Coral Gables Watch

See a History of House Values: Prices are Falling Again

April 14, 2011 Leave a comment

See this very interesting graph showing the change in the housing price index in the US. You will note that it is still heading down and this should be reflected by further declines in property values and problems for local government that depend on property taxes.

Note: This chart has been liberally copied without identifying either the source or author. If you see this elsewhere on the intertubes, you should recognize that it was created by Steve Barry, and is originally published here at TBP.(http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2011/04/case-shiller-100-year-chart-2011-update/)

Filed under Housing, Nonprofits

Proposal: Create a COMMUNITY CONVERSATION in the City of Coral Gables

April 14, 2011 1 Comment

This a modest proposal to establis a monthly or bi-monthly meeting of the city of Coral Gables called the COMMUNITY CONVERSATION (or other relevant name). This would be a regular meeting attended alternatively by the mayor, one or more commissioners, the city manager and senior staff.

The purpose of the meetings would be to hear presentations by the city manager, mayor or senior staff on important city issues and to get community feedback in an atmosphere of civility and organized conversation. The agenda could be highly focused or there would be sessions of a general nature. All meetings would be open to individuals and organizations of the community.

This COMMUNITY CONVERSATION would satisfy an urgent need to create an open and ongoing forum where citizens can make informal comments and proposals to the city. This might evolve into a regular place of civil exchange of opinions about the future of the city.

Filed under Community, Coral Gables, Government

More on the US Budget Deficit and Tax Debate

April 14, 2011 Leave a comment

…the government’s income is different from a households. The government has powers that households do not have, the power to change taxes. An increase in taxes will raise the government’s income and help to solve the problem. The right has tried to convince us with Laffer curve nonsense that this margin cannot be adjusted, i.e. the false claim that tax increases will not increase revenues, and they have also made arguments about employment and economic growth. Or they have simply proclaimed, without justification, that tax increases are off the table.

None of those argument withstand closer scrutiny, but they are an easy sell due to the willingness of households to project their own troubles with balancing their budgets onto the government. Deficits mean spending cuts.

But like or or not, tax increases are going to be part of the solution. Spending cuts alone are not going to be sufficient.

via Economist’s View: Confusing the Size of the Deficit with the Size of Government.

Filed under Coral Gables

Welcome Messrs. Cason, Quesada and Kerdyk: A List of Some of Your Considerable Challenges

April 14, 2011 1 Comment

Congratulations to Messrs. Cason, Quesada and Kerdyk. Thank you for your willingness to take on the big issues of the city of Coral Gables.

We trust you will forge hard questions about the considerable problems we are facing.

Here are a few big challenges for the near term:

Shift the financial and institutional leadership back to the commission from the city manager. This means more commission involvement in pension reform, financial planning and organizational restructuring.
Create true financial transparency, not hiding audits, honesty about reserves, no more games with the budget–people are expecting no more tax increases.
Do some minimal long-term financial planning.
Introduce new practices of citizen involvement and participation.
You need to think the unthinkable. Shouldn’t the city consider the full range of alternatives for the Biltmore, including its semi-privatization or its return to the federal government, with all of its liabilities (I know, that’s unthinkable). Can the city cannot continue with the Biltmore as a large financial albatross–let’s hear a serious discussion of this in the commission.
Take a hard look at the city’s public security costs. Will the commission and city manager please evaluate publicaly the police and firefighter needs at a technical and administrative level, rather treating these services as “untouchables.”
Pension reform requires an active commission with clear goals and plans, not just piecemeal negotiations.
The city seems to be stuck with a nonfunctional museum that may need its permanent financial support. Can someone make an open and honest appraisal of what is going on at the museum.
Miracle Mile now denotes a certain declining quality in its retail businesses, rather than it being a leading and dynamic retail center. Miracle Mile has lost its way–can we get an objective view of that before we spend millions on its so-called “streetscape.”