Archive for November, 2009
Cimperman Jumps Out on Cuyahoga County Executive Quest
Posted by Roldo Bartimole in Economic Development, Politicians on November 27, 2009
November 27, 2009… Joe Cimperman started his campaign to be the first Cuyahoga County Executive today. If you don’t think so, you don’t know the ambitious Joe Cimperman.
Cimperman at a meeting with MMPI’s Mark Falanga a week ago asked Falanga if he would commit to having four meeting on the Medical Mart and Convention Center. Cimperman asked at a Council meeting. It appeared to me that he meant Falanga would appear before Council for more questioning. Of course, Falanga – holding on to a deal valued at $425 million – said, why sure, Mr. Councilman.
It was a mutual admiration society.
Anyone listening would have considered the offer and acceptance meant a meeting before City Council members. It was at such a meeting that the two exchanged agreement. And it made some sense since Falanga had determined the shortness of the meeting by scheduling an early flight back to Chicago.
Now, however, the scheduling of the four meetings appears to be outside the boundaries of City Council. The structure of four meetings has one each on planning, economic impact, architecture and the Mall site. Each meeting will have an already chosen facilitator, none Council members.
So Council is left OUT. Cimperman’s campaign, however, is indeed very much IN.
Cimperman has four meeting in which Cimperman can play the leading part. Council has been iced out.
The County Executive job opening was created by the vote for Issue 6, a constitutional amendment that calls for Cuyahoga County to dump its three commissioners for an elected chief and 11-member elected district county council.
Cimperman came to Council in 1997, playing a young sincere activist with energy to make change. He quickly became a young man on the make, taking as much money as he could from downtown movers and shakers.
“This project has to move forward. It’s too critical for the region, for the economy. We just gotta put our heads down and get this thing done,” Cimperman told The Plain Dealer.
And I need a platform from which to run for higher office, something I’ve always wanted. Cimperman didn’t have to utter those words.
You may remember that Cimperman’s ambitions caused him to run against the sitting Democratic Congressman Dennis Kucinich in 2007. Cimperman got some 35 percent of the vote in the 10th Congressional District race. Kucinich got 52 percent.
Cimperman would like to be Mayor but that seems out of the question. He likely would have run for County Commissioner had Issue 6 failed. Now, he’s left with the one opening.
So Cimperman is about to scratch that ambition itch again. Never too early to start. The $175,000 position begins in January 2011. Here we go!
Want a Just City Tax… Try Admission Tax on Sports Events, Fair and Proper
Posted by Roldo Bartimole in Economic Development, Politicians on November 24, 2009
November 24, 2009… The most reasonable tax for Cleveland City Council to raise income would be a special admissions tax on all events at Progressive Field, Quicken Arena, and Browns Stadium.
Why?
The reason is mainly because none of the teams pay any property taxes on their sports facilities. Not a penny.
They ride FREE.
Somehow Mayor Frank Jackson and City Council always overlook the guys at the top of the ladder. In this case, all Billionaires. How predictable.
We shall see how it makes sense.
A 10 percent added admission tax would bring in millions of new revenue. The tax would actually probably have an added benefit to sports fans. The teams would have to think twice before raising ticket prices.
So it’s likely that a major part of the cost would have to be borne by the teams and the already – if not over-paid – well paid athletes.
It would be fairer because, although the city pays the high cost of policing the sports events and takes the loss of property taxes, the fan base comes from a wide geographic area. Most likely most fans come from outside Cleveland and many outside Cuyahoga County.
They don’t share the burden of the cost of the stadiums to the city and county taxpayers. They enjoy the benefits, however.
So they should pay.
Even more to the point, the three team owners – Randy Lerner, Dan Gilbert and Larry Dolan – all come from billionaire families.
Who can afford to pay more taxes – billionaire families or an ordinary Cleveland family? It’s a trick question for the mayor and council members.
Even Mayor Jackson and Council President Marty Sweeney can figure that one out. If they want to.
If you can afford to go to games and events at these venues, built largely with government funds and advantaged with full 100 percent property tax relief, you should be willing to pay that extra charge to Cleveland.
After all, Cleveland residents feel the impact of the lost revenue from the exemption of property taxes. Some 15 percent would go to the city for its operation.
If you look at the attendance and average ticket price at events you can get a picture of how much money this could mean for the city.
The Cleveland Cavaliers had attendance in 2008-09 of 820,439, actually down from the previous season of 839,674. At an average price cited for tickets at the arena of $50, the Cavs would have attendance income of $41,983,700.
A 10 percent added admission tax would mean income of some $4.19 million in revenue for the city.
The Cleveland Browns had 578,672 in attendance (latest figures from 2006). At an average price of $55 for football tickets, it would mean revenue income of $31.8 million.
A 10 percent added admission tax would produce $3,182,696 of income for the city.
The Cleveland Indians had 27,110 in average in attendance for 80 games for an attendance of 2,168,800. At an average price of $26 for baseball tickets here, it would mean $56,388,800 in ticket revenue.
At a 10 percent added admission tax it would produce $5,638,880 for the city.
The city would earn more than $13 million in added admission tax revenue. It would produce more revenue than a garbage tax.
It would produce such revenue in a fairer manner. It would likely keep ticket price increases smaller or nonexistent.
The market will bear just so much, although sports fans seem to be unthinking consumers, paying more and more even though the teams reap huge amounts of money from television and radio and other sources. The NFL teams, for example, share some $100,000,000 (yes the zeros are correct) in revenue from broadcast and other sales of team products.
If you charged the 10 percent for ALL events at these tax-subsidized, property tax evaders, the city would earn even more money.
Doesn’t this make more sense and isn’t this fairer than taxing garbage?