TKC BREAKING AND EXCLUSIVE NEWS!!! STREETCAR SURVEY SEYZ TOY TRAIN FAILS TO INCREASE BAR & RESTAURANT BIZ!!!
Better than rigged numbers by way of paid consultants and City Hall funded tourist officials, our AWESOME TKC BLOG COMMUNITY relies on people at the ground level who have experience and connections to controversial and important topics impacting Kansas City and what we hear back provides real world perspective on the reality of the toy train streetcar.
To wit . . .
IN AN EPIC CHAT WITH BIZ PEOPLE ALONG THE TOY TRAIN ROUTE . . . THIS KICK-ASS INSIDER FINDS NO EVIDENCE OF STREETCAR BENEFIT!!!
Remember that these locals were EXCEPTIONALLY HURT BY STREETCAR CONSTRUCTION and now the promise of a payoff has come up empty.
The highlights are mine, but here's the word . . .
Informal Survey of Streetcar Restaurants / Bars
Before you start harassing Tony about publishing the following missive, let me lay all my cards on the line. There is NOTHING scientific about this information. No written survey was tabulated. No phone bank was established and you'll not find a single scientist or statistician was involved
All I did was ask. Over the last few weeks I've asked bar and restaurant owners, or their managers, as well as the wait staff or hostesses when owners or managers were not available, one question. "Have you experienced increase in business since the Streetcar started rolling."
Now imagine my voice in a Richard Dawson British accent when I scream, "SURVEY SAYS".... followed by a loud buzzer and a big-fat-ZERO pops up on the board.
That's right, 100% of the folks surveyed said there has been NO INCREASE IN BUSINESS over the last several weeks. Mind you, a lot of these people have had high hopes since their businesses are on the line. Many were "holding-out" for the big windfall of making it through the two years of construction hell.
To be a bit more precise 100% also said that they did experience an increase in business when the Sly Express first started and for about 3 weeks to a month they did see an uptick. Unfortunately, the novelty of buses-on-wires has worn off. In their opinion, this massive economic development experiment has been a bust.
Perhaps before our rulers expand Sly's Vanity Railroad, we should check the gross sales receipt of his experiment. Pointing to the increase in construction along the line is a bit disingenuous, as those projects have already been bought and paid for by your tax-dollars and our city's open-pocketbook TIFF Commission.
##############
You decide . . .
This monstrosity was only designed to benefit lawyers, a few companies and Sly.
ReplyDeleteAnd they ran out on the check.
Too bad, this thing had potential but it was all wasted with a sloppy construction process and way too much hype. The whole notion that it would build density was far flug to begin with and what's even worse is that the novelty is wearing off. All of those economic numbers that city hall keeps touting are simply ignoring that the new bis is also funded by TIF and leveraged to the hilt.
ReplyDeleteThe punch line to all of this is that the economy is doing good right now and our leaders have not prepared us for harder times ahead by investing in improvements that will pay off for the city.
In short, this his how we follow Detroit.
And it has not spurred business while being FREE. Just imagine if they started charging to ride it.
ReplyDeleteThey should be charging to ride it so all the assholes who don't pay taxes on it at least add some money to the kitty.
ReplyDeletePlus if the businesses hadn't already been located where the toy train runs they sure not going to come here now just because of it.
None of this should be the least bit surprising.
ReplyDeleteJust use the straightforward test of "what would you do?".
99% of people drive their own vehicles to downtown KCMO.
With the streetcar running from Union Station to the River Market, you park (at cost) at the former end or for free at the latter.
Then you "ride" the streetcar to some business in between.
Why not just park near the business you planned to go to?
This whole tall tale has been foisted on the empty-headed gang at 12th and Oak as some cutting-edge must have project or risk "being left behind".
The streetcar was yesterday's news months ago and will now revert to its natural state of being yet another sucking chest wound on the city's general fund.
How's Mike's new taxpayer-subsidized hotel coming?
Sly desperately needs the NEXT BIG THING to take attention away from the streetcar fail, record homicides, constantly-increasing water/sewer bills, and the upcoming billion dollar bond issue.
Or maybe Hillary will win in November and he can head to the Washington gig he's worked so hard to line up.
But the KCMO taxpayers will be stuck here and the bills will be coming due for decades.
Frosty.
But, but, but... it's bringing in gazillions of tourists. Why aren't they opening their wallets?
ReplyDeleteAnd this survey changes what? Who conducted the survey? What people were surveyed? Sounds like the same survey team that Crooked Hillary has hired.
