Don’t Shy Away From The Best Investment You Can Make
It’s not often that an elected official from Tacoma will try to persuade elected officials in Spokane about how to vote on a crucial local issue. It’s not traditional and sometimes it’s not appreciated. But I’ve been known to say things straight-out, so I am going to do it anyway.
First, you should know that I grew up in Spokane, graduated from John Rogers High School and have parents who reside on the North Side. I know firsthand that Spokane is one of our nation’s finest cities.
Spokane is a family place. Spokane is what many other cities hope to be. However, in spite of all of its strengths and quality of life, Spokane is at a crossroads. Spokane needs a courageous vote of confidence.
Take one path and the city may lose its vibrant identification as the Inland Northwest’s cultural and financial center. Take another and Spokane will be among the best-prepared to provide opportunity and quality of life for a new century.
No city in America can be strong without a healthy downtown. All neighborhoods depend on the synergies from downtown jobs, wages, tax revenues and property values.
In Tacoma, we allowed our retail core to disintegrate. As a result, the city went into survival mode. All of our visitors walked through town and wondered what had happened as they looked at row after row of empty storefronts and buildings in need of repair. Tacoma lost its identity, stature, jobs and wages.
The loss of Tacoma’s downtown caused a 25-year effort to rebuild. It was and continues to be expensive and difficult. Spokane should not follow this path.
Tacoma began to emerge from its crisis when the city teamed up with private enterprise to rebuild its downtown. Together, using local, federal and private capital, we built the Tacoma Dome, a Sheraton Hotel, a conference center and office structures; we renovated Union Station and built a new state historical museum and, yes, even parking structures.
It’s reasonable for a city to use its bonding authority to sustain its economic strength and invest in the future. It’s more than reasonable - today, it is essential.
Spokane has a special opportunity to revitalize its downtown before it fades away because you have local families willing to make major investments. These local private investments must be supplemented by public participation. Without private and public investment, there is no return on investment. The return on these investments is jobs, wages, tax revenues and a brighter future.
A common argument against public participation in a project such as River Park Square is fear of increasing taxes. Yet, in this case, taxpayers’ worst fears will be realized if the city doesn’t nurture the health of its downtown. A downtown generates strong tax revenues for the entire city and for schools. Taxes raised by retail sales, admissions and rising commercial property values reduce the burden on homeowners throughout the city. If downtown fails, essential services must be continued, but the burden for paying shifts disproportionately to residents in the neighborhoods.
I love Spokane and Tacoma. I’m doing everything I can to make Tacoma a better place to live. The loss of our downtown years ago has been an extraordinary difficult challenge.
I don’t want the city of my youth to suffer the awful consequences Tacoma endured when it failed to protect its most important economic asset. Stand up for Spokane. Speak up for your future and support your mayor and City Council members. Approve the public-private alliance to provide sufficient parking. Rebuild Spokane’s downtown. It will be the best investment you ever made.
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