TKC BREAKING AND EXCLUSIVE NEWS!!! KANSAS CITY TOY TRAIN STREETCAR CRITICS DEMAND FULL ACCOUNTING FOR PHASE DEUX ELECTION FAIL!!!

The fight over the Kansas City Toy Train Streetcar isn't over by a long shot. Accordingly, here's an important note regarding election issues that remain unsolved after the Phase Deux extension FAILED by 20 points.

To wit . . .

KANSAS CITY TOY TRAIN CRITICS DEMAND CITY HALL ACCOUNTING OF QUESTIONABLE STREETCAR ELECTION CASH!!!

Check the statement:

Citizens for Responsible Government:

Thanks to your efforts and other like minded citizens, the entire area is aware of the beatdown the streetcar advocates took in the election on August 5th. However, there remains a bit of unfinished business. Where is the money the City has paid to consultants, contractors, branding agents, architects, etc. for work that will not be completed now that Phase II is scuttled possibly forever.

One example: Citizens for Responsible Government filed an ethics complaint against the City and selected councilpersons for electioneering prior to the vote. The Missouri Ethics Commission is reviewing the complaint. The complaint was for the misuse of Taxpayers funds for electioneering. The complaint states the City paid Burns and McDonnell $4,300,000 for engineering work on Phase II (ordinance 140395). Burns and McDonnell hired Parsons and Associates to due "environmental work" for $685,000 (of the $4,300,000). Half of the work was to be done in July and half slated for October. This is the "electioneering" the MO Ethics Commission is investigating.

On August 17th; Star Magazine mentioned Meghan Jansen as "Public Information Officer for KC Streetcar Constructors" she is also Associate Director at Parsons and Associates. A definite conflict of interest for what was supposed to be an independent environmental survey. When one of the Principals in the company conducting the survey is employed by the "Streetcar Constructors", eyebrows should be raised. My question is: Where is the $342,500 for the October work. Shouldn't it be returned to the City coffers? What other funds paid out should be paid back?

Chris Hernandez, a spokesman for the City and Russ Johnson, a City Councilman, have both stated on different occasions they would publish a list and go after money which should be returned from various sources to the City. Hernandez stated there would be a meeting held to determine the extent of the funds. To date there has been nothing reported on this endeavor. We believe it is the responsibility of the City Manager backed up by the City Attorney to go after these funds and get them back into the City’s coffers. Maybe we can repay some of the neighborhood PIAC money which was stolen for the streetcar. Perhaps fix some streets or curbs. Mow some overgrown fields and tear down some blighted structures with the funds. Fulfill some of the promises made to the Voters.

We call on the Mayor, Council, City Manager and City Attorney to publish what funds should be returned and make an effort to collect them.
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