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Register
Star, April 24, 2008
A lose-lose situation
To the editor:
John J. Faso's statements in his My View letter to the Register-Star last week are misleading beginning with the headline: "Widewaters not seeking tax breaks." In explanation Faso writes: "Widewaters is not seeking taxes which are any lower than those to which it is otherwise entitled under law." Not true. First: Widewaters is seeking tax breaks; that's what this whole issue is about. Second, Widewaters has the right to apply for these tax breaks, but they are not automatically "entitled" to them. Entitlement is decided by our local officials, in this case IDA.
Faso continues that the opponents of the Widewaters plan argue that the benefits are being financed by other taxpayers. Not quite. What is being argued is that although local businesses are also suffering in this economy, they nevertheless have to pay their full taxes. Granting tax relief to Widewaters gives them an unfair competitive advantage which they can pass onto their prospective tenants, who in turn will use this advantage to lure business away from the already struggling local concerns along Route 9 and in the surrounding communities, particularly Hudson.
Faso also states that the taxes Widewaters would pay even with the breaks exceeds what is being taken in at present. True. However, infrastructure expenditures will also increase impacting the benefits by amounts that cannot be anticipated now.
Granting Widewaters their request is a lose-lose situation: the tax benefits will be less than anticipated for at least a decade while the burden on the existing businesses will increase dramatically.
The fact that Widewaters cannot sign any tenants except Wal-Mart, which as I understand has purchased its own land, does not mean that this community should offer Widewaters tax relief. In fact, quite the opposite. Widewaters needs to compete on the same playing field as everyone else.
Lee
Gould
Hudson
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