Kansas City Infrastructure Conversation



An Week In Review switcherooo . . . And a worthwhile talk about the $800-Million that City Hall is soon to spend.

Description"

"Nick Haines moderates a discussion with Kansas City policymakers about what city leaders call a $4 billion headache – the cost of fixing a crumbling sewer and stormwater system and deteriorating roads and bridges. The panel includes Troy Schulte, City Manager; Brian Kidwell, MODOT; Joe Reardon, Greater KC Chamber President & CEO; Quinton Lucas, KCMO Councilman & Patrick Tuohey, Show-Me Institute."

Take a look:



You decide . . .

Comments

  1. Real concerns brought up by KC residents, Troy try's to play off the fact that you don't have a choice but council dude says we do. Troy looks defeated a bit at the end. I can't help but feel there is real anger building in the communities.

    ReplyDelete
  2. What happened to the 500 million bond passed 10-15 years ago that was to fix the infrastructure in KC?

    ReplyDelete
  3. the Infrastructure debate last week at the Plaza Library, City Manager Troy Schulte , City Councilman Quinton Lucas and Chamber of Commerce President Joe Reardon continually referred to the Streetcar expansion and the Airport single terminal proposal as ‘INFRASTRUCTURE”. We found this particularly interesting since the Mayor has stated repeatedly; " the City is in no way connected to streetcar expansion. (He continues) It is a group of grass root, private citizens not connected in any way to City Hall.” You would not have known it from the conversation. The three cheerleaders pushed both projects over and over and hard. By labeling both of these “INFRASTRUCTURE” can they now use GO Bond money on them? We believe the City is in the expansion process up to their eyeballs. On the streetcar, they can say rails, overhead wires, poles, etc are ‘INFRASTRUCTURE”. The streetcars themselves are not but all the periphery stuff could be labeled ‘INFRASTRUCTURE”. Same way with the Airport. There will be a lot of right of way construction,etc. which could be labeled “INFRASTRUCTURE” and then qualify for GO Bond funds. Look out puppies your money might be slipping away!! The old bait and switch just might be in play.

    The evening off on a political note when we thought it was going to be an open discussion.

    It didn’t take long to see the make up of the panel was heavily balanced in favor of the “Tax and Spend” politicos. It was Schulte, Lucas and Reardon versus SHOW ME INSTITUTE’s conservative Patrick Tuohey. Brian Kidwell from MODOT was there and articulated the State’s perspective on certain issues. The main talk was the bond issue, streetcar and airport. The Tax and Spenders continued with the “happy talk, back slapping, high fiving each other on the bond issue. They haven’t stopped to realize if Puppies and Pot were not on the ballot, it may have been a different outcome or at least a closer election. None the less, it’s over and they now have the money to spend. Tuohey was the calm, articulate and knowledgeable person on the panel. He dealt in facts, not hope and smoke. Tuohey consistently warned about the danger of adding debt on top of debt.

    It wasn’t mentioned the $80,000,000 collected for several years now for infrastructure will become even more of a slush fund. Think about it, we have been paying $80,000,000 annually for infrastructure forever. The tax and spenders will be back at the voters next year to renew this tax. $80,000,000 is DOUBLE the $40,000,000 they plan to borrow annually on the bond issue. The $40,000,000 annual bond money will be spread over all the projects on the bond issue. Where has this $80,000,000 collected annually been spent??

    The “Happy Talkers” were selling the streetcar expansion and a new single terminal airport as “infrastructure”. Setting the plate for the old switcheroo. Touhey articulated the facts that adding more debt to an already drowning City is not prudent. He was greatly out numbered but held his own as usual. It was obvious the ‘Happy Talkers” were not listening to the audience. While several people complained about the unfair, upcoming streetcar ballot and were told by Lucas, if you don’t like it, vote against it. No discussion about how the City Council should take control and force the election to be City Wide. No regard for the average citizen.

    Nick Haines did well trying to hold things together but it was clear the "Happy Talkers” had their agenda preprogramed into their psych.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I wish someone would ask the mayor about the miles and miles of track they have hidden in a warehouse already. That was bought and paid for before the $160,000,000 toy train we have now and yes that is as close to the final figure as can be. Keep on believing the liars that it only cost $102,000,000 they claim and another thing five other cities got the same 2.2 mile packaged deal for less than $60,000,000.

    ReplyDelete
  5. 1:34 comment NICE!

    The ToyTrain cheerleaders fully expect to cram their misguided white elephant into a metro system.

    If they succeed in getting the line extended to UMKC/Plaza/Brookside then they'll argue that it only makes sense to keep going. They'll rope the County into pushing it out into the burbs. And all the while, the developers will be tipped off as to which real estate to gobble up in advance, so as to make a killing when the the official line route is announced.

    Just look at who was on that stage!
    Joe Reardon with the KC Chamber of Commerce who's paid generously to due what the big businesses want;
    Troy Schulte who was recently bought off again with pay increases and a contract extension, he'll now make it to retirement thanks to the $800M bond vote;
    Quinton Lucas, who pretends to be a reformer while waiting for his shot at the Mayor's office. Works in Lawrence KS, but maintains an apartment in the 18th/Vine district for political purposes.
    Patrick Tuohey, who successfully fended off all BS from the above 3, by speaking truthfully.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

TKC COMMENT POLICY:

Be percipient, be nice. Don't be a spammer. BE WELL!!!

- The Management