Comments for Excellence & Equity for all... http://www.mollybenedum.com Molly Benedum cares about Education in Cuyahoga Falls Tue, 20 Apr 2010 13:05:06 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 Comment on Sometimes justice does prevail… by Rob Anderson http://www.mollybenedum.com/?p=95#comment-499 Rob Anderson Tue, 20 Apr 2010 13:05:06 +0000 http://www.mollybenedum.com/?p=95#comment-499 Kellie has my support if she ever decides to run for public office again. You too, Molly. Kellie has my support if she ever decides to run for public office again. You too, Molly.

]]> Comment on Sometimes justice does prevail… by Kellie Patterson http://www.mollybenedum.com/?p=95#comment-497 Kellie Patterson Sun, 18 Apr 2010 02:33:04 +0000 http://www.mollybenedum.com/?p=95#comment-497 Thanks Molly! Sometimes we just have to agree to agree. Thanks Molly! Sometimes we just have to agree to agree.

]]> Comment on An Arithmetic and Vocabulary lesson all in 1 post… by mollybenedum http://www.mollybenedum.com/?p=94#comment-496 mollybenedum Thu, 15 Apr 2010 02:29:27 +0000 http://www.mollybenedum.com/?p=94#comment-496 Kellie, thank you for your comment. While you and I agree on some of the history of the State Rd. deal, I cannot agree with you on the present and future circumstances. The fact of the matter is that as long as the City of Cuyahoga Falls remains the owner of the State Rd. property, the school district will not get one dime of money from that property. They aren't getting any money from it now. If the school board maintains their stand to "get the kids' fair share," Bob Stark can just walk away. He's lost some on the deal, but that's just business. A tax write-off and nothing more. However if he walks, the City is going to have a hard time selling development of this property to another developer with a school board that isn't willing to play ball to support development in the community. And again I go back to: if the property doesn't get developed, the schools get nothing. So the City can't find a developer that is interested in building a project that the City feels is a positive contribution to the community... But they have to pay for the investment they've already made in the property, can't have the City fall into debt over this ill-timed deal. Because you're right, the property won't sit vacant. The City can't afford that. So what to do? I'd go to Vegas with my last dollar that if the City is pushed to that point, they'll have to auction the property to the highest bidder. And I'd bet my second to last dollar that the high bidder will be HUD because the Federal Government has more money to spend than it probably should because of the Stimulus Programs. The economy has increased the need for low income housing and Caucasian Falls is ripe for the picking because a) it looks good if the government can build low income housing in a historically prejudiced area and b) the property is cheap because no one else wants to develop there. And guess what, if it's a straight out sale, the school board probably has no say. And much like the City, if the Feds own the property, they don't pay property taxes either. Collectively, the school district and the citizens of this community can cut off their nose to spite their face because of the "stupid real estate deal" that's already done or we can try to get the best we possibly can out of a property that 2 years ago everyone was calling an eyesore. Me, I'd rather get something than nothing, and I think that is the best thing for the kids too. Kellie, thank you for your comment. While you and I agree on some of the history of the State Rd. deal, I cannot agree with you on the present and future circumstances.
The fact of the matter is that as long as the City of Cuyahoga Falls remains the owner of the State Rd. property, the school district will not get one dime of money from that property. They aren’t getting any money from it now.
If the school board maintains their stand to “get the kids’ fair share,” Bob Stark can just walk away. He’s lost some on the deal, but that’s just business. A tax write-off and nothing more.
However if he walks, the City is going to have a hard time selling development of this property to another developer with a school board that isn’t willing to play ball to support development in the community. And again I go back to: if the property doesn’t get developed, the schools get nothing.
So the City can’t find a developer that is interested in building a project that the City feels is a positive contribution to the community… But they have to pay for the investment they’ve already made in the property, can’t have the City fall into debt over this ill-timed deal. Because you’re right, the property won’t sit vacant. The City can’t afford that.
So what to do?
I’d go to Vegas with my last dollar that if the City is pushed to that point, they’ll have to auction the property to the highest bidder. And I’d bet my second to last dollar that the high bidder will be HUD because the Federal Government has more money to spend than it probably should because of the Stimulus Programs.
The economy has increased the need for low income housing and Caucasian Falls is ripe for the picking because a) it looks good if the government can build low income housing in a historically prejudiced area and b) the property is cheap because no one else wants to develop there.
And guess what, if it’s a straight out sale, the school board probably has no say. And much like the City, if the Feds own the property, they don’t pay property taxes either.
Collectively, the school district and the citizens of this community can cut off their nose to spite their face because of the “stupid real estate deal” that’s already done or we can try to get the best we possibly can out of a property that 2 years ago everyone was calling an eyesore.
Me, I’d rather get something than nothing, and I think that is the best thing for the kids too.

