The latest blog post from Kansas City's Mayor Sly James touts his effort to rebuild the urban core.
In a post on his blog Mayor Sly promotes The Brad Pitt Foundation School Renovation, The Chamber's Big 5 project on Troost and the recent Bank Of America gift of cash and vacant houses to Kansas City.
Here's the money quote:
"We’re tackling the pivotal issue of urban redevelopment neighborhood by neighborhood, one partnership at a time. Engaging a wide spectrum of community stakeholders in redevelopment efforts means we will have more resources, financial and otherwise, to aggressively attack the development problem in our urban core – and that is a big win for the neighborhoods and taxpayers. We all have to remember that these neighborhoods didn’t falter overnight and while we can’t rebuild them overnight, we must start."
It's worth noting that none of these efforts really started with the Mayor's office and all of them face very real questions about how much they'll really help.
More than anything this post seems to be a bit of encouragement to those who are doubting the Mayor's leadership during this stressful budget discussion.
DEVELOPING . . .
Without proactive intiatives by both the KCPD and residents to aggressively work to curb the average of two homicides every week, businesses won't survive, residents won't return, and investments won't take place on the east side.
ReplyDeleteBuilding new things and having them surrounded by the same dysfucntion, crime, and violence won't get anyone anywhere and has been tried over and over again. All that will happen is that tax money will disappear into thin air and end up in the hands of the same old crowd.
Nice PR, but no results.
absolutely agree with SOS but it's a lesson that KC leaders refuse to learn.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous said...
ReplyDelete"PENSION UNDERFUNDING: In the aggregate, the city has not made its full annual pension cost (APC) to its pension plans for at least the past six years.
CONTINUED PENSION UNDERFUNDING: The city's inability or unwillingness to initiate a plan to increase aggregate funding of its annual pension liability would likely place downward pressure on the rating."
Wow, and yet Yael--who contributes nothing to his own pension at the Star--is quick to admonish the police pensions which the officers themselves personally contribute to out of each paycheck. The officers, apparently unlike the city, can't just skip out on paying into the pension because of other "obligations" like downtown trains, P&L District, Green Zone funding, Aim 4 Peace (still no conclusive results of success), etc, etc...
2/29/12 11:51 AM
The Bail Out & misuse of taxpayer funds comments are right on target!
ReplyDeleteMayor Sly James & City Council are drunken sailors at a Vegas cat house.
When is the Mayoral appointed Municipal Revenue Commission going to speak up and provide guidance to our city leadership & cat house visitors? Maybe the mayor wasn't serious when he formed this committee and it was all for show while they spend taxpayer funds and drive us to the poor house?
- mister can you spare a billion?
Biz Journal has provided coverage:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/news/2012/02/29/james-infrastructure-plan-sours.html
City Manager / Mayor & Council don't look like they ave been smart with the money. Money quote from Fitch report "After adopting a balance budget for FY 2012, again only partially funding the pension plans, the city identified a $15 mm general fund budget gap as of midyear. Management anticipates eliminating the gap with cost containment, further extending its hiring freeze, and reduced capital spending..."
So how does the city have millions of funds to BAIL OUT Citidel Plaza and the Green Impact Zone
We should be spending ALL the city's budget on the fire department.
ReplyDeleteIt's a COMEDY!!!!
ReplyDeleteThis is so simple. If the schools suck the surrounding neighborhoods will too. People will not send their kids to shitty schools if they have the means not too. They will move to a small town in the hinterlands for the betterment of their kids even though they don't really want to live there. Invariably certain people inhabit said shitty neighborhoods.
ReplyDeleteThe Wayne Miner Court apartment complex was started in 1960 with five high-rise buildings surrounded by two-story apartment buildings and a total of 738 apartments for low-income Kansas City residents.
ReplyDeleteThe Housing Authority decided to raze the high-rise buildings in 1987.
From 2001 to 2003 the 74 units left from the orignal 738 apartments got a 6 million dollar make over. Thats 81 thousand per apartment.
Millions upon millions has been pumped into making places for what is suppose to be low income homes that end up destroyed or taken over by the drug dealers and users.
Anyone remember the so called Green Impact Zone of a few years(3) back? Your buddy Cleaver, the Funkster and Obama was suppose to get that money pit off and running which by the way covers the area we are now taking about but under the watchful eyes of the Sly dog.
Get ready folks to be once again shown what won't be a Baby Ruth floating in the swimming pool but the real thing.
Oh by the way it cost 9.5 million dollars to tear down what was to be cheap places to live because those living in it had no respect for it.
Yup ole Sly's new package will just be a modern day Wayne Minor Center with newer wrapping on it and a lot more costly.
Mr. Mayor, for your information all of that money is going to the same grifters in the same neighborhoods.
ReplyDeleteWhen you announce the same level of attention and investment in Hickman Mills/Bannister Mall; South Kansas City/Martin City; Northeast; and the near Northland, THEN you flap your lips about restoring Urban neighborhoods.
Until then, it's just more of the same and you're just the latest in a long string of dumbasses who are part of the problem.
You let stable but struggling neighborhoods drown while you attempt to revive the lifeless. This is stupid, stupid, stupid public policy.
But it makes for great press and will provide plenty of grease to keep the wheels of the grifters gravy train turning.
Hey, Slick? You forgot the taxpayers over on 26th & Prospect to Brooklyn. The only taxpayers you'll listen to are the ones who pay taxes in other jurisdictions. Kansas City stays losing because you're Mayor!
ReplyDeleteThe Black, fat and ugly at it again... spouting fairly tales and fairy dust. Your jolly grin can only get you so far.
ReplyDeleteWell said Super Dave--dead on...
ReplyDeleteI think this will work and has potential. In order to test the theory I conducted an experiment to confirm the theory. I went out in my yard and took a crap. I let it dry and then painted it gold. I placed my golden turd on a silver plater and went to my neighbors house. I said I have a golden turd for you to invest in. He said why on earth would I give you money for your shit painted gold. I said well I know it is shit but it is all I can produce. It keeps coming and I don't know what else to do with it. It is easier for me to paint it gold and have you pay for it. I don't care what you do with it after I give it to you but at least you can dispose of it properly. If you don't pay I and my friends will come over and shit all over your property and you will get nothing. We keep buying golden turds so they won't come shit on our lawns.
ReplyDeleteThe mayor is a smooth talker, as most lawyers are. They are great at sounding smart and believable, but never trustworthy.
ReplyDeleteAll these people care about is fame and fortune. They are out of touch and out of their league.
We shall not re-elect them. Not next time.
Until then, watch as the boat keeps sinking.
J. W. Helkenberg
Why are poor people such pigs?
ReplyDelete