ReplyDeleteMeh, just another pathetic attempt by Tony Botello, to lash out because he's lost against the support of the streetcar by the KC Metro. Just like how lost after being legally prosecuted for slander and libel.
ReplyDeleteCheckit:
http://willnotbetelevised.com/tag/tkc-forced-to-settle-in-court/
To wit:
https://mediakc.wordpress.com/2012/08/13/tony-botello-offers-apology-retraction-for-stories-about-union-boss-louie-wright/
Ths from a kickass tipster:
http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article306941/Tonys-Kansas-City-blogger-retracts-posts-apologizes-to-former-head-of-KC-firefighters-union.html
Shock!!!!
http://www.pitch.com/news/article/20572966/louie-wright-union-head-sues-tony-botello-for-defamation
Where's the real outrage by the KCMO metro against the streetcar? Why has no one filed an opposition against the current expansion? The opposition against the first expansion was against the expansion to Independence Ave, not to the Plaza or UMKC.
Keep posting the titty pics basement boy!!!
We're riggin' this next election and there's nothing you can do to STOP IT!
ReplyDeleteIt may not be ethical but it's LEGAL!
One reason these restaurants aren't getting any new business is because people who early on drove downtown, parked on the street, then rode the streetcar somewhere for a nice dinner were getting parking tickets for being gone too long, over 2 hours. So they vowed never to return. That is what happened to me. I will never ever return to any restaurant in the streetcar TDD and risk a parking ticket again.
ReplyDelete@8:56am
ReplyDeleteThere's no "outrage" in the KC metro about the streetcar or much of anything else in KCMO, unfortunately including the horrific murder rate, because the 85% of metro residents who DON'T LIVE IN KCMO gave up long ago on expecting any kind of serious responsible and appropriate decisions to be coming out of city hall.
On the other hand, the residents of KCMO are so used to being given the run-around and taken advantage of by what passes for city government that they've given up even so much as voting quite some time ago.
The really attractive aspects of the metro, of which there are very many, are all private sector institutions and operations that thankfully have as little to do with 12th and Oak as possible.
All aboard!
CHEERS!!! The writer of this submission is AWESOME!
ReplyDelete"...let me lay all my cards on the line."
"Have you experienced increase in business since the Streetcar started rolling."
"Now imagine my voice in a Richard Dawson British accent when I scream, "SURVEY SAYS"...."
"..the novelty of buses-on-wires.."
"..Sly's Vanity Railroad.."
That's GOOD stuff! PLEASE contribute more articles.
Looks like city hall has activated Steve Glorioso's contract once again now that the streetcar ruse is being exposed. He'll call names and threaten in his usual fashion!
ReplyDelete8:56
ReplyDeleteYOU ARE SO FULL OF SHIT
SO SUE ME ASSHOLE BECAUSE EVEN I KNOW THAT STATS ON THE STREET CAR ARE RIGGED
ReplyDeleteAre there any figures from other burgs as to how much annual upkeep will be on the Frou-Frou. Did Killa City have any estimates? Will it be $10,000,000? Or $15,000,000 to match the Cordish annual subsidy?
New KC storm water priority in southeast as Cerner comes on line to add millions of gallons to sewers at Bannister site. Surprise, surprise. KC protects wealthy at expense of taxpayers. How many more killings in KC because Slie and Clowncil will not put more cops on the street?
You got to get one those $280,000 condo's on the trolley line with the $650 a year property tax deal! How can you lose on a deal like that?
ReplyDeleteAnyway God bless the heroic KC taxpayers who pay triple or quadruple or more who don't live in our TDD trolley zone and keep our magnificent shiny new trolley running!
The trolley has attracted zero new businesses. It is an embarrassment to KCMO for the tourist riding the streetcar to see all the empty storefronts on Main St.
ReplyDeleteHard to image the businesses have not seen major increases in their business because the trolley folks report that they have over 2 million riders a day.
ReplyDeleteBefore you start harassing Tony about publishing the following missive, let me lay all my cards on the line. There is NOTHING scientific about this information. No written survey was tabulated. No phone bank was established and you'll not find a single scientist or statistician was involved
ReplyDeleteAll I did was ask. Over the last few weeks I've asked public officials, media people and othet well-connected types, one question. "Is Tony Botello a paranoid meth user?"
Now imagine my voice in a Richard Dawson British accent when I scream, "SURVEY SAYS".... followed by a loud buzzer and a big-fat-ONE HUNDRED pops up on the board.
