MUST READ!!! KANSAS CITY TOY TRAIN CRITICS AGAINST STREETCAR TRIPLE TAX!!!

TKC NOTE: Here's an important consideration of the upcoming Kansas City Toy Train Streetcar vote that does some handy COST ANALYSIS of the pricey boondoggle in the making. Lots more info on this from BOTH sides coming soon. For now, check it:

STOP THE TDD, IT’S JUST MORE TAXES!!!
STREETCAR = THE TAX THAT KEEPS ON TAXING

The Streetcar project being forced on the KCMO voters by our Mayor and "Special Interest Groups”, will create an UNJUST, UNREASONABLE, UNFAIR and UNDUE BURDEN on the poorer neighborhoods of our City. This is a moral issue which need to be carefully considered. It not only will raise the cost of living within the TDD but the entire City.

This is a “TRIPLE TAX” on residents living within the TDD and 1/3 mile of the track.

1.) We will all pay a 1% sales TAX on everything bought in the TDD. This is a TAX on anyone who might shop in the TDD.

2.) Those living within 1/3 mile of the track will be forced to pay an increased PropertyTAX assessment. This includes Churches, Charitable Organizations, etc.

3.) City properties located within the TDD and 1/3 mile of the track will have to additional TAX assessments also. These TAX assessments will be paid with property taxes collected by the City, which the Voters have already paid so all the Voters in KCMO are being taxed to make these payments.

WAIT - THERE’S MORE!
The installation of the tracks is forcing the city to move sewers, gas lines, electrical lines, water lines, phone lines and so on. The utility companies are not doing this for free. Everybody in the city is seeing higher water, gas, sewer, electrical and phone bills. We submit this is another form of STEALTH TAXATION FOR THE STREETCAR!

The City recently borrowed $24million dollars from the WATER DEPARTMENT in addition to $14 million dollars it already borrowed. Then the water department turns around and asks the Voters to give them another $500,000,000 ($500million dollars) on the APRIL 8TH BALLOT IN THE FORM OF A BOND ISSUE. This is in addition to the $500,000,000 ($500 million dollars) we gave them in 2008. The voters approved this bond issue without any audit of Water Department funds. We gave them a blank check! The City also added $71 million dollars to the Power and Light District refinancing plan FOR THE STREETCAR... It just goes on and on. You need a scorecard to keep track.

This week, businesses located in the River Market were asked to vote to extend their CID for 10 (ten) years INCREASING THEIR PROPERTY TAXES 3%! The Morningside Neighborhood Association recently announced they will attempt to form a CID TO RASIE PROPERTY TAXES IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD $125 PER YEAR, PER HOUSEHOLD. Many residents in that neighborhood feel this is an attempt to set up a vote to move the streetcar project South, through Brookside, Waldo and beyond.

Also this week, MDOT was in town selling their $5.4 BILLION TAX INCREASE, YES THAT IS A “BILLION”. $35,000,000 of these funds have been earmarked for the KC Streetcar! We all know our highways and roads need attention but tacking funds for the streetcar on this sales tax increase is a mistake. It mirrors the sneaky, behind the scenes way our city government is working these days.

Finally, last night the city announced Burns and McDonald will be paid $685,734 (taxpayers money?) to hire people to go door to door in the TDD in an attempt to sell the voters on the Eastside of the city to vote for the TDD. This could very well be a futile effort in many ways. It is entirely possible the Linwood and Independence Ave. routes will be SCRAPPED just like Brookside and Waldo. If the East side voters approve the TDD and its tax increases, could the city pull the plug on those routes saying there is not enough potential ridership to make it feasible?
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