TKC BREAKING AND EXCLUSIVE NEWS!!! KANSAS CITY GO BOND BAIT AND SWITCH TAX INCREASE STRATEGY EXPLAINED!!!



Our blog community relies on some of the SMARTEST people in Kansas City dedicated to the REALITY of the local discourse beyond hype and consultant talking points.

To wit . . .

CHECK THIS KICK-ASS EXPLANATION OF THE APRIL GO BOND VOTE BAIT & SWITCH!!!

In easy to understand terms, this KICK-ASS KANSAS CITY INSIDER offers a glimpse at a dubious and cynical tax & spend plan that confronts local voters.

Checkit:

TKC READER: GO BOND VOTING STRATEGY EXPLAINED

The following is not intended to be for the $800,000,000 GO bond or against it. It is only intended to answer the question: Why vote for a new tax on everything in town when the city has other options that does not require ANY public vote?

The city DOES has the ability to issue bonds without a vote. They are called "special obligation bonds". They've issued hundreds of millions over the last several years. They can be used for pretty much anything. Last year the city issued 300-million of this type bond and about 20mm went to roads and bridges. These bonds are repaid are through any available fund the city has. In other words, the earnings tax, sales tax, and all the taxes currently collected can repay this sort of borrowing obligation.

So the city does have the ability to issue debt without seeking permission from the citizens. Why do it this way, when doing it this way requires a tax on ALL property AND requires a vote of the people? It's a logical question.

The logical answer is that by voting an $800,000,000 in general obligation bonds another new tax is added to all our property.

With this new tax, the city can continue to spend current taxes for projects they are regularly doing, like last years un-voted $300,000,000 special obligation bond AND the new tax will free up the money the city currently is spending on the basic stuff like roads, bridges, sidewalks etc.

Freeing up money currently spent for basic infrastructure work, will allow them to do additional projects WITHOUT A VOTE OR SEEKING PERMISSION FROM THE VOTERS. An easy example is that if they don't have to spend tax revenue for $40,000,000 worth of street repairs (the current plan) as they currently do through these special obligations bonds, they CAN spend it on things the community has voted against, like the streetcar or a new airport or any other bad idea the city decides to pursue.

We do need basic infrastructure improvements, and the city HAS the ability to do their projects now. However, the City CAN NOT do BOTH, the needed basic infrastructure WORK and any un-voted pet projects they typically do, because eventually they run out of OUR money.

Adding a new tax with a GO bond, relives the stress of dollars typically spent on un-voted (or unneeded) projects and gives them more dollars to do things voters may not desire.

It's a clever approach. It's like making your kids get jobs to bring in additional revenue for their education, when in reality, you have the money to pay for their education, but you'd like to spend your kid's college fund on a country club membership.

So the real question is, do you want to give the City additional dollars that are not actually needed if they stopped spending on non-essential projects?

We will see in April.
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Comments

  1. And this is how we became Detroit.

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    1. Another Midtown Mom2/16/17, 8:55 AM

      Thank you for posting this Tk, I really wish the TV news would start picking up some of this coverage and looking at these hidden tax votes. I've given up on the newspaper. They seem like all their doing is pushing the mayor's agenda.

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    2. The Red Star gets too many tax breaks from City Hall to ask real questions.

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  2. There needs to be some reform in how voters are approached with these taxes. How many times have we had our taxes raised during Sly's tenure? The guy just keeps making life more expensive for people in this city, making things harder on lower income workers.

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  3. Spending at the current level is why there is a backlog of unrepaired maintenance. So the bond (and increased revenue) will speed the rate of repairs that had fallen by the wayside over the past 30 years due to suburban flight and then a down economy.

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    1. Dad, I spent too much at the strip club. Can I have more money to fix my car? I swear I'll spend it on the car this time.

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  4. Democrats scammin' the taxpayers..

    Again!

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  5. millions of dollars of bond repayments by the City currently through our ever outrageously increasing water bills. That is why KC does not allow a a state audit or any independent forensic audit.

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  6. TOP PHOTO - MASTER BAITER

    When presented with a long rod, Denise was reeling!!!

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  7. The state needs to place limits on the authority of local governments to tax, get involved in bond issues and even to allow tax breaks just as much as they limit municipalities ability to write or circumvent state laws. It is alarming to witness the kinds of sleazy maneuvers that go unchecked and unchallenged in Kansas City.

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  8. We have said from the first time Sss liar suggested this proposal YOU NEED TO VOTE NO!

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  9. I thought this to be a very reasonable explanation. Why does it only come from Tony's KC?
    Why has the Star not reported something as fair and balanced as this? Where are the news people investigating this type of bait and switch?

    Anonymous said at 2/16/17, 9:02 AM, "Spending at the current level is why there is a backlog of unrepaired maintenance. So the bond (and increased revenue) will speed the rate of repairs that had fallen by the wayside over the past 30 years due to suburban flight and then a down economy."

