So you ask - what are impact fees? Watch this

So here is a clip from the public Coalition of Little Rock Neighborhoods discussion of the proposed "$todola Mega Tax Monster".

So I just want to point out some high points to watch for in the video...

Mr. Lynch gives a fairly simple example of how impact fees should and DO work.

Contrary to what the city would have you believe, citizens interested in GOOD planning and annexation have been asking the city to implement impact fees for DECADES! But they have ALWAYS ignored the request!!!!

Then the city's tax proponent, Annie Abrams, seems to indicate a few surprising things; first, impact fees are what "smart-intelligent" people use to implement proper planning of city expansion (so thus by default our present administration must be "dolts"), 2nd, and this one I like, she says that impact fees are an important part of proper "futuristic" planning (I guess that is what the research park is also for.."futuristic" jobs), this is important and will be referred back to in a later post. Key word here people is the proper "planning" that these guys say they have been doing and "plan" to set us on the "right" track (remember this statement in a later post).

Oh yea, note that she also adds she is sure that the city will "surely" correct any inconsistencies in the tax proposal..."inconsistencies" WHAT INCONSISTENCIES????

There could be none of these because she also states that this proposal had extensive planning and development. Let's see how that works...we started discussing this thing in March, it was voted to move forward in June and a week later (1 week) there was a list of expenditures produced to spend $500,000,000.00...this is what is defined as extensive planning and development. That would be 4 months for the whole thing and 1 week to decide and place a half billion dollars of expenditures....how could there be any inconsistencies in a solid planning method like that????

Finally, the Board refused to consider a citizens oversight committee of the spending of this half billion dollars, likely because it was so "WELL PLANNED OUT"...right!!!!

In conclusion....they would have you believe this thing is suppose to be about vision....it is suppose to be about "the next great city in the south" and about "PLANNING" for that "futuristic" Little Rock EXPANSION and JOBS!!!