Joyce Powers is quoted below showing how she thinks the further use of the RDA Scheme of Financing should be defended, exploit the youth and spread fear. To say that a ball park would "Never" be built without RDA Funds, is an error. In good economic times grants are available for parks. Those grants do not create massive debt loads. Those grants can't be skimmed off to pay for excessive city management costs. If grants are not available, a bond measure with specific financing and use of funds could be passed by the citizens. What she and the supporters of the RDA Scheme want is to restrict the control by the citizens, and keep their inflated personal incomes at the expense of the state and taxpayers. Don't let your children be used this way. Bond funds can't be tapped by the state. When every you see the Political Action Committee Name League of California Cities, think, "Promoters of the Use of Eminent Domain for Private Developers", think "More Debt the Better economics", Think, of inflated cost of city management and operations. Joyce Powers is exactly the reason the RDA's must go. IF the RDA's were run prudently and efficiently in the past their abuses may not have strapped the State Government, the bond markets, and the tax payers. Citizens may have had equal rights with developers favored by the RDA/City dealings.
Cities unite to fight state
Letters from children, resolutions from cities, testimonials on Facebook were all part of strategies advanced by the group that began shortly after Gov. Jerry Brown announced his plan to abolish redevelopment agencies.
More than 50 municipal leaders and redevelopment professionals from San Bernardino and Riverside counties met at Fontana City Hall on Monday afternoon for the third meeting of the Inland Southern California Redevelopment Association.
A quarter of the state's redevelopment activity occurs in the Inland Empire, group officials said.
"This is not just a mayor's fight. It's an everybody fight," said Fontana Mayor Acquanetta Warren. "This is our economic engine."
Last week, Fontana and Montclair joined a growing number of cities passing resolutions opposed to Brown's proposal to ax redevelopment funding.
Colton is likely to add its name to that part of the campaign at this evening's City Council meeting, said Councilman Vincent Yzaguirre, who attended the RDA event.
But Monday's meeting focused on broadening the fight well beyond resolutions.
"Focus on your elected representatives" in the Legislature, Warren told the group.
While the California Redevelopment Association and the League of California Cities are working to counter Brown's proposal, an organization of Inland
John Dutrey, a Montclair council member and an early participant in the regional RDA, warned that the governor has already met with redevelopment representatives from the state's 10 most populous cities and there will soon be another meeting with financial specialists from those agencies.
"People are afraid that the 10 cities will attempt to compromise with the governor, and that may not benefit the rest of us, including the Inland Empire," said Dutrey, who is also Rialto's housing program manager.
He said he would be in Sacramento today to testify about the importance of RDA funding in creating affordable housing.
"Let people know projects won't happen going forward," Field said.
He suggested testimonials about the success of RDA projects on Facebook.
"Use social networks. President Obama showed how powerful they can be," Field said.
"Part of the problem is that people don't understand the importance of RDAs. ... It's not an easy set of laws to understand," said Debbie Brazill, a deputy city manager in Fontana.
Warren suggested getting the clergy involved to spread the word to their congregations.
Joyce Powers, the community and economic development director for Grand Terrace, said she picked up some ideas from Monday's meeting - her first.
One might be to photograph potential players at a Little League field under construction and paid for with RDA funding.
She said it would be good to get the word out that this type of project might not happen again.
