Salt Lake City: Official Development News Thread - Part 3

[Just A Thought]

I also couldn't help noticing that legislature, in the same session has allowed tax breaks on toilet roll for hotels. LOL!!! Not only do they deny the tax payers right to invest in a hotel, but they also just wanted to make sure the tax payer also pays to remove the facies from the rear quarters of the guests of the Grand America to boot. Talk about rubbing your nose in it! I can hear the Champagne corks popping as I write.

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/politics/56000183-90/tax-hotels-break-breaks.html.csp

[Future Mayor]

Everyone take a couple of deep breaths and step away from the ledge.

This is simply the state no providing funding for the convention hotel, this bill in no way says the city and county can't or won't provide the tax breaks. I don't recall a lot of talk prior to this bill being proposed of the state participating in the tax incentives for the hotel anyway. The city and county still have plenty of possibly scenarios to make the hotel happen.

[StevenF]

SB33, giving the gym equipment tax break, passed the House 54-15. SB84, which exempts hotels’ purchases of combs, lotion, magazines, newspapers, mouthwash, pens, notepads, razors, toothpaste, sewing kids, shower caps, toilet paper and other items passed 63-10. Both are now headed to the governor for consideration.

Pulled that from the article Just A Thought posted. I laughed my 🞵🞵🞵 off, that hotels can get tax breaks on Sewing Kids. I think the author of that article wrote it from his phone and didn't double check the auto corrections.

[jedikermit]

Originally Posted by Future Mayor

Everyone take a couple of deep breaths and step away from the ledge.

This is simply the state no providing funding for the convention hotel, this bill in no way says the city and county can't or won't provide the tax breaks. I don't recall a lot of talk prior to this bill being proposed of the state participating in the tax incentives for the hotel anyway. The city and county still have plenty of possibly scenarios to make the hotel happen.

Excellent point, FM...as much as I'm irritated and angry at the short-sightedness of the legislature, there are other avenues. A tweet I read last night from one of the reporters covering the session said that Ben McAdams was running past him (after the no vote) saying, "I still want to make this happen!" ...and the combination of him wanting it and Mayor Becker wanting it may be able to do (again) what the legislature is too short-sighted and ignorant to accomplish.

If anything, I'm actually encouraged that the vote was as close as it was.

Fools.

[scottharding]

The hotel may still be a possibility, but they've knocked the process back a good couple of steps. It'll be years.

[ajiuO]

The hotel will happen eventually.. This probably just moved construction start time from 1-3 years to 5-10 years... Witch means I'm not really excited about it any more.. But will be one day:-)

As for the Zion curtain... That's another bummer :-(


As for the 🞵🞵🞵🞵... I agree with the decision. That is a slippery slope.. Before you know it they will be taking 🞵🞵🞵🞵 away from anyone who has ever been to a shrink or taken antidepressants for even trivial issues. I think the citizens should have firepower in proportion to what the government has.. Because we need the ability to take the government out if need be.. That's is the main reason that the 2nd amendment is there.

[Just A Thought]

Lets face it, unless something is pulled from the bag in a very short amount of time, SLC has lost the OR convention. (they only extended it 2 years) So its a short sighted hollow victory for the hotels of SLC, because in the long run they are all about to lose a lot of annual business. So much for 'downtown rising'..

[scottharding]

Haha! Hope you have a tank, fighter jet, and some drones, Ajiuo.

[wrendog]

Bummer. I was really excited to see what the convention hotel could be.

[Future Mayor]

Originally Posted by ajiuO

The hotel will happen eventually.. This probably just moved construction start time from 1-3 years to 5-10 years... Witch means I'm not really excited about it any more.. But will be one day:-)

I disagree with your 5-10 year estimate. I still think we will hear an announcement regarding the convention center hotel within a year.

Come on people the sky is NOT falling.

This wasn't a vote saying the state can't participate and use tax incentives, it was a vote saying they choose not to, at this time. The vote would have guaranteed the state was going to offer incentives. Choosing not to participate and not being able to participate are drastically different, if the right proposal is presented to the GOED, they can easily choose to participate.

[Orlando]

Apparently, it wasn't enough of a priority for the Utah legislation to pass anything of significane regarding the air pollution problems in Salt Lake County.
Even though, this isn't development news, it is indirectly related, as I think most of you on here would agree. The Inversion has negative consequences to attracting new companies and development, etc.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865575800/Clean-air-advocates-slam-Legislature-for-inaction.html

(I decided to clean up this post due to its political volatility)

[StevenF]

Originally Posted by ajiuO

The hotel will happen eventually.. This probably just moved construction start time from 1-3 years to 5-10 years... Witch means I'm not really excited about it any more.. But will be one day:-)

As for the Zion curtain... That's another bummer :-(


As for the 🞵🞵🞵🞵... I agree with the decision. That is a slippery slope.. Before you know it they will be taking 🞵🞵🞵🞵 away from anyone who has ever been to a shrink or taken antidepressants for even trivial issues. I think the citizens should have firepower in proportion to what the government has.. Because we need the ability to take the government out if need be.. That's is the main reason that the 2nd amendment is there.

Now I want my M1 Abrams.