That's right, 100% of the folks surveyed said they believe TONY BOTELLO USES METH.
To be a bit more precise 100% also said that his obsessive rantings were indicative of a far larger mental issue than just drug use.
Perhaps before believing everything Tony writes as the one true gospel we shouls recognize drug behavior as we see it.
YOU DECIDE...
Tone is way too fat to use meth. The Mexicans love the reefer, it makes the burritos taste muy bueno.
Deletewhat does that louie write asshole going after tony have to do with his credit, dealing with the billion dollar sink hole known as the street car?
ReplyDeleteyeah I'd believe Tony's using meth before buying this unscientific drivel about restaurants.
ReplyDeleteAt least in Tony's case the evidence is here for all to see with a few mouse clicks.
Streetcar has been one of the worst things to happen to business downtown, it's all for Cordish and the lawyers, the little small businesses have been left out.
ReplyDeletedid you know that the mayor has no less than 2 full time employees who are required to give him daily reports about what is said on this blog? It's a total waste of money and shows the paranoia on the 29th floor.
ReplyDeleteSunshine it Tk, and keep hitting the choo-choo. You've got these assholes scared.
I'm not willing to believe the streetcar doesn't have at least some impact on local business. I notice that they don't say that it's chasing their business away like the construction. There is a positive impact but it's not overnight.
ReplyDelete^^^^^^^^^
ReplyDeleteSmall business owners in Kansas City are so full of it. They constantly complain and blame everyone else for their own failings. First it was construction, before that it was the power and light district and now it's a lack of customers because of the streetcar.
Did you ever bother to think that your restaurant or bar sucks and that's the reason why people are flocking to give you money in droves?
Think about it and stop blaming the whole world for your problems.
There is no arguing with dave and matt they've decided this whole thing for us and they will not take no for an answer. And why shouldn't we trust two low level design consultants with 200 million dollars? That's totally a recipe for success. Keep chugging along and chugging each other guys!
ReplyDeleteJust saw the streetcar in front of the city market.
ReplyDeleteEmpty.
Just saw the streetcar decapitate some kid. It was pretty bad but the lil guy had heart, he got up and walked it off. Said he's got a date in the Crossroads tonight and couldn't miss it. There is no doubt KC has got some heart.
ReplyDeleteLOLZ on Chumlee.
ReplyDeleteYou guys are twisted.
ReplyDeleteAs for the streetcar, it's fun on weekends but I can't say more than that because I don't have time to take it to work every day. Maybe if I bought one of those luxury apartments. Lol!
Just saw the streetcar on Main Street.
ReplyDeleteFull.
^^^^^^ Of shit?
DeleteYes you are.
8:56 & 11:34: Toot toot. What a hoot! Not much to do today, trolley boy?
ReplyDeleteOh no. Time to send Troy, Sherri, and Ralph on another tax payer vacation to Spain to investigate this.
ReplyDeleteWhile in Europe, better send Council Aviation Committee to Paris, France, for the airshow. Teresa Loar knows the way from past junkets. Adieu, adieu.
ReplyDeleteSome day I am going to go down town loaded up with a few cigars and a cooler of awesome liquid refreshment and take pictures of this damn Folly Trolly for 8 hours straight if I can stay awake that long, and just see without a doubt how many do ride this damn thing. Then maybe I'll report back here for sure what I see. I'm willing to go out on a limb and say a whole lot of nothing.
ReplyDeleteListening to you is like listening to cicadas Stupor Dave: shrill and noisy, but with the hope they'll die soon.
ReplyDeleteThere is really no problem here. If King Sly and his cronies keep blowing through tax payer money building monuments to drugged up African'ts (like 18thy and Vine) folks will be drinking like fish in no time.
ReplyDeleteIt was ALL Bullshit anyway from the Start = FACT !!!
ReplyDeleteThat's what all those Naïve Degenerate Clueless KCMO City Hall officials are good for is BULLSHIT Promotion, they know how to blow smoke up everybodys ass, what it boils down to.
Their full of HYPE & Bullshit, tell the people anything,,, blow smoke up their asses.
The more they HYPE up the Bullshit,, the better it'll sound, even if its NOT TRUE !!!!
There are many examples of this around KCMO thru the years, like 18th & Vine, the kpl District, the River Quay area thru the years, after being rebuilt 3 times - twice in the 1990's even.......
KCMO City Hall leaders are simply - FULL OF UTTER SHIT !!!!!!!
TDD - It's rigged
ReplyDelete