There’s a sucker born every minute may be hyperbole in the rest of the world, but in Barnstable, it’s fact, and you can find the names and addresses of 33,000 of them in the town’s voter list.

Simon Malls is a mega-billion dollar corporation that owns 175 malls throughout the world, including Paris, Rome, and Tokyo.

The company even owns one here in little old Barnstable, and the town council and ASSessorJeff Rudziak, conspired to bilk elderly widows, widowers, and couples into paying half of Simon's property taxes.

 
At the recent open meeting of the voters Rudziak said that  it's his job is to “supply the facts to the council, and they make the decision whether to adopt the split tax rate.”

Rudziak gave everyone a“packet” containing “the facts on the mall's property taxes for the last seven years."

Rudziak further added, “I present the facts as they are, and I don’t manipulate them.” 

I'll let you be the judge;

Was Rudziak’s packet intended to deceive and defraud voters?

On Page 2 of his packet (click on image below to enlarge) Rudziak stated,

“Cape Cod Mall Values; FY2001 = $64,091,900; FY2007 = $111,097,300.  Increase of 73.3%

Rudziak wants us to believe he increased the Cape Cod Mall’s property taxes by increasing the assessment by $47 million.

Rudziak never mentioned the fact that the Cape Cod Mall underwent a significant upgrade in 2002 including an increase in size from 250,000 to 530,000 square feet.

Rudziak also never said a word about Simon's acquisition of the Cape Cod Mall in 2002 for $159 million according to the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds.

When I asked Rudziak why the mall is currently assessed $48 million less than the amount the company paid for it five years ago, he said, sic "The mall's selling price included "goodwill," or "blue sky," in the total price."

Many commercial acquisitions reflect the value of a well-known company's name, or customer list, like Coca Cola, as an example.

The value is known as "goodwill" or "blue sky," but think about it;

Do you patronize the Cape Cod Mall because it's called the Cape Cod Mall, or do you go there to shop at Best Buy, Macy's, Sears, or any of the other well-known stores?

If you do shop at the mall simply because of its name, do you think it is worth $50 million?

In 2000 Barnstable’s tax rate was $12.80, and the mall was assessed at $64 million, which means mall’s TOWN property tax was

$819,200.

In 2007 the mall was assessed at $111,097,300, but the tax rate dropped to $5.57 because of a precipitous increase in residential property values (from $4 billion to $15 billion), driving its TOWN TAX BILL down to

$618,810 OR

$200,389 LESS

THAN IT WAS SEVEN YEARS AGO.

The mall’s assessed value should have increased $47 million between 2001 and 2007 based on the fact the mall

DOUBLED IN SIZE

at a cost of $60 million.

Imagine how much your property taxes would go up if you bought the abutting lot, doubled the size of your home, and added a swimming pool.

On Page 5 of his packet (click on image below to enlarge) Rudziak wrote;

Cape Cod Mall TOWN Taxes; FY2001 = $754,992; FY2007 = $936,325

In 2008 the Cape Cod Mall’s town property tax is

$644,384, 

which means Rudziak either

OVERSTATED the mall’s TOWN PROPERTY TAX BY MORE THAN $300,000, OR

THE COMPANY WAS THE BENEFICIARY OF A $300,000 WINDFALL TAX CUT THIS YEAR,

BECAUSE THE COMMERCIAL TAX RATE INCREASED $.22, FROM $5.57 TO $5.80.

Click on image of the on-line image of the Mall's 2008 tax bill.

Why would Rudziak write such a colossal fib?

Because Rudziak, and the town council, don’t want you to know just how anemic Barnstable's commercial taxes are compared to those in every other city and town in Massachusetts.

Let’s look at the property taxes Simon Malls paid in other cities this year, bearing in mind Barnstable's commercial tax rate is $5.80

BOSTON

Simon’s Mall (Copley Place Mall) is located at 100 Huntington Drive, and is assessed for

$413,000,000.

Boston’s commercial tax rate is $25.92 and the mall's property tax bill is

 

$10,704,960 or

$10,060,576 more than its Barnstable property tax.

Boston’s residential tax rate is $10.97.

SAUGUS

Simon’s Mall (Square One Mall) is located at 1201 Broadway, and is assessed for  $136.6 million.

Saugus’s commercial tax rate is $18.41, and the store’s 2008 property tax bill is

$2,514,806, or

$1,870,422 more than in Barnstable.

Saugus’s residential tax rate is $8.76.

BURLINGTON

Simon’s Mall (Burlington Mall) is located at 75 Middlesex Turnpike, is assessed for $170 million, and the tax rate is $26.30.

The mall's 2008 property tax bill is

$4,471,000, or

$3,826,616 more than in Barnstable .

Burlington’s residential tax rate is $9.60.

