The Observation Deck

Since there has been some discussion here about decorative street lighting I thought this PD article might be of interest:

http://blog.cleveland.com/architecture/ ... rt_m-rpt-2

The story states that the lighting will be paid for by the "Playhouse Square Foundation". That's true but not accurate. The Playhouse Square Foundation receives a large percentage of its funding from Cuyahoga Arts and Culture which in turn is funded by Cuyahoga County taxpayers.

The designers expect that new lighting and street amenities will increase pedestrian traffic in the area. The project is needed because so many people go to see a play and never set "foot on Euclid Avenue".

And we fight over crumbs.

Bill

This goes with a couple other discussions we agree on and kick around here for the past
ten years or so. Sooner or later tax-payers are going to need a greater breakdown on
accountability from government city, county, state and national. Right now it all seems so
overwhelming and let's be honest we all have to take one for the team now and then paying
for things we might not personally agree on, for the greater good.

On a national level I would cut military by at least half, giving the feds, states and everyone
a chance to beef up education, health care, and helping those that truly are in need of help.
On a local level cities really need to start looking harder at SIDs and stop propping up various
ideas or areas that cannot sustain themselves with the money they generate. This is in
essence what Arthur is doing with their street lights, but not what the playhouse district is
doing with theirs. I can see where people on Arthur pay for the look of the street on a hyper
local level, but having all of us kick in for the street of a very small area. At the same time
some of the businesses in the area are the ones mentioned like Cuyahoga Arts and Culture
and the Cleveland Foundation.

I am a firm believer it is time to stop using residential tax dollars to prop up any business
area or venture.

FWIW


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Bill Call wrote:The Playhouse Square Foundation receives a large percentage of its funding from Cuyahoga Arts and Culture which in turn is funded by Cuyahoga County taxpayers.

Bill - while I understand where you're going with this, your concept of "large percentage" baffles me.

Per Playhouse Square Foundation's 2011 IRS Form 990, (available via websites such as http://www.guidestar.org) their total revenue was $56.9 million.

Per Cuyahoga Arts and Culture's website http://www.cacgrants.org/downloads/CAC_2013-14_GOS_Grant_Awards.pdf, CAC's 2013-14 General Operating Support grant to PSF was $1.7 million.

That's less than 3%. IMHO, hardly a large percentage.

PSF's Form 990 for 2011 also report TOTAL government grant income as $2.6M (still only 4.5% of PSF's total revenue).

Interestingly, 58% of PSF's revenue is earned revenue (vs. contributed income), i.e., ticket sales and other theatrical revenue, parking garage receipts and various rental income.

Bill Call wrote:The story states that the lighting will be paid for by the "Playhouse Square Foundation".

Bill - the piece in your link quoted Art Falco, President and CEO of Playhouse Square as saying "...the project will be funded through a 60-40 private-public partnership". The story also says "Cleveland and Cuyahoga County have both expressed a “firm commitment” to their shares, and that the remainder will be raised through philanthropic donations or naming rights".

That's about 9.6 million private and 6.4 million public.

I suppose Cleveland will have to lay off some more police and fire to honor their commitment rather than cleaning up the dumping ground that is the Water Department. And now that Cuyahoga County relieved itself from most, if not all, of the cost of corruption, it is flush with cash. Instead of reducing the highest sales tax in the State, they have to find new ways to spend the extra cash. But that is another subject.

BTW, I think this is a step in the right direction. Anything that can brighten up this area is worthwhile.

Charlie Page wrote:And now that Cuyahoga County relieved itself from most, if not all, of the cost of corruption, it is flush with cash.

Charlie


Perhaps this is best for another discussion, and I suppose most of the old corruption has
been rooted out or at least tempered, but this "flush with cash" because of it, escapes me.

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Peter Grossetti wrote:PSF's Form 990 for 2011 also report TOTAL government grant income as $2.6M (still only 4.5% of PSF's total revenue).

Interestingly, 58% of PSF's revenue is earned revenue (vs. contributed income), i.e., ticket sales and other theatrical revenue, parking garage receipts and various rental income.

Valid points.

However....(there is always a however )

Any organization that only covers 58% of its costs by selling its product is hardly an economic engine. Which brings to mind one of my favorite riddles:

Is the economic engine of a region the organization that pays the subsidy or the organization that needs the subsidy to survive?

Crocker Park is set to build its own live theater/entertainment complex. Will it be elligible for taxpayer subsidies? Of course the original plan was to move the Beck Center to Crocker Park but those plans fell through.

You have to read between the lines in all Plain Dealer articles.

When writing about the new County Administration building the PD reported that the facility would bring to life a desolate area of Euclid Avenue,

when reporting on the new (tax payer subsidized) office building in the flats they mentioned all the vacant office buildings on Euclid Avenue,

when reporting on the need for more street improvements on Euclid Avenue the PD mentioned that nobody sets foot on Euclid avenue after they leave a play.

I thought the $200 million spent on the Euclid Cooridor project was suppose to solve all of those problems?

Anyway, where is our piece of the action? Madison Avenue deserves as much attention as Euclid Avenue and all we are going to get is a fresh coat of asphalt.

Jim O'Bryan wrote:

Charlie Page wrote:And now that Cuyahoga County relieved itself from most, if not all, of the cost of corruption, it is flush with cash.

Charlie


Perhaps this is best for another discussion, and I suppose most of the old corruption has
been rooted out or at least tempered, but this "flush with cash" because of it, escapes me.

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Jim - Cuyahoga the highest sales tax rate in the state. The County is sitting on a huge pile of cash. They can't spend the money fast enough. Why not reduce the sales tax rate a quarter percent?

No one knows the total cost of corruption to the Cuyahoga County taxpayers, and probably never will. Dimora, Russo and their cronies cost us taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars throughout their reign.

Charlie Page wrote:Jim - Cuyahoga the highest sales tax rate in the state. The County is sitting on a huge pile of cash. They can't spend the money fast enough. Why not reduce the sales tax rate a quarter percent?

No one knows the total cost of corruption to the Cuyahoga County taxpayers, and probably never will. Dimora, Russo and their cronies cost us taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars throughout their reign.

That reminds me:

Where did the County get the $50 million for the purchase and asbestos abatement of the Ameritrust Building?

Jacobs used his $20 million share to subsidize the new Avon freeway exit and new Avon Cleveland Clinic Building. Smart thinking, make Cuyahoga County pay for its own rope.

Almost as smart his Tri-C's decision to build its new campus in an old industrial park on the border of Lorain County.

Just because Cuyahoga County governments throw money away doesn't mean we are obligated to give them more.

Bill/Charlie

Perhaps they can kill two birds with one stone like we did here in Lakewood.

Use money for improvements, and for educational opportunities as well!

I mean we all remember taking trips to see "Juno" the transparent woman at the
Cleveland Health Museum.



Did you read anywhere if they would be the extra cool, and more expensive cutaway
lamp posts?

Like this visible street pole cut-away that shows all of us where our money goes and what
we are spending much more money on.




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