Archive: Opinions

Like all good striptease artists, Lansing Town Board Representatives reveal themselves in carefully choreographed layers.  In his editorial of January 31, 2014, Dan Veaner claims that "...a town center would provide varied housing and a commercial center that residents have indicated they want in a recent phone survey and during a study of creating a town center four years ago."  Mr. Veaner further quotes Request For Proposal Committee Developer David Taub, who claims that "...a town center could generate a $1.5 million in taxes to the four town taxing authorities (town, school district, fire district and library) and additional county taxes as well."

Now it's time for full, rather than half-truths.  If either the 4-year-old study, or the current phone survey, is available on the Lansing Town web site, I couldn't find it.  I was able, with some difficulty and persistence, to secure a copy of the current phone survey referenced by Mr. Veaner.  Nowhere in that survey is the basic question asked, "Do you want Town of Lansing Representatives to spend time and taxpayer money to develop a town center?"  That would seem like a rather basic question, to which it would seem, town board members don't want an answer.  I was also unable to secure the profile of the sampling that was polled, to match it against the population profile of Lansing.  Why is that, when our money was spent to secure the survey quoted?

All these rosy projections also fail to mention that the history of artificially developed town centers is mixed, at best.  Many communities found themselves saddled with significant bond debt, without the tax generation forecasted to pay for it.  I define 'artificial' here to mean development without natural demand.  The number of unoccupied storefronts in Lansing supports my contention.

A full-time town planner would be able to provide the town board with such historical information, but the town board apparently wants to '...save taxpayer money...' by not hiring such a knowledgeable person. At the same time, board members fail to provide a full and detailed account of what they spent on a failed sewer project, or what they will spend on a town center project in the future.  I strongly suspect that a full-time town planner would emerge as a fiscal bargain for taxpayers.

The sewer project was perceived by a majority of Lansing residents as a massive transfer of wealth from taxpayers to developers.  The town center effort appears to be a variation on the same theme.  It's yet another way to transfer wealth.

This would appear to be an ideal opportunity for a 'young turk,' a journalist seeking to make a name in investigative journalism, to heed 'deep throat's' words to Bob Woodward and...'follow the money...'  Who exactly is behind this and why are board members so set on rushing through this project, with limited disclosure of taxpayer cost projections, and without the informed assistance of a competent, full-time planner?

I expect that as Lansing residents become fully aware of the "town center project" and all of its ramifications, we will again see the 'No Sewer' signs popping up on lawns throughout the town, alongside a new, 'No Town Center' sign.

David Dubin
Lansing
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