More from Quad Cities Chamber of Horrors (whores?)

• Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce, a.k.a Chamber of tax increases, boondoggles, special interest benefits, neglect of basics — 
• Champions of the practice of concentrated gain and diffuse pain through obfuscation are at it again
  
• Hold onto your wallets Quad Citians

Headline in today’s QC Times, frequent house organ of  QCCC trough feeders:

Quad-City leaders unveil plan to pursue regional funding authority

Annotations by V’PAC set apart in red. Meme not part of article.

Word is the truck was diverted from helping on a project in another city

Area leaders gathered Tuesday morning to begin lobbying for a regional authority that could offer a new way to manage and fund large projects that impact both Rock Island and Scott counties.

Paul Rumler, CEO and president of the Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce, launched the effort to form the Quad Cities Regional Metropolitan Authority from the Chamber’s Davenport offices. He was accompanied by local business leaders and politicians.

“Quad Cities Regional Metropolitan Authority” — presumptuous to say the least.  Authority with what portfolio? At this stage appears to be self-appointed authorities on self-interest

Rumler said the different sectors in the community — private, government and nonprofit — need to pull together “to make that difference and that’s why now is the right time … we need this next piece to take us to the next level.”

Inside the paragraph of hackneyed phrases from the Chamber PR handbook of same, they leave out what should be the dominant “sector” –  citizen taxpayers and their “peculiar” interests

“Oftentimes cities plan individually, organizations plan individually and what we’re trying to do is allow a mechanism to be created that we can start to plan and dream collectively and then to be able to bring the funds together to implement them. That I think is a game-changer for the Quad-Cities region,” he said.

More bureaucracy involvement is not a game changer, it is a bureaucratic enhancer. What makes it a good idea to plan with others of different jurisdictions and tax base with more bureaucracies to slow things down or require subservience of all to the one?

The Metro Authority would operate as a bi-state government authority, “allowing for clear regional collaboration, which will help achieve the goals outlined in Q2030,” a Chamber news release said. Q2030 is the Chamber’s regional community and economic development plan that seeks to have the Quad-Cities do more as one region, rather than five individual cities.

“Metro authority” – there is that power aggrandizing word again contemplating unelected bureaucracies to exert control.  So the “Chamber” has a plan for us.  I don’t remember voting on it or the planners.

If approved, the authority would pursue outside funding revenues from federal and state grants, and private money. They also could bring forth a referendum for a new tax in Rock Island and Scott counties. 

“from federal and state grants”  whooo,  for a minute there we thought it would not involve tax money, because we all know that money does not ultimately come from taxpayers, right?  — oh wait – next sentence puts us back on track to more taxation* in addition to conniving some of the money grabbed by politicians from some schmucks in Mason City or Topeka that won’t be used to benefit them. 

Its work would focus on six areas: riverfront development, including flood mitigation; regional planning and economic development; transportation and infrastructure; cultural and recreational amenities; education; and natural resources.

We don’t care what Rock Islander’s ,or the horses they have mounted, think about my city’s “riverfront development, including flood mitigation” .  Nor do we desire to have them “help” decide a favorite education program, or desire to perhaps veto my city’s transportation priorities or any of the other matters raised. If they want a say then move here and pay taxes here.  Seems like a good way though, for bankrupt Illinois to glom onto some Iowa tax dollars.

Some legislative work needs to occur before selecting board members from communities on both sides of the river. Identical bills would need to pass both states’ legislatures, get U.S. Congress approval and ultimately the signature of the U.S. President.

Makes it sound like a mere formality. But we will help lobby ~~ Mason City~~  area legislators that there is nothing in it for their constituents other than more taxes, or more pressure to never get the state off the tax and spend bandwagon, but there will be redirected tax outlays to other than their constituents. As for federal legislators  — regional coordinations are already required in the areas mentioned.

That happened years ago, in the late 1980s and early 1990s, but the lack of a voter referendum, because it was beginning with a local tax, meant the local governing body never materialized.

Really, go figure

Rumler said the difference between now and the previous effort is the community buy-in, pointing to Q2030, and that the effort is not starting out proposing a tax increase. That idea would only be pursued if the governing metro authority board were to take that before voters in Rock Island and Scott counties.

“community buy-in, pointing to Q2030,”  Sorry did we miss a vote??  And somehow “The Chamber” thinks ordinary people are too stupid to know enablement when they see it. NEVER give these characters proximity to dip into your pocketbook especially adding an “authority” they will essentially control.

He said it was realistic to think the plan could pass the president’s desk by the end of 2021, but the hope is that it could be accomplished this year.

Boy these guys are presumptuous.  By the way, didn’t the U.S. Chamber oppose Trumps immigration reforms and tariff reforms? And their apparat — where were they on presidential preferences?  Probably not with Trump. Maybe they are angling for a new party in power, one conducive to more taxes, more bureaucracy, more “authority”.

Rock Island Mayor Mike Thoms was among the attendees who weren’t involved in the previous effort. Being able to have more funding, and pursue projects as a region, could help each individual entity’s budget, he said.

Mayor, how does funding any Davenport flood mitigation help your city’s budget?

The new entity would “be able to tackle those big projects that can only be dreamed about and can now become reality,” he said.

Our dream is city councils composed of members who respond to their jurisdiction’s taxpayers, and are not hemmed in by the preferences of other cities nor what could be just as easily be , under such schemes  — AKA  “authorities” — limits to dreams in favor of others.  Oh, and we also dream of cities fixing the damn potholes on a timely basis.

V’PAC

*We look for Victory Enterprises to be heavily involved in support of a tax referendum, it is what they do for various Chambers and such. That’s the downside for the Chamber. On the upside, due to changes involving WOC talk radio, they won’t have Jim Fisher to likely contend with in mega-voicing opposition. Too bad for taxpayers on that, but hopefully an alternate venue will step up to insure local conservative talk radio presence, now largely excised here after changes at I-Heart media. See news reports here and here.

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