tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723709701684173708.post3039190967200202057..comments2024-03-28T17:55:31.180-04:00Comments on The Gossips of Rivertown: Legal Committee Discusses Civic HudsonCarole Osterinkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16010623982526286408noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723709701684173708.post-4791607056070905022012-03-29T15:01:36.844-04:002012-03-29T15:01:36.844-04:00When he was a Union Street resident and member of ...When he was a Union Street resident and member of the local Truck Route Task Force in 1998-99, John was all for routing the trucks out of Hudson.<br /><br />--S.Sam Pratthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05139366555091167364noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723709701684173708.post-75307803003979826522012-03-29T13:30:03.459-04:002012-03-29T13:30:03.459-04:00Friedman makes a good point that there's more ...Friedman makes a good point that there's more to this story and it's moving too fast. Apparantly, he's the only one keeping his eye on the ball. <br /><br />Let's review: because the potential landlord might need some "tax breaks" the Council needs to ... what? Wait, stop. Those taxes GalVan is not paying are supposed to fund things like courthouses and police stations, no? Am I dreaming? Just because they are rich doesn't mean they need another tax break handed to them by the City of Hudson.<br /><br />The bigger question and the one begging to be asked is why the City of Hudson seems intent on handing over its civic function, its civic pride, it's very sovereignty to a low-income housing developer so that it can become a "tenant?" GalVan are not the Carnegies. This is NOT business and it's NOT a business deal. It's government. It's democracy. What's the difference you ask? Plenty.<br /><br />Imagine in 10 years and GalVan has sold the building and the New Landlord, we'll call him Gill Phellert, might not have the best interests of the City of Hudson in mind, and decides he can make more money "renting" the space to a commercial client or on more Section 8 housing? There's nothing to stop him from doing exactly that. A condo lease can be broken. Indentures don't last forever(See, e.g. the Barnes Foundation). Where will our courthouse be then? What options will the City of Hudson have? It will be left with a broken triple net lease and who will be accountable? Has anyone thought about these contingencies?<br /><br />This deal doesn't sound like good government or a prudent investment in any way, shape, or form.<br /><br />Without any irony, I think the Common Council needs to ask itself whether the City of Hudson is capable of providing basic government services anymore. A courthouse and police station are very, very basic government functions. Surely these basic functions can be handled without selling its civic pride, along with its integrity.Dan Renehanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07943318465739464982noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723709701684173708.post-59343437731442055302012-03-29T10:02:30.903-04:002012-03-29T10:02:30.903-04:00"Indenture" WOW that says it all !"Indenture" WOW that says it all !Vincenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05548912912359709568noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723709701684173708.post-38597280026222227102012-03-29T10:00:44.238-04:002012-03-29T10:00:44.238-04:00Mark Greenberg's comment is pure deflection an...Mark Greenberg's comment is pure deflection and is patently specious. The Ford Foundation, for instance, is one of the largest, oldest, richest and most important foundations in the country. GalVan's Foundation was created in January of this year, and has no demonstrable track record or assets of any significance. It's just a ghost-like entity that exists as a matter of state filings at this point. I would surmise that any attorney or Council Member representing Hudson's interests would conduct his or her due diligence EVEN if the Ford Foundation was proposing this project by asking for representations and warranties about its financial condition. This Greenberg fellow greatly insults Carnegie, the Ford Foundation and Marina Ambramovic by comparing GalVan to them. To wit, Marina A. is engaging in a private arts project which will succeed or fail based on its funding, merits and organiztion. To my knowledge, she is not getting entangled with essential public services, like building a police station and an SRO, which require tons of government involvement, grants and back-room Olde Tyme Hudson wheeling and dealing.<br />Friedman and Marston are on the right track, and Don Moore's behavior during all of this has been deeply disappointing. The full Council should do the right thing and reject any resolution of support or MOU related to this rushed-through and ill-thought-out project. And one more thing--why isn't the HPD being consulted about its new home? Strange, eh?Observerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07476845411516796463noreply@blogger.com