As expected -- and, ahem, noted here first -- Mayor-elect Ashley Swearengin has chosen Craig Scharton, the former City Council member and current chief executive of the Central Valley Business Incubator, to be the new director of downtown and community revitalization for the city.
Swearengin also picked Elliott Balch to be the downtown revitalization manager, Elaine Robles-McGraw as neighborhood revitalization manager, Travis Sheridan for local business initiatives manager, Wilma Quan as the urban planning specialist and Elizabeth Jonasson as revitalization funding coordinator.
It's a pretty impressive team. That's good news for downtown and its advocates. Revitalization will be a tough nut in these difficult economic times. But it's an essential part of overall recovery and prosperity for the entire region.
As the story in the newspaper clearly point out, Craig Scharton has baggage. Unlike Moses wandering through the desert, Mr. Scharton has made it to the "Promised Land", lived long enough, he has, to exchange shorts for flowing robes and holding 'The Ten Commandments' and a $128,000.00 pay packet to boot.
MOI does not find much to agree with when it comes to Councilman Perea, but the councilman and the current president of the City Council make a valid point, there needs to be some explaining done, one would want the New Downtown Czar to be like 'Ceasar's wife' and Mr. Scharton should make every effort to make one and all believe that he is not 'in bed' with the developers.
Downtown Fresno is a body in search of a soul and the best that can be had to to drag forward someone who has not been able to find what works so far. Outgoing Mayor Autry's idea for Downtown may not have sat well with folks but it was original.
Business is important, but more important are the people who LIVE or WILL LIVE Downtown, 365 days a year........the folks who will buy homes, raise families and venture out and use the services that business will provide to the Downtown area. This old geezer must be thick as a brick, as he does not see a mad rush of folks into the Downtown area, more of a rush to depart Downtown at the end of the work day.
Mr. Scharton may well be a lovely man and able like Moses to strike a rock and have water flow. MOI has his doubts. The appointment of Mr. Scharton only confirms what some in Fresno believe, that the City of Fresno is governed by a small group of individuals, they just move from one chair to another.
$128,000.00 pay packet for Craig Scharton, or anyone else in the same job description is obscene! No wonder the country and this state are broke! I've lived in Fresno for over 40 years and everyone in the city who is in government, or was in city government, always talks or always talked of "revitalizing" downtown, with their mouth: - but, - then with their actions, they allowed RiverPark, and continue to allow other similar developments, to take the place of any meaningful investment in downtown. There's only so much capital to go around, and if the developers are allowed to create urban sprawl, then they will just keep on doing it!
Political hacks at obscene salaries are never going to do anything downtown or "uptown" or anywhere else, - except WASTE HONEST HARD WORKING private enterprise economic producers' money, that is earned by sweat and toil and stolen through taxes!! These people are no better than thieves, actually they are worse than thieves, because they are OUTRIGHT college educated - frauds!
Accounts Receivable Tax
Building Permit Tax
Capital Gains Tax
CDL License Tax
Cigarette Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Court Fines (indirect taxes)
Dog License Tax
Federal Excise Tax
Federal Income Tax
Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
Fishing License Tax
Food License Tax
Fuel Permit Tax
Gasoline Tax (42 cents per gallon aka: highway tax)
Hunting License Tax
Inheritance Tax
Interest Expense (tax on the money)
Inventory Tax I
RS Interest Charges (tax on top of tax)
IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)
Liquor Tax
Local Income Tax
Luxury Taxes
Marriage License Tax
Medicare Tax
Property Tax
Real Estate Tax
Recreational Vehicle Tax
Road Toll Booth Taxes
Road Usage Taxes (truckers)
Room Tax
Sales & Use Taxes
School Tax
Septic and/or Sewerage Permit Tax
Service Charge Taxes
Social Security Tax
State Income Tax
State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)
Telephone Federal Excise Tax
Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Taxes
Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax
Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax
Telephone Recurring and Nonrecurring Charges Tax
Telephone State and Local Tax
Telephone Usage Charge Tax
Toll Bridge Taxes Toll
Tunnel Taxes
Trailer Registration
Tax Utility Taxes
Tax on tire disposal aka: disposal "fees"
Tax on bottle disposal aka: disposal "fees"
Vehicle License Registration Tax
Vehicle Sales Tax
Watercraft Registration Tax
Water Tax (aka: water fees)
Well Permit Tax
Workers’ Compensation Tax
I don't get it??? Why do people tolerate this kind of thing? How much money do government employees and non-profits have to steal from the WORKING public for the public to cease tolerating this kind of thing like high salaries for political hacks and government non-performers?
AAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! If you feel as much frustrated as I do, then write me, so we can band together and take action on things like these kind of positions and salaries in city government. Help me, before you and I become total economic slaves to the government and work 9 months for it so as to be able to pay one's taxes, instead of the 4 months you are now working! Together we can change Fresno, and be a light to other communities as well!!!
David_Wells_59@Yahoo.com