Brown Recommended for N. Main Group
At its May 23, 2012 meeting, the Ann Arbor public art commission (AAPAC) unanimously recommended that Connie Rizzolo Brown be nominated for a position on a task force to study the corridor along North Main Street and the Huron River. That recommendation will be forwarded to mayor John Hieftje.
The task force was established by the city council at its May 7, 2012 meeting, with membership to include the following: one member of the park advisory commission, one member of the planning commission, one resident representing the Water Hill neighborhood, one resident representing the North Central neighborhood, one resident from the Old Fourth Ward, one resident representing the Broadway/Pontiac neighborhood, two business and property owners from the affected area, and one member of the Huron River Watershed Council.
At its May 21 meeting, the two sponsors of the resolution that created the task force – Ward 1 councilmembers Sabra Briere and Sandi Smith – proposed adding three additional representatives: a member of the city council, someone from the boating/fishing community of river users, a representative from the Huron River Citizens Association. Tony Derezinski (Ward 2), who also serves on AAPAC, then proposed an amendment to add an AAPAC member to the task force. The AAPAC addition was passed by council on a 6-5 vote. [See Chronicle coverage: "Positions Added to North Main Task Force"] Appointments are expected to be made at the council’s June 4 meeting.
At AAPAC’s May 23 meeting, Derezinski told commissioners that “basically, we need someone at the table.”
The task force is charged with delivering a report to the city council more than a year from now – by July 31, 2013 – that describes “a vision to create/complete/enhance pedestrian and bike connection from downtown to Bandemer and Huron River Drive, increase public access to the river-side amenities of existing parks in the North Main-Huron River corridor, ease traffic congestion at Main and Depot at certain times of a day and recommend use of MichCon property at Broadway; …”
Earlier than that – by the end of 2012 – the task force is to make recommendations on the use of the city-owned 721 N. Main parcel.
Brown has served on AAPAC since early 2009, and has chaired the commission’s projects committee. She is a principal of Rizzolo Brown Studio, an Ann Arbor architecture firm.
This brief was filed from the basement conference room of city hall at 301 E. Huron, where AAPAC held its meeting. A more detailed report will follow.
Sadly, this fall’s budget-setting drama in Lansing promises to be only a warm-up for more catastrophic circumstances during the next couple fiscal years. Andy Dillon, Michigan’s Speaker of the House, was recently quoted as saying this: The real fight is next year, this is all child’s play. …Next year will be worse. This time around, Michigan’s federal stimulus dollars helped balance the state’s budget, and most of these funds won’t be available next year or the year after.
Total revenue is insufficient. Michigan’s flat rate state tax, which already burdens the working poor, brings in too little. As a result, during a very difficult economy our public services get tossed onto the chopping block at the very time they’re most needed.
State tax reform which institutes a graduated tax structure can provide some relief. While the middle class will likely pay about the same in state taxes and the working poor presumably less, this will allow the Michigan’s revenue stream to improve, overall. It may even allow for some reduction in the state’s business tax.
I agree with the previous comment about a graduated income tax. The revenues to the state are simply not enough to fund essential services, especially in the areas of human services and education at all levels, from pre-school to college. This is one of the reasons that our local city and county governments fund human services out of our general funds. It would require a vote to institute a graduated tax, and would people understand that it would benefit most of them? Or would they drink the kool-aid that all taxes are bad?
It depends on which kool-aid flavor you are served.
Taxes are good if 1) someone else pays for something you get or 2) if you pay in conjunction with others for something that you might not be able to get on your own. Taxes are bad if 3) you pay for something that someone else gets or 4) if someone else pays for something another person gets but you don’t get any.
JCP — Can you explain how you would apply this approach to government subisdies? How would you like to see it impact state or federal funding in diverse areas such as mass transit, public roads, Medicare, food stamps, public schools, fishing & hunting, university research, homeless shelters, rent assistance (Section 8), and services for the disabled?
It’s simple, really. If there is a proposed tax that is thought as in categories #3 or #4 by some taxpayers, then in order to get these taxpayers’ support, it would be necessary for the proponents of the tax to persuade these taxpayers that the tax is in category #1 or #2.