    This sounds like Chris Hernandez, City's PR Guy. While yes, you are correct, this can speed long projects with more money, YOU ARE IN ERROR because the past 30 years repairs were NOT left uncompleted due to suburban flight. The simplest example would be 100,000,000 for a Streetcar. Millions for streetcar studies, airport studies, and the like. 100,000,000 in one year could be a remarkable amount of street work in KC. Instead, it went to 2-miles of tracks for a free-streetcar that no one rides.


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  10. Excellent comments from this poster.

    Like was highlighted the other day, in regards to KCMO infrastructure:

    The city's annual budget should be routinely providing for the infrastructure needs of streets, sidewalks, bridges, animal shelter, etc. That it's not, speaks volumes!

    When the Mayor and Council divert funds away from annual basic infrastructure appropriations to pursue pet projects, AND the City Manager hasn't the backbone to stop it, together they've set in motion a looming train wreck. Schulte is beholden to the Mayor and Council because they compromised him with pay raises and contract extensions. He's been relegated to playing Budget Whack-A-Mole.

    The above article contributor is absolutely correct. They need the $800M in fresh Ponzi scheme cash to allow them to keep pulling budgeted appropriations away from infrastructure to fund things like ToyTrain, airport, public safety unions, developer giveaways, etc.

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  11. "The city DOES has the ability to issue bonds without a vote."

    And why they're not doing that speaks volumes to your ignorance.

    Would you understand the explanation? OF COURSE NOT. So I won't bother.

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  12. They are getting ready for another Toot Toot vote and it is set up to take MILLIONS MORE for a Foo Foo Ride to nowhere. Better get your neighbors out to vote NO.

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  13. This $800,000,000.00 BOND ISSUE is the biggest rip off proposed. If it goes through we will have to move. I like Kansas City and would like to stay but we can't keep paying and paying every time the city council get together.

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  14. something smells fishy!

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  15. It will pass. Residents of KC Proper would vote "Yes" on a tax for the air we breathe.

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  16. KC Pet Project is privately run, money from the city is not supposed to be used to support this venture, so why is Pet Project listed on what the GO bond will cover?

    Trash dumping is rampant, partially due to the citizens being lazy and partially due to limiting 2 bags per household per week. Yes, we have recycling, but not all homes participate in that. City employees have to spend time that equals dollars to pick up the trash from illegal dump sites. People leaving the stadiums toss trash in the parking lots and let the wind take it away.

    Having to wait 2 MONTHS to get bulky items picked up is the norm now. How many people know 2 months in advance how much they need to set at the curb?

    Kansas City is less than 20 years behind Detroit. It's working on keeping up with Chicago regarding shootings.

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  17. ###########


    Who's this?

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  18. Someone tired of being a tax donkey.

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  19. Trump stated during his Thursday press conference that he and his administration “inherited a mess” from President Obama.


    Yup we understand here in KCMO being we are in one.

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  20. Loved the President's news conference. About time we hear what this President is saying and taking it to the media.

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  21. has shunned ESPN also. No march madness predictions. Thank you Mr. President. Media can still go to barry for his loser predictions. they'll catch him maybe at the golf course.

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  22. Say no to a Sly plan?

    Done.

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  23. Dear Anonymous from 2/16/17, 9:55 AM wrote:
    "The city DOES has the ability to issue bonds without a vote."
    And why they're not doing that speaks volumes to your ignorance.
    Would you understand the explanation? OF COURSE NOT. So I won't bother."

    You, my dear reader, clearly don't understand the term "rhetorical question", so unlike your impatience, I'll take the time and make an effort to educate you.

    When a writer asks a question, and then provides a detailed explanation of a possible reason, they really were NOT looking for an answer, since their own reply demonstrates they not only understood, but were able to articulate it so the most feeble minded will get it.

    The very balanced article accomplished its task at explaining a question, but, unfortunately failed to bring it to such an ridiculously low level that a moron, such as yourself, could understand. Alas, another product of KCMO Public Schools has reared their ugly, uneducated head.

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  24. The council/major must demonstrate an appreciation of historical properties and the need to protect them, before I'll vote for the bonds. I'm pretty sure, at this point, that my vote will be no..

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  25. I been asking people on the bus if they vote and how will they vote on the eight hundred million and the usually shout NO NO &%$#@*(). I'm gonna keep asking . it is great to hear that people have already made up their minds and will be noisy about it.

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  26. Has anyone else noticed a strange coincidence with this Bond Issue? Didn't we pass a $125 million "streets, curbs and sidewalks" bond issue years ago that somehow morphed into exactly the $125MM cost of "The Cleaver/Glover Plan" instead? And isn't $800 million precisely the last estimate of the cost of a KCI Single Terminal?
    Hmmm...

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