How does Miami back its way into infrastructure deficits, like miserable transit, overcrowded schools, inadequate water services, and a degraded environment? And how, then, does Miami change the error of its ways?
That could be the lesson of the Performing Arts Center, though we doubt that any in positions of power will accept this point of view.
Michael Lewis, of Miami Today, offers an opinion. “The appropriate response to what all now accept as a crisis is not to say ‘I told you so’ but ‘What can we do?’
We have another take, for Mr. Lewis and the Miami Herald to consider: until the Miami power elite comes to grips with its own culpability in promoting unsustainable development, it will be clear to the rest of the world that all Miami is an inhospitable environment for business and for people.
The Performing Arts Center is a grand example of what plagues Miami: claiming public benefits in overselling projects and understating costs.
That describes a very long legacy of zoning changes and building permits for major developments in Miami Dade County.
This is not a popular view with the Latin Builders Association or the South Florida Builders, but it is what most people believe.
The county commission—the preeminent agent for piling on unfunded infrastructure costs—bitterly complains about the PAC.
The PAC and its cost overruns and unfunded operating deficit is a better symbol of the county commission’s own failures than the entire run of suburban sprawl in Miami-Dade County.
So what to do, Mr. Lewis asks.
We’d suggest a special tax on every land use attorney, lobbyist, and consultant who has tried to foist the true costs of development on the backs of taxpayers.
Let this special tax be used to fund the operating deficits so that the Performing Arts Center can stand for another kind of performance—according to standards of accountability to the public trust. Remember that?
As to Mr. Lewis’ suggestion that former governor Jeb Bush be called to perform the role of civic whip to the public interest, we recall that then Governor Bush used the shortage of fresh water supply in South Florida to pressure the Miami Dade County Commission to reject all applications to move the Urban Development Boundary in 2005/2006.
The suggestion that development should pay its own way, in terms of additional water supply seems a common sense model to address the PAC dilemma.
Here is our solution: the public agrees to fund the PAC deficit if the County Commission enacts and enforces a moratorium on all zoning changes until unfunded deficits are accounted for, funded, and implemented.
7 comments:
Loved it...can't add anything!
Watch.
On April 12th, 2007 the lowly Miami Art Museum is asking the City of Miami Commissioners for another $2 Mil to pay its staff and its numerous "consultants". The lowly Museum with its low rent collection demands the City give them $200 Mil in free land and $200+ Mil in construction money. All paid for by the taxpayers. And they demand land on the revered Bicentennial Park.
Since they have no visitors and almost no income then who will pay for this new folly's operating expenses? Where will visitors park? Is this another PAC disaster waiting to happen?
It is not just parking. Can anyone explain how the area's traffic "improvments" will facilitate visitors coming from the causeway or 95? At high traffic hours, the area is already bogged down/saturated. And the condos in the area are not occupied yet. What happens then?
The Kravis Center in Palm Beach County came in just under its projected budget, and by its scheduled opening. How? The county commission wasn't involved. The Kravis had its own oversite board that was responsible for funding and construction.
The problem isn't the performing arts center, per se. The problem, once again, is the county commission involving itself in the day-to-day operation of something that should be entirely independent of the county commission. Not one commissioner has a background in arts adminstration, just as none of them have any skill at aviation adminstration.
The County Commission simply doesn't learn from their mistakes. Add to them the now being planned Marlins' stadium, where? Again in downtown Miami already saturated with losing projects!
All good comments.
The Miami Art Museum (MAM) cannot raise any money of its own because it does not enjoy the support of the areas best known collectors. So MAM is dependent on its lobbyists deceiving the County and City Commissioners into giving it $200 Mil in waterfront land and $300 Mil in design fees and construction money. All to house its very small permanent collection.
If you are disgusted, speak up. We see MAM wants another $2 Mil on April 12th from City Commissioners. Why can't MAM ask its own donors for money?
The Miami Art Museusm and the Science Museum should not get one cent as the City of Miami has not made public how they have spent the first two million. I challnge the museums to provide me detailed information as to who they paid the taxpayer money to and for what as the city under Manny Diaz, has refused to answer public information request on this topic. Steve Hagen StevenMIA@aol.com
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