The Lofty on Rowe - The Ludington Torch2024-03-28T15:10:08Zhttps://ludingtoncitizen.ning.com/forum/topics/the-lofty-on-rowe?feed=yes&xn_auth=noIsn't it nauseating? Every s…tag:ludingtoncitizen.ning.com,2023-03-21:4689834:Comment:14262052023-03-21T14:27:38.673ZXLFDhttps://ludingtoncitizen.ning.com/profile/TheLudingtonCitizen
<p>Isn't it nauseating? Every single entity involved put this effort on the back of the Ludington taxpayer, the Michigan taxpayer, and the federal taxpayer (i.e us) reaching deep into our low and middle class pockets to finance this project, then boldly pat each other on the back for a job well done without mentioning the taxpayers-- then deeply insult our intelligence by setting their rents more than twice what they should be and call it affordable housing (as Mayor Miller and WSB CEO Biggs…</p>
<p>Isn't it nauseating? Every single entity involved put this effort on the back of the Ludington taxpayer, the Michigan taxpayer, and the federal taxpayer (i.e us) reaching deep into our low and middle class pockets to finance this project, then boldly pat each other on the back for a job well done without mentioning the taxpayers-- then deeply insult our intelligence by setting their rents more than twice what they should be and call it affordable housing (as Mayor Miller and WSB CEO Biggs directly said in these videos).</p> I don't recall rejecting your…tag:ludingtoncitizen.ning.com,2023-03-21:4689834:Comment:14260992023-03-21T13:46:22.906ZXLFDhttps://ludingtoncitizen.ning.com/profile/TheLudingtonCitizen
<p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/11000905464?profile=original" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/11000905464?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="333"></img></a> I don't recall rejecting your submission on such a topic I have a keen interest in, but if you resubmit it I'll give it a second look, and grant you a complimentary Pulzer Prize. If you look real close at this development, you may piece together familiar faces or at least familiar entities fronted with different faces from the bowling alley block…</p>
<p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/11000905464?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/11000905464?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="333" class="align-left"/></a>I don't recall rejecting your submission on such a topic I have a keen interest in, but if you resubmit it I'll give it a second look, and grant you a complimentary Pulzer Prize. If you look real close at this development, you may piece together familiar faces or at least familiar entities fronted with different faces from the bowling alley block development.</p>
<p>Sure the developer is different but the MO is similar-- an LLC comes in and pitches their plan, the plan runs into difficulty securing public funds, so a different group not bound by the earlier promises steps in. John Wilson was instrumental in both using his Pennies from Heaven group, then there's West Shore Bank, the City of Ludington, the county's brownfield authority, and let's not forget the COLDNews, whom are effectively the public relations firm for all of the above, giving them free advertising and support at each point in the project so that these crooks can charge rents over twice what these apartments should be going for.</p> One of my first researched ar…tag:ludingtoncitizen.ning.com,2023-03-21:4689834:Comment:14260292023-03-21T01:21:39.999ZBarney Reinberghttps://ludingtoncitizen.ning.com/profile/BarneyReinberg
One of my first researched articles for the Torch covered the development on the old bowling alley and fire department property. Same problems different developers. I think the article was worthy of a Pulzer prize but X never submitted the article.
