Comments on: NIMBY Grows as Madison Grows http://bloggingblue.com/2009/09/30/nimby-grows-as-madison-grows/ Blogging Liberally in the Badger State Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:33:05 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Forward Our Motto http://bloggingblue.com/2009/09/30/nimby-grows-as-madison-grows/comment-page-1/#comment-14959 Forward Our Motto Thu, 01 Oct 2009 01:45:52 +0000 http://bloggingblue.com/?p=5944#comment-14959 There is opposition to the Edgewater redevelopment from the left is because of the 16 million dollars in TIF subsidies that Hammes is seeking to redevelop the site (after spending a lot of money lobbying the Mayor Cieslewicz and the city council). It's a perversion of TIF to give the Edgewater redevelopment any money (as part of the TIF requirements they are advancing the argument that that area of downtown Madison is blighted). As for the North Beltline project, aside from being a potential conflict with commuter rail (budgets are zero sum games. If you are funding a North Beltline, that means you are not funding something else, like commuter rail), it's the wrong solution to traffic problems. The North Beltine is the Los Angeles solution to traffic problems (build roads like crazy) and isn't very environmentally friendly at all. It's no coincidence that Dane County Board conservatives like Eileen Bruskewitz are pushing the North Beltline. There is opposition to the Edgewater redevelopment from the left is because of the 16 million dollars in TIF subsidies that Hammes is seeking to redevelop the site (after spending a lot of money lobbying the Mayor Cieslewicz and the city council). It’s a perversion of TIF to give the Edgewater redevelopment any money (as part of the TIF requirements they are advancing the argument that that area of downtown Madison is blighted).

As for the North Beltline project, aside from being a potential conflict with commuter rail (budgets are zero sum games. If you are funding a North Beltline, that means you are not funding something else, like commuter rail), it’s the wrong solution to traffic problems. The North Beltine is the Los Angeles solution to traffic problems (build roads like crazy) and isn’t very environmentally friendly at all. It’s no coincidence that Dane County Board conservatives like Eileen Bruskewitz are pushing the North Beltline.

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]]> By: Ordinary Jill http://bloggingblue.com/2009/09/30/nimby-grows-as-madison-grows/comment-page-1/#comment-14946 Ordinary Jill Wed, 30 Sep 2009 23:05:52 +0000 http://bloggingblue.com/?p=5944#comment-14946 The Overature Center is an enormous drain on city (and taxpayer) resources. It is overbuilt for the market, and it drove out a number of community-based arts groups who used to use the Civic Center but can't afford the posh rent at Overature. Its business model requires large numbers of Madisonians to attend travelling versions of Broadway shows (which can be seen in many other cities). Personally, I was happier when the Civic Center and Dotty Dumpling's Dowry were located there. Jerry Frautschi's gift is truly a white elephant (ornamental but useless, expensive to maintain, and unable to be refused). The Overature Center is an enormous drain on city (and taxpayer) resources. It is overbuilt for the market, and it drove out a number of community-based arts groups who used to use the Civic Center but can’t afford the posh rent at Overature. Its business model requires large numbers of Madisonians to attend travelling versions of Broadway shows (which can be seen in many other cities).

Personally, I was happier when the Civic Center and Dotty Dumpling’s Dowry were located there. Jerry Frautschi’s gift is truly a white elephant (ornamental but useless, expensive to maintain, and unable to be refused).

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]]> By: PartiallyBlue http://bloggingblue.com/2009/09/30/nimby-grows-as-madison-grows/comment-page-1/#comment-14945 PartiallyBlue Wed, 30 Sep 2009 19:32:28 +0000 http://bloggingblue.com/?p=5944#comment-14945 I submit to you that the reason Detroit and Cleveland need a revitalized downtown is because they became cities instead of remaining towns. They had smart growth at one time and now it is gone. If your argument is that 'growth will occur someplace else if nothing is done' I vaguely recall the words of a California governor who famously said 'So what you are telling me is that if I send the water to LA then LA will have all the growth and if I keep it here then Sacramento will have the growth. Send the damn water to LA.' Sometimes growth is not the best option. I submit to you that the reason Detroit and Cleveland need a revitalized downtown is because they became cities instead of remaining towns. They had smart growth at one time and now it is gone.

If your argument is that ‘growth will occur someplace else if nothing is done’ I vaguely recall the words of a California governor who famously said ‘So what you are telling me is that if I send the water to LA then LA will have all the growth and if I keep it here then Sacramento will have the growth. Send the damn water to LA.’

Sometimes growth is not the best option.

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