tomato can Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 (edited) Are Community Benefits Agreement bad? One of the old steel mill sites in town has been set to be redeveloped. Its a huge piece of land near the lake like 600 acres. A big grocery chain has just signed on to be the first business to begin construction. There is even a big pitch by the developers to land the Obama library on the site along with a school, housing, boat slips, ect. The neighborhood community organizers are demanding a community benefits agreement. There has to be a downside to this?? http://www.suntimes.com/business/28564026-420/marianos-to-announce-it-will-build-store-on-former-us-steel-site.html#.U74POECCUrF Edited July 10, 2014 by tomato can Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3rdnlng Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 Are Community Benefits Agreement bad? One of the old steel mill sites in town has been set to be redeveloped. Its a huge piece of land near the lake like 600 acres. A big grocery chain has just signed on to be the first business to begin construction. There is even a big pitch by the developers to land the Obama library on the site along with a school, housing, boat slips, ect. The neighborhood community organizers are demanding a community benefits agreement. There has to be a downside to this?? http://www.suntimes....ml#.U74POECCUrF Please define a "community benefits agreement". Your linked article does not refer to this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azalin Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 Please define a "community benefits agreement". Your linked article does not refer to this. yeah, I'm not getting that either. there's usually a pretty good reason that certain economically depressed areas have had their grocery stores close up and move away. the old FIGMOS in Buffalo in particular comes to mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4merper4mer Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 What are the first four letters in the word community? I think you have your answer now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Tom Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 yeah, I'm not getting that either. there's usually a pretty good reason that certain economically depressed areas have had their grocery stores close up and move away. Because corporations make profits by oppressing minorities? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3rdnlng Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 yeah, I'm not getting that either. there's usually a pretty good reason that certain economically depressed areas have had their grocery stores close up and move away. the old FIGMOS in Buffalo in particular comes to mind. From the OP: Mariano said last week that Mariano’s, a division of Milwaukee-based Roundy’s Supermarkets Inc., must provide intense job training in underserved communities, including working with new hires on basics such as timeliness, proper attire, work preparation and communicating well with customers. “In many cases, we’re going into places where people haven’t had jobs or haven’t had jobs in many years,” Mariano said. “We want to spend time on job training and job-preparation skills so that the employees and the store can succeed.” Mariano aims to hire local residents for the food-desert stores. The company does so at existing stores because most people want to work two to five miles from their homes, Mariano said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azalin Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 Because corporations make profits by oppressing minorities? yes indeed. grocery stores, especially corporate-owned grocery stores, exist solely to create a food dependency among the local populace, then bleed them dry before closing up shop and moving to another neighborhood, where they begin the process all over again. it's even worse among urban minority communities, because the greedy grocers get rich off of the poor's welfare money and food stamps. all kidding aside, I would love to see more real grocery stores appearing in areas such as the one in the linked article, but if it was economically feasible to do so, then they'd already be there. I mentioned FIGMOS earlier - they were a grocery store that had gone out of business, and one of the employees bought it and renamed it FIGMOS (acronym for finally I got my own supermarket). this was right around the time I moved away from WNY. not long ago I did an internet search to find out what had become of them, and learned that they weren't open for long. the reason most often cited was rampant theft, both by customers and employees. it would be great if they can pull it off in Chicago, but I remain skeptical. From the OP: Mariano said last week that Mariano’s, a division of Milwaukee-based Roundy’s Supermarkets Inc., must provide intense job training in underserved communities, including working with new hires on basics such as timeliness, proper attire, work preparation and communicating well with customers. “In many cases, we’re going into places where people haven’t had jobs or haven’t had jobs in many years,” Mariano said. “We want to spend time on job training and job-preparation skills so that the employees and the store can succeed.” Mariano aims to hire local residents for the food-desert stores. The company does so at existing stores because most people want to work two to five miles from their homes, Mariano said. yeah, I read that and I wish Mariano well. he appears to be offering a pretty sweet deal considering the lengths he appears to be willing to go to in the way of job training and customer service skills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomato can Posted July 10, 2014 Author Share Posted July 10, 2014 (edited) Please define a "community benefits agreement". Your linked article does not refer to this. Please define a "community benefits agreement". Your linked article does not refer to this. Sorry about that. I just linked the article about the development. The so called neighborhood community activists want a community benefits agreement. I looked it up because I never heard of such an agreement. It says a CBA is "A Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) is a project-specific agreement between a developer and a broad community coalition that details the project’s contributions to the community and ensures community support for the project. Addressing a range of community issues, properly structured CBAs are legally binding