Letter: Playing politics is not good for Carson City business climate
Submitted by editor on Sun, 11/24/2013 - 9:16am
This is a letter to the editor addressed to Carson City Board of Supervisor Jim Shirk: Jim, Your vote Thursday although disappointing was not a surprise. I believe either you have no experience in running a business and its challenges or you have no respect for the power of small business. We small business owners are also tax and fee payers to not only City, State but also Federal government. We are also the employers.
We are the ones who create jobs. I am not sure if you totally grasp the short and long range implications of a soon to be completed bypass. To make it easier for you to conceptualize this visualize the completed 580 project through Washoe Valley. The interchanges both north and south makes it much easier to just go around the old Highway 395.
This will also be the case on our north, south and east corridors. Casual drive thru traffic will stop to a dribble. This is where vision and leadership from the BOS was vital. For you to think that this was some sort of money grab from business directed to special interest groups was short sighted and was an ill informed opinion. I am not quite sure if you really understand the economic tightrope that alot of the businesses in the corridors and in Carson City are walking. Let me help you with that.
The last time I checked which is not that long ago 46% of our population base lives at poverty level or below. We have a 9% plus unemployment rate.....well above the national average. An untold amount have left the area to find employment and more business friendly areas.
The plan that was presented to the BOS in many ways was in the rawest of formats. You were asked to vote on a plan that was presented to you not just for the funding but for the approval for City staff to explore in detail the cost and final plans. That would have included open meetings, town halls, and corridor involvements.
All of this intertwined with the guidance of the BOS. It is a very complex plan. It involves enhancing our gateways. It also involves many details that enrich the lives of all of CC no matter what your background is or your age.
It is my understanding that government and citizens are partners not adversaries. What was being asked of you was a solution that many communities that face the challenges that a major highway bypass have dealt with.
The details are so complex that the 1/8 cent tax implementation was given to cities, counties and municipality boards for exact scenario. To even consider putting this to a vote of the public is a politically motivated decision. In my mind because of its complexity I see no difference in asking for the citizens to vote on City labor negotiations and yearly department budgets. These are the jobs that you were elected to do.
As for your question to Supervisor Karen as to whether disclose a conflict of interest because of her ownership of a business in the central district of CC I find that laughable. Karen's conflict of interest would be no greater or no less than yours. As somebody involved in real estate and development one of the goals of this plan is to help increase property values.
Thus an indirect impact on your business. Everybody in this plan has an opportunity to gain and that was the idea. Yes children, dogs, cats, business and citizens. All of them stood to have their lives enriched.
The 1/8 cent sales tax increment is a form of tax grant money where a significant portion of it is derived from people from outside CC. No Jim I am afraid that in this case you played politics and not for the good of our town.
Just so you know my love for CC is endless. I am in for the long haul!
Charlie Abowd
Owner/Chef/Adeles
- Carson City
- 1/8 cent tax
- 395
- Business
- business owners
- carson
- Carson City Business
- cats
- CC
- charlie abowd
- children
- City
- corridors
- Development
- dogs
- Editor
- Employers
- Employment
- Experience
- funding
- Government
- help
- highway
- Highway 395
- Leadership
- Letter to the Editor
- love
- Mind
- money
- Opinion
- opinion
- Opportunity
- Politics
- public
- Real Estate
- running
- sales
- sales tax
- Small Business
- south
- special interest
- staff
- state
- tax
- vote
- Washoe
- Washoe Valley
- jobs
- Traffic
- unemployment
