Dan Gilbert Should Pay His Property His Property Taxes
In the past two years Quicken Arena and Dan Gilbert have evaded $7.5 million in property taxes. I think if Gilbert has any real concern for Cleveland he’d pay those taxes, most of which comes from Cleveland school children.
Every year Gilbert has owned the Cavs and has use of the mostly publicly financed basketball arena he has been the recipient of a no tax deal worked out by former Mayor Mike White and County Commissioner Tim Hagan. (Every January, Cleveland and Cuyahoga County taxpayers pay some $8.5 million for bonds that go just for the extra cost of the arena.)
Add up $7.5 every two years and in a decade that’s $37.5 million. In 20 years it will be $75 million.
We are not talking chump change. That’s how the wealthy get super wealthy.
Gilbert, a billionaire, is the main backer of Issue 3, which would give him a monopoly position in a casino in Cleveland, and with others, in Cincinnati, Toledo, and Columbus.
That’s quite a gift to a billionaire.
Someone who is asking the public to give him a monopoly money-maker casino should show so real civic responsibility.
Paying his taxes could be a minimum sign that he would be a proper person to receive a state constitutionally voted reward.
It’s essentially a permit to print money from the public.
So every two years, $7.5 million of property taxes – just from the Quicken Arena – go unpaid because of an exemption of property taxes for all Gateway buildings, including a parking garage.
I know that the taxes are exempted but there is no law that says that Gilbert (and Larry Dolan for the baseball team) shouldn’t voluntarily pay their fair taxes.
Slightly more than 55 percent of the $7.5 million would go to the Cleveland schools.
C’mon Dan, show us you really are a concerned citizen and want to help the community. That’s your line. Prove it by paying your tax bill.
Comments
When Quicken Loans Arena was built as Gund Arena, a tax abatement was given to the building along with Jacobs Field. Thus the building has never had a property tax. Why would he have to pay property taxes on a building that has never had taxes paid on it before? You can't make him do it just because he has the money to do it. The precedent was already set.
16 April 2007
1 hour 40 min
The entire Gateway project is TAX EXEMPT. It will never have to legally pay taxes on the buildings. However, that doesn't stop Gilbert from being a good citizen and paying the taxes that should be due on the build he controls but we paid for.
Understand?
Why would he pay if he does not have to? Quit being stupid bloggers.
You in your underpants again?
To the person who wrote the first comment, do you really want the answer to your rhetorical question? O.K., here it is: BECAUSE IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO. Considering the express commandment and dicta at Quicken, expressly stated in the Quicken employee excellence manifesto, states "Doing the right thing" is an absolute requirement, why shouldn't he pay the taxes?
Do you not believe it is totally hypocritical if *HE* isn't "doing the right thing?" Or, is it really one of those corporate BS things, "Do as I say, not as I do." It appears to me that Gilbert, in reality, believes in the latter.