Carbondale Bytelife

Absolutely stunning considering that they supported Brad during the mayoral campaign. They've managed to change their mind without admitting that he wasn't straight with them about the city's finances.
 

And Shiela wouldn't have raised the sales tax? GMAFB. The race is over, she lost, precisely because of morons like you.
 

Talk about missing the point, paladin. Maybe Sheila would've raised taxes, but at least she was honest about the budget situation. She may have lost the mayoral race, but it looks like Carbondale is the long term loser. Unless, of course, you like having no surplus in the general fund (which you need if your tax base is entirely founded on a sales tax).

You gotta bring it stronger than that if you want to call people morons.
 

Was Brad honest about everything? No. I don't trust any politician, not Brad either. Look at his conduct with the liquor commission if you want an example of that.

Just remember this increase is going to a lot more than to fix the budget holes. P.S. That sales tax hike is really hurting Marion, isn't it? Miners baseball is a rocking success, and it's filling everyone's accounts there. A very wise President (back before we elected idiots like Bush) once said "A rising tide lifts all boats." Maybe you should learn the same.
 

I don't think the analogy between the Miners and SIU holds up very well. We're not talking about a NEW sports team in Carbondale. We're talking about an upgrade in facilities. Its a stretch for someone to say that our economy is going to boom because we have a nicer football stadium. It has a marginal, at best, part of the calculation on whether to spend sports dollars on an event.

Past that, economist after economist has come out to say that cities paying for new stadiums is an economic loser. Its far from a certainty that Carbondale will reap any economic rewards from a football stadium.

Do I want a new stadium? Sure, I have no problem with that and I like the idea of progress on campus in any shape or form. But its simply not the city's responsibility, especially when we have a crumbling housing stock on the inside of town and a toxic waste dump that needs to be cleaned up.

But past that, what happens when the economy slumps? Money we promised to SIU is still promised and we won't have it, plus we'll be running a shortfall in the general budget. Just because Cole mislead people on the budget in the election and still won doesn't mean we have to turn our head now and say, "big deal." We need to ensure the city government stays fiscally responsible.