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HomeMy WebLinkAbout4-27-2020 Public Comment - J. Schmidt - Aviator bad timing for tax breaks for wealthy developersFrom:agenda@bozeman.net To:Agenda Subject:Thank you for your public comment. Date:Monday, April 27, 2020 10:47:36 AM A new entry to a form/survey has been submitted. Form Name:Public Comment Form Date & Time:04/27/2020 10:47 AM Response #:381 Submitter ID:26266 IP address:97.121.220.116 Time to complete:5 min. , 4 sec. Survey Details Page 1 Public comment may be submitted via the form below, or by any of the following options. Public comment may also be given at any public meeting. Email: agenda@bozeman.net Mail to: Attn: City Commission PO Box 1230 Bozeman, MT 59771 In-person delivery to: Due to City Hall's closure in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, in-person delivery of comments is not available until further notice. First Name Jay Last Name Schmidt Email Address zar7007@yahoo.com Phone Number 4065994676 Comments April 27, 2020 Bozeman City Commissioners and Director of Community Development, It is now common knowledge that the 1.5 trillion dollar Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in 2017 was a gift to the wealthiest Americans and the Opportunity Zones portion of that legislation, intended to spark investment in poverty stricken communities, has turned into an additional gift to politically connected wealthy developers, including ex-con Michael Miliken, to subsidize high-end developments in relatively wealthy communities. Currently the City of Bozeman is asking for comments on two new building in the Rosauers/ Kohls shopping district that fall in our local Opportunity Zone. These buildings, one called the Aviator Building that boasts an escalator and a helicopter on the roof exemplify the failure and flagrant abuse of the original intent of the Opportunity Zones Program. At a time when many of our public institutions, like Montana State University, are receiving federal bailout funds and the City of Bozeman is once again asking us to vote on a levy to support our local schools, to approve these new high-end buildings in the Kohls/Rosauers shopping district and perpetuate the Opportunity Zone tax giveaways is morally and ethically lacking. With our national debt growing by trillions of dollars weekly and when many are suffering the economic devastations of Covid-19, now is not the time to give even more tax breaks to wealthy real estate developers. We need to seriously evaluate what our local community gains from the Opportunity Zone tax breaks other than increased economic inequality and public debt. Jay Schmidt If you would like to submit additional documents (.pdf, .doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx, .gif, .jpg, .png, .rtf, .txt) along with your comment, you may alternately address agenda@bozeman.net directly to ensure receipt of all information. Thank you, City Of Bozeman This is an automated message generated by the Vision Content Management Systemâ„¢. Please do not reply directly to this email.