TKC MUST READ!!! KANSAS CITY MAYOR SLY BLASTS CRITICS AMID DESPERATE PITCH TO KEEP DOWNTOWN CONVENTION HOTEL $35 MILLION IN SUBSIDY AWAY FROM VOTERS!!!



Kansas City's mayor filed this screed on Cinco De Mayo evening and it has been mostly ignored . . .

To wit . . .

CHECK THE MAYOR BLASTING CRITICS OF THE DOWNTOWN CONVENTION HOTEL AND THEIR EFFORT TO PUT THE PLAN TO A PUBLIC VOTE!!!

In fairness, as the petition effort is underway, the Mayor deserves his say and here's his take on the sitch:

Mayor Sly James: No Time for Politics



The most important passage from the Mayor:

It’s telling that just last week a special interest group – with a history of dividing issues along political ideology rather than playing a role in uniting our city around ideas that promote progress – filed paperwork in an ill-conceived attempt to stall the downtown convention hotel, potentially bringing the deal to a screeching halt.

The reason? It’s simple, political games.

Their attempt to stop this project in 2015 resulted in a lawsuit which they lost. The court said, amongst other things, that their initiative petition was unconstitutional on its face and overly vague.

This is the same group that opposed the streetcar when it was being developed. The streetcar will celebrate its one year anniversary this week. It has surpassed even the most optimistic expectations for ridership, economic investment, and business satisfaction from those along the downtown starter line.

This group was also front and center in opposing last year’s renewal of our city’s Earnings Tax, a critical source of the City’s general fund used for public safety and essential services. Failing to renew it would have made our streets less safe and left our city without viable options to address the funding shortfall.

And earlier this spring, this same group opposed the three General Obligation Bond questions that the public overwhelmingly passed. These will bring essential infrastructure maintenance to all corners of the city, and address needs our city has kicked down the road for decades.

In each case, and it’s the same with their effort now with the hotel – their solution is to say “No”. You and I know we didn’t build the momentum we now enjoy as a city by saying “no”. We renewed our national and international reputation by being bold and addressing challenges ignored for too long.

Simply put, we can’t afford obstructionists unwilling to share in the work of progress. We can’t afford games.
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This is mostly opinion from the Mayor but he downplays something very significant . . .

WHEN $35 MILLION WORTH OF TAXPAYER CASH IS ON THE LINE . . . VOTERS HAVE THE RIGHT TO CHALLENGE CITY HALL AND ASK FOR A VOTE THAT'S PART OF THE CHARTER!!! TO DENY THE RIGHTS OF THESE VOTERS IS UNDEMOCRATIC, DICTATORIAL AND DESPICABLE!!!

Thing is, when people are fighting about money . . . Concern about Democracy and the rights of voters is often overlooked.



More to the point . . .

TKC EXCLUSIVE: We continue to report by way of KICK-ASS INSIDERS that the Downtown Hotel developers are having trouble with financing and their Springtime groundbreaking has already been delayed to late summer and keeps getting pushed back . . . City Hall insiders inform us that the project remains sketchy and is just about to collapse with KCMO as the one of the biggest suckers investors whilst others turn away.

You decide . . .

Comments

  1. Let the people vote!

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  2. Mayor Bullhorn don't like being questioned!

    A disgusting, overfed grifter demanding obedience. Anything to say about crime? Didn't think so.

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  3. On one side are a small group of people who have a vision of a safe, maybe boring city. On the other is a large wealthy group of crony capitalists who think they can save the city and make themselves wealthy in the process. Now Mayor - who is the special interest group?

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  4. Did we vote on P&L District? This was one of these back room deals put together by a Mayor and City Manager. How did that turnout? It is important to have a debate in a democracy. I know that is saying a lot for Kansas City. With 26 million tourist you would think that you all kinds of investors wanting to invest and build a hotel.

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  5. The mayor is clueless and he doesn't even own property in this city, so he doesn't have to pay property tax, water, gas or electric so no wonder he doesn't give a shit. c'mon people wake the hell up and stop this fat bastard!

