Lansing Development Politics
So, Carol Wood is officially running in the Mayoral race. I know we've discussed keeping a development focus to the topics here, and on that note I'm specifically wondering if people have thoughts on Bernero vs. Wood as mayor regarding their effects on development in Lansing. I'm certain that Jared will shut this thread down if this gets into some other political battle, and I realize the potential for that, but I think we're all adults enough to keep this topic focused.
As someone who's new to Lansing, I am really hoping to get the thoughts of learned and experienced locals on this. From my perspective, Bernero has a lot of faults, but again, we're sticking to their effects on development. So with that in mind, I think Bernero seems to have a good vision for developing Lansing into a more 'big city' urban environment. Although, I can see the critique that Bernero focuses on downtown and old town too much, potentially to the detriment of surrounding neighborhoods. That depends on how much you think having a strong core will benefit surrounding areas.
I read the City Pulse article tonight on Wood and it is littered with comments about how her focus is "potholes" and replacing "missing stop signs" and fixing roads. Now, I certainly won't argue that that's important, but frankly it worries me that that's her focus. It doesn't sound like she has much of a vision for improving Lansing and continuing to make it a great city. However, I wouldn't think developments would come to a screeching halt if she were mayor, and I'm impressed by her dedication to the neighborhoods. But especially with the Frances Park and City Market events, it seemed like she's just as adversarial as Bernero, but without an end goal. With the City Market, she voted for it anyway, so I'm not sure she's as interested having an "arm-in-arm" relationship with Council as mayor anyway. Which is one of the biggest faults of Bernero, so if she's just as adversarial as Bernero, I don't see why I'd vote for her.
However, I have only been in the local Lansing scene for 10 months, so I don't know as much of the background as some of the rest of you. So could you offer your thoughts?
As someone who's new to Lansing, I am really hoping to get the thoughts of learned and experienced locals on this. From my perspective, Bernero has a lot of faults, but again, we're sticking to their effects on development. So with that in mind, I think Bernero seems to have a good vision for developing Lansing into a more 'big city' urban environment. Although, I can see the critique that Bernero focuses on downtown and old town too much, potentially to the detriment of surrounding neighborhoods. That depends on how much you think having a strong core will benefit surrounding areas.
I read the City Pulse article tonight on Wood and it is littered with comments about how her focus is "potholes" and replacing "missing stop signs" and fixing roads. Now, I certainly won't argue that that's important, but frankly it worries me that that's her focus. It doesn't sound like she has much of a vision for improving Lansing and continuing to make it a great city. However, I wouldn't think developments would come to a screeching halt if she were mayor, and I'm impressed by her dedication to the neighborhoods. But especially with the Frances Park and City Market events, it seemed like she's just as adversarial as Bernero, but without an end goal. With the City Market, she voted for it anyway, so I'm not sure she's as interested having an "arm-in-arm" relationship with Council as mayor anyway. Which is one of the biggest faults of Bernero, so if she's just as adversarial as Bernero, I don't see why I'd vote for her.
However, I have only been in the local Lansing scene for 10 months, so I don't know as much of the background as some of the rest of you. So could you offer your thoughts?
Comments
Virg is a force of nature, one that has both pissed my off mightily and made me enthused to be from both Lansing and Michigan. Most importantly, though, I don't think there is anyone out there that has the energy he does to kick-start this rusty engine, of ours. Albeit, when he focuses that energy when taking the wrong side of the issues (i.e. take the police cameras, for instance) he can be very destructive and self-destructive. But, man, when the man is on, he's on. And, lately, he's been very on. If you ask me, he's one of the most passionate and effective mayor's in Michigan. Lansing could be much further behind without him.
That said, I do agree with Carol's criticism that he's not in the neighborhoods, enough. He could be more connected. There is, in fact, a whole city outside of downtown, Old Town, REO Town, and the Eastside. But, all and all, I don't see how Wood's or Ford's arguments are enough to justify throughing him out of office so soon, and that's what this is about, ultimately. He'd have had to have slipped many more times for his oppositions case to be sound. They have to show that he hasn't done enough, that he's not connected enough, and well, that's going to be a tough case to make because I don't think it's true.
If Carol was hoping to stop Virg, her best chance would have been to fight for the council presidency she let Benavides have so that she could have become mayor, because, I think it's too late for her, now. One thing about Virg is that if you're hoping to beat him, you can't ever let him get his foot in the door. Once he gets in, he stays. lol
The fact also remains that the strength of downtown will result in strength for the City. It is the highest concentration of Jobs and highest property values, two thing that translate into more money for the city economy and other taxing entities. If downtown were to erode it would translate into the neighborhoods, just as I believe the growth of the neighborhoods is dependent upon maintaining a strong, vibrant, and desirable downtown.
One of the biggest things that Bernero has done to support development in this city, that nobody else is going to connect, is maintain a balanced budget. Despite overtures from Carol Wood to raise taxes or dip into rainy day funds, Bernero has done the right thing in resisting those urges. The idea that the City has maintained a strong bond rating, frozen the tax rate, and avoided (in most cases) dipping into the surplus projects an image that the City is in the right hands. While council wants to dilly dally around with golf courses being able to maintain that balanced budget has allowed for Developers to come into a city where there is a relatively development friendly ideology. If the city were operating in the red, the necessary brownfield incentives would never see the light of day to make these projects a go.
While others on council usually take the position as being "cautious" with development, they're typically angling to squeeze developers as much as possible... whether it be trying to revoke the Stadium District agreement because of the CVB move, push a "prevailing wage" ordinance on all tax abated projects, or force a developer into guaranteeing all union labor, their motives are not for making development happen in the city, rather, to take care of their friends as a result of it.