Built it and they will run!

In 2013 I and others advocated for a twp. Dogpark. I thought it was a good idea. Something we needed. However, I felt strongly that the best community projects start with grassroots efforts. Meaning residents should spearhead, not the township.

To that end, for the dog-park to be a success it’s important residents who feel strongly to invest “skin” in the game by:

• Demonstrating support
• Organizing and contributing input
• Fundraising

Again, I just didn’t want this to be a solely township funded and spearheaded project. I feel strong about partnership. Philosophically, I think this is how a local government should prioritize funding initiatives. We should give priority to ones that start with grassroots efforts. This has been a theme in developing Camp Olympic. Many of the projects have been grant funded and supported at least in part by private donations.

At this point, I’m happy to report exciting progress!

1. We have a location: With input from the Parks board, guidance from the parks and recreation comprehensive plan and staff recommendations it was decided the first township dog-park will be at Camp Olympic.

2. The township has applied for grant funding from the state department of conservation and natural resources.

3. The Dog Park resident group is poised and ready to take the reigns. We have residents who have taken leadership roles. Here are ways to get involved:

What can you do to help?

First, visit the Dog Park information table at the 2015 Community Day! Tue. May 5th 4-8pm Lower Macungie Community Center. Information here.

Second, take a minute to check out the Dog Park groups website and while your there fill out the volunteer form! Also have you joined the facebook group yet? There is no commitment but by filling out the form you will be added to the group email list. Volunteer as much or as little as you can.

Lastly, stay tuned for a fundraiser event. This will likely involve 3 things. Food, music and your pups! Hopefully it will showcase the likely dog-park location at Olympic.

I want definitive answers to these questions:

1. How many construction jobs will there be vs. the estimates provided in the TIF narrative.

2. And of these jobs, how many and what % are going to locals? Locals defined by residents of the Lehigh Valley.

I have now heard from two people who work in trades that the jobs might not go to locals. Ok. Wasn’t this one of the reasons that some who voted for the TIF cited?  “X00” construction jobs for the area?

If this is the case I sincerely hope that those who used this rationale to justify the public subsidy are doing whatever they can to encourage and influence the development team to use local labor.  It’s my understanding bids are happening now.

My argument was always the shopping center would have been built without the TIF. (an argument justified by the County vote) BUT those elected officials who used the jobs argument as reasoning not to in their words “gamble” (silly word to use since there was never a question whether the center would get built) should be following through on this. Also why wasn’t there a project labor agreement put on this tied to the TIF? Couldn’t that have been something the 2010 township BOC negotiated if they were truly interested in local job creation?

I criticize public unions often. (that’s a lengthy convo we desperately need reform) But I have ZERO problem with private sector unions. Esp. trade unions. And in this case since public dollars were used to finance this project we should have absolutely REQUIRED local labor.

Wherever possible these jobs should go to Valley residents. I will monitor this.

I need to learn more here and confirm what I’m hearing. More on this soon.. If anyone else has insight here please contact me. Ronbeitler@gmail.com

Couple months ago Republican County Commissioners moved forward a budget with an 8 dollar tax decrease. This was by some derisively called a “Happy Meal” tax cut and subsequently vetoed by the Democrat executive. Later that veto was over-ridden by a 7-2 margin along party lines.

One of the supporters of the cut Republican Mike Schware stated: “It was less about the dollar amount being saved and more about sending a message that taxpayers will not be forgotten when the county has a good year.” 

The more I think about the Happy Meal characterization the more it bugs me. Look at it this way. As a resident of Lower Mac that cut put 8 dollars in my pocket. So ya, the cost of 2 happy meals. But take it another step and pair that decrease with the savings from the townships newly adopted homestead program that I proposed last January. On average the program saves homeowners 19 dollars.

Another $19 in a vacuum? 5 Happy Meals. Add it to the County cut? Now we’re talking a swing of $27. That’s 7 Happy Meals. Year after year adding up. For me? I don’t eat at Mcdonalds but I drive. $27 is a tank of gas.

Let’s go one last step. Add onto our figure the last EPSD tax increase. Averaged $58 per per household per year. I own a property within the avg. So for me, the cumulative swing is $85. Here are all the local tax increases and cuts together:

Cumulative impact for Lower Mac residents across all 3 taxing bodies.

Had the district held the line that would be $85 in my pocket. 3 tanks of gas over a year. Do we now see how the phrase “death by 1000 cuts” pertains?

Let’s consider another perspective. I live within my means but I’m lucky to have a successful small business. My wife also has a good job. We’re lucky. What about folks who aren’t? Stats show that Lower Mac has a poverty rate of 4.9%. Very low. Still we have around 1500 residents trying to get by day to day at or below the poverty line. Also a large population of seniors on fixed incomes.

For these folks 85.00 isn’t a laughing matter. They certainly aren’t looking at it in terms of Happy Meals. According to this USDA food costs chart for folks under the poverty line: (using the thrifty plan) At or below the poverty line 85.00 means:

FOR SENIORS: 85.00 feeds two seniors on fixed income for one week.

FOR A SINGLE MOM: 85.00 helps a single mom feed a newborn for 4 weeks, a 9 year old for 2 weeks. 

 

I could go on with other examples but you get the picture. Bottom line is 8 dollars might mean a happy meal for most of us. But for others if we look beyond the one-liners and consider the cumulative tax liability that compounds year after year the impact increases 10 fold. This is where the mindset of “oh it’s just a small tax increase” gets dangerous. These add up.

*Note: Incumbent County candidates Brad Osborne, Amanda Holt and Vic Mazziotti all supported this tax cut before it was vetoed by the Democrat Executive. They and other Republicans needed a super-majority to over-ride.

Republicans saw a $2.3 million dollar surplus and believed as Commissioner Schware stated that when the county has a good year, taxpayers should also. This thinking also sets us up for another measured decrease next year. Maybe it’s another Happy Meal decrease? But as we can see from above, that’s fine by me. It all adds up.

Lehigh County ended 2014 with a $2.3 million surplus

Related articles across the web

• death by 1000 cuts

Looking into the crystal ball the answer is… possibly. But it all depends on Lower Mac. This is based on the districts summary of outstanding debt. My friend Mark Spengler presented an outline of the school districts outstanding debt last week. Here is a summary: