Last June, the Tracy City Council made an unsecured loan to substantiate or secure an agreement with the West Valley Mall and Macy’s. Macy’s is now moving into the mall, as per the agreement, and promises to open this month.
This agreement was made with the promise of increased sales tax, both from Macy’s and from the trade generated by increased sales made by adjoining businesses. Now the council is asking for an additional sales tax. Has the council lost faith in its bet of $2.75 million dollars that the city can stimulate business enough to get a return on that money and have additional sales tax beside? It is only a little more than three months since they took that action.
Measure E will not be effective until April, whereas the sales tax funds from Macy’s will start this month or next. Maybe we don’t need Measure E. I made a recent purchase out at the mall, and the sales tax was 8.75 cents per dollar — seems like enough, doesn’t it?
Since we will have to wait until next summer before Measure E produces any money, maybe we should wait and see how the new gamble of our millions of dollars pays off with Macy’s. It seems the council would have considered that before putting this measure on the ballot.
Ornley Gumfudgen:
RHCPs talent fer presentin factual information is much better than yers is Tom.
Typical response, if ya can't mount a good argument ta what's bein discussed ya resort ta denegratin th commenter. An ya seriously wonder why no one really listens ta ya?
Vote yes on (E) & (D).
"If you work for the city we can see why the city is all screwed up. So that means you are a Chamber Maid."
Tom Benigno wrote:
Where are you getting all this information from, a Cracker Jack box. Your sly remarks are getting out of hand.
Unless you can give proff positive information, about me or an issue don't give any information at all. If you work for the city we can see why the city is all screwed up. So that means you are a Chamber Maid.
Vote no on (E) & (D).
Just a thought, because I never put a whole lot of stock in rumors. But theoretically, if Target or another store were to open a store at the Gateway Business Center (or near Raleys) it would actually be a boon for Tracy.
But if you walk in Target, the store has racks of dollar bargains. In other words, they're trying to be a Walgreens type store, in the mall. In contrast, when you walk in the doors of Macys, they put their best foot forward.
I'm not knocking Target, as I still shop there too. But I'd start by negotiating the rent so that they could move the eatery and replace that area with more attravtive displays.
An eatery would work better outside Target.
In most homes, you don't walk into a kitchen. Especially, one cluttered with dollar menus and dollar store merchandise.
I don't know if Target will take advice from customer feedback, here, so just IMHO. Maybe talking directly to corporate would help.
Hope it helps!
We won't know until January if Macy's is having a positive influence on sales in Tracy and the mall. Thier opening hasn't helped Target so far.
Yes on E
Look what happen in Roseville today.
VOTE:
NO ON E!!!
Guess what? None of em work in Tracy or anywhare in th County?
Why?
Why would ya want ta work in Tracy when ya can take a short drive over th hill an have an instantaneous 20 ta 25% raise in yer pay an benefits fer th same amount of work?
TUSD has had th same problems in attractin Teachers ta Tracy ta teach our children. Why would they want ta come here when they easily can go somewhares else an make better pay in better conditions?
Many of ya don't like our City Manager. Some of ya say he's paid too much. Some of ya know he came from somewhares else an apparently had some type of problem thair.
So, why did Leon come here? Yes, he got a tidy package of pay an benefits, which some thank is too much. But he could have gone somewhares else ta make his livin couldn't he?
Some of th previous City Management has done exactly that. Thangs didn't work out in Tracy fer em so they all easily left fer easier pickins in greener pastures.
We gotta compete with th rest of th communities in this nation. Th same is true fer professionals in other businesses. Remember th cute move Doc Hollywood? What was th problem thair?
Yep it had a cute an sweet endin but that was more like fairy tales than reality. How many doctors do ya thank would do th same? My guess is not many.
So why should someone in law enforcement, or firefighters come ta Tracy ta establish thair lives when they can easily go somewhares else an fer th same amount of work get 20 ta 25% more right out of th startin gate?
Yes, it goes inta th general fund an many of ya thank that's a bad deal. An yes, we pay our emergency responders out of th general fund. But when th money is parceled out thair is only so much that can go around an th apportioned monies ta emergency responders becomes a fixed line item.
