I saw a comment on my last post about the $575,000 that the city spent at the last city council meeting. Yes, they voted for $575,000, but in reality $400,000 of that was budgeted money that GEDC had put for the expansion at Victoria College. The additional $175,000 was unbudgeted.
Now it is my understanding that out of the old Quality parking lot/buildings, the college only gets the first building, nothing more. I don't know if it's on a perpetual lease, or we've given it to them or what, but I know they have full use of the building.
If I understand correctly the additional lots are hoping to be sold by the city to recoup some of their money and who knows, maybe even make a penny or two on that money. I guess that the cities GEDC or GADC could try to use it as dangling carrot to some new business that wanted to start up in town too, though I've not heard anything mentioned along those lines from anyone in the city.
Now we've spent $100,000s on items I don't understand. Things that are totally unnecessary (like the weather station at the airport) and things that are just wasteful (like approving the 5 minute video for $20,000+ - that did eventually go away, but not without serious issues being brought to light first). But there are things that I do believe we need to spend some money on.
Should they have been budgeted first? Yes, but in this case it was totally unforeseen, and we have to make allowances for these, much like the fire departments extra expenditures.
But as I was starting to say, there are something that we need in this town. And I'd like to say that Victoria College is just for our kids, so that they would have a chance, so they could have a career, so that we as a community would stop living at the lowest of standards, and be able to give our kids a better chance. But what I'm finding out is it's not just for our kids. I know a lot of 30+ year old people attending VC trying to better themselves. Right now most of them are in the medical fields, but there are others doing other things over there too, taking vocational classes, so they aren't making minimum wages.
When families in this community start lifting themselves up off the minimum wage job scale, the entire community benefits! Victoria College is the best hope 90% of our community has to EVER lift themselves above that level. It's an affordable way for local kids out of high school have to get their feet wet in the real world of studies, and not be paying $1500/hr for school. But more importantly VC offers vocational studies that our high schools should be providing, so that people can study to be a nurse, a welder, a truck driver, and a mechanic. If you have one of these skills you will ALWAYS have a job! It may not be the job you want, but you will always have a job. That's not something a majority of our youth or even older can say in Gonzales.
Do I wish there was a better way to come up with the $175,000? You bet. I wish one of our local businesses (or several of them) would of created an endowment for that purpose. But considering the options of building a new building (which was bid out at FAR more than the $575,000), or not have these classes, I think our council and GEDC did a great job - not something I say all the time.
I know originally they wanted over a $1,000,000 for that lot, they negotiated it down to 1/2. I know that it will clean up an eye sore on highway 90a. I know those who come out of that class will be ready to go to work making decent money. Win, win win.
I also know that we have a potential to win even more if the additional lots are sold to businesses that could produce additional jobs and value to our community.
Was it perfect? Nope. But it was a great expenditure of $175,000 from our council, and the $400,000 from GEDC.
God Bless,
Dennis Nesser
Well Dennis, I'm glad you read my comment, but tax dollars are tax dollars no matter how they are spent or where they come from.
ReplyDeleteNow, I'm not saying the purchase was a bad deal, I said over a year ago it should have been pursued to be used for VC expansion, but was told it was far too valuable of property to remove from the tax roles. What changed? Why is it a good deal today?
I think it's a great investment for the city. But I would like an explaination why it's a good idea today and bad idea a year ago. And we can add some other purchases that were bad and then suddenly were great ideas. Seems we have a lot of those lately.
I read every comment posted on any of my blogs.
ReplyDeleteIt was a good idea back then, and a better idea at 1/2 the price. The $1,200,000 price tag on it originally made it unacceptable to the city and the college with the funds they had. They could build at a lesser cost.
Now, not only do we get the expansion, but the room we saved on VC grounds can be used at a future date for more expansions.
Also we've had a major shift in city lead in the last 18 months, and the people there now are looking for better ways to do things. They won't always do what's right, they are human, but in this case I think they did a 180 and found the best solution for Gonzales and VC.
Oh, and I agree about tax dollars, but what my biggest complaint lately has been has been unbudgeted tax dollars, especially when our budget has been upside down for 2 - 3 years. But the $400,000 has been budgeted, and has actually been on the books for some time now. If we want to move that then you have to go to GDEC and our budgeting process meetings to make those differences.
perhaps Bill can use some of his ideas in the upcoming election.Who better than a man who knows all the answers,this city can certainly use him.
ReplyDeleteMr. Anonymous.....What are you scared of? Put your name on your posts. But I understand, most people are afraid to speak their piece.
ReplyDeleteI have said it before and I'll say it one last time....Gonzales is NOT ready for someone that knows how to say NO! And I don't have a rubber stamp.
Changing the subject, isn't it about time that something be done about the judge that is releasing these two lowlifes (Fonseca and Mitchell) on bail?
ReplyDeleteAnd who is that judge? No name has been mentioned in either case.
It was reported on Channel 12 last night that JP Dedra Voight released the shooter.
ReplyDelete