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  6. How much money is the Mayor and Mike Burke investing in this hotel?

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  7. It is NOT the responsibility of government or taxpayers to ensure the financial success of a PRIVATE project. S'lie HIMSELF mentions something to the fact of ensuring the success of the project. Since when is it MY responsibility as a taxpayer to ensure Hyatt turns a profit for THEIR project?

    S'lie goes on to say that the TIF money doesn't exist without the project. Which, in a way is true. But since the value of the land goes up with the development of the project, that's more dollars that SHOULD be going to schools and streets and such that doesn't. So, in a way, what he says is true...from a certain point of view. But that's still money that rightfully should be going to schools and such that doesn't. Again, money that is "ensuring" the financial viability of the project. Which, again, why is it the responsibility of government or taxpayers to ensure the financial success of ANY private project?

    This should NOT be the "new normal" for private projects. Tax payers have funded an alarming amount of the projects going on downtown. And it seems like most of anything that gets built in this town has to have a lot of tax payer funding attached to it. Right is right and wrong is wrong. And it's about as wrong as it gets to be putting tax payer dollars into the pockets of corporations to ensure their private projects are financially successful.

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  8. So now the mayor wants to take our right to vote away? We aren't worthy enough to decide our own future? The sob doesnt even own property in this city so he doesnt have to pay any taxes at all

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  9. So Sly is a renter?

    There are no public tax records that show this family even pays a dime in property taxes.

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  10. An important message from the Public:

    It’s shocking that the KCMO City Manager, Mayor, and Council – with a history of dividing issues along political ideology rather than concentrating upon the best interests of residents – continue forcing an ill-conceived, taxpayer-subsidized, anti-school/library/mental health downtown convention hotel which discriminates against existing KCMO businesses while rewarding private developers, including the man who ran against Sylvester James for Mayor. In public comments, James and Burke have admitted that they immediately began work on this hotel boondoggle following the election.

    The reason? It’s simple, political games and payoffs.

    Their prior attempts to ram this project through resulted in lawsuits, accusations of cronyism, and corporate welfare giveaways. That Mayor James, developer Burke, and several on the Council are attorneys just highlights their willingness to throw the taxpayers under the bus.....or should I say streetcar?

    This is the same group that rigged the streetcar project when it was being proposed. The public repeatedly said "NO" to the exorbitantly expensive project, an inferior redundant fixed-rail transportation option. But, of course, the streetcar was never really about transportation, rather a real estate development scheme only made possible by another taxpayer subsidy. Mayor James and his political contributors took the taxpayer for a "free ride" on this one. One of the most expensive streetcar systems in the nation, it generates no income, is prone to breakdown, carries phantom riders, and necessitated another layer of government bureaucracy being created for it's operation.

    This group was also front and center in pushing last year’s renewal of our city’s Earnings Tax, a critical component which enables the City’s slush fund and ongoing malfeasance. Nevermind that KCMO is already a high tax/poor service provider municipality when compared to it's peers. Nevermind that no other city in the metro has an earnings tax. They said failure to renew it would have made our streets less safe and left our city without viable options to address the funding shortfall. Do you think KCMO streets are safe? Do you wonder why KCMO homicides are up at record levels again? Do you know how many abandoned dangerous properties the city owns and fails to secure year after year?

    And earlier this spring, this same crony consortium promoted the all-time record $800 million-dollar General Obligation Bond questions. Never before in it's history has KCMO floated such a desperate plea to stave off bankruptcy. They continually lied to voters about the true cost of the tax increases forthcoming. They reported with a straight face that these G.O. bonds will bring essential infrastructure maintenance to all corners of the city, and address needs our city has kicked down the road for decades. Mayor James is on-record as stating that he first became aware of the massive infrastructure backlog shortly after assuming office the first time! Quite strange that he choose to ignore the problem for YEARS!

    In each case, and it’s the same with their effort now with the hotel – their solution is to say “SPEND MORE”. You and I know we didn’t build the reputation of the family-friendly conservative city we enjoyed in the past by saying “SPEND MORE”. We ignored what the glitzy trendy cities chased after and concentrated on maintaining what we have in place already.

