July 29, 2010

Dick Chernisky Letter to the Editor

Worcester needs a 10 percent cap on affordable housing. The only exceptions should be affordable homeownership and quality senior housing. And the Chamber of Commerce should support the 10 percent cap.

The 10 percent cap is just as important as commuter rail. In fact, the positive effects of commuter rail will be greater with the 10 percent cap. The cap offers investors more security, attracting new industry, and expanding Worcester’s tax base. The cap will dramatically increase Worcester’s customer base with higher disposable income, and nothing is more important to business than a growing customer base.

The Chamber of Commerce has done nothing for Worcester. Over the last 50 years, it’s watched our downtown go from the number one retail center to a ghost town. It watched stores like Sears, Jordan Marsh (Macy’s) and Filenes leave Worcester, and did nothing to stop this tragedy. It watched towns like Auburn and Westboro go upscale as Worcester went downscale. Today, the second-largest city in New England doesn’t even have a Macy’s.

Remember, what good things that are happening to Worcester today have nothing to do with the Chamber of Commerce.   The Chamber of Commerce now has the opportunity to do something for Worcester besides trying to tax homeowners to death. There are many ways to help business without shifting more tax burden onto homeowners, and the 10 percent cap is one of them. If the Chamber of Commerce truly supports Worcester, it will rally in favor of the 10 percent cap.

1 comment:

Jahn Dough said...

So this morning I am cruising the south side of Framingham and i experience a violent urge to fulfill my morning caffeine and sugaaaah fix. So I stop into a local spot and grab the Middlesex News, a cup o Joe, the Herald, and a p-nut buttaaaah Anglais muffin. Yes, they still do have English muffins in areas overrun by non english speaking folks

Front page of teh Middle sex news......Town Of Framingham is leaning heavily on Salvation Army to find a new headquarters. For those unfamilar w/Frramingham, Sallys is located right in downtown very nearby the RR crossing that is always backedup with traffic a.k.a. Fram's Downtown Crossing. eesm the powewrs that be think that Sallys is not condicive to a remake or an upgrade of the downtown area. Fankly if you rread between the lines, it seesm Sallys is a negative when it comes to sprucing up DT Fram.

Now I know that Sallys is a far cry from teh PIP shelter, but dare I ask....have we fianlly closed the PIP shelter? I aint seen nuttin' about it in the news now for quite awhile.

So basically, Framingham ( and Mr Chernisky) get it........Pajama People are not compatible with urban business growth, stability, and aattracting middle class people with dispoable income to down town shopping districts......and to Canal Districts, I might add.

Bill I might add teh herald reported that thsi casino bill has set asides in it to give some of the State's take from the full size casinos to racetracks. Kinda like how Christie in NJ wants to set aside some the NJ state casino "skim" for teh AC area. I mentioned how I think this wrong and I think you partly agreed wth me ? This not right. Why should one private business have to subsidize anoterh private business (racing) which business is basically on life support here in Mass. It s kind alike private builders having to pay taxes which are then funneled to their competition.....COmm Dev'ment Corp's.

Btw I think this is Mr C's 3rd piece thsi yr. in letters to the editor. He may get 5 LeTters to the editor in before 2010 expires??