and directly enforceable by the signatories. In some cases, the community benefits terms from a CBA may be incorporated into an agreement between the local government and the developer, such as a development agreement or lease. That arrangement gives the local government the power to enforce the community benefits terms" I was curious if anyone else have heard of these? Were they good or bad? Sounds like a bunch of baloney to me. Edited July 10, 2014 by tomato can Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3rdnlng Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 Sorry about that. I just linked the article about the development. The so called neighborhood community activists want a community benefits agreement. I looked it up because I never heard of such an agreement. It says a CBA is "A Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) is a project-specific agreement between a developer and a broad community coalition that details the project’s contributions to the community and ensures community support for the project. Addressing a range of community issues, properly structured CBAs are legally binding and directly enforceable by the signatories. In some cases, the community benefits terms from a CBA may be incorporated into an agreement between the local government and the developer, such as a development agreement or lease. That arrangement gives the local government the power to enforce the community benefits terms" I was curious if anyone else have heard of these? Were they good or bad? Sounds like a bunch of baloney to me. In other words the community activists want a piece of the pie in addition to the local zoning and planning boards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanker Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 Is it like having benefits with a girlfriend? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B-Man Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 (edited) Is it like having benefits with a girlfriend? Well................I many cases you're "screwed"................................so , yes. . Edited July 10, 2014 by B-Man Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GG Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 In other words the community activists want a piece of the pie in addition to the local zoning and planning boards. Yup, it's tantamount to a legal kickback to have the corporation pay for something in a community. On paper you would think it's a good deal, because the community is getting something in addition to private development of unused or badly used land. But in reality, places where these agreements are common are rife with corruption. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Tom Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 Yup, it's tantamount to a legal kickback to have the corporation pay for something in a community. On paper you would think it's a good deal, because the community is getting something in addition to private development of unused or badly used land. But in reality, places where these agreements are common are rife with corruption. "Kickback?" Sounds more like a shakedown, of the sort Al Sharpton would embrace. "Pay us, and we won't protest and make your life a living hell." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GG Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 "Kickback?" Sounds more like a shakedown, of the sort Al Sharpton would embrace. "Pay us, and we won't protest and make your life a living hell." You say tomato, I say tomahto Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4merper4mer Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 Sorry about that. I just linked the article about the development. The so called neighborhood community activists want a community benefits agreement. I looked it up because I never heard of such an agreement. It says a CBA is "A Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) is a project-specific agreement between a developer and a broad community coalition that details the project’s contributions to the community and ensures community support for the project. Addressing a range of community issues, properly structured CBAs are legally binding and directly enforceable by the signatories. In some cases, the community benefits terms from a CBA may be incorporated into an agreement between the local government and the developer, such as a development agreement or lease. That arrangement gives the local government the power to enforce the community benefits terms" I was curious if anyone else have heard of these? Were they good or bad? Sounds like a bunch of baloney to me. Commie commie commie commie commie. And that's just from the article. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanker Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 Wait... wasn't B.O. a commie organizer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomato can Posted July 12, 2014 Author Share Posted July 12, 2014 Wait... wasn't B.O. a commie organizer? Yes he was. At one time he was organizing out of work steel workers in the area and nothing ever really came of it. The steel mills on the southeast of Chicago all closed up. The remaining steel mills in the area operate over the state line in Indiana which has a more business friendly tax structure. The area community organizer today are mostly made up of environmental radicals demanding environmental justice. The area is around the river used to be an industrial power but today lot of the land sits vacant. Any time an industrial company tries to open up they are met by these community organizers with much resistance. They used there contacts in the media to slam the companies as poisoning the air and water in the area. They run around with petitions trying to get signatures and go all to frighten the residents. The have lobbied the states attorney general to file an environmental lawsuit against the Koch brothers company KCBX who operates a piece of land in the area. The Koch Brothers have spent about 30 million dollars upgrading their property. They have also attacked the railroad for transporting petroleum coke as well and want the trains to be stopped. The sad part is that the area could actually gain some good paying industrial jobs but they work hard to stop it. They are willing to accept low paying service sector jobs and as DCTom pointed out they are trying to shake down the developers to get a piece of he pie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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