This is not a researched post. It is a best current understanding post. And readers are invited to submit corrections.
Basically, Ramsey gets MSA money for roads from the State on an annual basis as part of a program/legislative plan that gives localities MSA money. I have no idea what MSA stands for, and it's largely irrelevant.
Each year Ramsey gets some. Each year Ramsey spends it. Each fund transfer of MSA money is for roads.
What strings attach is unclear. But for roads.
You know, that public duty of municipalities for which franchise feeing is being proposed.
So, the MSA money went where?
The MSA money for the next few years will be going where?
The latter question is most interesting. As best as I understand things, (ask your council representatives), is that near-term future MSA money has already been spent in advance of its receipt, on the Sunwood realignment and on the paving of Puma Street and the Hwy. 116 - Armstrong interchange.
That is correct as best as I know the facts.
For Darren stuff.
Specifically, Sunwood realignment is part of the Armstrong - Hwy 10 interchange plan. At least justifiable in ways most in Ramsey already know. Question the wisdom of it if you care to, but aside from that, what?
The other Darren -and- last council brain fart was the Jesus school that isn't.
As I understand it, Jesus is one hell of a good land speculator.
He waved "my school" under the noses of that last council, He and Darren, and got infrastructure He is not paying for, you are, because His land on the west side of Armstrong is not in taxbase paying back its increment in value attained by a defaulted promise of a school there, and it is outside of taxbase because nobody taxes Jesus.
Now we all know about the Cross two thousand years ago, so Jesus did not directly do this. Earthly beings presently sucking air did. In His name, as His representatives.
His inspired earthly minions, they with Darren and council help, did us in big time.
Presumably those earthly minions were being voiced somehow by Him to do so, because otherwise they nakedly used Jesus as a means to flim-flam us, through Darren and that last council, ones too willingly flim-flamed, into infrastructure for Jesus.
Infrastructure for Jesus. That resonates, doesn't it? Jesus, through the earthlies, is now playing buy-and-hold and not paying any real estate taxes. Got a good deal, that Son of God.
Now Jesus is no real part of my view, secular humanism does not need myths, but I certainly admire His delegated real estate acumen, and how He inspired earthly beings to put us Ramsey rubes into a franchise fee hole where future MSA money is earmarked for past misadventure - and for the Armstrong interchange.
Ask your council member.
Ask: What's the MSA road money story.
Ask: Why a franchise fee when MSA money is for roads.
Well, County Road stuff got built.
And many on the County Board are incessantly publicizing high and wide how they do not raise their levy.
They pass it on. To dumbsters, in Ramsey. They posture. Ramsey pays.
Rhonda wants to go to Washington, and the Taxpayer League Watchdog barks favorably about holding the levy line, and the truth in things is Rhonda and friends did a hand-off, in order to be able to posture.
Rhonda and Matt Look are a big part of cost shifting gaming. Gaming of Ben Dover the Ramsey Taxpayer.
And, the Sunwood interchange rerouting did not have to happen until after the Armstrong interchange, not before.
When Armstrong itself is being worked on, nobody will be able to use Armstrong's interchange, despite the tons of cash dumped into rerouting Sunwood. That was Darren-inspired because he got his real estate commission upon closed deals. Go figure how he wanted to close Big Mac, the gas station, and Wise's relocation to where he'd make big commission cash for -- Darren.
Wise, he's wise, he's staying put, after a million dollar cash out, and is in no way bound to shift his liquor selling after Armstrong work begins, to Clown Center. Not a major problem with me. Presumably more a problem with Darren because Darren arguably has some delayed commission rights or at least a claim of rights. Something in cute contracting where even if fired, he'd get subsequent cash from coffers in Ramsey. Neither you, Ben, nor I cut that deal. Our former council did, with help of Heidi Nelson's P3 participation.
But Darren - and the Jesus school promise that never happened - those players did a number on Ramsey and ...
Franchise fee fiscal fleecing follows.