Should Modesto’s General Fund be Used For Monopoly Money?
By Emerson Drake 
The Modesto City Council wants to buy an entire city block downtown for $3.1 Million dollars. We don’t have money for more police officers, fire equipment, maintaining our city tree program, or proper care for our homeless population BUT we can afford to buy a block of downtown property?
The Northern and Southern boundaries are F and E Streets and the East and West by 10th and 9th. Now the city isn’t going to play landlord so they’ll probably hire Benchmark for property management.
It’s just another game of insider monopoly. The local NAI Benchmark is managed by, yes you guesses it, Ryan Swehla and Joe Muratore of Modesto’s infamous NSP2 program where Joe had to payback $58,000 or be charged with a felony.
Of course it’s being powered by the Modesto Chamber of Commerce’s developer connection.
We can’t help but point out Councilman Mani Grewal, best known for renting to massage parlors involved in prostitution and having his property used for a raucous car sideshow in Wood Colony, is campaigning hard for this idea to be accepted. According to those we’ve spoken to, Bill ‘the broker’ Zoslocki is pushing for approval also but couldn’t be reached in time for comment.
We think Modesto has better places to spend $3.1M don’t you?
A special workshop, today, before the meeting? What’s the rush?
AGENDA
City of Modesto
CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP
Chambers, Basement Level
Tenth Street Place, 1010 10th Street
Modesto, California
Tuesday September 05, 2017, at 3:30 p.m.
Eye On Modesto 
Couldn’t the state or someone mandate a private firm to come in and audit the city finances or something. I don’t know what the proper term is but, have someone come and set up a budget or something to that effect, and make sure it’s being done. Like parents giving their kids an allowance. Or at least offer some business and management classes to the ding dongs that are driving the city under.
Just a thought.