TKC BREAKING AND EXCLUSIVE NEWS!!! POLITICAL TOP ECHELON CONSULTANT CONFRONTS BOND CAMPAIGN QUESTION: IS KANSAS CITY A DIVIDED URBAN BATTLE ZONE OR SMART CITY ON THE RISE???
The upcoming general obligation bond campaign is confusing the consultant class who are unsure if they'll try and sell the de facto tax increase with hope or fear.
To wit . . .
KICK-ASS TOP ECHELON CONSULTANTS ARE STUCK AT A CROSSROADS AND SEARCHING FOR THE BEST WAY TO PERSUADE VOTERS TO APPROVE $1 BILLION WORTH OF GENERAL OBLIGATION (GO) BONDS!!!
Here's the word:
"The question is simple, is Kansas City a place like Austin, Portland and Denver? Or do our problems with homicide, violent crime, trash and schools put us more in line with towns like Chicago, STL, Detroit, D.C. and Baltimore?"
The TOP ECHELON INSIDER continued . . .
"These questions are important because the campaign is basically stuck with how to kick off this efforts and develop a line of reasoning against critics who will undoubtedly attack the increasingly higher rate of taxation given the city's current focus on streetcar, the hotel and the airport. The "missing piece" line isn't going to work and KC voters have been skeptical of infrastructure arguments given the current state of deferred maintenance throughout the city . . ."
And so . . . OUR BLOG COMMUNITY IS FIRST TO REPORT that Kansas City politicos and consultants struggle to define itself at the outset of YET ANOTHER City Hall request for more cash.
You decide . . .
a billion bucks?
ReplyDeleteReally?
You've got to be kidding me if Sly thinks that he's going to ask voters for a billion dollars with his record.
Get ready for another series of giveaways to pacify any resistance.
If Kansas City was silly enough to approve the e-tax, then this shouldn't be too big of a problem.
ReplyDeleteCall it a comeback for Jeff Roe and the gang!
The problem is the city really does have a horrific infrastructure. Roads, bridges, water lines, sidewalks, fountains, etc you name it & we do not do it well/fund it.
ReplyDeleteThe issue with things like TDDs/CIDs etc is that important voting blocs can be lost for much needed things like this because these area tax burdens are already high. It becomes painfully clear more & more that the city really doesn't have a plan for how they ask the city for tax money or if they do, its not grounded in any organized way.
Any sentence that contains both "Kansas City" and "smart" is a crime against the English language.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone really think this money wouldn't be spent by the same people the same way as always?
Line up the usual suspects.
And the list of incompetent city "managers".
It never changes.
Why? The money will be misspent by city hall. No. No bonds.
ReplyDelete8:51 is right. And yes, we are a divided battle zone. The east side alone needs a billion dollars in public investment just to bring jobs and new families back. But in the long run, it will be worth it to have an educated, peaceful, diverse city rather than a divided, violent, and trashy city.
ReplyDeleteAnother Glorioso/Jeff Roe campaign of half-truths and false promises that will never be kept. If Killa City will not protect children from roving gangs of killers, how will it address the lesser issues of infrastructure, sidewalks, bridges, water quality and sewers.
ReplyDeleteIf only Cordish would build subsidized luxury apartments in every neighborhood. Then maybe crime and infrastructure problems would be addressed. Put more cops on the street and pay for it with the $15,000,000 plus annual subsidy to Cordish for the P&L District.
More national attention is coming as Killa City rises in the murder rate rankings. Can World Class attention be far behind.
Public investment has a long track record of failing. We need less government and fewer public incentives. Period.
ReplyDeletePublic investment is literally why America became a national powerhouse, what the hell are you talking about?
ReplyDeleteIncentives =/= Investment.
big waste of money! we're already worse than Apelanta, Ookland, Baltimorgue, Chimpcago, St. Lootus, Killadelphia?
ReplyDeleteWe are both. That is part of our appeal. Keepin' it real.
ReplyDelete^^^ Absolutely. Fucking shame that Kansas City can't really get on board with fixing our future.
