TKC EXCLUSIVE!!! BEHIND THE SCENES!!! LOOK AT CITY COUNCIL FOLKS SLUG IT OUT IN AN E-MAIL FIGHT OVER CITADEL PLAZA!!!
This summer finds us all in the middle of what is one of the nastiest (i.e. best) fights for Kansas City's wallet.
The upcoming vote on $20.5 million for a glorified strip mall in the middle of a wasteland and former toxic dump will determine how smart politicos are with Kansas City's finances.
THANKS TO AMAZING TKC TIPSTERS THIS BLOG IS HAPPY TO FEATURE A RATHER INTERESTING E-MAIL EXCHANGE BETWEEN TWO MAJOR PLAYERS IN THE CITADEL PLAZA STRUGGLE!!!
BACKGROUND:
Councilwoman Deb Hermann has been leading the charge against Citadel Plaza or at least has been asking enough questions to make the whimsical plan seem shaky to even causal observers.
Councilman Terry Riley is the champion of Citadel Plaza. Asbestos, facts, figures and any kind of financial projections be damned . . . The guy wants to deliver this project home to his district in a bad way.
This terse exchange between the two provides a unqiue bit of insight into how local government works:
One last thing . . . For the record, the SULD refers to the "Southtown Urban Life District" otherwise known as The Grand Citadel Plaza Cash Giveaway.
Council Lady Hermann starts off the exchange.
From: Deb HermannTerry Riley seems offended by the request to learn more about the real cost of the project for Kansas City.
Sent: 06/19/2009 08:52 AM CDT
To: Jeffrey Yates
Cc: City_Council; Mayor; Pat Klein; Troy Schulte; Wayne Cauthen
Subject: SULD
Jeff,
Could I, please, get the detailed list of PIAC projects that will be de-funded to make up the $20.5 million necessary for this project?
Thanks,
Deb
Councilwoman Deb Hermann
1st District at-large
Terry Riley/cc/kcmoDeb gets a little indignant in this next electronic note:
06/19/2009 08:55 AM
To: Deb Hermann/cc/kcmo@KCMO
cc
Subject: Re: SULD
You never stop
From: Deb HermannNow it's Riley's turn and he comes off rather cryptic.
Sent: 06/19/2009 09:33 AM CDT
To: Terry Riley
Cc: City_Council; Mayor; Jeffrey Yates; Pat Klein; Troy Schulte; Wayne Cauthen
Subject: Re: SULD
If you are talking about trying to be informed, you're right. Otherwise, please clarify.
Councilwoman Deb Hermann
1st District at-large
Terry Riley/cc/kcmoI think Deb has the last laugh here . . .
06/19/2009 10:14 AM
To: Deb Hermann/cc/kcmo@KCMO
cc
Subject: Re: SULD
I will soon.
06/19/2009 10:42 AMSo what have we learned?
To: Terry Riley/cc/kcmo
cc
City_Council, Mayor, Jeffrey A Yates/fn/kcmo@KCMO, Wayne A Cauthen/mg/kcmo@KCMO, Troy Schulte/mg/kcmo@kcmo, Pat Klein/mg/kcmo@kcmo
Subject: Re: SULD
I am sure everyone is interested in your response.
Councilwoman Deb Hermann
1st District at-large
City Council e-mail fights are rather well-behaved and don't contain nearly the level of hate and vitriol I get via e-mail related to this dump.
Also . . . $20.5 MILLION for Citadel Plaza is becoming so indefensible that even simple questions regarding the deal are met with scorn.
There's simply no getting around the fact that the project is a loser and Kansas City would be better off if our politicos realized as much before throwing away more taxpayer funds into a former toxic waste site and some place that could never justify or offer a good return on such an extravagant expenditure.
Funny shit.
ReplyDeleteNotice that Riley did not have the courage to make his comments known to the council as a whole.
ReplyDeleteI hate the fact that he is a bully, and hate even more that his bullying works with so much of the council. Apparently, it does not work with Hermaann -- for which I am grateful.
Riley is thug plain and simple.
ReplyDeleteHow about Riley, Alonzo, and Yancy in a cage match? I'd put up my hard earned white dollars to see that freakshow.
ReplyDeleteKansas City council flame war. Lame. I want to see them put on some boxing gloves and go at it in the middle of the Plaza!!
ReplyDeleteYou're doing a great job Deb. Keep up the good work.
ReplyDeleteThree cheers for Deb Hermann!
ReplyDeleteThe project should and will be approved! Too little development and reinvestment east of Troost (the JC Nichols racial dividing line).
ReplyDeleteNo one complained about the Shoal Creek TIF when Deb started it only to provide capital improvements which should have come from PIAC. Year after year the TIF keeps building roads and sewers.
What about that, Tony!
Anon 3:07 -
ReplyDeleteDeb was probably not in "the right" using TIF in Shoal Creek, but nobody cared...that's the point. Nobody on the council was smart or brave enough to ask Deb some tough questions. Riley is to stupid to know where to begin a tough question.
3:24 - do you have any clue how much money Shoal Creek will bring in? Without TIF it would still be vacant in 20 years - now the City will be making an incredible amount of money - not to mention the public amenities it has provided. Shoal Creek is TIF at its best.
ReplyDeleteShoal Creek actually had private investors funding the development and had real tenants. The City had no risk.
ReplyDeleteTake a look at the empty storefronts in the Shops on Swope Parkway. I understand the grocery store pulled out because they could not keep up with the stealing. I'm going to guess that's not the only business that pulled out because of the entitlement mentality with regard to thievery. When that development is up and running and in black and when the Shops At Linwood and Linwood Shopping Center is booming then and only then should we consider another shopping venue. If the Citadel goes in then we tax payers will be propping up a 3rd shopping center. If you want to talk sucking sounds of money we could talk about the 18th & Vine area as a 'destination' shopping/cultural arts center. Let's add up the dollars spent on these 3 and weigh those dollars against dollars spent in other areas of the City - including north of the river.
ReplyDeleteOnly a fool would compare Shoal Creek to Citadel Plaza. One had investors the other did not.
ReplyDeleteTerry, you so crazy.
ReplyDeleteI hate to say it but I'm w/ Deb on this one.
ReplyDeleteRiley will still have his fuckbunny working for the Democratic Party as an organizer. That is all that matters.
ReplyDelete