Response to the PB 10/21 Editorial

I have avoided being “political” in my blog to you but I feel I have to respond to the PB’s editorial on October 21 so you are warned and can leave now.

I’d held off because anything I would say could be looked as a “sour grapes” thing but, as I talk to people in the ward, most were a bit confused by this and suggested that I should tell my side of the story.

I believe the PB did the entire city, all the other candidates, and especially the Fifth Ward a disservice with the “Shaun Palmer is the best city council candidate in the entire field” statement without looking any deeper into his “ideas” for practicality, workability, accuracy. I think both should be able to articulate his proposed solutions instead of simply stating “I have an idea.” We all have ideas. I believe that experience and knowledge were enough for the rest of us to hold back on our ideas unless we could articulate a solution. For example:

-- Raising city’s lodging taxes to create cash for future debt payments and to fund the convention bureau isn’t a bad idea. However,it took 2-3 years of effort with state legislature to raise the lodging tax 1% from 3% to 4% much less doubling it as Mr. Palmer once suggested or even raising it 2-3%. The dollars raised are dedicated by law to the Convention and Visitors Bureau and we had to negotiate a special law so we could split the tax raised 50/50 with the Convention Bureau -- otherwise we’d only be able to keep 5% of this tax raised. we chose to let this effort sit on the back burner for a bit while we negotiated a sales tax extension for $40 M for city and county roads and the College. It’s not a dead issue but it’s not the revenue generator they’d have you believe it is.

-- Crime as his #1 issue. Last week it was the 58% rise in your property tax since 2001. I corrected him on this and he fired back that it was my inexperience that led me to question his numbers. Actually it was my experience that caused me to misjudge his statement as talking about the tax base (tax levy) instead of the actual property tax. I just couldn’t believe he did what he did – took one sample residence with a higher than normal market value increase (43%) for 2001 to 2006 and then used the city share of tax increase $221 to $350 to come up with 58% which he presented at 4 different forums as “Your taxes have gone up 58% since 2001”… Since 2003 the tax levy went up 47.7% and we can account for almost all of it from the 19% population growth, 22% Local Government Aid cuts from the state that we’ve had to make up ($18.5 M) … well if you’re really interested contact me and I can give you the details. The property tax average was more around 25-26% for the city if you want to get technical.

Public safety has always been my #1 priority. The PB give him credit for wanting to add more officers to fight the “rising crime rate” also “to cut off any notion that Rochester is soft on crime …” A headline article on June 26, 2006 states “Calls rise as crime drops”! We'd all like to see zero crime so any rate is too high but the crime rate dropped 36% since 1990 -- police department numbers provided to us at the start of our campaign -- Even with a population increase of 53%. Actually in the last 3 years serious crime dropped 16.4%; all crime dropped almost 14%; and the population rose 6.5%. Heck of a crime wave we have here! The chief asked for 5 more officers and he’ll get them. The council has never rejected a request for more officers, upgraded equipment, etc. when public safety is at risk. The real place to send the tough on crime message is through the court system. Shaun’s best idea that the editors missed was the one where he suggests placing video TV cameras in neighborhoods. 1984 idea but a gem! Again, the real numbers don’t support his contention.

-- “Raise the standard for affordable housing in Rochester.” and “the current minimum standards are far too low” completely baffle me. I have no idea what this means or what the council would have to do with this. What standards are too low? We just went through an exercise with the realtors and a developer to look at affordable housing needs in Rochester and the use of TIF funds to finance these houses. Data didn’t support using these funds for this. Not a need. Man, I’d love to know what this “raise the standard” stuff is all about! Seems to me that raising any kind of standard would raise the cost of the house. ????

-- “Wants to set aside green space area …” Who wouldn’t? I said this as we discussed tree loss due to development proposals several times while on the council. I even used the same example as Shaun does, Cook County Illinois Forest Preserves. It’s where I grew up. He has never stated how he’s to do this without raising your property tax that has gone up 58%. I at least proposed to the environmentalist groups in a recent forum that we all collaborate to locate land and do like Pheasants Forever and Ducks Unlimited – have fund raisers to buy the land we want to preserve with private funds. Not a line anywhere about that suggestion and yet a PB reporter was in house when I made it. What about credit to the incumbent council for initiating and passing the Decorah Edge protection ordinance, supporting the Parkland dedication ordinance, or initiating a study for a possible ordinance or incentive to developers on tree conservation/preservation? How about credit for recently supporting the RNeighbors NeighborWoods tree planting effort with $5000 (planting 200 trees last Saturday, October 21) a collaboration of RPU, RNeighbors, resident volunteers, and the city forestry department – all efforts I happened to be directly involved with. These are actual happenings not just an “idea” without substance. But then again I’m not a leader. Frustrated, you bet I am.

-- “bucking trendy establishment ideas” … “rejects the notion that the city should be in the business of downtown development” …. WOW! The BIG concern in the last election was, “What is THE CITY going to do about the failing downtown area?” That was the hot button then and I suggested what turned out to be right on the money - a collaboration of business, developers, and residents that became the RDA with Sandy Keith at the helm. Trendy indeed! Mayo, the Chamber, etc. The city has the lead on building a new Biotechnology Development Building which will bring in new business and tie into the Mayo/UM Biotechnology program.

-- Finally “Palmer would challenge city staff to try new approaches to old problems. … would not hold failure against them … set a tone and direction for staff members and then expect them to follow.” What the heck do they think we’re doing now? Staff has always been encouraged to try new approaches and I don’t know a case where anyone has been punished for failure. This, to me is most elementary and shouldn’t even be a question or in discussion. Look at the changes made in most all departments – the Library, Civic Music, Mayo Civic Center, the Police and Fire Departments, Public Works, city admin --- new technology, processes, people. TID, Tax Abatements, TIF, Bluetooth Technology, Johnson Controls to address cost savings in 20 buildings, and on and on. Best to let staff speak to these new approaches, tone, and direction.

“Just hate it when the facts get in the way of a good story.”

Feel free top contact me if you have any questions.

Bob Nowicki 507 285-0295 bobnow@charter.net