Yes, we need ta trim th fat. But ya gotta identify it an if ya just sit an do nothin yer gonna have ta make some serious cuts an that gets done across th board.
Wanna dip inta that reserve fund? What protects ya th next time ya gotta problem only money can solve? If th reserve ain't thair ya can't very well use it when times really become desperate now can ya?
So, it comes ta this, who do ya want ta throw under th bus? Animal Control an yer animal shelter? That comes out of PD's budget. It's also funded out of th general fund.
How about yer code enforcement people? They come out of public works don't they?
We could cut transportation, that comes out of public works too if I'm not mistaken. No more buses, just go call a taxi or depend on yer friend's good nature ta haul ya around town.
Thank yer streets an street lights are bad an need repair? How ya gonna repair em if thair's no one thair ta do th job?
Like them nice parks whair ya can play ball, soccer an have a nice place fer yer children ta play? Let's get rid of th people that maintain that stuff. A nice dead field full of dead trees an broken playground equipment covered in graffiti quickly becomes th result, not ta mention overflowin trash cans.
But that don't affect ya does it? At least not until ya consider what all that negative activity an results are doin ta yer own personal property an th money flowin out of yer wallet cuse thair ain't no one else left around ta help ya deal with th problem.
All of ya seem ta have become fat an use ta th level of services yer gettin. Ya gonna be happy when that level of service drops cus ya didn't manage ta fund it properly?
Some want th council ta decide. Some wanna wait ta see what happens. Myself I'm glad th people can decide. That way they, th majority of em, get exactly what they want, be it good or bad.
Myself I'm votin fer E cus I thank it will do more good than harm an it buys us time ta make better decisions on how th city is spendin th money fer th services we have come ta expect.
We'll have two new seats on the counsel when an if E passes an, no doubt, they will bring in more ideas we can explore fer solutions. So hopefully, over th next five years, we can land on a solution that works fer most of th people an can then rid ourselves of th .5 cent sales tax measure E will put inta place IF it passes.
At least ya got a chance ta agree or disagree which is more than ya would have had if th council just went ahead an did it without yer input.
An let's be adult about this. No matter which way it turns out thair's gonna be someone unhappy with th results.
I've already heard the candidates and I don't think there are any new ideas. What should I do. Crime is rising. This really doesn't look like a scare tactic. It's starting to make sense.
NO ON E!!
The city fire and police salaries have always been paid out of the general fund.
Also, the passing, or failure, of Measure E will have no effect on the hiring procedures of police or fire personel or their wages.
Residentadvocate1, would you become a police officer or firefighter for minimum wage? Perhaps they should just eliminate the police and fire academies and just have a straight up application process. Start them out at minimum wage. And since were trying to save money. No psychological exams, no background investigations, skip physicals and while were at it, don't even worry about job training.
Good thinking.
Please vote YES on E. We have to live with guys like residentadvocate1 and need the cops.
Ya rail on City Council about this thang but what ya have fergotten is that yer allowed ta vote on this thang.
What's th matter, would ya rather have no choise at all.
Th other thang is th very people yer wantin ta fire, AKA city employees an public safety personnel, are yer neighbors. Go ahead an fire em. Go ahead an watch th values of yer homes continue to plummet in a slumpin world economy as thair houses go inta foreclosure, forcin yer property values down, an yer propery values decrease because ya have even less adequate proction that ya do at present.
But go ahead an punish th City on somethang ya have direct control over an then take yer medicine with th results.
Ya thank th City ain't serious about more cuts ta fire an police? Well call thair bluff bunkey. Just remember you, not the City, is gonna have ta live with th results.
An remember, if ya can read an comprehend what ya read, if Measure E passes, it all goes away in five years unless ya decide to let em extend it.
this taxpayer is ok with dipping into savings...we save so that we can survive hard times...or to buy something we really want. Well, this is MY money they are saving...and I want to NOT have to pay more.
And no...I don't feel they've done everything they can in cutting...they cut from the bottom and they hold the dreaded "we'll cut police and fire" over our heads because how can you fight with that?
well...you can fight it with logic. Let's see the books city officials...come on...let's see them. Betcha some ordinary Joe can cut more without touching the safety officials.