munity
e n residents have
q u concerning the nature of
t aha erne t . t they are and how
it affect th m? 0 doubt you have
b n reading th t the city oommis ion
s b � granting them on and on - from
the paper mill down to many smaller
concerns.
tax abatement simply means that
the busine pay no property taxes on
improvemen 6r new facilitie that
are granted the abatement. They apply
only to busine or industry. Residen­
tial property does not qualify.
Abatements are granted for up to
to 12 year period depending on the
ogram. Almo all of the abatement
granted by the city recently have been
for 12 years and for 100% of value.
What you may not be aw of is that
becau the fum do not pay the
taxe , you have to make it up in your
own taxe .
Over 22% ofthe total d valua-
tion in the city i no under tax abate­
ment, this means you pay 22% more tax
to m e up for it!! For example, if your
home has a market value of $20,000
it is d t 10,000 for tax pur­
po . Our tax rate i about 68 per
thousand dollars in value. That means
your tax probably is about $680 yearly.
T enty-two percent of this come to
150 e tra per year and for the 12 year
period that the batement run, it means
e p y about ISO extr. hat do you
ge for this money??
The big excu given us is th t tax
b tement to bu . ne create jobs and
fter 12. ye r , th bu One will pay
taxe . But th e questions! 0
-How much e tra tax will they pay
for purpo property can be de­
preciated in 15 ye r - after 12 year
there i not much new taxe to collect.
o monitor the program to e
TED CAB
CO.
GON, MICHIGAN
722·2551
38 YEARS OF "BLACK"
24 HOU R SAFE AND
COURTEOUS SERVICE
...
GEORGE ALLEN: Prop.
if the ne job were created like ated
in their propo .
-What happens if the jobs are not
created, or if the ne job holders ar
laid off - does the firm still continue
getting the abatem nt? You bet it doe !!
-What happens if the finn moves -
does it have to give back any of the taxes
it did not pay? (Don't be illy!) Chev­
rolet got tax abatements of 150 million
dollars for their new plant and no
plans to move after 5 years.
-Are the E jobs that are being
created or just a reshuffling of old jobs.
The city gave an abatement for the Mill
Hou ton House restoration project and
their proposal ated that veral cu 0-
dial type jobs would be created. But the
workers would merely move from other
locations which in tum need fewer
janitors, and the are minimum wage
type jobs only.
-What guarantee is there that CITY
OF USKEGO people will get the
jobs. . MUSKEGO '" ORTO
SHORES - BRAG - at they are a
community of fine home - they have
fe industrie and give few abatements.
But their re . dents wor mostly in Mus­
kegon. Does it make sense for you to
subsidize jobs' for out of town worker
with your property taxes????
•••••
DESPERATELY EEDED IN EL-
SO - A small loan fund for hom
repair in the target area. This is pri­
marily needed by the low and middle
income families so that residents can
get money at low intere rate with no
red tape. Fighting infl tion, high fuel
bills, and higher taxe , we have also been
hit with high unemployment by the
current rece ion.
.
oney seems to b available to
favored builder to remodel houses that
they own or re toring old man ions,
or rehabbing the Midtown Bldg. The city
insi t that repair be done on buildings
and now want ork tarted in 30 day.
But many people are just not able to get
ready ca for the ork, and the city's
terms for mon Y are out of line.
ouldn't it be more helpful to you
if you could get 3% interestloan for
ne roof without having to completely
remodel your hou as the city want !
•••
LET'S BE F
3 ROOMS OF
CA DY STRIPE
CARPET
JUNE 13 - 19,1984 THE CITIZEN PAGE NINE
zz
By Robert 00
Someone once said, "It' not what
you know, it' ho you know. Someon
also once said, "I would rather know ho
to do something rather than to now a
lot about me thin g. It
I believe that there is a lot of merit
in both of the e quotes. However, thi
bring to my mind one popular TV sho
entitled, 'Fame'. Thi show emphasizes
what the student can do to reinforce
the academic are .