    Simply put, we can’t afford more Schulte/James pie-in-the-sky corporate welfare which threatens our very existence as a livable conservative city. We can’t afford their crony games in which residents repeatedly get shafted for the benefit of wealthy non-residents who buy political influence at City Hall.

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  11. The mayor is sounding more like a silent partner everyday!! What are they hiding?? Where's the term sheet!!

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  12. I don't believe the city ever released the consultants report on the hotel feasibility.. this city government is all about "trust us"... nope.

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  13. BRING ON THE FEDS,!!! Let's get to the bottom of this ..

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  14. Where were the developers when Funk was Mayor?


    Vinnie this jerk Funkhouser isn't going to give us taxpayer backing, no way were risking our cash on this shit without a guarantee. We need to pull some strings and get this guy out and someone in who will do what he's told!

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  15. S'lie has been bought and paid for by corporations for years. And after his term is over he'll take the next thing smoking to D.C. for his next gig. Leaving us to clean up his mess. Much like Queen Kay did. Least she stayed in the city. But she left us with a good amount of financial issues to deal with. Namely that $15M per year we have to pay out of the general fund to prop up the P&L district.

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  16. Only in the spin world are citizens special interests while the crony capitalists are saviors.

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  17. CLAIMS VS. FACTS

    aka The Tony Botello story

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  18. So sick of that fat black coon Sly and his lying and incompetence

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  19. If the hotel is a good deal let them build it with their own money.

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  20. The royals are 12-20 one of the worst teams in baseball

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  21. Yu mean Mayor Bully doesn't want to play nice and do what the people want?

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  22. Tired of the Bullshit5/10/17, 2:41 PM

    I'm so glad I don't live in that city.

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  23. What doesn't kill us makes us stronger. We're going to last longer then the greatest wall in China. Or that rabbit with a drum.

    If there's one thing that I learned for waiting for my turn. Is anytime you get rainfall oh you also get some sun. And we'll make out better then okay. Here what I say? Any day.

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  24. Black male found shot to death on 12th and prospect.

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  25. i don't know if all the skepticism is really merited.

    the problem is that one has no confidence that the local newspaper or media are doing any sort of overseeing whatsoever.

    they're fake news from syndicated fake news agencies, restaurant reviews, obituaries, and sports. almost no good government reporting.

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  26. No one has confidence in the mayor, city manager or city council period. The only truth getting out there is TKC!!!!!

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  27. Screw kcmo and the star. I quit taking it 18yrs. Ago. That whole city sucks. Even before bullhorn James. Clever sucked too. Hasn't done shit in DC but run his stupid mug.

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  28. How do these retards stay in office? Oh, I do know. The dumb ass idiots that don't know shit votes for them every time. Get a clue people. Get them out.

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  29. I haven't been to the city since that stupid street car started running. Friends say it sucks driving around. Plus I don't want to shot by a coon. That city sucks. If I were you people struggling to pay bills and keep food on the table get the fuck out of there. Nothing is going to change but you taxes and utilities. Up, up,up they go for years to come.

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  30. Sly is a fucking liar. He is just waiting for his congress seat. I would beat his ass if he told his bodyguards to stand back. He won't, because he is a punk fuck.

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  31. Burke is a fraud!!! He has no money invested in the hotel!!!

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  32. FACTOID :

    Communist Democratic Liberals ( SLY JAMES) DO NOT let the Public Vote to Decide anything !!!

    The Communist Democratic Liberals will Decide for you on how and whats best way to STEAL & ROB you of your MONEY !!

    They Decide - NOT you the Voter or Public !!!!

    That's exactly how the COMMUNIST Democratic Liberals work !!!

    SLY JAMES and his cronies are Communist Democratic Liberal !!

    Tho as usual he'll attempt to Deny that and hide from the fact !!!

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  33. TooooooT!! LooooooT!!
    All aboard...next stop...Detroit!!

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