[Vision2020] city taxes

Mon, 28 Jul 2003 09:55:51 -0700

All,

Please be aware that the university of Idaho transfers more than $1 million
per year to the City of Moscow to cover police expenses, etc.  The
University also paid for 1/2 of the wastewater treatment plant, and
maintains all the City streets located on campus.  The University has no
"legal domain" over health insurance - a student may purchase health
insurance from any carrier - but they must have insurance.

Earlier this year, the University met with local builders in a meeting
sponsored by the City of Moscow.  They told the local communities exactly
what housing needs the University will have over the next 10 years.  But, no
private developer can build apartment complexes that they rent for less than
market.  Most students and families that live on campus do so because they
cannot afford to live in Moscow.  It is only cheaper to live off campus if
you are single - what about married graduate and law students, many of whom
have children?

The University  supported and supports legislation to allow the use of the
Vandal Card off campus.  Many in the banking industry do not.  If students
can use their vandal card off campus - will they still opt for local bank
accounts.  No decision or change happens in a vacuum.  What may be good for
one group of businesses may devastate another group.

Ultimately, Moscow needs to increase its business base and decide to live
within its means.  That may include limited the number of parks and programs
operated by the City.   Also, how many buildings have been removed from he
tax roles by the City of Moscow in the past three years? But on the other
side of the coin, we save about $4 per year having a volunteer fire
department.  It is not simply a University issue.  We have lots of
government - federal, state, county, local - in Moscow and Latah county that
do not pay taxes.  Please take a look at your property  tax bill - what
percentage goes to what governmental entity?

It is difficult for government to live within its means, citizens always
want more services - but lower taxes.

Barbara

-----Original Message-----
From: vision2020-admin@moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-admin@moscow.com]On
Behalf Of Donovan Arnold
Sent: Monday, July 28, 2003 1:41 AM
To: strand@pacsim.com; jdanahy@turbonet.com; vision2020@moscow.com
Subject: RE: [Vision2020] city tazes

Mr. Strand,

I agree with you in part. We must provide more business opportunities in
Moscow. I also agree that Moscow remains to dependant on the University.

Where I disagree is where you have one student that contributes to the
running of Moscow and another doesn't. One business pays taxes and another
doesn't. One farmer pays taxes and another doesn't. One restaurant pays
taxes to the community and another doesn't. I don't like that concept. I
think it is unjust. I am student. I choose to live off campus for two
reasons. One, Moscow is my hometown and I want to help support it. Second,
it is actually cheaper to live off campus than on campus.

What many people don't realize is that the University has established "legal
domain" over many services and products. A few examples are computers and
health insurance. The University unfairly claims rights of products and
services that render other Moscow community businesses profitless.

I find it unjust for a health insurance company to pay money to a system
that in turn creates health insurance that is cheaper than what they can
provide. Likewise, computer companies have to pay the University which
requires some students to buy computers from them. To me, this is like
requiring Safeway to pay a certain percentage of its' income to Tidyman's so
they can make their prices cheaper than Safeway. This kills businesses. It
is a monopoly that can't be fought.

The reason I support more businesses to come in is to lessen our dependence
on the University so that we can say "NO" to the University every time it
wants something. To many politicians in Moscow cave into the University
demands that hurt students and residents of Moscow.

We need to have Resident Halls run and managed by Moscow Businesses. We need
to have the University do Health Insurance through local and Idaho
businesses. We need to have all construction done by area workers in Idaho.
We need to have computers purchased through Moscow and/or Idaho computer
companies. We need to have all the University banking go through local area
branches.

Moscow Businesses are in competition with the University. I don't think this
economy can grow as long the University sucks up the profit margin and gives
all profits to national and foreign corporations or wastes it on water
fountains and poorly constructed building that cost a fortune. I have been
to meetings on campus where they told the students not to buy from local
businesses.  The University has policies and contracts that prevent local
businesses from even being allowed to compete for business from Students.
Any student that lives on campus is required to put money on a Vandal Card.
The Vandal Card cannot be used off campus.

I also don't think businesses like Naylor Farms are the solution either.
Naylor Farms will use more water than the entire cities of Pullman and
Moscow combined. The area does not have the resources nor can we tolerate
the environmental damage it would bring.

Moscow needs to grow. But it needs to grow intelligently and within the
structure of Moscow culture. I don't want Moscow changing its' face or
turning into another American sprawled suburb. Moscow is Unique. I hope to
keep its' flavor. Unfortunately, the University has become a corporation and
not a school, and  it hijacking the local community from being able to move
in the friendly direction of helping Moscow residents and more toward the
interests of the University of Idaho Incorporated to make more money and
expand to an ever fattening bureaucracy that has the purpose of only feeding
itself even more. This must stop for any Moscow Community businesses to move
in here and be able to survive. We must first stop the annihilation of
businesses before creating new ones.

Thanks!

Donovan J Arnold

>From: "Bill Strand" <strand@pacsim.com>
>To: "'Donovan Arnold'" <donovanarnold@hotmail.com>, <jdanahy@turbonet.com>,
>   <vision2020@moscow.com>
>Subject: RE: [Vision2020] city tazes
>Date: Sun, 27 Jul 2003 22:56:41 -0700
>
>Donovan,
>
>The issue of high property taxes will remain as long as the city of
>Moscow remains dependent upon entities such as the University of Idaho
>and Gritman that pay no property taxes. Think about the land that has
>come off the tax rolls in the last few years (such as Cavanaugh's
>Landing). This means that a larger percentage of property taxes will be
>placed on homeowners. I was once told that Latah County has one of the
>highest proportion of taxes coming from the homeowners in all of Idaho.
>
>The answer isn't to tax the students and/or visitors to Moscow - the
>answer is to develop the business community in this town. These entities
>require the minimum amount of increased services (fire, hospital, water,
>garbage, etc...) and thus have the highest return on investment for
>their taxes.
>
>However, this takes a long term commitment in a wide range of areas.
>
>Bill Strand
>

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