Another Redevelopment Hack

Isn't Robert Fasic the same guy that almost won an appointment to the Eureka Planning Commission? I guess he's on the Eureka Redevelopment Agency now and wrote this My Word column published in today's Times- Standard. I suppose if you're on the Redevelopment Agency it goes with the territory to believe in redevelopment efforts. I hope this is the highest this guy ever goes in politics.

First, to get my ire, is his blaming the Humboldt Taxpayer's League for having people question the legitimacy of the Eureka Redevelopment Agency as a result of their lawsuit against the City. Well, as I've said before, I opposed the lawsuit but the Taxpayer's League should be commended for whatever attention they brought on the subject of redevelopment. That might be the only good thing that comes out of that lawsuit.

Fasic then goes on to encourage redevelopment efforts that consist of distinctive and high quality architecture. That sounds nice but it's also another way of saying more expensive than usual architecture. So, not only does the redevelopment effort suck money out of the general fund, it also pays more than a private person might to put up a structure in the same place. The County Library might be used as an example: Sure, looks real nice but there's no money left to keep the place open, at least from what I understand.

I don't have a problem with someone who wants to see Eureka look nice. I do have a problem with people that seem to think, if we just keep spending money on redevelopment projects (especially expensive ones), utopia will find us, eventually.

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Hey, who is it that keeps coming to this page by doing a search for Fred, Arcata on that blogspot search thing? I keep getting hits from someone doing that search over and over again so I assume it's a regular visitor. Don't you know how to add this page to your Favorites?