ReplyDeleteKCMO (CORE) IS LIKE THE HOMELY WHORE
ReplyDelete....plenty of people like to use her for their selfish needs, but nobody wants to settle down with her.
All you need do to understand who controls KCMO politics is look at the campaign contributors to Mayor, Council, pro E-tax, etc.
A relatively small number of large corporations pull the strings through groups like the Downtown Council and Chamber of Commerce. Examples would be Burns and McDonnell who exchanged generous campaign contributions for a KCMO heavily subsidized/financed new headquarters, while their executives and a majority of employees reside outside KCMO.
Several large KCMO law firms do the grunt work to keep the gravy train rolling for the corporations, and real estate developers. These law firms employ a cadre of upper-middle-class white-collar types who also live outside KCMO or within a few pockets of the city while sending their children to private schools.
Like your wise father always reminded you, "Follow the money trail."
Those with money, wield power and influence, and tend to get what they want, which is more money and influence.
If Burns and McDonnell, JE Dunn Construction, Husch Blackwell, or Polsinelli attempted to take money directly from working-class KCMO residents, there would be a severe price to pay. But, work behind the scenes, spread some money around, and you can buy yourself a tax break, a special exemption, a zoning approval, a no-bid contract, whatever you need to save your money and use the taxpayers.
The people who play this game of "KCMO INSIDER POLITICS" tend to share the following characteristics:
1) They are intelligent, selfish, and narcissistic.
2) They rationalize their actions by telling themselves they know better than others. You can more easily step on others when you think they were too stupid to get out of the way.
3) Many of them are unhappy and spend little time with their families. They have superficial relationships with their spouse and children. They're prone to addictions and mental afflictions like depression.
4) Many Type-A personalities will remain on the "hamster wheel" until a physical ailment forces them to stop. The classic case is the man in his early fifties who drops dead of a heart attack.
5) Though ironic perhaps, many are insecure, always measuring themselves against their peer group. And someone else always seem to have a nicer home, nicer car, better vacation, smarter children, etc. But everyone's playing charades and trying desperately to keep up with the group lest they be left behind.
6) After living this negative lifestyle for a few years, a common result is an inability to relax. (review 3 above)
KCMO's earnings tax is the hallmark of a defective inefficient municipal government. Additionally, over time, they've instituted separate taxes to cover funding for things which were previously always covered under the big budget umbrella. Soon, KCMO residents will pay their usual municipal taxes... PLUS ... separate tax charges for earnings tax, public safety, parks, water/sewer, trash, public transit, roads/bridges, ad nauseam.
KCMO government is extremely inefficient, while playing favorites for campaign contributors, and placing an unfair tax burden on the working-class.
Kansas City would not make a pimple on the ass of Austin, Portland or Denver....or Seattle, Sacramento, Jacksonville or most cities for that matter and the political priorities and plan is so off the track it will take decades to recover. KC might compete with the old violent Harlem or New Orleans if you ignore the French Quarter.
ReplyDeleteHow bout Mr. Sly Frosty get it together to just be able to pick up trash on time?
ReplyDelete12:15: I can't address Portland, Denver Seattle, Sacramento, or Jacksonville, but I spent 4 wasted years in Austin, and I doubt you'd like it very much. It's miserably hot, and native Texans don't much like Yankees. And they define "Yankee" as pretty much anyone born north of Travis county.
ReplyDelete12:02: Good points. The problem seems to be everyone would like to help the east side, but somehow the money always seems to wind up with Dunn, Burns and Mac, etc. or be diverted to the Crossroads, the Plaza, Briarcliff, and other such blighted areas.
ReplyDeleteLike your wise father always reminded you, "Follow the money trail."
ReplyDeleteok
So your one move is old already, space queen.
Delete12:51 My entire family is from southern OK and Texas and I have picked and grinned damn near all over the state. I finally gave up hoping they would secede from the union and let the African't Nation of America sink.
ReplyDeleteIf only the rest of the country could vote on Texas secession! Let it be a "whole 'nother country."
ReplyDeleteIt already is a separate country. They are getting ready to cut the subsidies off and force the libtards to pay for all thier genius ideas.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately it's still in the union.
ReplyDelete