This morning’s Press had a shocker…if the proposed school levy is approved, the owner of a $200,000 house will pay a total of $550 per year!
Any comments, questions or ideas on this or any subject?
April 18, 2008
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That’s would be just the portion of the property tax slated for 271 not the total tax obligation. What’s more telling is that they want to increase the tax rate for the school district by 240 %. Again that might be considered acceptable IF they would in some way justify the needed expenditures.
Comment by Wallypog — April 18, 2008 @ 11:19 am
I read that Mayor Bloem thinks that joint meetings held in the Salvation Army facility is a good idea. Knowing that one of the architects for the library is also working on the Salvation Army facility, I wonder if the chapel/meeting room will be better designed and complete with better audio/visual/lighting equipment.
Comment by Susie Snedaker — April 18, 2008 @ 2:07 pm
One of my newsletter readers predicted several weeks ago that the school district would find a way to get some of the levy money into the Kroc Center. I was skeptical, but am now rethinking it. For Sandi to suggest the city council and school district meet at the Kroc Center seems to signal the opening for the school district to develop some after school programs, etc. at the Kroc that would be funded with our tax dollars.
Comment by mary — April 18, 2008 @ 3:46 pm
It’s nice that these two public, taxing entities are friendly. But they’re too close for my comfort. Each has specific, constitutional duties. Each has a specific duty and sphere of influence. That taxpayers of Coeur d’Alene are funding, underwriting, or helping the School District is wrong. The School District is a separate entity for a reason; its area includes the city of Hayden and portions of the county. There is no reason for my city taxes to benefit those people, especially with issues like sidewalks affecting our own citizens.
It would be alarming for Mayor Bloem and Superintendent Amend continue to blur the distinction between the entities. There is no reason for them to do so, but everything I read looks like Bloem is trying to combine School District 271, the City, and NIC under one umbrella. That’s a terrible idea and would be a tremendous disservice to everyone.
Comment by Dan — April 18, 2008 @ 4:07 pm
Mary,
In your 3. comment, are you hypothetically considering that if the Kroc Center runs into financial difficulty, the school district might contract unnecessarily with Kroc Center to host activities the schools could conduct at their own facilities or activities the schools don’t need at all?
Comment by Bill — April 18, 2008 @ 5:24 pm
Dan, the funding of projects by citizens who don’t benefit from the tax they pay isn’t new. As you know, the Lake City Development Corporation impacts rates for the various entities spread throughout Kootenai County, while their districts are completely located within the Coeur d’Alene city boundaries. That said, I concur completely with your assessment.
Speaking of LCDC did anyone notice that they again decided spend more of our tax dollars? The latest is $25,000 for Lori Isenberg of Northwest Dynamics to work with the STAKEHOLDERS in Midtown gathering data and reactions to the proposed affordable workforce housing project headed by Idaho Housing Finance Association. During their latest meeting, Denny Davis referred to her as Lori Barnes; was that to confuse us in the hope that we wouldn’t notice that the LCDC agreed to pay her $1,000 in their January meeting to help fund a new position for her with the previously all volunteer, Kootenai Perspectives Housing Group. In another name change, this group is now called the North Idaho Housing Coalition and they are doing some good works to move their cause forward.
Problem One: Lori Barnes/Lori Isenberg has no background in affordable housing. Check her credentials.
Problem Two: If you listened to Jim Elder during the last meeting, he stated that Idaho Housing has the lead role in this project and that no firm plan had yet been determined, but that IHFA has an aggressive schedule for this development. So without a plan they can hire at our expense an individual with limited experience. Were there competitive bids? Why don’t they see if they can find someone who knows something about affordable workforce housing to facilitate the project?
Problem Three: Brad Jordan stated that most of the items were covered in her proposed scope of work. As a taxpayer. guess what Brad; I want ALL of the issues in question to be covered before you spend my money.
Problem Four: It appears as LCDC has found another way so thay don’t have to get involved with affordable workforce housing. Hiring it done means that you don’t have to get your hands dirty, you can just talk about all of the things in the works that you are going to do.
