Merchants opposed BID tax
I would like to answer a couple of items to Chris Bessler from his “guest opinion” promoting the Business Improvement District tax. From the second paragraph. “Democracy is the bedrock principal of our nation.
So, yes, let’s figure out what the majority of the businesses really do want as concerns the BID.” Chris, it has already been determined what the majority of businesses want. Twice (at great effort and expense) petitions with the necessary signatures to get rid of this tax has been turned into the city. Has democracy prevailed? Oh no! Not even a semblance of it.
They were dismissed for absurd reasons like “they were not on bond paper” or “we can’t prove that they were the business owners” or “this seasonal business was not open at the time the signatures were gathered” etc., etc. If you believe in democracy you are on the wrong side.
Then you say “I’m of the belief a clean safe, attractive and vibrant downtown isn’t likely to just happen by itself … which is the purpose of the BID.” Chris, are you insinuating before the BID (year 2000), Sandpoint was dirty, unsafe and unattractive? Sandpoint did quite well before this tax which pits business against business, rather than pulling us together.And then, after quoting figures that shops have to pay, “as an added cost of doing business, it’s tiny.”
Well, perhaps to you it’s tiny but many small businesses have paid in the thousands (yes that’s plural) of dollars they wished to take home and feed their family or perhaps spruce up their building or whatever. And it wasn’t willingly paid either as some were turned to a collection agency or taken to court if they couldn’t or wouldn’t pay.
But Chris you go on: “The downtown manager draws a $35,000 salary.” Well it’s a lot more than that with benefits, not even counting the office expense, etc. Walk around, get friendly with some small business owners and see how many you can find that make anywhere near $35,000. I spoke to one owner who has taken no money home for two years, yet pays your miserable tax and gets no benefit from it, being not even near downtown.On a different tone, consider these two statements in the letter: “The petitioners argue that voluntary contributions could fund some group to do this work. But that not only defies logic, it defies our experience right here in Sandpoint.”
But you prove the opposite is true by stating later: “Moreover, most of the work of the DSBA is accomplished not by our one lone employee, but by volunteers who contribute thousands of hours each year to clean and beautify the downtown. The nine DSBA directors are all volunteers who own or manage businesses downtown” So it can be done
Chris, according to your letter, you are for democracy and state “the BID was created because a majority of businesses signed a petition in 2000 to create it”
But do you know that the city has a rule that it takes more than a majority to get rid of it? The votes of the larger businesses, who are fewer, their votes count for more than the smaller ones.
In other words, money counts in this game. Perhaps it is time for a tea party, for no business should pay a tax because the few who want it can force it on the majority who don’t. And the majority has said they don’t.
MARC PHILLIPS
Sandpoint