Open Letter To Waddell & Reed Workers



A word for warning and big picture on how life really works for employees caught in the midst of the border war . . .

"While this may be an opportunity for your company, it may affect not only your commuting time, but also your wallet. If you aren’t familiar with local economic development policies, let me bring you up to speed . . .

"In order to benefit from having more and bigger employers, cities often offer them incentives to relocate within their boundaries. They may include simple property tax abatements or more complicated programs like tax-increment financing (TIF). Cities may offer assistance in issuing bonds to pay for construction or forgo the sales taxes your company would otherwise pay on construction equipment. Heck, if you’re building a hotel, we might just give you a fat check!

Kansas City believes that these short-term costs are worth it over the long term. The economic research literature on the matter says otherwise, but certainly the company and its development partners see a great boon."



An Open Letter to Waddell & Reed Employees

Dear Waddell & Reed employees,I read with interest a story in The Kansas City Business Journal that your company may be considering a move (back) to the City of Fountains. This is exciting, and the people of Kansas City would welcome you with open arms. According to the Journal,


You decide . . .

Comments

  1. It takes courage to say no to developers.
    They finance every campaign, and provide the best corners for bigass signs.

    I'm always surprised at how little it takes to buy a councilman or woman.

    Most are little people and this is the first time in their life anyone has kissed their ass or been nice to them. Then staff fluffs them, and they start to think, hey, my vote is protecting jobs. I am an English nobleman, protecting my serfs.

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  2. Tracy’s right.
    This stuff does no good unless you’re on the end of an ego stroke.

    Here’s an idea: KC Parks and Rec own the Plaza Tennis courts. That real estate is worth millions.
    Why aren’t they selling it?

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  3. Crap, @4:06 - if Parks & Rec sells off the Plaza Tennis Courts, where will the Johnson County Ladies go to show off their new Tennis Outfits and cellulite?

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  4. DT Baseball 20316/12/19, 6:44 AM

    Downtown here they come. Perfect! More hipsters to support DT Baseball after work. Another big employer and a huge NFL Draft week should get it done.

    You aging - traditional JOCO Suburbanites have had your decades....it's over...get over it!

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  5. @6:25 They sure as hell don't go to the Plaza!

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  6. A company moves into KCMO, collects the E tax from employees and then is allowed to keep part or all of it. Sure would make me proud to work for such an ethical employer.

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    Replies
    1. W&R has never really been an "A" player in the investment management game. This behavior comes as no surprise.

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  7. Does fluff mean what I think it means?

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  8. (:16, it's a term from the world of show dogs. Or the court of Marie Antoinette. Attend to. Praise, flatter, primp, tell them how appreciative they are, tell them what a leader they are. How grateful staff is for these wise leaders to "do the right thing" to keep the machine of state going, and raise taxes and support WANTS rather than NEEDS.

    This is exactly how city council members and county commissioners, fall victim to the Stockholm Syndrome, (like Patty Hearst, in love with their "captors", and joining their Symbionese Army--elected officials become part of a new Us, and suddenly the voters and residents are a new Them. They eschew (boy, such a big word for this time of morning) their oath, and any sense that they were put into office to represent the VOTERS. Now they are PART OF THE MANAGEMENT TEAM!!!

    And well, the little people no longer matter. WE KNOW BETTER! We travelled as a group to National League of Cities meetings, and learned how OTHERS are doing what weird Mark Funkhouser brilliantly labelled as BS--Building Something.

    No standing still. Keep the flow of tax dollars circulating like one of those lucite box cash-blowing machines. Grab. Grab more. Jump higher. Never enough cash.

    And every 4 years when the elected emerge from the cash booth, for re-election, well, now there is an army of staff, and union members, and developers and lawyers, and all their family and relations--handing them money to get re-elected and do it all over again. Or maybe you can move UP to higher office!! Here, have 50 billboard sized signs on all the best corners--no need to ask--here's our list, and we will even install them and pay for them...

    Fluff. Woof woof. Good dog.

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  9. 12:05, the only part about the relationship that the serfs don't like is droit du seigneur.

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  10. 10:26, well if I had to look it up,(and I'm from Iowa, a State of Minds--AND took 2 years of French, but we never learned THIS), then I assume other TKC readers did, as well. Or skipped over your smarty pants comment.

    Droit du seigneur--an alleged right, reputedly claimed by some feudal lords, to deflower the bride or daughter of a vassal--on the first night, eg their wedding night.

    ==Actually, we serfs, resent alot more than being raped once--early on. It's the repeated violations of our rights and time and treasure that adds up. Yet many feel powerless. Few speak up. Even fewer vote. It won't stop until we do.

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  11. ^^^Used to be on their wedding night, but times have changed. Now it's on the third date.

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