PEE DEE CALLS FOR MORE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT VOODOO

Submitted by Roldo on Sun, 10/11/2009 - 14:38.

If Dan Gilbert had even a smidgen of real interest in Cleveland and its people he would show it by volunteering to pay property taxes on Quicken Arena.

 

Don’t make this bet unless you’re on the Pee Dee editorial board.

 

We are being offered – again – a lot of nonsense about economic development and jobs. This is the corporate and Pee Dee mantra for subsidizing rich people.

 

So if you want to fatten some fat cats vote for casinos.

 

“Issue 3 is a gamble. But business as usual will not work for Cleveland or for Ohio,” said the editorial. Issue 3 hands Dan Gilbert a second monopoly in Cleveland. This time a casino that can score more money that LeBron.

 

To me, this IS business as usual. Give to the rich and take from the rest.

 

Here’s a headline from the 1990s when the Pee Dee was helping sell Gateway: “Backers tout Gateway’s ripple effect – 16,800 permanent jobs envisioned within 15 years.”

 

Jobs, jobs, progress, progress. How do people still fall for this stuff?

 

Here’s how the 1990s article started:

 

“Within 15 years of completion of the proposed Gateway stadium and arena project downtown, several new office buildings, four hotel and numerous shopping spots could crop up adjacent to the development site, project backers said yesterday.” – The Pee Dee.

 

In its editorial “Yes on Issue 3,” the Pee Dee depends once again on the people who benefit, quoting Dan Gilbert, billionaire owner of Quicken Loans: “Gilbert insists he will craft a business plan that actually benefits the rest of downtown.”

 

Gateway II.

 

A billionaire interested in helping others. Oh, yeah, I’m convinced.

 

The Pee Dee had to whistle its way to an endorsement by passing all the evidence that says “Vote NO on Issue 3.”

 

“After a great deal of discussion and soul-searching, this newspaper has decided to support Issue 3,” says the Pee Dee.

 

In other words, the same old same old by the Pee Dee – go with what the big boys want.

 

“We understand that while casinos may bring glitz and gold, they invariably are accompanied by heavy social costs. We are also extremely skeptical of any initiative that enshrines a monopoly for any individuals or business in the state Constitution and sets up regulations for that enterprise in a way that can be changed only by yet another statewide vote of the people,” said the Pee Dee in its editorial.

 

Bad, bad but let’s do it.

 

The Pee Dee also cites Gilbert’s “own significant investments downtown.”

 

Gilbert, people, is the RECIPIENT of significant investment – by you and me – not the bestower of goodies.

 

As suggested by my first paragraph above, Gilbert enjoys a tax-free arena built by the people of Cuyahoga County at a cost of $157 million. By the way, we are still paying for it, about $10 million every January for arena bonds let by Tim Hagan and the boys.

 

So let’s not make Gilbert a philanthropist. He’s a taker.

 

Quicken Arena is a good example of how profits flow to one source – Dan Gilbert – and NOT to downtown Cleveland’s restaurants and other retail.

 

We taxpayers built a $1.8 million fancy restaurant in Quicken Arena – with not even rent coming to Cleveland or Cuyahoga County. We taxpayers furnished at a cost of $178,750 and with $350,000 in kitchen equipment. Total cost some $2.37 million!

 

There are other restaurant and food facilities built in Quicken Arena by the taxpayers of this County – total with the fancier restaurant - $4.9 million. Free for Gilbert and competition for all other downtown restaurants.

 

But give them more, says the Pee Dee.

 

And since we also built an attached parking garage and provided free parking for loge owners, many Quicken Loan attendees don’t have to set a foot on Cleveland streets – or in restaurants since we’ve provided them with plenty of food at places we’ve paid to build and furnish.

 

Yet, not a penny of property taxes for the Cleveland schools. Does that sound fair to you?

 

Why doesn’t Mayor Frank Jackson ask for some fairness to school children that he’s responsible to educate? Why doesn’t the Pee Dee ask?

 

Isn’t there one – ONE – Council member who will ask Dan Gilbert – billionaire – “Hey, before we give you another Cleveland monopoly, promise to volunteer to pay the property taxes on our arena which you use for basketball and other events and take the money and run to Detroit.

 

Won’t you, Dan Gilbert, pay your fair share, please? Pretty please?

  

 *       *      *      *      *    *    *     *     *     *    *      *     *   *    *      *
If you want to see some complaints against Quicken Loans go here:

http://www.complaintsboard.com/bycompany/quicken-loans-a4648.html

( categories: )

link

good to have you posting, Roldo. Is there a link to see complaints against Quicken Loans? 

complaint list

Thanks for asking. The link has been posted above now.

link to complaints

 I had to copy and paste the link to get to the website for complaints.  I can't figure out why, but it doesn't matter, just go one extra step to find out about Quicken.

Gilbert will craft a plan, he knows how to use his tools (Mayor, council, etc). Benefit downtown? Who is left downtown? Small businesses were forced out by the speculators 15 years ago, and what do we have now?

I do not think issue three

I do not think issue three will pass, most that are for it do not vote. It’s not likely 5,6 or 3 will pass. It's a matter of many be for it.... but most do not vote, the voters are not likely to go for any of it.

Quicken loans originated loans, do we know how many they originated that failed? They certainly are not cranking out loans today.

Gilbert is both desperate and pathetic, quicken loans hands are dirty, but we have no idea just how dirty because they just originated the loans they did not get stuck holding them.

So the man then says what can I do next…gamming thats a big cash cow and Ohio is ripe for it. It’s gross but I really doubt the issue will pass.

As for the corruption in the county, its because the process and systems they use are easily corrupted. The public data is not public only a sliver of it is public its owned by those in the real-estate business. Originators get a cut, then you have the huge title agencies that actually trade and hold property like freaks. Waiting for the grants and federal funds to open up then they take out their straws and slurp it up. Its not the contractors they are just the whores look closer you still have not caught the pimps yet.

Wait till the FBI says it is such a ridiculous fuck fest that we need an outside party to come in and clean it all up. Then the mindless dumb asses will scream its Marshal Law and the socialist are taking it over. You have a whole industry of whoring running out of your county and state governments.

It can be cleaned up just not by anyone locally thats for sure, it may require people from another country. People that have not already been brainwashed or brain damaged.

issue 3

I disagree, Oengus. I think that issue 3 will pass with an overwhelming margin because the state of the economy is so bad. People are reacting to the 34,000 new jobs and think that this is good solution for Ohio. A lot of people have been out of work long term now and there aren't any quick fixes. It is a shame that this made its way onto the ballot in these circumstances. I also think that either 5 or 6 will pass because , again, the state of the county is so crappy that people will think that this is a way to get rid of the corruptors.  All are a bad deal no matter how we look at it. We have to figure out how to contain these beasts.