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Being here not great 'privilege'
At the Bob Evans restaurant on Oak Spring Road, there is an old picture of Washington on the wall of what the town used to look like - full of businesses and people using the streets.
Washington is all but a dead town for any outsider. Most think Washington is but an exit off I-79. South Strabane's malls have your business. North Franklin has your mall and, yes, parking is free to both. Try looking for a creative way to bring businesses into Washington, instead of taxing the heck out of the few who are forced to be there on any given day.
Imagine a corporate hub of companies and their employees arriving to downtown Washington and spending money on food at the eateries and quick shopping trips to small shops located downtown. That would be a "privilege" on any given day. Imagine the revenue from these companies being here filling the now-empty buildings.
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Also in that old picture were very few cars parked on the streets. Guess the public officials back then didn't foresee a day that they had to raise a parking tax as a way of keeping the town of Washington vibrant.
James Petrichevich
Washington
: 11/7/2009
Why don't you volunteer to join the Washington Business District Authority. They are the group working to bring businesses into the downtown. Just don't write letters, join in to help your city.
Get into Economics 101 : 11/7/2009
And roll back taxes on everything including the poor, oppressed property owners and see what opportunities the entrepreneurial minded can creatively come up with. Have you people forgotten how? This economic disease needs to be halted in its tracks instead of being allowed to spread.
Mr. Petrichevich : 11/7/2009
You said, "Try looking for a creative way to bring businesses into Washington..." Every time I read letters regarding bringing business to our city, I expect the writers to suggest ways to bring businesses in. So far, I have not seen any "creative" suggestions. Bringing business to Washington is a great idea, but if people criticize the Mayor for not doing it, why don't you tell him exactly how to do it? And I don't expect to hear that it isn't your job to do that. If you care about taxes, you have an obligation to fix the lack of businesses problem.
Gone : 11/7/2009
Unfortunately the days of small town life is over. No amount of rehab is going to bring them back. Only a waste of tax payers money. I see this every where I go not just Washington.
Get into Economics 101 : 11/9/2009
ns, offer no tax incentives for so many years to sway businesses to locate in (INSERT NAME OF TOWN HEARE). Seems like a great idea, right. But what really happens, the business moves in and takes advantage of the local municipality offer. Then when it comes time to start paying the taxes they either leave, probably to take advantage of another desperate town, or rename themselves to reset the clock.
"why don't you tell him exactly how to do it?" I'll try to do that. : 11/9/2009
Washington city officials need to rethink how they invest in the city. They need to quite thinking downtown businesses or some major corporation is going swoop in and save the day. The solution is more homeowners; the problem is how do you get them to live in the city? The answer, do what the townships have been doing for decades, new housing, and new subdivisions. Washington needs to quit investing millions into downtown and start investing that money into neighborhoods. They need start eliminating older homes and replacing entire streets and neighborhoods with new housing with more tax value. The city officials need to create a program that would bring in middle-class families who will be homeowners. A city filled with renters living in rundown housing owned by deadbeat landlords isn’t a solution to the city’s financial problems. Having vision that creates new affordable housing for the middle class is the direction the city needs to pursue. One way to stop the college and hospital’s expansion and taking away taxable property, is by taking advantage of the college and hospital imagine. Investing in the neighborhoods in around the hospital by helping existing homeowners to upgrade their properties and building new homes will both improve the neighborhoods and slow the extension of the college and hospital into those neighborhoods. The city officials should focus on becoming a bedroom community. Providing a small-town setting, while offering full-time services that many people who live in cities are accustomed to. New affordable housing near the city limits closed to the interstate could be a selling point too. Improved neighborhoods will bring new taxpayers and with new residents, then there will be a demand for small businesses to support the new middle-class of city. Until city officials change their focus expect more exodus by the taxpaying middle-class, an aging population, a poorer population. The only new residents will be unsavory individuals who want take advantage of the poorer, older residents of the city.
Jacques : 11/10/2009
Sounds like a good plan. The only question I have is where are the poor going to find housing? You must work that in somehow.
Not an easy solution. : 11/12/2009
I agree, but there are current programs to assistance low-income housing needs. A greater focus has to be on individuals that can afford to purchase homes and pay the taxes on those homes. A stronger middle-class actually benefits those who are not as fortunate. More tax revenue means adequate services and schools. That benefits everyone.
Jacques : 11/13/2009
good thinking... it does need some more thought and planning, but you have given them a starting point. I wonder if they will do anything with it....
