Let's not study too hard Kansas City!!!

It seems as if Kansas City isn't too anxious to look into its distribution of tax abatements.

Looks like the politicos representing the Northland are fighting hard for their share of (mostly) white (middle-class) welfare:

The Finance and Audit Committee today told Auditor Gary White they weren’t too keen on his proposal to answer “to what extent is Kansas City’s economic incentive investment distributed in blighted areas?” The auditor’s proposal said, “Some policy makers and other stakeholders have raised concerns that the city’s EDI programs (economic development incentives) do not adequately address some severely blighted areas of the city.” It added that comparing locations and investment could help identify areas where current efforts are not addressing needs.

But Finance Committee Chairman Deb Hermann, a Northlander, noted that the Shoal Creek TIF in the Northland generates millions of dollars for the general fund, which can then be used for blight removal in neglected parts of the city. So even though it was built in an undeveloped area, it should get credit for blight remediation. And Councilman Russ Johnson, another Northlander, argued that the KCI TIF built roads for the Northland that the city would have had to build anyway.

The first comment completely nails the issue: "white politicos from the 'Northland' and 'Plaza' districts don't want city auditors releasing a report on how funds are (not) used to address blighted (i.e - "the black part of town") districts."

Sadly, that seems like an accurate take on the situation from the vantage point of many people who are justifiably skeptical of politicos. Personally, I think the Mayor's Northland contingent comes off looking the worst.