http://www.bayarea.com/mld/cctimes/news/editorial/letters/6364536.htm

Probe Redevelopment

Today when all public budgets are stretched to the maximum, we should not be diverting our tax dollars from critical areas like fire departments and libraries for inappropriate redevelopment agency projects.

Redevelopment agencies in our county took $83 million of our property taxes in 2002 alone: $10 million from the county government budget, $1 million from the county library budget, $8 million from the county fire department, $5.7 million from our community colleges, $2.5 million from East Bay Regional Parks, and more. These diversions have been going on for more than 50 years.

Redevelopment agencies are created by cities and counties to help truly destitute neighborhoods revive themselves and to provide low-income housing. Their purpose is to rebuild severely blighted areas. Yet "blight" is so loosely defined that virtually every city in our county has a redevelopment agency. There is no state or county oversight. Less than 20 percent of redevelopment agency money is spent on low-income housing. Much is spent on shopping centers and expensive housing that the private sector should finance, and on public buildings that should be financed by local developer fees and bonds.

It is time to investigate where that $83 million annual "donation" is being spent.

Tim Platt

Martinez