Here's the full text of recent statement by the Kansas City Regional Transit Alliance Against The Jackson County Health Research Tax Plan. Check it:
Jackson County tax for health care research?
A new tax proposal fails to recognize the importance of what Jackson County has been doing over the past three years. Mike Sanders' energetic regional transit proposal is in a time-out. This is not a time to redirect our community's focus to another interest. How can we expect to attract these talented young health care researchers to a town that won't invest in the kinds of urban amenities that these people will demand?
The streetcar success is a signal event that ends decades of failed efforts to reach an antidote to suburban sprawl and urban disinvestment in the Kansas City Region.
Why, over the past 20 to 30 years, has Denver grown from being comparable to Kansas City in population and prominence to the vibrant and prosperous center that we aspire to be? From 1990 to 2000, Denver grew 29.9% while Kansas City grew 12.2%. Sure, there are lots of reasons -- the mountains were there before 1990 -- but look at their investment in public transportation: in the mid-80s they started with a one-mile transit line from their railroad station to their Capitol that turned the tide of their struggling downtown, and they never stopped adding improvements... two years ago they passed a $3 billion transit expansion plan.
Denver civic leaders saw the key to community success and bet on it. That first transit line was bought by downtown property owners, not by the voters of Denver.
Last year the cities of Jackson County invested over $600,000 in a regional rail promotional campaign because their leaders recognized the value of this investment. Now this complex railroad discussion needs time to mature and find an answer. To propose that these cities give up their investment for one that should be borne by the health care interests that will benefit from it is a monumental mistake.
Join us this Thursday to hear about Denver's transit success!
You can hear about Denver's transit successes first hand this Thursday as KCRTA welcomes Phillip Washington at our August luncheon. Mr. Washington is the General Manager of Denver's Regional Transit District and a recent recipient of the APTA's Outstanding Public Transportation Manager award.
$25 for non-members, $20 for members. Register and pay in advance today!
This event made possible by a donation from Olsson Associates.
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finally, a streetcar picture that shows the ever-so-attractive overhead wires....
ReplyDeleteFix the roads first. I vote No on a sales tax for research that is just a slush fund for Big Hospital CEOs and the County Legialature to play around with under the rug!
ReplyDeleteGod these Toy Train assholes are nitwits.
ReplyDeleteDenver City Hall is just as corrupt as KCMO.
ReplyDeleteFirst are the financial problems of the city of Denver. As the city government keeps on telling everyone who will listen, there is a “structural deficit” meaning no matter how much the city may prosper there are not enough revenues to meet expenses. Of course there is apparently more than enough money for the mayor to hire his sexually harassing ex-college buddy as a chauffeur and pay him $80,000 annually, enough for the City Council to raise their own salaries and the mayor’s salary and for the mayor to give his staff millions in raises etc., etc., etc.
Move to Denver if you don't like KC! Or Portland or wherever the hell you think you'll get your rocks off!
ReplyDeleteA friend explained to me today, that the researchers who come to town, are subsidized by out tax dollars, teach one class at the institution and when the new formulas are created for new and exciting cures by way of new drugs and treatments, the researchers and doctors aquire the patents for these new drugs personally.
ReplyDeleteI am not at this point sure if that is good or bad, but there it is.
Sorry, "by OUR tax dollars..."
ReplyDeleteIf they need a job bad enough to pull the wool over KC'c collective eyes maybe they should take their second career choice and apply at Wally World.
ReplyDeleteThese trolleys are bankrupting every city that has them except NYC.
ReplyDeleteHyperblogal; EXACTLY.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I love it when people compare Kansas City to Denver. They have a 2 mile long, free public transit route along a walkable downtown corridor full of shops, hotels, and entertainment. They use buses.
Also, their streetcar/light rail is super slow, it makes awkward zig zags, and causes traffic problems. Seriously, take a weekend trip to Denver, observe their public transit, see how the BUSES do their job fine while the streetcars are pokey and awkward. Have dinner at Cafe Berlin, and then come back home to help fight the expansion of the worst big public "improvement" project to hit Kansas City since... well, the last big one.
Business fleeing Mexifornia had more to do with Denvers growth than their stupid train. Weather and outdoor stuff is a million times more attractive. Football is better too since then.
ReplyDelete