MARLBOROUGH

Simon’s Mall (Solomon Pond Mall) is located at 601 Donald Lynch Boulevard, and is assessed for only $30 million.

Marlborough’s commercial property tax rate is $24.58, and the store’s property tax bill is $737,400, or $93,000 more that the store paid in Barnstable despite the fact the mall is nearly four times smaller.

Marlborough’s residential tax rate is $12.72. 

WORCESTER

Simon’s  Mall (Greendale Mall) is located at 7 Neponset Street, and is assessed for only $24 million.

Worcester’s commercial tax rate is $26.20, and the mall’s property tax ill this year is $628,800, or virtually identical to the Cape Cod Mall, but the store is much smaller, and assessed for $86 million less.

Worcester’s residential levy is $12.54.

AUBURN

Simon’s mall (Auburn Mall) is located at 385 Southbridge Street, and is assessed  for only $67 million.

Auburn’s commercial tax rate is $21.83, and the mall’s property tax bill is

$1,462,610 or

$818,226 more than in Barnstable.

Auburn’s residential tax rate is $10.91.

NEWTON

Simon has two malls in Newton, the Chestnut Hill Mall, and the Atrium Mall across the street on Route 9.

Both malls are assessed for $115 million, and the commercial tax rate is $18.46.

Simon Mall's Newton properties tax was

$2,122,900, or

$1,478,516 more than in Barnstable.

NORTH ATTLEBOROUGH

Simon’s mall is assessed at $200 million.

North Attleboro recently rescinded its split tax rate because the town underwent a realistic revaluation in which commercial property values increased 110%. 

The town’s single tax rate is $9.07, and the mall paid a property tax bill of

$1,814,000, or

$1,169,616 more than in Barnstable.

DANVERS

The Simon Mall (Liberty Tree Mall) is assessed at $62 million, and the commercial tax rate is $16.00, which means the company paid a property tax of

$992,000, or

$347,616 more than Barnstable.

The residential tax rate in Danvers is $6.43.

PEABODY

The Simon Mall (Northshore Plaza) is assessed for $213 million, and the tax rate is $17.80.

Simon’s tax bill in 2008 is

$3,791,400, or

$3,147,016 , more than in Barnstable.

Barnstable’s total commercial levy in 2008 is

$7,461,638

which means Simon’s property taxes in the following cities are the equivalent of Barnstable's entire commercial levy;

• Peabody, 51%
• North Attleboro 25%
• Newton, 28%
• Auburn, 20%
• Burlington, 60%
• Saugus, 34%
• Boston, 143%

I know, my kids know, YOU KNOW, and everyone else on Cape Cod knows,

the prices we pay for goods in Simon's off-Cape malls are from

10% to 20% less than in the Cape Cod Mall.

Homeowners pay $.90 of every dollar of Rudziak’s salary,

while the Cape Cod Mall
and every other business in town
pays a dime.

If your town councilor is

• Janet Joakim,
• Janice Barton,
• Jimmy Crocker,
• James Munafo,
• Hank Farnham,
• Harold Tobey,
• Fred Chirigotis, or
• James Tinsley,

he, or she doesn't understand the plight of the

40% elderly population,

and the 67% of the workforce employed in low-paying service jobs.

These councilors received most of their campaign contributions from multi and mega-millionaire commercial property owners,

then claimed to have been influenced by Jeff Rudziak's bullshit.

FACT

Between 2000 and 2007 the Barnstable  homeowner levy

increased 40%,

while the commercial levy

dropped 4.7%.

Rudziak talks about increased property values,

but is silent about the commercial tax rate dropping from

$12.89 in 2000 to

$5.57 in 2007.

The most important factor when it comes to paying your property tax is the bottom line.

It's not just the Cape Cod Mall's property taxes that Barnstable homeowners are subsidizing.

In each city where there's a Simon Mall there's also;

• Cumberland Farms,
• Macy's
• Olive Garden,
• Shaw's
• Stop and Shop,
• Borders,
• Staples,
• T.J. Maxx,
• Radio Shack,
• Bed, Bath and Beyond
• Linen and Things,
• Mobil stations,
• Getty Stations,
• Hess stations,
• Kentucky Fried Chicken,
• Burger King,
• MacDonald's,
• Dunkin Donuts,
• CVS,
• Brooks Pharmacy
• BankNorth,
• Fleet Bank,
• Citizen's Bank,
• Tedeschi,
• Seven Eleven,
• Home Depot,
• B.J.'s,
• 99's
• and scores of other businesses.

All of these businesses pay the same tax rates as Simon Mall, yet consumer prices are far less than on Cape Cod.

The average home in Barnstable is worth $500,000, and the split tax rate would knock

$.40 off the tax rate,
for an average home tax cut of $200.

$200 isn’t much,

but it’ll take you 1,325 miles if your automobile gets 25 miles to the gallon,

and it’ll heat a 2,000 square foot house for three weeks next winter for three weeks if the thermostat is kept at 68 degrees.

