Do you want a Bass Pro Shop?

[nicole]

Do you want a Bass Pro Shop? Under the present county budget crisis do you think we should be spending money on a Bass Pro Shop?

[WNYresident]

If you give them some development money worse case why can't they pay real property taxes like every other sport store. Seems like unfair competition to the established businesses here.

[rural lady]

Under the circumstances, if the County does not have enough money for essential services, why give money to a fishing supply store? Besides, there are plenty of fishing supply shops along the river that would go out of business.

[WNYresident]

Originally posted by rural lady
Under the circumstances, if the County does not have enough money for essential services, why give money to a fishing supply store? Besides, there are plenty of fishing supply shops along the river that would go out of business.

it's funny they don't seem to care about the established businesses here...

[Irate taxpayer]

I don't object to Bass Pro coming into the area on their own dime. Why don't our leaders get it -- the only way they can get new businesses to come into the area is to give them incentives -- out of our pockets.

Any why do we keep bringing in more minimum wage jobs?

What about Gander Mountain they have a pretty huge portion devoted to fishing. Does any one know did they get some special incentives?

[speaker]

"I don't object to Bass Pro coming into the area on their own dime. "

The way I feel, too.

[absolivious]

Originally posted by Irate taxpayer
...
Any why do we keep bringing in more minimum wage jobs?

Because it's better than no jobs at all.

What about Gander Mountain they have a pretty huge portion devoted to fishing. Does any one know did they get some special incentives? [/QUOTE]
I believe ECIDA allowed them sales tax relief for any new fixture purchases plus allowed property tax abatements for the property owner* that apply ONLY to new improvements - added building footprint.

*Benderson, at that time- DDR now -- who still pays more in property taxes than anybody else in upstate NY.

[wheresthesun]

Originally posted by speaker
"I don't object to Bass Pro coming into the area on their own dime. "

The way I feel, too.

I also agree with that. Will I shop there? Nope.

[biker]

I think there should be a level playing field. Any developer coming in uses all of their own money and pays regular property taxes, just like I do and existing businesses do.

The levels of public funding is a charade: it all comes down to the same entity funding each of the entities---ME.

Last time I checked, all three levels of govt-Federal , State and Local---were running stated or hidden deficits. Where do they get off giving anything to anyone.

Where's the window where I can get my handout. I'm a better deal than Bass Pro: for a measley $1,000.00 I'll agree to open a lemonade stand at the end of my driveway.

Who's with me!

[WNYresident]

Hey will you hire me? Isn't that one of those guidlines when they unlevel the playing field for various companies?

[citymouse]

If bass pro wants to set up shop, fine.
Just let them do it with thier own money, not mine.

[Riven37]

Originally posted by citymouse
If bass pro wants to set up shop, fine.
Just let them do it with thier own money, not mine.

I can't afford my bills let alone fishing items....

[moadib]

Personally Id rather have a couple more Centers for Excellence

Like a Center for Excellence in Logistics, since our city has historically been a corridor of commerce

Like a Center for Excellence in Telecommunications, Internet & Ecommerce, since our city has historically been a corridor of communications between our two nations (US & Canada)

Like a Center for Excellence in Materials and Nano-technology, since our great city has historically been a city of old material technologies like steel, brass, chemicals and new material technologies

Like a Center for Excellence in Alternative Energy, since our city was the first city to have electricity....why should Rochester be the only leader in Fuel Cells....Buffalo can lead in other areas

Like a Center for Excellence in Design, Engineering & Manufacturing

Like a Center for Excellence in Architecture and Interior Design, since our great city has a history of Architecture (Larkin-Wright, Sullivan, Green), Wallpaper (Burchfield), Furniture (Roycroft), etc.

Can anyone else think of industries and technologies that once defined our great city nationally and internationally?

AS FAR AS BASS PRO, LETS TAKE BASS PRO & THE MUSEUM & THE MULTI-MODAL STATION & ALL THE OTHER ANCILLARY PROJECTS CONTINGENT UPON IT AND MOVE ON....

LETS MOVE ONTO THE NEXT PROJECT....THE BUSINESS INCUBATOR FOR THE BIOINFORMATICS CENTER, THE CONVENTION CENTER AND INNER/OUTER HARBOR DEVELOPMENT.

COME ON GUYS...THERE ARE A PROBABLY 50 MAJOR PROJECTS THAT NEED TO GET DONE...LETS MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ONE.

[crlachepinochet]

I'm against public funding when our politicians (so adept at avoiding "the rules") skirt the law and use money the way that it wasn't intended. For example, Geico wanted the Empire Zone tax credits used to make certain places in the city more attractive; they got them. One might ask: "How did Geico get these tax credits normally reserved for the inner city by building on a greenfield?" Well, if you drive by Geico's temporary offices at 61 John Muir in Amherst, you will probably see big yellow school buses. Apparently, if Geico buses enough people out from the city to Amherst every day, then that's kinda sorta maybe the same thing as actually locating in Buffalo. Nice, huh?

[trotcop]

I would vote yes if public money were not used to do so. I'm sick of subsidizing for-profit, big business. Besides this is a huge unfair advantage over independent and small business.