You gotta hand it to the bean-counters in Sugar Land, outside Houston -- they sure know how to sell an idea. They're trying to convince residents(presumably with success) that spending $18 million to get $13 million, over 25 years, is a good use of the taxpayers; money. We presume they will soon host sold-out seminars on how cities can set houses on fire to encourage new home construction. A few years back taxpayers financed the construction of a huge, new "city center" that houses Sugar Land's gorgeous municipal offices and a new shopping center -- all for $18 million. They now claim that the construction will have an economic impact of $13 million in expenditures... over the next 25 years. Envious bureaucrats in College Station now want in on this action. Some folks there think a new municipal building in line with the Sugar Land complex would run $30 million. The Texas Government Insider reports that, for some reason, taxpayers in College Station aren't that interested. Here comes the expensive words... The C.S. city manager is reported by Texas Government Insider as saying the project 'must be a vision for the future' which roughly translates into English as, we'll spend the money anyway so just be quiet and pay your taxes.