With all of the focus on the May 20th School District 271 Levy, the proposed University Place(Education Corridor), the County tax assessment fiasco, sidewalk repair and dog parks; the Lake City Development Corporation has been getting a free pass and they seem to know it. If you watched the last meeting, I’m sure you noticed the jovial attitude and I wished that I had counted the number of times they patted each other on the back for good reports and excellent information. From the first act, when Rod Colwell spoke of the substantial amount of funds on deposit at various financial institutions and the properties in their real estate portfolio that are producing a negative cash flow and will for some time, but that this cash drain(more taxes)is acceptable because they know why the properties were acquired(I don’t)to the intermission where the $100,000+(Berns salary) green light, yellow light, red light report was presented by Executive Director Berns, the whole meeting had a cutesy feel. Director Berns wise cracked about the greenish yellow and the yellowish green projects to which Chairman Nipp jokingly quiped that it must be Jim Elder’s printer and of course then complemented Tony on a job well done. If they won’t take their job seriously, then I want to see more red lights. I believe this new happy LCDC meeting is directed by Stephanie Bales who provided the last act of the last meeting. She reported to the LCDC that her PR campaign to improve their public image was progressing and that the comments she was receiving were easy to categorize. She also said it is “good news.” What does that mean? Who has she spoken with? Dan has she contacted you? Mary has she contacted you? The two of you with the help of a few others who came forward to challenge the status quo in the last city election brought up issues that required answers. This group is probably responsible for her position being created. She should contact these people; if for no other reason than to thank them. Dan, Mary and others, I promise I wont’t send you a bill for my portion of her $35,000 fee. Bill have you been questioned? This whole exercise at taxpayer expense is simply a public relations stunt. I don’t believe that I’m going to stay for the encore. The Lake City Development corporation does not want dissenting comments and neither does the Coeur d’Alene City Council who is responsible for their oversight.
To conclude my comments , I will remind you not to worry as this is Financial Literacy Week. Al Hassell who sits on the LCDC Board and oversees this board as an elected city councilman in our city is very active in this group. He could teach me how to get taxpayers to help fund a position which makes me an expert so that I may get more taxpayer money three months later. With his help, I could become skilled in charging permit fees for city requirements and spending money on undefined and unplanned projects. However, the most important lesson objective would be how to shift accountability for any and all of my actions. With a mentor like that, I could acquire enough inside connections to provide answers for all of us. Just one person can make a difference if we can break in to the inner circle. Al, I’ll see you in class. LCDC your hall pass has just expired!
Comment by doubleseetripleeye — April 19, 2008 @ 2:23 am
The city submitted an activities wish list to the Salvation Army after the contract was awarded. Might the city have agreed verbally to fund some after school classes at the Salvation Army Center? Remembering the sneaky way in which the city handled the Person Field issue, any agreement will silently appear on the consent calendar some day. I agree that to blur the lines between entities is a major mistake.
I was told that Lori volunteered to organize the affordable housing workshops in hopes of securing employment here. And secure she did as she is now the pr person for Midtown and is the director of the affordable housing coalition. I guess it pays to be connected with those stakeholders and patrons.
Comment by Susie Snedaker — April 19, 2008 @ 7:32 am
By the way, I find this self aggrandizing to be inappropriate, insulting and nauseating.
Comment by Susie Snedaker — April 19, 2008 @ 7:36 am
Sorry, I should have said, “By the way, I find the self aggrandizing by the council and lcdc to be inappropriate, insulting and nauseating.
Comment by Susie Snedaker — April 19, 2008 @ 7:38 am
doubleseetripleeye,
No, I haven’t been questioned. Bales is a flack. She was hired to do nothing more than select the most appealing shade of lipstick for the pig. She will go through statistical gyrations to supposedly “measure” what shade of lipstick the public thinks will make the pig look better. Then she will start slathering it on. But even the most gullible among us will still recognize she’s just putting lipstick on a pig.
John “Dapper Don” Gotti, the boss of the Gambino crime family, wore $2,000 Brioni suits. The pig is still a pig, no matter how expensive or colorful the lipstick.
I’m not interested in talking with Bales. The only thing that can rehabilitate the LCDC is a complete transformation of the body. When it’s no longer a pig, it will no longer need Bales.
Comment by Bill — April 19, 2008 @ 7:42 am
Bales has not contacted me and I have no interest in helping her reinforce the skewed reality envisioned by the LCDC and Mayor Bloem.
On a positive note, however, I hope the LCDC gets as much entertainment out of Ms. Bales for $35,000 as Client 9 did out of “Kristen” for $4,500. But I have no intention of being party to that picture.
Comment by Dan — April 19, 2008 @ 8:37 am
I remember Lori Isenberg from years ago. She got famous here locally when she made her neon green, “We Support the Timber Industry” signs by hand. They were put up in almost every business window and household even though folks really thought they were ugly we all backed her and did it. That was her big start. I see she has wormed herself into the big time – big time now. She is now going to pocket 25 grand to work with people to secure affordable housing? Well,I think she needs to take a look at my taxes being from the ‘save the timber industry’ era and all,(we have something in common there but it was obviously much kinder to her)so, I can explain to her what the word AFFORDABLE means. I also see that her husband still works closely with Bonner County and it’s timber culls. I have not made 25,000 dollars in one entire year in this area yet. What a crock of wood rot. I see that Tony Berns on the LCDC site worked for 20 years in the industrial Forest Products business sector.
Comment by Stebbijo — April 20, 2008 @ 5:02 pm