promising urban projects, meeting with officials and participants. His favority cities appear to be Seattle, WA and Portland, Ore. The Office holds bimonthly coordinating meetings with upwards of 16 federal agencies. No press releases have been issued.

It is not clear what policies are being coordinated on a bimonthly basis nor is it clear what the Office’s planning goals may be. Perhaps Citiwire could he helpful in bring to light the objectives and results of our new Office of Urban Affairs?

By: Lawrence Gulotta

Lawrence Gulotta — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 16:08:51 +0000

This morning, December 7th, 2009, NPR ran a story and interview with Mr. Adolfo Carrion, former Borough President of the Bronx, NY, and chief of President Obama’s newly formed Office of Urban Policy. Mr. Carrion has a staff of five and tours the country mainly
highlighting “successful” urban projects and initiatives. Unsuprisingly, the focus was on Portland, OR and Seattle, WA.
Based on the NPR story, it seems Mr. Carrion’s office does a great deal of “coordination” among federal agencies.

Perhaps future Citiwire articles could focus on the activites of this new “Office of Urban Policy” and its chief, Mr. Carrion. NPR notes that the Office has issued very few press releases and receives little attention from the MEDIA and perhaps also from the Obama administration.

It appears Mr. Carrion is as interested in running for Mayor of NY as he is in his new job as Chief of Urban Policy. Is this fact or fiction?

By: Mary DeWolf

Mary DeWolf — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 18:56:22 +0000

When property values are lower, the tax rate is raised to meet the same demands. It is lowered, when the budget is cut.

By: Alan Feinberg

Alan Feinberg — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 18:17:24 +0000

In 1879 Henry George published Progress and Poverty. As a staunch believer in free enterprise, he found it perverse that productive activities such as the sweat of the brow, imagination and innovative investment were taxed while letting landowners get rich because they got land at the right time. George called for tax on the unimproved value of the land which increases improvements and minimizes speculation. Much more is in The Center for the Study of Economics / Henry George Foundation of America’s website: http://urbantools.org/,
and I would urge you to peruse that and talk to their Executive Director, Mr. Josh Vincent, when you have an opportunity. Josh can address how this relates to this particular column much better than I.