Unfortunately, all of u can't function
under the pre nt sy tern. For tho who
can't function under th pre nt y tern
the special area approach uld m
appropriate.
How many times have
especially Blac kids who are t t nted
particularly in music wheth r it be in­
strumental, vocal or even dance, who
talents 0 virtually unnoticed or just
plain taken for granted?
BEll 0 JE CLANTO, 22, daugh-
ter of . Catherine Oanton-Stap
and . Hale Staph . recent graduate
of . bigan State Unive ity here
recei eel her B chelo Degre of Science,
m �orin in ursing. SIt plans to resid
and 0 a R . ered one in e-
on County, ith future plans of pur-
suin a ter' Degree of .
Belinda· a 1979 graduate of
Hei t High School. Belinda· a
�ber of Queen E er Rapt" Oturch.
•
lye.
•
We force English, math and cien e
down their throat. The student, not
realizing the importance become bored,
disinterested nd many time wind up
doing nothing at all.
I'm not knocking the a demic rea 0
I'm simply ying emphasize hat th
tudent can do nd mayb the udent
can eventually ee the importance of th
cademi it relate to hat th tu-
dent is tryin to accompli h. Ultimately
the tudent be orne a mor productive
individual.
I sincerely believe that our i t
ould take a riou 100 at our pre nt
ystern. It may be nece sary if e are to
urvive ethnically, cially. Obviou ly
I thin it will help pre rve one of my
prime concerns and that i J ZZ!!!
-ASU--
o TGO RY, L-
SU, Alab rna's oldest historically
Blac publi in itution of higher educa­
tion, wa begun in 1866 a lincoln
onnal School, a private hools for
Blacks located at Marion, Ala.
lincoln onnal School was recognized
as a state-supported institution in 1874.
In 1878 the first cia of six wa grad­
uated from the normal department.
Blacks in Montgomery who wanted
the university, pledged $5,000 in cash
and land and u of temporary buildings.
The university opened in the city in
Continued on p
10
Published each Wednesday at
219 East Main Street
Benton Harbor, Michigan 49022
Phone: 616/927-1527
by
New Day Enterprises
Charles Kelly, Publisher
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MO DAY MAIN MUSIC FEATURES 'The Blu '
Drinks 2 for 1 * 4 P. . til 8 P.M. * Catch onday Night Football
. No Cover Charge
TUESDA Y- MAIN MUSIC FEATURE 'Jazz'
Drinks � for 1 * 4 P.M. �iI 8 P.M. * No Cover Charge
EDNESDAY Men's Night
Drinks 2 for 1 * � P.M. til 8 P. • * No Cover Charge
Men Dranks 2 for 1 until Midnight
THU SDA y lsdies Night
Hap�y Ho�r 4 P .• til 8 P.M. * $2 Cover beginning at 9 P ..
Ladles r I� 5 tlCk�S with their coyer good for drinks until 12 idnight
Only LIs can drank on th se tickets * Ladies Don't Miss This On
-T.G.I.F. Day
Happy Hour Pri until 9 P. . * $2 COy rafter 9 P.
Jam to the so nels of all the latest in music
Comming SOQn - Daddy's own Mon y hin * List n to WKWM
& Th Disc Jockey's at Daddy's or watch th CITIZE for d ails
SATU DAY Op n8P •• *$2CoY -aft r9P •.
DA Y Happy Hour 4 P. • til 9 P. • * $2 COy raft r 9 P.M.
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Why can't resident get t abatement
if e improve our horne ?? And if th Y
1,. •••• _ m.o.ve W.h.y_co.uldn't industrie give bac
the tax dollar they
through batement. If t
city giv you a grant, i
require you to live in th
hou for 3 years or gi
bac part of all of the grant.
In the sixti and v n­
ties our property tax u d
to· be under 30 per th u­
and dollars of v lue.
i clo to 70 p r th u­
sand, and the valuations
have also increa tremen­
dously. We residents are
being hit from all side and
there i no more room for
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