[StevenF]

Originally Posted by Orlando

Here's one more thing to rant against the Republican dominated Utah legislation:

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865575800/Clean-air-advocates-slam-Legislature-for-inaction.html

Nothing was brought forward to discuss or debate regarding the air pollution problems.

Big surprise, though, right?! Republicans caring about the environment?! When Hell freezes over, or when pigs fly, or (insert similar saying)

It's too easy to stereotype a Utah Republican: anti-liquor; reluctant to pass any bill regarding anything related to the environment; and anti-tax spending for most anything, except for (pollution creating) big highways.

I personally am a Republican and find that kinda hard because I do care about air pollution, convention hotel and LOVE mass transit. I don't drink, so alcohol isn't something I personally think about or focus on for laws. Though I would admit allowing a liquor license for individual companies to work for any restaurant they build in Utah is a good idea. There are some alcohol laws in Utah that are just laughable and those should change but I do agree on the lower % we have in the state.

I agree for the most part on 🞵🞵🞵 ownership that I have the right to carry one if I want. But I will tell you now I am not as crazy as the rest of my brothers when it comes to those things posted above. Most of them have served in the military to some extent and they are beyond nuts for there 🞵🞵🞵🞵. I even had my Brother and his son downtown a couple weeks back at the capital and they were interviewed on most of the news stations.

My brother Jonathan will flat out get in your face as he did with the Taylorsville Mayor multiple times on issues he doesn't like. I have an urban lifestyle and the rest of them are suburban/rural. I love my Mac and they love their PC. They like renewable resources to get themselves off the grid to prepare for the end of the world. I want renewable resources to reduce my pollution and not have to worry about if the grid has a power loss that I can still play my computer games. I see no reason why I need to dump my food, recyclable waste directly into the garbage can. I currently live in the basement of my Mothers home and my mom has 2 regular garbage cans. I have changed things to the point we don't even fill up 1 of the 2 cans each week now. I want to start composting but my mom goes nuts thinking its going to attract the rats(we live close to some horse stables). The dang apple tree and grape vines do that well enough.

Orlando, I do forgive you for trying to place me into the crazy far right wing Republican group.

[DMTower]

Originally Posted by StevenF

SB33, giving the gym equipment tax break, passed the House 54-15. SB84, which exempts hotels’ purchases of combs, lotion, magazines, newspapers, mouthwash, pens, notepads, razors, toothpaste, sewing kids, shower caps, toilet paper and other items passed 63-10. Both are now headed to the governor for consideration.

Pulled that from the article Just A Thought posted. I laughed my 🞵🞵🞵 off, that hotels can get tax breaks on Sewing Kids. I think the author of that article wrote it from his phone and didn't double check the auto corrections.

Maybe they have sweatshops in the hotel basements?

[SLC Projects]

Boy if it takes 5-10 more years we can kiss the OR good bye since there's no way these guys are going to wait that long for our leaders to pull their heads out. Hope your right Future Mayor, because right now for me I feel like this just took a big step backwards and that we are about to lose the OR.

[DMTower]

Originally Posted by Orlando

What I don't get, is how can the "anti-spending, republican government not see the contradiction in sprawl developmen? By allowing less restrictions on developers and land owners, sprawl is encouraged, which means more spending for roads, water, sewage, power, and other utilities. If they really cared about spending, they would place incentives, restrictions, or something to penalize those who build further away from existing infrastructure.

It's because they know there is a correlation between urbanization and liberalization. When people live in a diverse environment they learn to see things from other perspectives and become tolerant of other views. The legislature can't have that so they sabotage SLC every chance they get.

[scottharding]

I hope you're right as well, Future Mayor, but if I had to bet, I'd go with Ajiuo's prediction of about 5 years. How many years has it already been just talking about it and doing studies. As far as we know, there's no official site, no official developer, and now, no official financing plan. So aside from the studies done, there has essentially been very little accomplished. And as we all know, these things take a very long time.

I like your point DM Tower. I think about that often, the way cities are more liberal because they are basically melting pots of cultures, religions, education, ethnicities, and wealth. Suburbs, exurbs, and rural areas tend to be all the same type and mind of people, so nothing is challenged and community sort of cannibalizes its own ideas and ideals. I find these dynamics very fascinating. I'd love to do some research and write a book on it or something crazy ambitious like that.

[Comrade]

I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but I've always felt the legislature does its best to stick it to Salt Lake City. We've seen it in the past - namely with the soccer stadium deal and I can't help but see it at play here.

[TheHeights22]

I'm so disappointed with the state government! No convention hotel! Come on man!!

[Wasatch_One]

Guys, I am also disappointed about the CC hotel, the Zion Curtain (I don't drink) but about the air pollution, I am telling you, there isn't much we can do at this point short of eliminating most modern conveniences from Dec 1 - Feb 15, every year.

As you'll notice, we haven't had a bad air day since around Valentines day. It's just the time of the year in relation to the length of the day that translates to warmer temps that kill an inversion.

From here on out, the same weather patterns that create inversions (high pressure settling in over the state) actually now create the great weather like what we've have had this week.

Air was bad here during that time of year even when there was 1/4 the population back in the 50's.

As much as you want to believe we can change it, we can't. It's the physical characteristics of where we live.