One of my first researched articles for the Torch covered the development on the old bowling alley and fire department property. Same problems different developers. I think the article was worthy of a Pulzer prize but X never submitted the article. Thanks for the additional inf…tag:ludingtoncitizen.ning.com,2023-03-21:4689834:Comment:14259292023-03-21T00:45:38.610ZWillyhttps://ludingtoncitizen.ning.com/profile/willy
<p>Thanks for the additional information X. Making a video about how wonderful they are is so obnoxious.</p>
<p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/11000657474?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/11000657474?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-full"/></a></p>
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<p>Thanks for the additional information X. Making a video about how wonderful they are is so obnoxious.</p>
<p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/11000657474?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/11000657474?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p></p> You can see them demolishi…tag:ludingtoncitizen.ning.com,2023-03-20:4689834:Comment:14261012023-03-20T16:51:29.481ZXLFDhttps://ludingtoncitizen.ning.com/profile/TheLudingtonCitizen
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<p>You can see them demolishing the salt barn in this promotional video made in January, with the usual suspects taking credit for this highly subsidized government apartment complex. I wonder, if MCC is a non-profit agency who used primarily public funding from at least three federal programs, a local Brownfield, and a cool million from…</p>
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<p>You can see them demolishing the salt barn in this promotional video made in January, with the usual suspects taking credit for this highly subsidized government apartment complex. I wonder, if MCC is a non-profit agency who used primarily public funding from at least three federal programs, a local Brownfield, and a cool million from PFH-- what was their final cost and why do they feel that theses rental rates are appropriate payback to the community for urban style sub-sized living quarters? </p>
<p>Speaking of suspects, I see four County Commissioners together in the picture from the video below (L to R starting at 2nd person: Squires, Hull, Anderson, and Castonia), and as this wasn't a <em>chance</em> social gathering where a quorum of that body is together and deliberating with others about what a Godsend this project is, I can't find the public notice for that January meeting of the county commissioners or the requisite minutes.</p>
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<p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/11000465497?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/11000465497?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-full"/></a> </p> You can see that structure in…tag:ludingtoncitizen.ning.com,2023-03-20:4689834:Comment:14257172023-03-20T02:51:10.684ZXLFDhttps://ludingtoncitizen.ning.com/profile/TheLudingtonCitizen
<p>You can see that structure in the aerial views of the Haskelite Building on the video, it was the City's storage facility, mainly for road salt, garbage barrels, and picnic tables-- they called it their salt barn, and they sold it to MCC for a modest price, if I remember correctly it was under condition that MCC would erect a pole barn on the back of the DPW property to serve the same purpose.</p>
<p>It's easy to blame government for problems in housing, because they are often the ones at…</p>
<p>You can see that structure in the aerial views of the Haskelite Building on the video, it was the City's storage facility, mainly for road salt, garbage barrels, and picnic tables-- they called it their salt barn, and they sold it to MCC for a modest price, if I remember correctly it was under condition that MCC would erect a pole barn on the back of the DPW property to serve the same purpose.</p>
<p>It's easy to blame government for problems in housing, because they are often the ones at fault. The invisible hand of the free market would always be solving housing affordability, shortages and surpluses in short order, but the government seeking more power and control keeps intruding into the issue and turning it into fertilizer and keeps private entrepreneurs who want to be developers out of the picture. </p>
<p>God bless <a href="http://ludingtoncitizen.ning.com/forum/topics/ludington-city-council-meeting-january-25-2016-barrels-and-quarre" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mitch Bogner</a> who was trying to add 80 affordable units to the housing stock without seeking any government assistance, only their approval, and ran into hostility at Planning meetings and city council meetings. Even with the resistance from city hall, Forest Hill snobs, and mysterious barrels half buried on the construction site, Bogner got it done and offers extremely affordable workforce housing for young families. This is how nice and easy it would be if government would abide by our federal and state constitutions and quit meddling in the housing markets.</p> Well done X. I completely ag…tag:ludingtoncitizen.ning.com,2023-03-20:4689834:Comment:14256482023-03-20T01:44:01.173ZWillyhttps://ludingtoncitizen.ning.com/profile/willy
<p>Well done X. I completely agree with you. This is one of thousands of projects thought up by proponents of expanding the reach of Government into private enterprise. Not only are most of these projects promoted under false pretenses but many are just plain corrupt. The taxpayers are always on the losing end of these deals. From the Government, to the banks, to contractors and local authorities these type of projects continue to feed the greed and under belly of conniving promoters and…</p>
<p>Well done X. I completely agree with you. This is one of thousands of projects thought up by proponents of expanding the reach of Government into private enterprise. Not only are most of these projects promoted under false pretenses but many are just plain corrupt. The taxpayers are always on the losing end of these deals. From the Government, to the banks, to contractors and local authorities these type of projects continue to feed the greed and under belly of conniving promoters and politicians. Thanks for your attention regarding this situation, now and in past articles.</p>
<p>Didn't the City own the property just north of this building? If memory serves me the City used it for storage. I could be wrong.</p>