Thursday, August 23rd, 2007...8:11 am
It All Depends on Whose Neighborhood It Gets Spent In
Y’all may remember a while back when the Star ran a story decrying the lack of neighborhood reinvestment money being spent in Ray Carroll’s and Ann Day’s districts. As I pointed out at the time, a big part of the reason for this was the lack of neighborhoods in those areas that needed the money. Ah, but that didn’t stop one poster on here from whining about it. It was said that “nothing” is being spent in Carroll’s and Day’s districts. This, of course, was totally ridiculous. And, of course, the knuckledraggers that post on the Star’s message boards quickly made it into a racial argument.
I pointed out at the time that the money spent on transportation projects in those areas dwarf the money spent on neighborhood reinvestment county wide. In fact, these areas get the lion’s share of transportation money. Who confirms this? Ann Day’s office.
In her latest newsletter, Day takes credit for the millions spent on transportation in her district. Hey, no problem there. In fact, she says:
[A] recent report by the County Administrator shows that over the last five years, District 1 accounts for 54% of all road building expenditures in Pima County - more than $129 million dedicated to relieving congestion and improving safety in the district.
Okay, so when the majority of money from one program gets spent in midtown or the west and south sides, that’s unfair and a burden on taxpayers (and, of course, an indication of excessive partisanship and even corruption). When the majority from money from another program (the amount of money is six times greater than the total spent on neighborhood reinvestment, by the way) goes to the foothills and northwest side, that is just good constituent service.
So, do we get a handwringing article in the Star about this?
2 Comments
August 25th, 2007 at 8:41 pm
So none of that money for transportation comes from impact fees and other developer contributions for a district that has some of the highest development in the county? In addition, the stupidity of this argument is unreal: I would have to believe much of the transportation money spent in the other districts is primarily spent by the cities, because they’re like, well, in Tucson and South Tucson (exceptions for paving alley ways there, of course) or in Bronson’s case on tribal land. Oh, and where’s Sugar Ray’s district? Green Valley pays more in taxes than it gets back. Period. Guess that’s why Ray refuses to raise taxes (and Ann is willing to, maybe that’s why she finally got that transportation money). Finally, so no one else in the county uses roads in Ann’s district? I can promise you no one uses the pork the others get in their districts. Try again, Tedski, it’s pork and favoritism to punish Republicans, whose districts pay more in taxes than any one else.
August 26th, 2007 at 8:58 am
Oh, I keep forgetting the arguments from y’all…the people in Ray’s and Ann’s districts make more money, and thus are the only worthwhile citizens in the county. Glad to hear you are honest enough to admit that you think that way.
If this is true, why the handwringing from Ray and co. about the Neighborhood Reinvestment money? I mean, that money is supposed to go to low income areas, right? If we shouldn’t be spending money on low income folks anyway, why worry about whether or not it gets spent in your district?
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