Let's Show Our Civic Spirit And Shoulder The Tax Burden For Starr Pass Resort! By Dave Devine WHEN THE TUCSON City Council considers the multi-million-dollar proposal to subsidize the construction of a new resort hotel at Starr Pass on Monday, it will be facing enormous public opposition to the deal. But there are several reasons why it should proceed with the project. The resort is being pitched as a way to help the Tucson Convention Center out of the economic doldrums in which it's languished since it was built 25 years ago. Supporters of the proposal say the reason more big-money conventions don't come to Tucson is because there isn't enough "quality" hotel space downtown. The Starr Pass project, they believe, would change that, helping the center to attract more out-of-town clients, thus reducing the several-million-dollar deficit the center incurs every year. Plus, there are other spiffy reasons for the Council to approve the project: 1. Tradition. A yes vote from the City Council would uphold the long-standing custom of Tucson's leaders ignoring the public's wishes when it comes to the Convention Center. The voters didn't want it built in the first place, but they were overridden by our elected leadership. Then, years ago, when the argument was made that the building was just too darn small to accommodate those large events which would definitely come to town if only extra floor space were available, the short-sighted voters again said no. But the City Council once more said yes, and the building was enlarged. In 1994 it was proposed the center needs more meeting rooms to attract all of those fabulous conventions which, oddly, are still getting away. But while the voters once again overwhelmingly rejected the idea, it's still being pursued inside City Hall. Now comes the Starr Pass proposal. Tucson voters may want to pass on the idea, but, as they've shown in the past, they just don't know what's good for them when it comes to the Convention Center. Once again it appears the City Council must boldly ignore the voters if we're ever to get ahead--or, to put it more accurately, if the convention business interests in this town are ever to make more money at taxpayer expense. 2. Taxes. The city would have to front a mere $9 million or so to implement the plan. This would buy some infrastructure as well as pay for the land the hotel would be built on. This money, however, would actually be a "loan" because it would be paid back, with interest, over 20 years. At the end of that time, the developer would buy the entire project from the city. Honest. But the real beauty of the proposal is that most of the local subsidy comes from public ownership of the project, not from direct city payments. Since the government doesn't pay property tax on land and buildings it owns, the Starr Pass resort would be relieved of tens of millions of dollars of tax payments over those 20 years. Some narrow-minded, selfish taxpayers might think this is just welfare for wealthy resort managers and convention goers. But the critics need to look at it from the City Council's viewpoint. For only $9 million--which is a loan, after all--they can get a resort, lots of jobs, more tax receipts from the new visitors to town, and the opportunity to reduce the Convention Center's chronic deficit. Hey, just because every other property taxpayer in Pima County will see his bill go up because of this project is no big deal, right? So what if somebody will have to make up the shortfall in property-tax collections for the school district, Pima Community College, the county, and the city? 3. Options. Those high-rollers the Convention Center seeks to attract want luxury and are willing to pay for it--as long as it's also taxpayer subsidized. That's just the way big-business folks are accustomed to being treated in America. And no existing hotel near downtown fits the upper crust's high-class requirements, according to city staff experts. The experts also say many potential big-wig Tucson visitors have a hankering to play golf when they attend a convention. If a new downtown hotel were built for these people, where would we put that much-needed course? We can't just rip out more barrio homes, as we did to build the original Convention Center. These days survivors of the longtime Hispanic families displaced in the first wave of "improvements" own guns, and they might shoot any fat-assed city lawyer who even hints he wants to improve their lives. Thus the experts suggest we use the existing Starr Pass course for conventioneers. It'll provide them with the amenity they want when they come to our fine city. Plus, the taxpayers won't have to pay for it. Well, at least not directly. 4. Distance. Misguided opponents of the proposal complain the miles separating the resort from downtown will discourage convention business at Starr Pass. They claim conventioneers want to walk to where they're staying after a hectic day of conference going. But in a town like Tucson, where walking is an endangered occupation anyway, that's a fairly ridiculous argument. People here drive to get across a major street. So why should visitors be expected to behave differently? Let them rent a car, which will also help pay for the new baseball stadium, and drive the few miles to downtown like normal people. 5. Jobs. Along with the millions of dollars in extra tax money theoretically coming into the community from our new visitors, the resort hotel would produce hundreds of jobs. While two or three of these would be the higher-paying, managerial type, most would be for maids, dish washers and other assorted help. These, of course, are just the types of jobs Tucsonans want, so we can keep our well-educated kids in their hometown. The City Council showed the way earlier this year with its efforts to create those extra peanut-selling and beer-hawking jobs at Hi Corbett Field by voting to spend almost $10 million to keep a few weeks of spring training in town. Now the Council has an opportunity to extend the trend. By supporting the Starr Pass proposal, it will be upholding the "Keep-Tucson-Poor" economic development philosophy by helping to bring even more low-paying jobs to town. What better present could our City Council give us this holiday season than to support the Starr Pass resort hotel proposal? It's a gift that will keep us all giving.

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