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Tag: DDA

Forewarned, forearmed,

By JGillman, Section News
Posted on Mon Apr 09, 2012 at 10:27:39 PM EST
Tags: Agenda 21, Grand Visions, DDA, CIA, Authority, PA 280 2005, East bay TWP, Michigan (all tags)

.. the price of liberty is eternal vigilance."

Somebody said it at some point or another.

Tis true.

I haven't done much here in the last couple of days, and I am super thankful to the KG and Scales for picking up on my slack. Problem is that there are only so many hours in the day, and a local issue was coming to the forefront and demanding more study time.

Another authority was/is being foisted upon unsuspecting business owners, and the vote to move forward was going to happen upon the conclusion of the hearing at the East Bay TWP meeting tonight. A DDA type of authority based on the 2005 PA 280 which allows for the creation of "Corridor Improvement Authorities" in certain districts. A process which usually involves SOMEBODY making a boat load of cash in the process. (Thank you to a certain Mackinac fellow for reminding me of this earlier today.)

Studying PA280 up and down, I realized that for all the claims of "no additional costs to the business owners" there were in fact risks. But from a pure property rights standpoint what was really more troubling was the possibility of further limits on land use for those who would be STUCK operating under the authority.

One particular individual (a professional planner) seems to be driving this, and he does not even live within the authority area, or even the township.

His efforts earn the Sexy But Stupid icon.

Continued below.

(1 comment, 2303 words in story) Full Story

Absurdity

By JGillman, Section News
Posted on Tue Mar 22, 2011 at 09:32:39 AM EST
Tags: Public Funding, Cable, choice, DDA, Frivolities, Internet, Michigan, Phone, taxes, Traverse City, TV, WRONG (all tags)

~ Cross Posted From MTTM ~

"Kalkaska did it." "Empire Did it."

Two statements of fact made by supporters of establishing Wi-Fi as a public service in Traverse City. In fact, this is possibly something that is being considered by other communities as a 'necessary utility.' The TC Ticker's closing paragraph on their recent story quotes the Empire planning commissioner Paul Skinner:

"If you look at the numbers of computer owners now compared with 10 years ago, I honestly think that having Wi-Fi accessibility will soon be the equivalent of owning a television. It's an integral part of today's infrastructure."

Television is not as free as one might think. The FCC lotteries and arrangements years ago for particular transmitter frequencies required capital for the start up and licensing. Cable TV for that matter requires a great deal of infrastructure build up that necessarily involves monopoly or near monopoly agreements according to some arguments. Phone services have been around as long as anyone alive today, and continue to serve in different ways.

(9 comments, 441 words in story) Full Story