]]> Comment on An Arithmetic and Vocabulary lesson all in 1 post… by Kellie Patterson http://www.mollybenedum.com/?p=94#comment-495 Kellie Patterson Wed, 14 Apr 2010 14:29:54 +0000 http://www.mollybenedum.com/?p=94#comment-495 None of our city officials care about the children of CF. They've had numerous opportunities to say something and keep CF kids in CF schools. Saying nothing speaks volumes. I shoud copyright that! The board and city both got what they derserve. By sitting mute on redistricting the city hoped to get its tax deal passed. They forgot that the Silver lake School Board needs our kids AND our money to keep Silver Lake Elementary open. I guess Joe Brodzinski just learned a new finance lesson! Village is thicker than School District. You're right, what's done is done. This wont sit as a mud pit. The city should find a way to repay itself for its State Road mistake that doesn't take money from kids. Let the school board have the half million in property taxes that it's entitled to and let Robart (and Stark) look to his own budget for a way to repay ourselves! Listen to how dumb that sounds! We must find a way to repay ourselves for our stupid real esate deal. It's embarrassing to say out loud. None of our city officials care about the children of CF. They’ve had numerous opportunities to say something and keep CF kids in CF schools. Saying nothing speaks volumes. I shoud copyright that!

The board and city both got what they derserve. By sitting mute on redistricting the city hoped to get its tax deal passed. They forgot that the Silver lake School Board needs our kids AND our money to keep Silver Lake Elementary open. I guess Joe Brodzinski just learned a new finance lesson! Village is thicker than School District.

You’re right, what’s done is done. This wont sit as a mud pit. The city should find a way to repay itself for its State Road mistake that doesn’t take money from kids. Let the school board have the half million in property taxes that it’s entitled to and let Robart (and Stark) look to his own budget for a way to repay ourselves! Listen to how dumb that sounds! We must find a way to repay ourselves for our stupid real esate deal. It’s embarrassing to say out loud.

]]> Comment on You go out of town for a few days… by mollybenedum http://www.mollybenedum.com/?p=92#comment-489 mollybenedum Sun, 28 Mar 2010 19:57:32 +0000 http://www.mollybenedum.com/?p=92#comment-489 Aaahh yes, the deal with Robert Stark... Chip and I had dinner at Legacy Village just last night, and it was sad to see the number of empty storefronts there. Spending money to add retail space in this economy is like pushing for universal healthcare when you have trillions of dollars of war debt to pay. It doesn't make sense. And it doesn't surprise me one bit that the BOE will give tax breaks to the owner of the center while asking Joe Public for more money. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Aaahh yes, the deal with Robert Stark…
Chip and I had dinner at Legacy Village just last night, and it was sad to see the number of empty storefronts there. Spending money to add retail space in this economy is like pushing for universal healthcare when you have trillions of dollars of war debt to pay. It doesn’t make sense.
And it doesn’t surprise me one bit that the BOE will give tax breaks to the owner of the center while asking Joe Public for more money.
The more things change, the more they stay the same.

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