Each day, and each mile counts in these days of escalating oil prices,

so why should 20,000 single family homeowners give $3.7 million in property taxes to multi-billion corporations?

BE PREPARED, EVERY DOLLAR COUNTS....

Comments

[Z]

As long as voters are asleep or afraid, these fat cats will continue to claw, hiss and scratch to protect their interests. If the trolls are not Joakim herself, they are her tiny band of idiot friends. Pay no attention to that witch behind the keyboard.

[John Julius]

Gary, maybe the charter commission will figure out that the Town Assessor SHOULD BE ELECTED just like the LEADER of this town should be ELECTED. As in mayor OR town manager. These TWO positions should require TRUE PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS. I do not believe either John Klimm NOR Mr. Rudziak is qualified for either of their positions.

As for Mr. Klimm, he will continue wasting money until or unless this moronic council ever stops him, which is unlikely. And as for the Tax Assessor, the only one HE works for is Mr. Klimm. Mr. Rudziak has no clue that he IS SUPPOSED to work for the ENTIRE town and is supposed to do two things: Be nuetral and ASSESS honestly, accurately and fairly. In my opinion, he does NONE of that. He takes his orders from Master Klimm and no one else.

So DON'T look for any change anytine soon. And don't think for a minute that this supposed charter commission is going to change a damn thing in this town. It is OBVIOUS that they were out there by John Klimm and FOR John Klimm. Ya gotta give Johnnie boy credit. He IS one good politician and with a clueless council like we have, he has no worries..........

Keep up the good work Gary, regardless. And as for COMM, that is a laugh.

[Your partner in crime, Sticky fingers Lebouef]

You guys are so mean. Barnstable Town Council President Janet Joakim has always been there for me, and I intend to stand beside her, no matter what.

Singers for Joakim

Lien on me,
When your not strong,
And you've got no friends,
We all need, a crony, to lien on.
When there's a load,
In your commode,
Just call lonely sister,
Call me, Call me!

Ps. If I snake your toilet, can you post my bail money?

[John Julius]

Hats off to Ed Moroney and the Barnstable Patriot for a very good article in today's paper. Ed did a good job of reporting from last week's charter commission meeting.... and the Hyannis Chamber also did a great job in outling a number of things very wrong with the present government and charter.

Ed, you did an excellent job. Keep up the good work, and thank you. It is time for people to know that things are VERY WRONG and this gov't is badly broken and needs FIXING. So does the present charter which is total garbage, and designed simply just to protect John Klimm and many other HACKS who live off the taxpayers...........

[John Julius]

On the OTHER hand, I DO hope everyone read the Times article the other day where John Klimm, the Town Manager is NOW the HERO. Mr. Klimm has 'changed' the hiring policies at town hall. Gee, what a relief! Isn't everyone happy and releived now? The Times lauds Manager Klimm as a hero for 'changing' the hiring policy. No one in trouble. No problem.

THE TOWN and the TOWN MANAGER should be REOIEVED and feel very LUCKY that that was NOT some janitor who had been hired and harmed some small child, only LATER to find out that the person HAD some bad past........ THEN we would ALL be paying one giant LAWSUIT! So is Mr. Klimm YOUR hero? He sure as #### is NOT MINE!

Interesting that the Times always seems to tout John Klimm as Mr. Perfect when in fact he usually has no clue. Sorry John, but the facts are just those: the facts.

So NOW, the hiring policy has changed, and in the words of John Klimm, the new hiring policy will put Barnstable 'ahead of the curve'. Sure, Barnstable is always 'ahead of the curve........ Sure. I bet if the Times checked with those other towns on Cape, I BET anyone that more than half, if NOT ALL, already have that policy in place.

So Mr. Klimm, as a regular reader here, please, by all means, when you have a chance, log in here and tell the taxpayers just HOW the heck your 'new policy' will put us ahead of the curve. John, it is called INCOMPETENCE. On someone's part. So like I said, you and your phonies can count yourselves LUCKY that no one got hurt in some fashion in the INCOMPETENCE. And WHO is accountable? As usual with the Town administration, NO ONE.

Gee, what a surprise.

[Go Julius]

Comments by John Julius were dead on target at the Charter Commission Meetings held for Hyannis at the Town Hall. Maybe politics is a man's game. Get something done about this, ya know what I'm sayin?

[Supporting Joakim in every way!]

Janet - We know your policy on rubbernecking these spitemongers, so I'm here for you and know your listening.

You can lien on me also.
Some of these nutjobs have outstanding emotional issues. That's why they're treating you so poorly. Retaliating is so immature!

The hatemachines need to believe in putting things behind them. It's the healthy thing to do. They don't understand a thing about psychological health.

And that's why I'm foreclosure.