Recently, there have been many letters to the editor about Measure W, the March 3rd ballot measure that will put to rest the debate over redevelopment in Lodi. I question how many of the folks writing these letters live in the project area. I have lived on the eastside for most of my life and feel well qualified to provide my opinion.

For over eighteen years residents and activists, myself included, have fought long and hard for eastside improvement. We have asked for among other things, code enforcement, road repair, sidewalk repair, infrastructure upgrades, alley repairs, and improved lighting.

We have made a lot of headway towards these improvements with the help of many, many folks in Lodi and funding through the Community Development Block Grant, but there is still much to accomplish. Thus, you can imagine the tremendous disappointment that I and the community is experiencing due to the fact that the current redevelopment plan fails to guarantee the residents of the eastside the many services we have requested for so long.

There are a lot of proposals being made. We are told they may fix the road, they may build a library, they might clean up TCP and they could pay for water meters. All of these are wonderful projects, but there is no guarantee that any of them WILL BE done. The plan does not say they MUST spend more than 20% on senior housing or that they WILL fix sidewalks. If the plan guaranteed any reasonable project, I could support Measure W.

In studying the redevelopment plan, there are many provisions for developers and land owners to receive government subsidies. In fact, the council at a February meeting recently discussed that the city could reimburse costs to developers for construction expenses, architectural and design fees, off-site improvements, parking lots, equipment costs, fixtures and furnishings, facade improvements, and land acquisition costs. If you believe in free enterprise, these are costs that a developer or land owner should be absorbing themselves. Such land owner or developer should not expect the poorest of homeowners to subsidize them through property taxes.


My core personal beliefs are pretty basic. I believe government was created to provide infrastructure and public safety to the people they govern. In the free enterprise society in which we live, I believe we should NOT ask government to do those things for us which we are capable of doing for ourselves. Government gifts and subsidies conflict with my core political beliefs. It is very difficult for me to contemplate the city council granting millions of dollars to developers and land owners rather than using that money for projects that will benefit the inhabitants of Lodi.

There are limited requirements in the redevelopment plan for alleys, sidewalks, roads and basic infrastructure, the kind of upgrades which the eastside desperately needs.

Measure W provides handouts for developers rather than addresses the needs of the people of the eastside in a misguided attempt at economic development.

If all the surrounding neighborhoods are in poor condition, businesses will not want to come to Lodi. People will not want to move their families to such an environment. The current redevelopment plan puts the cart before the horse.

It is clear that fixing the neighborhoods and putting people to work with Public Works infrastructure projects will have a much more favorable effect and then the businesses will come to Lodi of their own accord. Government donations should not be required.

During the great depression, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, with Congressional approval, created many Public Works projects such as Hoover Dam and Lodi=s own Grape Bowl. These projects were created through the Works Progress Administration (WPA), employing millions of people and helping to change the economy. Creating good paying jobs will increase Lodi’s sales tax base. Studies have shown that when an employee lives and works in the same community, they spend their money in that community.

The proposed redevelopment plan needs to guarantee the eastside infrastructure will be the first project completed with tax increment dollars. If the RDA plan did so, it would result in creation of those good paying jobs and directly increasing our tax basis. We do not need to gift this money to the developers and the special interest groups and hope that by doing so we will create successful businesses.

I have always been a strong supporter of our community. I love Lodi. I do not, however, support an ill-conceived plan to give our city council a blank check to establish yet another layer of bureaucracy which will fail to provide the greatest benefit for the most number of people.

I urge the citizens of Lodi to join me and vote No on Measure W.

I would be delighted to speak with you about redevelopment. Please contact me at 333-2814.

Jeff,
There is no point in justifying the statement I made on the door hanger, because in my opinion it is a factual statement.
Redevelopment is a new agency with separate, new powers and responsibilies. It may be the same hats, but most certainly a separate agency. As more requests (developer handouts) occur in Lodi, the more staff will be needed.
More staff, separate agency = new layer of bureaucracy.
As you know, by law, 20% the tax increment should go to affordable housing. The state average is 6%. So let’s say, 80% of tax increment in the current plan is undesignated. Meaning 80% of $400 million dollars can be spent on any project, anywhere in the project area. No specific plan other than a laundry list of “I wants”. I call that a blank check. Period!
Change the plan. Be specific. I would support it.
If you would like to meet me publically – face to face – to debate any of the Measure W issues, I would be delighted.
JoAnne
333-2814

care to justify the lies in the door hanger that was left on my door. It does not creat another level of administration, it does not provide a blank check, Ive even heard a no on W person try adn scare folks by saying we would incure 400 million in debt! So apparently teh school board has it all wrong, the chamber of commerce (which is so anti business)is wrong, public safety officials are wrong, the rest of the council is wrong, oh and the hundreds of cities who have this exact program are wrong. ( we are one of only that dont do this). You apparently, as I noted before feel the state can so much better spend tax revenue from our town than the officals of this town. If you feel you are so inadequate to handle the job maybe you should not have run. The financial history of this town is far from shining and maybe needs to change. If you would like to spaek to a group of us business owners (20+) let me know, because personally we feel the pros FAR outway any cons.

Jeff,
The city of lodi has been successful in bringing companies to Lodi and the developer has been the one who provided the carrot (as they should.)

I believe, as noted in my blog, that the property taxes of the people who live in the project area should be the first to benefit from tax increment.

A real estate developer and former school board member in Santa Cruz county by the name of Doug Kaplan once said, "Developers take subsidies because subsidies are there for the taking, not because they need them."

So, Jeff, like Doug, I believe the developer should offer the carrot not the poorest citizens of Lodi.

It seems that those opposed have either fostered the fear from telling lies, or are telling the lies themselves to achieve that fear. Especially with the way our legislature currently spends money you would rather have them decide what to do with tax revenue generated in our city than the city itself. Apparently you have never been part of bringing in an Intel, HP, or other large corporation as they will ONLY go where there is a carrot supplied. Not only is measure W a virtual no brainer, but it is presented at a time of optimal success with property values near bottom. I urge ALL people to do diligence in their research. The school board approves, the chamber approves, the public services approve. There is no reason to vote against this. READ LEARN, adn decide for yourself. Don't let the fear mongers scare you through rumours and lies.