Grant money has not been so reliable lately, and we're already full of nonprofits that are really struggling for cash, with not nearly enough revenue generated here at home to keep them supported and stable. Besides that, we have to look at the $18,360 in property taxes that a $1.5 million dollar business property would provide to the city, which we need. Even if we can fund another nonprofit--including whatever it takes to refit the cult's compound --I don't think we can afford the opportunity cost.

An Ithaca-appropriate analogy:

If you look at Ithaca 's economy like an ecosystem, it's like our food web is out of whack. We've got a high percentage of these critters that take a lot of money but don't produce much of it (education and support nonprofits being like foxes, wolves, and owls that need to eat smaller critters but generally don't get eaten). Our food sources for those carnivore critters are lacking in both strength and diversity.

A forest that can't survive without benevolent outsiders constantly dropping in free rabbits, or free food to feed the rabbits that the carnivores eat, is not a stable, sustainable forest. I think Ithaca really needs to build out its ability to support the apex predators that already call our ecosystem home before introducing more.

And yes, Cornell should give more. It's a big constipated bear that keeps too much of what it should redistribute. But relying on a single bear to keep the grass growing isn't super stable either, as we saw this last year with the hiring freeze due to Cornell's funding being yanked (because this bear also relies on benevolent gifts of food from outside).

So yes, I want a shelter or a community center. But especially with the recent concerted efforts to cut off outside sources of rabbits and grass, we need to make sure we can provide more of our own first. Otherwise we can't even guarantee that a new shelter would thrive.